Romeine 10:5-21 in retoriese perspektief

This article is an attempt to reconstruct Paul’s rhetorical strategy from the text itself, rather than applying ancient or modern rhetorical models to his letters. A proposal for such a text-centred approach is briefly summarised, followed by a discussion of the rhetorical situation that Paul wants to address in this letter. It is argued that the section 10:5-21 forms an integral part of his rhetorical strategy, aimed at persuading his audience in Rome to support his view on God’s plan of salvation, as well as his forthcoming mission to Spain. In the process of persuasion Paul uses various types of argument and rhetorical techniques to enhance the impact of his communication. The conclusion is that a text-centred approach (with its focus on the functional aspects of the text) provides a better alternative to existing approaches (which focus on the formal aspects of the text). A few remarks on the 2014 Afrikaans translation Nuwe Testament en Psalms: ’n Direkte Vertaling might also be of interest to Bible translators.