The Reception of the Book of Isaiah in Paul’s Letter to the Romans

The Book of Isaiah clearly played a key role for Paul, especially when writing (or dictating) his Letter to the Romans, and especially with respect to two fundamental and mutually connected subjects: (i) the composition and unity of a Christian community composed of both Jew and Gentile. This unity and diversity are rooted in God’s redeeming work in Christ, which because of the universal nature of sin applies to all people equally; (ii) God’s faithfulness in saving Israel, and his plan to redeem all people, whether Jew or Gentile. As Paul’s mission progresses, we detect in his letters, from 1 Thessalonians to the Romans, a growing interest in Isaiah and the increasing significance of the book for both his work and his theological reflection. This article summarises the significance of the quotations from the Book of Isaiah in the Letter to the Romans in three parts according to the structure of the letter (chapters 1–8; 9–11; 12–15). The exposition is concentrated only on 15 direct quotations from the Book of Isaiah.