Reichel J (2026)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2026
Book Volume: 68
Pages Range: 215-231
Journal Issue: 2
DOI: 10.1163/15685365-bja10113
Various approaches to the interpretation of Rom 7:14 “sold under sin,” particularly those rooted in ancient household slavery (e.g., Dunn; Jewett; Wolter) and intertextual analysis (e.g., Goodrich), have been employed. This article proposes a reinterpretation of Romans 7:14 by situating it within the conceptual framework of subjugation to a tyrant, with particular emphasis on the role of corruption and bribery as instruments of tyrannical rule. This dynamic is vividly exemplified in Demosthenes’s warnings to the Athenians about the manipulation and betrayal of democracy through the purchasing of political figures by Philip II (cf. especially Demosthenes, 2–4 Philip.; Cor.; Fals. leg.). The article argues that this perspective sheds new light on the interplay of sin’s tyranny and human powerlessness within the rhetorical structure of Romans 7.
APA:
Reichel, J. (2026). “Sold under Sin”—Rom 7:14d: A New Interpretation within the Subjugation to a Tyrant. Novum Testamentum, 68(2), 215-231. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685365-bja10113
MLA:
Reichel, Jonathan. "“Sold under Sin”—Rom 7:14d: A New Interpretation within the Subjugation to a Tyrant." Novum Testamentum 68.2 (2026): 215-231.
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