Issues In Romans 1

In interpreting biblical passages pay attention to the prepositional phrases. I've been reading Romans lately and there are often interpretive issues in the letter that hinge on these little words. The first verse of the letter is an example: From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God [NET]. The last two words of the verse are actually one word in Greek theou—the word is in the genitive case and the NET Bible's translation "set apart for the Gospel of God" is literally correct. However, grammatically the genitive could be handled in one of two ways. It could be a subjective genitive, "the gospel that God brings" or an objective genitive, "the gospel about God."

 

What does Paul mean? Is he writing about a story in which God is the first and last chapter, or, does he have in mind a message that God's authored. Obviously both are true. In fact, that is the thought behind Daniel Wallace's plenary genitive idea. It is both in that case. However, I have always believed that more often than not the plenary genitive is a 'cake and eat it to' category. It is doubtful that Paul had both ideas in his mind.

 

I tend to lean toward the objective genitive in interpreting this phrase. Paul was set apart by God to preach the good news about Him. Romans is Paul's most nuanced and greatest explanation of the Gospel—God's work in His Son to make sinners righteous (justify them). It is a book about God. Paul lets us know that in the first sentence.

 

A second interpretive issue is found in the first paragraph. In the NET Bible verse 5 reads: Through him we have received grace and our apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles on behalf of His name. I have underlined the phrase in question and once again we deal with the genitive case—"obedience of faith." This phrase has been dealt with in four ways: (1) as an objective genitive "obedience to the faith;" (2) subjective genitive "the obedience that faith requires" or perhaps "produces;" (3) attributive genitive "believing obedience;" or (4) a genitive of apposition, "obedience, namely, faith."

 

Again while all four are grammatically possible, chances are Paul just had one of them in mind when he wrote that little genitive phrase. Which is it? Paul believed His ministry to the Gentiles was not just about getting them into heaven in the future. It was a ministry that involved obedience to God's will daily. Thus, I would lean toward (1). Paul believed Gentiles and Jews alike were not only to believe the truth but obey it as well. In fact the first eight chapters of the letter are about believing the truth while chapters twelve through fifteen particularly deal with obeying it.

 

The above are just two examples of paying attention to prepositional phrases. How do you interpret them? Often there is more than one way. Usually one is a better explanation than the others. Context determines meaning more often than not (the cardinal rule of all biblical interpretation).