Romans with Douglas Moo's commentary, Introduction (day 5 of 14)

(pp. 11-13)

   If adducing the audience depends only on the meaning of specific portions of the text of Romans that addresses the audience directly, a whole class of evidence based on content is ignored.

   For example, some weight should be given, in Romans 1, besides vv.5-6 which are discussed, to "holy Scriptures" and "prophets" in 1:2, which are not discussed.  The most natural understanding of these two references in 1:2 is that Paul is speaking to people who know both what these things are, and that they are sources of God's announcements beforehand.  If he we speaking to the minority portion of his audience, would he have opened with these assertions, which are stated as if already accepted?