Jouette Bassler’s article on “Divine Impartiality in Romans” (NovT, 1984) also includes a neat discussion of the structure of Romans 2:12-29. She points out the sequence of terms as Paul introduces the issues of law (NOMOS) and circumcision (PERITOME). “Law” first becomes an issue in v 12, in the negative form “without law” (ANOMOS), then Paul discusses the condition of Jew and Gentile with respect to the NOMOS. In verse 25, the binary of NOMOS/ANOMOS is overtaken by another binary of circumcision/uncircumcision (PERITOME/AKROBUSTIA). Bassler argues that the “word-chain” of lawless-law-circumcision-uncircumcision unites the section.
She goes on to demonstrate the chiastic structure of this section of the chapter:
General statement (in form of not (OU) . . . but (ALLA)), vv 12-13
Conditional case A: Gentiles, vv 14-16 (the ANOMOS)
Conditional case B: Jews, vv 17-24 (those with NOMOS)
Conditional case B’: Jews, v 25 (introducing “circumcision”)
Conditional case A’: Gentiles, v 26 (“uncircumcision”)
General statement (in form of OU . . . ALLA), vv 28-29
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
