For convenience I have divided this book into ``episodes'' based
on the section titles in the American Standard Bible. Romans is thus divided
into 40 episodes. For each episode, I count the verses promoting or expressing
Thinker values (truth and justice considered more important than affirmation),
and the verses more closely aligned with Feeler values (affirmation most
important). Most of the text cannot easily be categorized in either way.
I arbitrarily counted all 18 verses with any form of the word ``love''
for the Feelers, regardless of the intent of the verse. Doing the same
with ``true'' adds another 9 to the Thinkers, but I did not count them.
With this handicap, a few more (47) verses promoted a Feeler value as (37)
promoted a Thinker value. The result would have been about equal otherwise.
| Romans | T | F | ||
| 1:1 | Salutation | 0 | 1 | |
| Love in 1:7 is not exactly a Feeler sentiment, but let's count it anyway. | ||||
| 1:8 | Personal Explanations | 0 | 5 | |
| 1:8-12 are definitely affirming and relational, albeit not at the expense of truth. | ||||
| 1:16 | The Gospel | 0 | 0 | |
| Nothing here is particularly relevant to a Thinker/Feeler distinction. | ||||
| 1:18 | The Gentiles' Need of Righteousness | 6 | 0 | |
| The wrath of God in 1:18-32 is definitely disaffirming. I picked out 1:18,20,22, and 28-30 to count. | ||||
| 2:1 | The Jews' Need of the Same | 4 | 0 | |
| 2:1-5 is exceedingly personal and disaffirming. | ||||
| 2:17 | Their Greater Advantages of No Avail | 3 | 0 | |
| 2:21-25 is again personal and disaffirming, very unFeeler. | ||||
| 3:1 | Superiority in Privilege Does Not Diminish Guilt | 0 | 0 | |
| This is still part of an overall disaffirming accusation, but I did not count any particular verses here. | ||||
| 3:9 | Jew and Gentile Alike Are Under Sin, As the Scriptures Testify | 1 | 0 | |
| 3:9 is more personal again in its disaffirmation. | ||||
| 3:21 | The Divine Method of Rescue | 2 | 1 | |
| The grace in 3:24 is surrounded on both sides by condemnation and justice in 3:23 and 3:25. | ||||
| 4:1 | Exemplified In David and Abraham | 1 | 3 | |
| The contrast of forgiveness by faith and justice under the law is hard to categorize in the Thinker/Feeler dimension, but I gave the edge to Feelers. | ||||
| 5:1 | The Blessedness of the Justified | 1 | 4 | |
| 5:1-5 are quite affirming, especially by the mention of love in 5:5 and again in 5:8, but here comes wrath again in 5:9. | ||||
| 5:12 | Adam and Christ Contrasted | 2 | 2 | |
| Sin and death and condemnation in 5:12 is balanced by grace in 5:15, and both together in 5:17. | ||||
| 6:1 | The Believer Dead to Sin But Alive to God | 1 | 0 | |
| This whole episode is offering a criticism of wrong thinking. I counted it but once. | ||||
| 6:15 | The Believer Is Dead to the Law and Alive to God | 1 | 0 | |
| 6:19 is personal and disaffirming. | ||||
| 7:7 | The Inward Conflict | 0 | 0 | |
| This discussion is disaffirmational, but directed on Paul himself. Some Feelers take this kind of self-analysis as implied criticism, others use it as an opportunity to sympathize. I chose not to count it. | ||||
| 8:1 | Christ Jesus Brings Deliverance. There Is Now No Condemnation | 1 | 1 | |
| 8:1 is affirming, but 8:7 is about hostility, the antithesis of relationship. Most of this discussion is qualified, ``IF Christ is in you...'' so it is not truly affirming nor disaffirming. | ||||
| 8:12 | The Spirit of Adoption | 0 | 2 | |
| 8:15 and 8:16 are very relational. | ||||
| 8:18 | Pledge of Complete Redemption | 0 | 2 | |
| 8:26 and especially 8:28 are relational. | ||||
| 8:31 | ``Who Shall Separate Us from Christ's Love?'' | 0 | 5 | |
| 8:31,32 and especially 8:35 very relational. Love is also mentioned in 8:37 and 8:39. | ||||
| 9:1 | The Apostles' Sorrow for Israel | 0 | 1 | |
| It is hard to see Paul's anguish for Israel as anything but relational. | ||||
| 9:6 | God Makes a Choice Among His Chosen Ones | 3 | 3 | |
| The combination of love and hate in 9:13 captures the ambivalence of this episode. And while 9:15 is about God's mercy, it is based on God's election, not a matter of relationship; I counted it as Thinker. Similarly, 9:20 is quite disaffirming. Then 9:25 is about love and 9:26 is very relational. | ||||
| 9:30 | The Righteousness Which Is of the Law and That of Faith Contrasted | 1 | 0 | |
| The rejection in 9:31 is disaffirming, but the righteousness is qualified by faith and is therefore not unconditionally affirming. | ||||
| 10:1 | Israel Responsible for Their Own Rejection | 1 | 1 | |
| Paul's anguish for Israel in 10:1 is again relational, but 10:19 is about hostility. The whole chapter has this alternating ambiguity. | ||||
| 11:1 | That Rejection Not Total | 2 | 1 | |
| Old Testament quotes in 11:8,9 disaffirm the Israelites, while the remnant in 11:5 is affirming. | ||||
| 11:11 | Israel's Loss the Gentiles' Gain | 1 | 1 | |
| 11:22 captures both the kindness and the sternness of this episode. | ||||
| 11:25 | Their Partial Apostasy Preludes Final Salvation | 0 | 1 | |
| It's hard to categorize these verses as promoting either Thinkers or Feelers, but love is mentioned in 11:28. | ||||
| 12:1 | Divers Exhortations: the Self-dedication | 0 | 0 | |
| Nothing here is particularly relevant to a Thinker/Feeler distinction. | ||||
| 12:3 | Against Self-conceit | 1 | 1 | |
| The instruction in 12:3 and other verses could be understood as disaffirming existing failures, but 12:5 is definitely relational. | ||||
| 12:9 | To Mutual Love | 1 | 2 | |
| 12:9 and 12:10 mention love. The values in and around 12:17 are not generally typical in Feelers; it requires a Thinker mentality to overcome the natural hostility. | ||||
| 13:1 | To Obedience To Rulers | 1 | 0 | |
| This whole episode is about doing what is right regardless of our feelings about it, but I counted it only once. | ||||
| 13:8 | Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law | 0 | 3 | |
| Love is mentioned in all three verses. | ||||
| 13:11 | Salvation Is at Hand | 2 | 0 | |
| 13:11 disaffirms their slumber, and 13:13 criticizes implied bad habits. | ||||
| 14:1 | Forbearance towards Scruples | 0 | 1 | |
| 14:1-4 urges acceptance (a relational thing); I counted it once. | ||||
| 14:13 | Self-denial on Behalf of Others | 0 | 1 | |
| This episode is relational, particularly 14:15. | ||||
| 15:1 | Mutual Helpfulness Enjoined | 0 | 1 | |
| 15:7 captures the relational flavor of this episode. | ||||
| 15:14 | Matters Personal, Paul Asks Their Prayers | 1 | 2 | |
| Paul's longing in 15:23 is mildly affirming, but 15:27 describes the Macedonian gift to Jerusalem as an obligation. Score one each, plus love in 15:30. | ||||
| 16:1 | Commends Phoebe unto Them, Divers Salutations | 0 | 1 | |
| The greetings could be considered generally affirming, but not overly in contrast to Thinker values. I counted them once, plus love in 16:8. | ||||
| 16:17 | Dissension and Apostasy Warned Against | 1 | 0 | |
| 16:17 is clearly critical. | ||||
| 16:21 | Salutations from the Apostle's Companions | 0 | 0 | |
| Nothing here is particularly relevant to a Thinker/Feeler distinction. | ||||
| 16:25 | Doxology | 0 | 0 | |
| Nothing here is particularly relevant to a Thinker/Feeler distinction. | ||||
| Totals | 37 | 47 |
This same analysis in Mark
Discussion in The God of Truth
The God of Truth ToC