In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Contextualization of Paul’s letter to Romans.


• Collective identities, status, and individualism in Biblical context and within our modern day world.


• Honor-shame dynamics of collective identity.

Resources & Links:

Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes by Jackson Wu

Defending Shame by Te-Li Lau

Reading Romans Backwards by Scot McKnight

Follow Mission ONE on Instagram | @partnerwithmissionone

Learn more on mission1.org 

Show Notes:

How did Paul reframe humanity’s universal problem in his letter to Romans? Today we’ll be taking a lens to Romans in order to contextualize the text for the present day. We’ll break down all the ways that Paul relativized, reframed, and re-narrated ideas of collective identity and status within Romans. Then, we use this perspective to explore status & identity in our modern culture in comparison to the Biblical world. Join us for a compelling journey of contextualization throughout Romans!

00:50 How does Paul frame his letters to the Romans? 

03:05 Why is Paul’s mission to Spain the driving force behind his letter?

05:20 How did the Greeks dishonor God through their prejudice against barbarians?

07:00 Where does status come from?

09:15 How does Paul renarrate status and collective identity?

12:30 Why is it helpful to understand collective identity status in Biblical context?

15:35 What is the common dynamic between Romans 3:9 and 10:12 ?

17:15 What is Paul trying to say about collective identity?

19:15 Honor-shame values within collective identity.

23:00 What makes status and identity challenging in our own culture?

25:45 Polarization in the modern world and in the Bible.

29:05 What is the universal problem of humanity? How does Paul reframe this in Romans?

31:55 What leads to eternal life in Romans 2?

34:30 What other resources merge missions and theology in Romans?