Romans: Worship in Hope of the Glory of God

By John Paul Heil

This book presents two new proposals regarding Paul's Letter to the Romans. First, with regard to the structure of the letter, it demonstrates how each of the four main sections of the letter is comprised of a series of microchiastic units arranged in a macrochiastic pattern. The delineation of these structures facilitates the demonstration of the second new proposal, namely, that worship is a key theme of the letter. The theme of worship, both liturgical and ethical, streams through the letter from beginning to end. The letter's theme of worship is closely associated with its themes of hope and glory. In and through the letter Paul calls on believers, made righteous with God from the faith that engenders an absolutely assured hope, to worship in hope of the glory of God, in hope of attaining the glory of the immortal God for which they were created, the glory of the divine life eternal of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Release date: Feb 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781532698439

John Paul Heil

John Paul Heil is Professor of New Testament at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He is the author most recently of 1-3 John: Worship by Loving God and One Another to Live Eternally (2015).

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Introduction

In this book I present two new proposals regarding Paul’s letter to the Romans. First, I demonstrate a new chiastic structure embracing the entire letter, based on strict linguistic and textual criteria rather than on conceptual or theological themes.¹ This chiastic structure accords with the view that Romans was originally delivered as an oral performance in a setting of communal worship. Chiastic structures were a common way of organizing or punctuating orally performed NT letters. ² Secondly, I offer a new proposal for a key theme of Romans, as expressed by the subtitle of this book—Worship in Hope of the Glory of God. I treat worship as a comprehensive concept that includes both liturgical, cultic, or ritual worship, as well as the moral behavior that is to complement it as ethical worship in accord with the biblical tradition.³ Hope refers to an attitude of absolute assurance that all who believe and are made righteous with the God who glorified Jesus by raising him from the dead will share fully in the glory of God, divine life eternal, that they have already begun to experience by living from faith.

The Chiastic Structure of Romans

Today written texts employ visual indications of structural organization and punctuation, such as headings, paragraphs, commas, periods, etc. But orally performed texts that are heard by an audience rather than seen and read often rely upon chiasms for their structural organization and punctuation. A chiasm works by leading its audience through introductory elements to a central, pivotal point or points, and then reaching its climactic conclusion by recalling and developing, via the chiastic parallels, aspects of the initial elements. The simplest chiastic units contain three (A-B-Aʹ) or four (A-B-Bʹ-Aʹ) elements, but chiasms may consist of any number of elements. The original hearers did not need to consciously identify the chiastic structures as they listened to them. They simply experienced the chiastic phenomenon unconsciously as an organizing dynamic that aided their perception and memory of the content. The delineation of these chiastic structures provides the modern reading audience with a visual aid to how the content was originally organized and thus can facilitate the interpretation of it.

As often acknowledged, Romans divides itself into four main sections: I) Romans 1–4; II) Romans 5–8; III) Romans 9–11; and IV) Romans 12–16. But what has not been recognized is how each of these sections comprises a sequence of chiastic units, which I will now demonstrate. I will also indicate the various transitional words that closely connect a unit to the immediately preceding unit. Although each unit is a distinct chiasm, it is closely connected to the preceding and the following unit. These various transitional words, which occur near the conclusion of one unit and close to the beginning of the following unit, indicate that the chiastic units are heard as a cohesive and unified sequence. These various transitional words are in bold italics in my translation of the chiastic units below.⁴ In addition, I will point out how the sequence of microchiastic units in each main section forms a macrochiastic structure based upon precise linguistic terms found in the text of the parallel chiastic units.

I. Believers in the God Who Raised Jesus from the Dead Will Live (1:1—4:25)

(A) Son of God in Power from Resurrection of the Dead (1:1–7)

Grace and Peace from God and Jesus Christ for all those in Rome called to be holy

⁵

A ¹:¹ Paul, slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, ² which was promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,

B ³ about his Son who was born from a descendant of David according to the flesh,

Bʹ ⁴ who was designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness from resurrection of the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Aʹ ⁵ through whom we have received the grace of apostleship for the obedience of faith among all the gentiles for the sake of his name, ⁶ among whom are you also, called to belong to Jesus Christ, ⁷ to all those in Rome, beloved by God, called to be holy, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!⁶

The only occurrences in this unit of called in 1:1, 6, 7, apostle/apostleship in 1:1, 5; and holy in 1:2, 7 constitute the parallelism between the A (1:1–2) and Aʹ (1:5–7) elements. The only occurrences in this unit of Son in 1:3, 4; from in 1:3, 4; and according in 1:3, 4, determine the parallelism between the pivotal B (1:3) and Bʹ (1:4) elements.

(B) In the Righteousness of God He Who Is Righteous from Faith Will Live (1:8–17)

The gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe

A ⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ concerning all of you, for your faith is proclaimed in the whole world. ⁹a For my witness is God, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son,

B ⁹b how constantly I make mention of you ¹⁰ always in my prayers, begging if somehow now at last I may succeed in the will of God to come to you.

C ¹¹ For I long to see you, so that I may share with you some Spiritual gift that you may be strengthened,

Bʹ ¹² that is, to be mutually encouraged among you through one another’s faith, both yours and mine. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, but I have been prevented until now, so that I may have some fruit also among you just as among the rest of the gentiles.

Aʹ ¹⁴ To Greeks as well as to barbarians, to the wise as well as to the foolish, I am under obligation, ¹⁵ thus my eagerness also to you who are in Rome to proclaim the gospel. ¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe, to Jew first but also to Greek. ¹⁷ For the righteousness of God is revealed in it from faith to faith, as it is written, He who is righteous from faith will live (Hab 2:4).

Jesus Christ near the beginning of this unit in 1:8 recalls Jesus Christ at the end of the preceding unit in 1:7. These successive occurrences of Jesus Christ serve as the transitional terms linking the first (1:1–7) to the second (1:8–17) unit. The only occurrences in this unit of first in 1:8, 16; of all in 1:8, 16; and gospel in 1:6, 9a, 15 constitute the parallelism between the A (1:8–9a) and Aʹ (1:14–17) elements. The only occurrences in this unit of come to you in 1:10, 13 determine the parallelism between the B (1:9b–10) and Bʹ (1:12–13) elements. The statement in 1:11 functions as the unparalleled and pivotal C element at the center of this chiastic unit.

(C) Worship the God Apparent Who Is Blessed for the Ages, Amen! (1:18–32)

The ungodly worshiped the creature rather than the Creator

A ¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of human beings who suppress the truth by unrighteousness. ¹⁹ Because what is known of God is apparent among them, for God has displayed it to them. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes understood from the creation of the world in things made are perceived, his eternal power and deity, so that they are without excuse. ²¹ Because knowing God they did not glorify or give thanks to him as God, but they were made futile in their reasoning and their senseless hearts were darkened. ²² Claiming to be wise, they were made foolish ²³ and they changed the glory of the immortal God into a likeness of an image of a mortal human being or of birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

B ²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonoring their bodies among themselves, ²⁵a those who exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,

C ²⁵b who is blessed for the ages, amen!

Bʹ ²⁶ For this reason God gave them over to passions of dishonor, and their females exchanged the natural sexual relations for the unnatural, ²⁷ and likewise the males, abandoning the natural sexual relations with the female, were inflamed with lust for one another, males with males producing the disgraceful deed and receiving the recompense that was necessary for their error. ²⁸a And as they did not discern God with their knowledge, God gave them over to a disapproved mind,

Aʹ ²⁸b to do improper things, ²⁹ filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greediness, malice, full of envy, murder, rivalry, deceit, malignity, gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, God haters, insolent, arrogant, braggarts, inventors of evils, disobedient to parents, ³¹ senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless. ³²Although they recognize the righteous decree of God that those practicing such things are worthy of death, they not only do them, but they even commend those who practice them.

Is revealed near the beginning of this unit in 1:18 recalls is revealed near the end of the preceding unit in 1:17. These successive occurrences of this verb serve as the transitional terms linking the second (1:8–17) to the third (1:18–32) unit. The only occurrences in this unit of all in 1:18, 20; unrighteousness in 1:18, 29; and senseless in 1:21, 31 constitute the parallelism between the A (1:18–23) and Aʹ (1:28b–32) elements. The only occurrences in this unit of gave them over in 1:24, 26; dishonor in 1:24, 26; and exchanged in 1:25a, 26 determine the parallelism between the B (1:24–25a) and Bʹ (1:26–28a) elements. The exclamation who is blessed for the ages, amen! forms the unparalleled and pivotal C element (1:25b) at the center of this chiasm.

(D) Life Eternal to All Who Seek Glory and Honor and Immortality (2:1–16)

There is no partiality before God

A ²:¹ Therefore you are without excuse, O human being, everyone who judges, for in what you judge the other you condemn yourself, for you who judge practice the very same things! ² We know that the judgment of God is in accord with truth upon those practicing such things. ³ Do you reckon this, O human being who judges those who practice such things yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or of the wealth of the kindness of him and of the forbearance and of the patience do you think lightly, unaware that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵ In accord with your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up for yourself wrath for the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of God,

B ⁶ who will repay each according to his works (Ps 62:12; Prov 24:12). ⁷ To those who by perseverance of good work seek glory and honor and immortality, life eternal, ⁸ but to those who from selfishness disobey the truth, being persuaded to unrighteousness, wrath and fury.

⁹ Affliction and anguish upon every human being who produces evil, Jew first and also Greek,

Bʹ ¹⁰ but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, Jew first and also Greek.

Aʹ ¹¹ For there is no partiality before God. ¹² Those who have sinned lawlessly will also perish lawlessly, and those who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be made righteous. ¹⁴ For whenever gentiles who do not have the law by nature do the things of the law, these not having the law are a law to themselves. ¹⁵ They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even defend them, ¹⁶ on the day when God judges the secrets of human beings according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

Practice near the beginning of this unit in 2:1 recalls practice at the end of the preceding unit in 1:32. These successive occurrences of this verb serve as the transitional terms linking the third (1:18–32) to the fourth (2:1–16) unit. The only occurrences in this unit of judge in 2:1, 3, 12, 16; God in 2:2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 13, 16; heart(s) in 2:5, 15; and day in 2:5, 16 constitute the parallelism between the A (2:1–5) and Aʹ (2:11–16) elements. The only occurrences in this unit of good in 2:7, 10; glory in 2:7, 10; honor in 2:7, 10; and Jew first and also Greek in 2:9, 10 determine the parallelism between the pivotal B (2:6–9) and Bʹ (2:10) elements.

(Cʹ) Praise from God for the Jew Not Apparent (2:17–29)

The name of God because of you is reviled among the gentiles

A ¹⁷ But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God ¹⁸ and know his will and discern the things that matter, being instructed from the law, ¹⁹ and if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide for the blind, a light for those in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having the embodiment of knowledge and of truth in the law, ²¹ you then who teach another, you yourself do you not teach? You who preach not to steal, do you steal? ²² You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who in the law boast, through the transgression of the law do you dishonor God? ²⁴ For "the name of God because of you is reviled among the gentiles" (Isa 52:5; Ezek 36:22), just as it is written.

B ²⁵a For circumcision is indeed of value if you practice the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law,

C ²⁵b your circumcision has become uncircumcision ²⁶a If then the uncircumcision keeps the righteous decrees of the law,

Cʹ ²⁶b will not his uncircumcision be reckoned as circumcision? ²⁷a Then the uncircumcision by nature who fulfills the law will judge you,

Bʹ ²⁷b who, though provided with the letter and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law.

Aʹ ²⁸ For it is not the apparent Jew, and the circumcision apparent in the flesh, ²⁹ rather the one who is a Jew inwardly, and whose circumcision is of the heart, in the Spirit not in the letter, whose praise is not from human beings but from God.

God near the beginning of this unit in 2:17 recalls God near the end of the preceding unit in 2:16. These successive references to God serve as the transitional terms linking the fourth (2:1–16) to the fifth (2:17–29) unit. The only occurrences in this unit of Jew in 2:17, 28, 29 and God in 2:17, 23, 24, 29 constitute the parallelism between the A (2:17–24) and Aʹ (2:28–29) elements. The only occurrences in this unit of transgressor of the law in 2:25a, 27b determine the parallelism between the B (2:25a) and Bʹ (2:27b) elements. And the only occurrences of uncircumcision in 2:25b, 26a, 26b, 27a establish the parallelism between the pivotal C (2:25b–26a) and Cʹ (2:26b–27a) elements.

(Bʹ) Righteousness of God through Faith in Jesus Christ for All Who Believe (3:1–31)

All are made righteous by the grace of God through the redemption in Christ Jesus

A ³:¹ What then is the advantage of the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? ² Much in every way! First indeed that they have been entrusted with the sayings of God. ³ For what if some have been unfaithful? Surely their unfaithfulness will not nullify the faithfulness of God? ⁴ May it never be! God must be true, even if every human being is a liar, as it is written, That you may be pronounced righteous in your words and will conquer when you are judged (Ps 51:6). ⁵ But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? ⁵ Surely not unrighteous is the God who inflicts wrath? I am speaking like a human being. ⁶ May it never be! How else is God to judge the world? ⁷ But if the truth of God by my falsehood abounds to his glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner? ⁸ And surely not, as we are reviled and as some claim that we say, Let us do the evil things, so that the good may come? Their judgment is deserved! ⁹a What then? Are we disadvantaged? Not at all! For we have already charged that all, Jews as well as Greeks,

B ⁹b are under sin, ¹⁰ as it is written, "There is not one righteous, not even one, ¹¹ there is not one who understands, there is not one who seeks God. ¹² All have turned away, together they have been made worthless; there is not one who shows kindness, there is not even one (Eccl 7:20; Ps 14:1–3). ¹³ An opened grave is their throat, with their tongues they deceive (Ps 5:9), the poison of asps is under their lips (Ps 140:3); ¹⁴ whose mouth is filled with cursing and bitterness" (Ps 10:7);

C ¹⁵ "swift are their feet to shed blood, ¹⁶ ruin and misery are in their ways,

Cʹ ¹⁷ but the way of peace they have not known" (Isa 59:7–8).

Bʹ ¹⁸ "There is not fear of God before their eyes" (Ps 36:1). ¹⁹ We know that whatever the law says it speaks to those under the law, so that every mouth may be shut and all the world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ Because from works of the law will not be made righteous any flesh before him (cf. Ps 143:2), for through the law is knowledge of sin.

Aʹ ²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been displayed, attested by the law and the prophets, ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, ²³ for all have sinned and lack the glory of God, ²⁴ but are freely made righteous by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God planned as an expiation, through faith, in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of sins previously committed, ²⁶ in the forbearance of God, for the demonstration of his righteousness in the present time, that he might be righteous and make righteous one from faith in Jesus. ²⁷ Where then is boasting? It is excluded! Through what law? Of works? No, but through the law of faith! ²⁸ For we reckon that a human being is made righteous by faith apart from works of the law. ²⁹ Or is God of the Jews only? Not also of gentiles? Yes, also of gentiles, ³⁰ since one is God who will make righteous circumcision from faith and uncircumcision through faith. ³¹ Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! Rather we uphold the law!

Jew in 3:1 recalls Jew in 2:29. These successive references to a Jew serve as the transitional terms linking the fifth (2:17–29) to the sixth (3:1–31) unit. The only occurrences in this unit of Jew(s) in 3:1, 9a, 29; circumcision in 3:1, 30; entrust/believe in 3:2, 22; nullify in 3:3, 31; may it never be in 3:4, 6, 31; human being in 3:4, 5, 28; and glory in 3:7, 23 constitute the parallelism between the A (3:1–9a) and Aʹ (3:21–31) elements. The only occurrences in this unit of sin in 3:9b, 20; there is not in 3:10, 11, 12, 18; and mouth in 3:14, 19 determine the parallelism between the B (3:9b–14) and Bʹ (3:18–20) elements. And the only occurrences of way(s) in 3:16, 17 establish the parallelism between the pivotal C (3:15–16) and Cʹ (3:17) elements.

(Aʹ) We Believe in the One Who Raised Jesus Our Lord from the Dead (4:1–25)

In hope Abraham believed giving glory to the God who makes alive the dead

A ⁴:¹ What then shall we say that Abraham our forefather according to the flesh has found? ² For if Abraham was made righteous from works, he has something to boast about, but not before God! ³ For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness" (Gen 15:6). ⁴ To one who works, the wage is not reckoned according to grace but according to obligation, ⁵ to one who does not work but believes in the one who makes righteous the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness. ⁶ So also David speaks about the blessing of the human being to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: ⁷ "Blessed are they whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered; ⁸ blessed is the man against whom the Lord will never reckon sin" (Ps 32:1–2). ⁹ Is this blessing then on the circumcision or also on the uncircumcision? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. ¹⁰ How then was it reckoned? Being in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision but in uncircumcision! ¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness of the faith of the one in the uncircumcision, so that he is the father of all who believe through uncircumcision, so that righteousness is reckoned also to them, ¹² as well as the father of circumcision, those who are not only of circumcision, but even those who follow in the footsteps of the in-uncircumcision faith of our father Abraham.