The Jewish Annotated New Testament (256 page)

6
:
Taxes
, cf. Mk 12.17. The reference to
authorities
as
God’s servants
here is Gk “leitourgoi”; this could refer to priests, as opposed to “diakonos” (“servant”) in v. 4. “Leitourgos” often signifies a more cult-oriented activity (cf. 15.16; Isa 61.6; Neh 10.39;
4 Ezra
7.24), which would be a more likely view for Paul to hold toward collecting funds for the sacrificial cult activities in Jerusalem than toward the tax collectors of the empire.

7
:
Due them
, not in Gk.

8
:
For the one who loves another has fulfilled the law
, lit., “for loving the other fulfills Torah.” Cf. Lev 19.18; Mt 5.43; 19.19; Gal 5.6,13–14.

9
: Drawn from the Decalogue in Ex 20.13–17; Deut 5.17–21.

10
:
Love is the fulfilling of the law
, lit., “love is the fullness of Torah”; no article with “nomos” in Gk. Similarly stated in negative terms by Hillel,
b. Shabb
. 31a: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor”; moreover, he continues, “this is the whole Torah, the rest is commentary; now go and learn!” Note that Paul plays off of the word translated “work” in his choice of verb: love does not “work” harm to a neighbor. “Fullness” (“plērōma”) can indicate completeness or full measure, which accentuates that Torah (“nomos”) is not a negative category, but one with ideal values, which can be subverted instead of carried out as ideally intended (cf. 2.12–13; 7.12).

11
–14
: The call to live in the full light of the impending day.

11
–12
: Cf. Prov 4.16–19; Job 29.14; Wis 17.1–18.4; 2 Cor 6.7; Eph 4.22–24; 6.13–17; Col 3.9–14; 1 Thess 5.8. The contrast of light and dark is central in the DSS, see 1QS 2.7; 3.20–4.1; 1QM 15.9. Note the ambiguity of the time being defined, a time when night is over and yet the new day has not yet dawned but is drawing near, which mirrors Paul’s overall message that something is in the process of changing but not completed. He thus seeks to help his audience to think and act in this time based not on how things might appear, but on what God has promised the outcome will be. “Works” versus “armor” is not an equivalent contrast; the instruction is based on “armor” likewise being “works,” how one walks, i.e., behaves. The point is to commit to certain behavior, eschewing other behavior. Note that the initial conjunction of v. 11, Gk “kai” (“and”) suggests continuity with the point of v. 10, i.e., that one can love in that way because one knows that the day of restoration is close, that day when justice will be served.

11
:
Salvation
, or restoration/rescue.
Believers
, or faithful. Cf. 2 Cor 6.7; 10.4; Eph 6.11.

13
: The verb for “walking” used here corresponds to the verb “halakh”, related to “halakhah” in Heb. The point is to behave as if everything is observed fully by God and humankind, rather than as if something can be gotten away with as if unseen.
Live honorably
, lit., “walk properly.”

14
:
For the flesh, to gratify its desires
, or for covetousnesses [i.e., intense desires] of the flesh; “to gratify” not in Gk. Cf. Job 29.14; Gal 3.27. This statement recalls the argument of ch 7, but now Paul enjoins freedom from the snare of covetousness, although ch 7 seems to claim that this state has already been realized. How is it to be accomplished? By making no provision for satisfying that which is craved, even though the principle (“nomos”) to which Paul calls his audience admits that covetousness is still present in their lives, and must be combated.

14.1
–23: God’s faithfulness proclaimed in community.
Paul continues to instruct these non-Jews on how they should live within the Jewish communities of Rome, specifically the way that they should respect the sensibilities of those Jews who do not share their convictions about the meaning of Christ. Paul refers to those Jews as “weak” or “stumbling” in faithfulness to the revelation of Christ, versus themselves and Jews such as Paul who are “strong” or “able” to express faithfulness to this message. The thrust of the exhortation is that these Christ-following Gentiles are to comply with the expectations of righteousness for themselves as non-Jews as well as to respect the expressions of righteousness incumbent upon Jews with whom they are in contact. Otherwise, they risk harming the very ones for whom they should be living graciously in faithfulness to Christ, who died on their behalf as well. Their rescue depends, at least in part, on the audience’s service to these Israelites.

1
: The instruction is stronger than merely “accept” or “welcome”; it carries the sense of “bring in as a partner,” “fetch,” or “take hold of.” A close association between “being weak/sick/disabled” and “stumbling/offense” (lit., “trap”) is evident in LXX, where the Gk “astheneō” and cognates were used to translate the Heb “kashal” and cognates (Jer 6.21; 18.15,23; Hos 4.5; 5.5; 14.1,9; Ps 9.3; 26.2 LXX; 106.12 LXX; Dan 11.14,19,33–35; cf. 1QH 9.25–27, where it is also contrasted with “might/power” [“g-b-r”] in a way similar to the contrast Paul is drawing with cognates of Gk “dynamai”; see also Judg 5.31; 2 Kings 18.20; 1 Chr 29.11). This translation maintains the image Paul has been working with since 9.32–33 to explain how these Gentiles are to view the fellow Jews who are not Christ-followers.
Weak in faith
, Jews who are stumbling with respect to faithfulness [i.e., to Christ].

2
: Torah-observant Jews might eat vegetables when the meat available is deemed inappropriate (Dan 1.8–16; 10.3; Tob 1.10–11; Jdt 10.5; 12.1–2; 2 Macc 5.27; Josephus,
Life
14); see v. 14 below. The meat might be seen as contaminated by idolatry, or as not having been properly slaughtered or prepared.

6
–8
: The
day
is not specified; it could be the Sabbath or other feast days, but also could be disputes about what day things should be observed based on differing calendars.

9
:
So that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living
, i.e., ruler of all, since he has conquered death.

10
: Cf. 2.1–16.

11
: Paul conflates and adapts Isa 49.18 and 45.23.
Shall give praise
, or, shall confess.

13
: This motif—not putting a
stumbling block
in another’s
way
— is often associated with avoiding idolatry; see Ex 23.33; 34.12; Judg 2.3; 8.27; Jer 3.3; Hos 4.17; Zeph 1.3; Ps 106.36 (105.36 LXX); Wis 14.11; 1QS 2.11–12,17. It is part of the love focus in Lev 19.14 that one shall not “place a stumbling block before the blind,” developed in
y. Demai
3.23 (cf. Rom 11.7–10).
In the way of another
, lit., “in the way of the brother (or sister).”

14
:
Unclean
, lit., “profane/common.”

15
: Cf. Lev 19.14.
Is being injured
, or is being harassed.

16
:
Be spoken of as evil
, lit., “be blasphemed.”

17
: The epistle’s only mention of the kingdom of God (cf. 1 Cor 4.20).

19
: Cf. Ps 34.14;
m. Avot
1.12.

20
:
Clean
, or pure.
Fall
, lit., “stumble.”

21
: Wine might be feared to have been involved with idolatry in production (because there are idolatrous activities involved in the production) or by a libation offered to the gods before it was served (Deut 32.38; Dan 1.8; 5.4,23;
m. Avodah Zara
30b, 31a, 36a).

23
: Some manuscripts insert here the doxology in 16.25–27.
Have doubts
, lit. “cause disputes.”

15.1
–33: Living in view of God’s faithfulness.
The argument from ch 14 continues, calling for gracious service toward these Jews in Rome, following the model of Christ’s suffering even for those who rejected him, and invoking a vision of these Gentiles worshiping within the congregation of Israel, as scripture foretold. God’s faithfulness to all Israel is thereby shown in fulfillment of the promises to the fathers and in the mercy extended to the Gentiles.

1
: Lit., “but we, the able, are obligated to support the stumbling of the unable (ones).” For the first time we have a reference to the audience, together with Paul, as the ones who are “able/strong,” and the others, the
neighbors
(v. 2), as “unable.” There may be ironic insult involved in this turn of phrase: how “able” are they if they are “unable” to understand that faithfulness involves caring for the neighbor’s interests, not their own in ways that harm their neighbor, who is already suffering the weaknesses of being unable. The interpreter must fill in a specific reference for the ability or inability. The NRSV,
the failings of the weak
, reverses the phrase. But Paul does not write of the inabilities of the weak ones; rather, he writes of the weaknesses of the unable ones. The NRSV alternative would perhaps lend support to the traditional view that the weak are unable to trust God enough to abandon the conviction that faithfulness includes Torah observance. But the latter alternative, which reflects what Paul writes, supports the idea that because the weak were unable to proclaim the faithfulness of Christ, they were thereby disabled; that is, in Paul’s metaphorical terms, because they were unable to understand that Christ was the goal of Torah for righteousness for the nations as well as Israel, they were thus stumbling over the proclamation of Christ to the nations, and the positive response of Paul’s addressees in Rome to that message.
Put up with
, Gk “bastazō” has a more positive sense here: Paul has already taught his audience not to cause stumbling or to dispute; now he exhorts them to
please
the neighbors (v. 2). The translation alternative keeps in view the positive nature of this instruction, to “support,” that is, to take responsibility to help the stumbling to be able to stand (or the weak to be enabled); in terms of stumbling, “hold up” might be even better. Since Paul here identifies himself among the “able,” it is significant how one defines what it is that separated the able from the unable throughout this argument. Traditionally, this has been understood to point to Paul as Torah-free, able to move “beyond” Torah in Christ; thus, the “weak” are as yet unable to give up Torah as Paul believes they should. He nonetheless calls those, like him, who are free to tolerate the immaturity of “the weak.” The suggested interpretation is that Paul, the Israelite and Torah-observant, shares with his non-Israelite audience the “ability” to believe that God has granted righteousness through the faithfulness of Christ to all of the nations, and at the same time, he maintains a responsibility to live as slaves holding up those Israelites who are not similarly persuaded. Therefore, these un-persuaded ones are characterized presently as weak/disabled/stumbling until they regain their step and take up, with Paul, the announcing of this good news.

3
: Ps 69.9, which Paul has cited in 11.9. Cf. Phil 2.1–18.

4
: Cf. 1 Macc 12.9. As Paul has just applied scripture to instruct them, so too they are to learn to draw from scripture to muster the required endurance for taking the posture of slaves in the service of others, and they are to be encouraged (or exhorted) by those who have similarly suffered in the present age, but in hope trusted in God’s promise of justice and restoration.