Jason A. Myers reconsiders the meaning and context of the phrase "the obedience of faith" and the theme of obedience in Romans. In contrast to previous studies that have near exclusively focused on the obedience language in light of the Hebrew Bible and 2nd Temple literature, Myers instead investigates how this language functioned within the Greco-Roman world, particularly in the discourse of the Roman Empire. Additionally, he explores how some in Paul's audience may have understood the language of obedience.
Myers argues that Paul's use of obedience language, both at the beginning (1:5 exordium) and end (15:8 peroratio) of Romans, serves as rhetorical bookends, and signals a theme that runs throughout the body of work. By studying the Greco-Roman use of obedience language during the Empire, Myers sheds fresh light on the phrase "the obedience of faith" which would not have seemed odd or alien to the Gentile Christians in Rome. He concludes that examination of the way obedience language functioned in Greco-Roman contexts helps contemporary readers to understand how Gentiles in Paul's audience may have heard the terms and images relating to obedience.
