Sermon Notes

Notes

become a reality through the Pauline mission. - Schreiner Baker commentary on Romans

McKnight -

The fundamental elements of this context include the Weak and the Strong, the relations of the Christians of Rome with the state, the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem, the mission of Paul to Spain, and the way the Christians are to live with one another in this swirl of issues—all in what looks like five or six house churches.

The Weak are Jewish believers and the Strong gentile believers, though

rigid classification by ethnicity or religion would be a mistake. Furthermore,

there are good reasons to think Strong and Weak are deeply social status categories: the Strong are the Powerful and the Weak are the Disempowered. The Jew Paul in 15:1 lines himself up with the Strong when he says, “We who are strong.” The Strong, then, is not a simple code word but instead expresses those who are predominantly gentile who know that the torah is not demanded of them, which means the Weak are Jewish believers who for one reason or another think the torah in various halakic forms needs to be observed by all. Paul has strong words for the Strong: the gentile believers of Rome are running roughshod over the sensitivities and sensibilities of the Jewish believers. This is nothing less than a reversal of angles found in Galatians, where some were pressing the gentile wing into conformity with the torah. Pressure by Paul especially on the Strong becomes important in our reading of Romans.

reading of Romans.