The Letter to the Romans: a Linguistic and Literary Commentary (Revised)

Publisher Marketing: This substantial new commentary, expounding the letter paragraph by paragraph, is distinctive among commentaries on Romans in foregrounding a linguistic and literary approach. To comprehend the letter, Porter shows, we must always be aware of the letter-writing and linguistically based rhetorical conventions its author was deploying. The commentary is organized around the five-part epistolary structure that Paul developed for this fundamental letter, a structure that gives shape to its logically unfolding theological argument. Recognizing this structure is vital for interpreting the traditional sections of the body of the letter, as well as for understanding the placement of the problematic chapters 9-11 within Paul's thought. One of the primary means of development Paul uses within the letter is dialogical interaction-what the ancients called diatribe-as a linguistic device for shaping and presenting his argument. Through the insistent questions and responses of the interaction, Paul opens up the major theological issues of the letter-human depravity, sin and works, justification and righteousness, reconciliation, life in the Spirit, and the role of Israel-and shapes the way his addressees should respond to them." Contributor Bio:  Porter, Stanley E Stanley E. Porter (Ph. D., University of Sheffield) is president, dean, and professor of New Testament at McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario. He is the author of many books on the New Testament and the editor of more than forty other volumes, including "Reading the Gospels Today". Some of his significant works include "Idioms of the Greek New Testament; Paul in Acts; Fundamentals of New Testament Greek; The Criteria for Authenticity in Historical-Jesus Research; The Book of Acts" (New International Greek Testament Commentary); "The Pastoral Epistles" (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament); "Verbal Aspect in the Greek of the New Testament, with Reference to Tense & Mood (Studies in Biblical Greek; Vol 1)" and "Romans" (Readings: A New Biblical Commentary). "- Editorial Review."