Romans 8-17 Essay

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Romans 1:8-15 Original Meaning: Moo states Paul opens his letter giving thanks to God as letters in time period often opened to giving thanks to the gods. He also states Paul hesitates in being too bold and writes more with a sense of humility as he is trying to get their acceptance of him and win them over to his teaching, fully understanding he is not the one responsible for their conversion. Paul begins this section with the word ‘first’. He does not follow with a ‘second’ in this letter so the word first is not to signify an order but a priority in Paul’s life in giving thanks to God. Paul claims to serve the gospel with his whole heart/spirit and is so caught up in this spirit it has transformed who he is. When Paul states his wish to “impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong”, it is not clear what he means. He may mean one of his spiritual gifts he wishes to use when he reaches them, or it may mean a blessing he …show more content…

Paul often quotes or refers back to the Old Testament to give his teachings merit. Moo states a book like this is necessary when one reads Romans as current day Christians are often Old Testament illiterate. For example, when Paul speaks of the “righteousness of God”, he is using a term from the Old Testament which can mean one of three things. It can either speak about God’s justice, God’s promised relationship, or God’s saving ability. Moo believes here, Paul is referring to the final meaning, of God’s saving grace, in this section. The readers of this letter would have also been drawn to Paul’s mention of all who believe, showing this letter was not simply addressed to Jews but Gentiles as well. They would have also realized Paul was stating God’s saving grace was limited to a person’s response. While God calls all, only those who respond in faith are drawn into relationship with

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