Judgment and life for the lord: Occasion and theology of Romans 14,1-15,13

This article explores Paul's discussion concerning the strong and the weak in Rom 14,1-15,13. My thesis is that Paul's comments in this section of the letter function neither completely as a response to an actual problem in Rome, nor as entirely general paraenesis. Rather, Paul's comments function simultaneously on both a situational and non-situational level. Considering that specific concerns over food were likely operative in the Roman congregation, Paul employs non-specific language in this section in order to espouse a larger theological vision of the essential unity of Jew and Gentile under God's salvation in Christ.