Corinth/Galatia
Corinth/Galatia
Paul’s concern with Jewish issues in Romans may be explained as stemming from his reflection on the struggle with the Judaizers that occupied him in Galatia and Corinth (see Galatians; 2 Cor. 3, 10-13). On this understanding of Romans, Paul’s purpose in writing to Romans is to set forth his mature views on these issues as they have emerged from the rough-and-tumble of theological polemics. Paul’s three-month stay in Corinth affords him the perfect opportunity to sum up these issues before he launches forth on a new stage of missionary activity with its own problems and challenges. Lending support to this view is the relatively neutral stance that Paul in Romans takes on such issues as the law, circumcision, and Judaism. 42
There is much to be said for this view, and probably it has captured part of the truth. But it leaves one crucial question unanswered: Why send this theological monograph to Rome? 43