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Romans 1-2 and Nathan's Parable to David

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 11:04 am
by mikew
I recently completed a Masters Thesis showing how Romans 1:18-2:2 is similar to Nathan's approach to David (2 Sam 12). The thesis discussion was narrow and didn't give opportunity to show that Rom 1:18-32 had best described Jews. It was good to hear that Steve's audio series on Romans describes Rom 1:18-32 as being about Jews.
In my analysis of Romans 1:18-32, more verses implicate Jews more often than Gentiles. Steve observes the same thing. He notes that Jews began with the knowledge of God and thus are the ones who could suppress that truth. However, it is a bit more accurate to say that passage could describe anyone who had been initiated into the biblical teachings but suppressed the truth -- so Rom 1:18-32 could describe Christians who fit this pattern.
I propose that Paul wrote solely to Gentiles who had accused Jews of falling away ... then 2:1-2 shows that the Roman Gentiles were guilty of the same things.