Questions for a theology of Romans 1-11

I was a little disappointed when Dunn's Theology of Paul the Apostle came out, as I was with Stephen Westerholm's Preface to the Study of Paul, that they both focus primarily on Romans and Dunn's outline looks a lot like a systematic theology outline. I think a really sophisticated Pauline theology would need to have a chronological component that traced possible developments in Paul's theology (like the Pauline Theology series published by the Pauline Epistles section of SBL) and induce its categories from Paul more than from our Christian logic (God, humanity, sin, Christ...).

Some of the Pauline theologies of the last couple years are a little more appropriate in outline, even if probably not as good as Dunn in their content. I'm not saying I could do better than either.

But as I make final exams and such :-) , I thought I would try to lay out the key theological issues in a theology of Romans, which of course overlaps significantly with Galatians. What are the key exegetical decisions for this moment in Pauline theology?

1. What is the gospel?
This question relates particularly to Rom. 1:1-4 and also 1:16.

2. What is the ethnic make-up of the audience of Romans?
OK, this is not a theological decision, but it is one of the major interpretive decisions when interpreting Romans.

3. Why did Paul write Romans?
Again, not a theological issue, but something to test over Romans.

4. What does the phrase, "the righteousness of God" mean in Romans?
Here we start from 1:16, but must also strongly consider 9:30-10:4, both in the light of the Jewish background. 3:21 is also worth considering.

5. What is salvation for Paul?
The term occurs in 1:16. 5:9 is also significant.

6. What is faith for Paul? What is its content? Whom is it directed toward?
Here 10:9 is important, as is the fact that faith in Romans 4 is directed toward God and in Romans 9:30-10:4 it is directed toward Christ.

7. What does the expression εκ πιστεως mean for Paul?
It is an allusion to Paul's understanding of Habakkuk 2:4, quoted in 1:17. Does it refer more to Christ's faithfulness (Richard Hays) or to human faith (Dunn)?

8. What is the role of works in final justification?
Here we have to do with 2:4-10.

9. What is the role of repentance in justification?
Paul has little to say about repentance in an overall sense (that is, other than the repentance of a specific sinner in 2 Corinthians), but 2:4 perhaps implies its role in his theology.

10. What does Paul mean when he says that all have sinned?
What is sin for Paul? Is it different from transgression? Who does he primarily have in mind when he uses the word "all"--all individuals or all as in both Jew and Gentile?

11. What does it mean to lack the glory of God?
Does it mean to fall short of a glorious standard or not to have the glory that Paul holds as our hope in 5:2 and 8:18-30?

12. What does it mean to be justified for Paul?
We mentioned "final" justification in verses like 2:13. What is justification in passages like 3:24? Is it the same?

13. What does Paul mean by the "faith of Jesus Christ"?
Here we have principally 3:22 at issue, as well as 3:26.

14. What does Paul mean by "works of law"?
Does he primarily mean meritorious actions or does he primarily have performance of the Jewish particulars of the Law?

15. What is the nature of atonement in Romans?
What, for example, does the word ιλαστηριον mean in 3:25? How does Christ's death and blood function in atonement? What is redemption in 3:24? What is reconciliation in 5:11?

16. What is the nature of boasting in Romans?
Is it primarily about an individual boasting in his or her own righteousness or is it more about Israel boasting of special standing before God because of being God's chosen people?

17. What is the nature of grace in justification?
In Romans 4 and 11:6, Paul puts grace over and against justification by works and associates it with faith. How does that work?

18. What is the role of Adam in Paul's theology?
Here we have particularly to do with 5:12-21. Some, however, see Paul's Adamic thought continuing into chapter 7.

19. What is the role of sin in the life of a believer?
Here we have chapters 6-8.

20. What does flesh signify for Paul?
Again, a very big topic in Romans 6-8.

21. What is the Law in Paul's thinking and how does it function?
This topic peeks through in Paul's earlier chapters, but is hit especially in chapter 7.

22. What is the role of the Spirit in the life of the believer and the church?
Here we have principally Romans 8.

23. How does Paul understand resurrection in Romans, particularly in relation to how believers are joined with Christ?
Again, Romans 6 and 8.

24. How can God be considered just when he is passing over the sins of the Gentiles and grafting them into God's people apart from the Law?
This is the principle topic of Romans 9-11.

25. What is the nature of predestination and foreknowledge in Romans 9-11?

26. What does it mean to confess Jesus as Lord?
This springs from 10:9 but questions about the relationship between Jesus and YHWH are also raised by 10:13. What is the Christology of Romans?

27. What is the destiny of Israel?
What does Paul mean when he says that "all Israel will be saved" in 11:26?

28. What is the nature of the parousia in Romans?
Here 11:26 comes into play.

29. What is the nature of God?
Not in a philosophical sense, but what are the key attributes of God in Romans 1-11? The unit ends with a doxology to Him, but we might easily induce many other characteristics such as his justice from elsewhere in the letter.

What have I missed of major exegetical issues in the first 11 chapters? Certainly the ethics of 12-15 are important for his theology as well, and there is the question of where Romans 16 was originally sent to.

There are too many books on Paul already, and I have only one published piece on him so Paul is not my principal expertise. But it is very tempting to blog through my answers to these questions, to organize the answers, and then self-publish a small book of them. Doubt it will happen--too much else to do (sigh).