A study on the meaning and function of the Kingdom of God statement in Romans 14:17

Abstract

This study investigates the meaning and rhetorical role of the Kingdom of God statement in Romans 14:17 within the wider argument of Romans 14:1–15:13. It argues that Paul’s declaration that the Kingdom consists of ‘righteousness, peace, and joy’ functions as the theological climax of his exhortation to a divided community. Rather than offering a definition of the Kingdom of God, Paul presents these concepts as the essential values that should shape communal life. By comparing this triad with parallels in Jewish and Greco–Roman traditions, the article shows how Paul employs widely recognised ideals of an ordered society while reconfiguring them within a Christological and pneumatological framework. The statement thus serves as a counter-discourse that redirects the Roman believers from disputes over food towards a vision of communal life grounded in Christ’s love and realised through the Holy Spirit.
Contribution: This article offers a contextual and rhetorical interpretation of Romans 14:17 within the broader argument of Romans 14:1–15:13. It shows that the triad of righteousness, peace, and joy primarily describes communal realities rather than individual spiritual experiences. By situating Paul’s formulation within Jewish and Greco–Roman traditions of the ideal social order, the study clarifies the intellectual background of the passage. At the same time, it highlights Paul’s distinctive contribution in integrating these values into the discourse of the Kingdom of God and grounding them in Christ’s love and the work of the Holy Spirit.