The life and work of St. Paul

EPISTLE TO THE BOMAN3, AND THEOLOGY OP ST. PAUL. 449
indications so dubious that critics have arrived at the most opposite conclusions.
1 Baur cannot even imagine how it is possible for any one to
avoid the conclusion that the Apostle has Jewish Christians in view
throughout. Olshausen, on the other hand, pronounces with equal confidence
on the prominence of Gentiles. Each can refer to distinct appeals
to both classes. If, at the very outset of the Epistle, St. Paul seems to
address the whole Church as Gentiles, and in xi. 13 says, "I speak unto
you Gentiles," and in xv. 15, 16, writes in the exclusive character of
Apostle of the Gentiles,2 and in x. 1 speaks of the Jews in the third per-
3 son ; yet, on the other hand, in iv. 1 he speaks of " Abraham our father/'
and eajs that he is writing to those who " know the Law," and have once
been under its servitude. If, again, the multitude of quotations from the
Jewish scriptures* might be supposed to have most weight with Jews
(though we find the same phenomenon in the Epistle to the Galatians^,
yet, on the other hand, in the apologetic section (ix. xi.) the argument is
rather about the Jews than addressed to them, 3 and the moral precepts of the
practical chapters seem to have in view the liberal Gentiles far more than
the Ebionisiug Jews. The views of the latter are not directly combated,
while the former are bidden to waive their personal liberty rather than
cause any personal offence.
Of these apparent contradictions the solution most commonly accepted is
that suggested by Professor Jowett, 5 that even the Gentile converts had been
mainly drawn from the ranks of proselytes, who at Home were particularly
numerous, 7 so that " the Roman Church appeared to be at once Jewish and
Gentile Jewish in feeling, Gentile in origin ; Jewish, for the Apostle everywhere
argues with them as Jews ; Gentile, for he expressly addresses them as
Gentiles." This, no doubt, was the condition of other Churches, and may
have been that of the Church at Borne. But as this hypothesis by no meana
solves all the difficulties, it seems to me a preferable supposition that St. Paul
1 Neander, Meyer, De Wotte, Ofchausen, Tholuck, Reuss, &c., are confident that it
was mainly intended for Gentiles ; Baur, Schwegler, Thierseh, Davidson, "Wordsworth,
&., for Jews.
2 L 13. "Among you, as among other Gentilea" (of. 6, 6).
3 x. 1, " My heart's desire and prayer for them " (vwJp O.VTMV s, A, B, D, E, F, Q
not virlp tov 'I