INTERNAL EVIDENCE OF THE EPISTLE

We must now give a little attention to the evidence, as to the character of the Roman Church, which the Epistle itself contains, partly in its language, partly in such inferences as we may be able to draw from peculiarities and limitations in the subjects which it treats and the arguments which it uses. Critical discussion of the problem has run through a curious history, into the minute details of which however it would take us too long to enter. The old view, suggested by certain conspicuous phrases, was that the Epistle was addressed to heathen converts. Nearly half a century ago a complete change was brought about by one of the most brilliant and most perverse of critics, Ferdinand Baur. He rendered a great service to the criticism of this as of other books of the New Testament by insisting strongly on the need of reading it in connexion with the movements and controversies of the age in which it was written: but unfortunately his own view of the Apostolic Age was full of exaggeration and distortion; and thus the misreading of history produced a misreading of literature, which for the moment undid the salutary effects of reading history and literature together. Hence the Roman Church addressed in the Epistle was declared to be a Church of Jewish Christians. This paradox was for many years accepted by leading critics of very different schools, though sometimes with more or less modification and dilution.