The Irony of Romans 13

This article explores the possibility that Paul was using irony in his commendation of the state in Romans 13. It is proposed that the original audience of the letter shared with Paul a common experience of oppression at the hands of the authorities and were aware of the abuses that took place in th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNovum Testamentum Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 209 - 228
Main Author Carter, T. L.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published The Netherlands BRILL 2004
Brill
Subjects
Apostles
Christianity
Emperors
Epistles
Exegesis and biblical criticism
Expulsion
History and sciences of religions
Injunctions
Iron
Irony
New Testament
Obedience
Romans
St Paul
Swords
Taxpaying
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Summary:This article explores the possibility that Paul was using irony in his commendation of the state in Romans 13. It is proposed that the original audience of the letter shared with Paul a common experience of oppression at the hands of the authorities and were aware of the abuses that took place in the opening years of Nero's reign. The consequent implausibility of Paul's language would have alerted his readers to the presence of irony. They would have been able to set aside the surface meaning of the discourse and to recognise that Paul was using the established rhetorical technique of censuring with counterfeit praise. While the passage can be read as a straightforward injunction to submit to the authorities, an ironic reading of the text results in a subversion of the very authorities it appears to commend.
Bibliography:istex:37701BAD0B906A28AA1F86ED3AB7AFA60126B193
ark:/67375/JKT-TX8CTL4Z-F
href:15685365_046_03_s001_text.pdf
ISSN:0048-1009
1568-5365
0048-1009
DOI:10.1163/1568536041528213