Over the past two chapters, Paul has laid out, step by step, his argument that everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, sins and stands in need of God’s grace. This is the first argument he deploys to support his thesis statement: that by bringing Jews and Gentiles together in one community, his gospel demonstrates rather than … Continue reading God’s Justice Revealed, Redux: Romans 3.21-31
Before moving on from Paul’s first big argument, it’s time for another targum, a loose explanatory paraphrase of the text: [1.18-23] Our good and just God shows us the real consequences of the sacrilege and injustice humans wreak on the earth when they willfully refuse to see what’s right before their very eyes. For … Continue reading One Boat: A Targum on Romans 1.18-3.20
Throughout the past two chapters, Paul has been slow building his argument that everyone stands in the same position before God. He started off by talking about the general state of affairs in the world, using traditional stories and tropes (1.18-32). But then moved on to attacking all kinds of religious hypocrisy: those who judge … Continue reading Not Even One: Romans 3.9-20
Wow! I'm pretty sure it was just the start of April, but here we are at the end of June, and therefore the midway point of the year. Already! This week I'll go over my thoughts and feelings and preliminary rankings for this year in music, so far. In two weeks, I'll return with my bookish … Continue reading Culture Roundup (June 27, 2026): My Musical Mid-Year Check in
Last time in this series on Paul’s letter to the Romans, we saw how after laying out a well-known story about how sin works in the world, Paul turned the table on his readers: Anyone who judges others, whether from a sense of moral, theological, or ethnic superiority, stands condemned, because we all end up … Continue reading Paul on Jewish Privilege and Its Limits: Romans 2.25-3.8
Matthew Root 