Burton, Keith A.

About the author: Dr. Keith Burton received his PhD from Northwestern University. He is currently Associate Professor in the Religion and Theology Department at Oakwood College, Hunstville, Alabama.

Rhetoric, Law, and the Mystery of Salvation in Romans 7:16

2001 0-7734-7708-X
Many have come to the conclusion that Romans 7: 1-6 indicates a deficiency in Paul’s ability to construct a coherent argument. This study suggests that interpretive problems will be eliminated if the pericope is approached with the right methods. Romans 7: 1-6, examined as a rhetorical treatise, is a paradeigmatic argument which is both structurally and logically coherent. A full understanding also demands a re-evaluation of the meaning and reference of ‘law’ in Romans. Utilizing semantic analyses, Burton suggest that ‘law’ most often refers to the Decalogue. In this pericope, Paul demonstrates how a sinful individual who is condemned by law is transformed to a spiritual individual who is commended by law.