THE present writer is firmly convinced that Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans to a church that was predominantly Gentile, despite its ‘Jewishness’. This is plain not only in the introduction (1 : 1–15) and conclusion (15: 7–33), but also in the discussion concerning table fellowship (14: 1 – 15:7). The men who are so weak in faith that they eat only vegetables are probably not Jews but Gentiles who were formerly synagogueadherents. Paul's concern in 14: 15, 20 is for men whose faith is so weak that they may actually apostasize from Christ over the matter of food. This can hardly be a concern for Jewish believers. While many Jewish Christians of conservative persuasion were scandalized by neglect of the food laws on the part of Gentile Christians, they were more likely to withdraw into a separate fellowship than to apostasize; cf. Gal. 2: 12 ff. It must be remembered that Jews were accustomed to regarding Gentiles as unclean and would therefore not be deeply shocked at Gentile carelessness in matters of food. Doubtless there were many synagogue-adherents who accepted Jewish monotheism but did not observe the food laws; the behaviour of these ‘Godfearers’ is not likely to have threatened the faith of Jewish members of the synagogue!

The translations of Rom. 11:13 found in the R.S.V. and the N.E.B. reflect the conviction that Paul had previously been addressing either Jews alone or Jews and Gentiles together. The Greek text does not imply a change of address.