RESEARCH PROJECT:TOPIC AND QUESTION INSTRUCTIONS
OVERVIEW
Choosing the research topic early helps you to begin the process of narrowing your focus for the
paper. In his book, Kibbe explains, “A research paper is not built around a topic, but a thesis. A
topic is a set of information that concerns a specific thing [...] A thesis is a specific claim you
make about that particular set of information.”1 Below are a list of approved topics for this
assignment. These topics serve as your starting place. From here, you will begin moving toward
a thesis. The first big step you’ll take toward the thesis is developing the research question based
on preliminary research. The research question forms the foundation of the paper. Ultimately, the
thesis statement will answer this question, so it’s important to set up a question that is clear,
focused, and relevant.
INSTRUCTIONS
begin by downloading the Research Project: Topic and Question
Template. Fill in the template by removing all information inside the brackets (including the
brackets themselves) and including your own information as required for each section. On this
template, you’ll include a topic from the approved topics list below, one research question,
Topics (Choose 1):
? Jesus’ “I am” sayings in John as they relate to Jesus’s deity and the Old Testament
? The meaning of “day” in Gen 1:5
? Justification by faith
? The role of Sanctification in the Christian Life
? The Christian’s relationship to the Old Testament
? Paul’s use of the Old Testament in Romans
? The purpose, function, and method of the Lord’s Supper
? The purpose, nature, and extent of church discipline
? Leadership in the Torah (or in the Old Testament)
? A biblical response to gender roles in the Church
? Addressing conflict in the Church
? God’s sovereignty and the Christian’s responsibility
? The biblical response to authority as outlined in Romans 13
? The purpose of missions in the Church
? The purpose, function, and method of Baptism
? A biblical understanding of marriage and divorce
After choosing one of the topics, identify one research question related to this topic. Keep in
mind that a strong research question typically focuses on significance and implications rather
than simple definitions. Thus, as you form questions, look to use question words like “How?,”
“Why?,” “To what extent?,” “In what manner?,” etc. Avoid questions that can be answered
1 Michael Kibbe, From Topic to Thesis: A Guide to Theological Research (Downers Grove, IL: IVP
Academic, 2016), 15.
1
Student Name
Date
Paper Topic
Paul's use of the Old Testament in Romans
Research Question
What connections did Paul make between the Old and New Testaments? How does Paul use Old
Testament in his letter to the Romans? What relations did Paul's use of the Old Testament have
on God's plan for the Jews and Gentiles?
Preliminary Research
Most writers of the New Testament rely on the Old Testament to pass on their messages
and teachings. In his teaching, Paul uses familiar prophecies and writings from the Old
Testament to structure the message to the Romans. Various studies acknowledge that Paul's use
of the Old Testament in the New Testament fulfilled the old prophecies
1
. Most books written by
Paul to the Romans contain evidence of the Old Testament's structuring. Precisely, chapters from
the book of Roman contain a shred of evidence that relates to the Old Testament. Abasciano
published several volumes consisting of intense analysis of the book of Romans, focusing on the
strong exegesis of the Old Testament that Paul uses in the text
2
. Furthermore, the book
investigates the historical and grammatical meaning of Paul's message in the context of the Old
Testament. Understandably, Paul uses the Old Testament to emphasize God's sovereign power
over all things, including the Israelites. Much of the studies on Paul's teaching analyze the Old
1
Abasciano, Brian J. Paul’s Use of the Old Testament in Romans 9: 19-24: An Intertextual and
Theological Exegesis. Vol. 429. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022.
2
Ibid
2
Testament books' original context. Paul acknowledges that Old Testament prophesies were
fulfilled through the coming of Christ, thus creating the possibility to correct the Old Testament
interpretation. Thus, it created a lot of parallelism in Judaism. Despite Paul believing that Christ
fulfilled the old prophesies, he believed that Christ gave a new interpretation to the laws guiding
the Israelites. Paul's use of the Old Testament in the letter to the Romans has drawn the great
attention of most theologists. This paper focuses on Paul's use of the Old Testament in his
epistles, specifically, the Roman. The book of the Roman is the most profound reading in the
New Testament. In Rom 1:16-18, I do not want to survey scholarship or debate with other
scholars in this paper.
The Old Testament is an important theological resource used by Paul in his New
Testaments Books. Paul quotes the Old Testament in Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and the
Galatians
3
. The books contain over one hundred quotations from the Old Testament, with most
messages coming from Pentateuch, Isaiah, and Psalms
4
. The extent to which Paul incorporates
the Old Testament in the book of Roman is numerous and denoted as sixty-six times. It includes
alluding to the Old Testament vocabulary and grammar structure.
Examining Paul's use of the Old Testament in his writing and teaching, researchers have
highlighted the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. However, it is understandable that
Paul's use of the Old Testament went beyond fulfillment as he borrowed more context to
supplement his teaching and weave his ideas
5
. According to theologists, most Old Testament
quotations were woven flawlessly into the context that it was recognizable to people only
3
Harrington, Daniel J. "Paul’s Use of the Old Testament in Romans." Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations 4, no. 1
(2009).
4
Ibid
5
Ludlow, Jared W. "Paul’s Use of Old Testament Scripture." In How the New Testament Came to Be: The Thirty-
fifth Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, pp. 227-42. 2006.
3
familiar with the Old Testament. Harrington acknowledges that Paul relied on the prophet's
authority to identify quotations that supplemented his ideas or teachings. Critics argue that a
strong background in Jewish education contributed to Paul's use of the Old Testament.
4
Reference
Abasciano, Brian J. Paul’s Use of the Old Testament in Romans 9: 19-24: An Intertextual and
Theological Exegesis. Vol. 429. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022.
Harrington, Daniel J. "Paul’s Use of the Old Testament in Romans." Studies in Christian-Jewish
Relations 4, no. 1 (2009). file:///C:/Users/ADMIN/Downloads/1536-Article%20Text-
1671-1-10-20110421.pdf
Ludlow, Jared W. "Paul’s Use of Old Testament Scripture." In How the New Testament Came to
Be: The Thirty-fifth Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, pp. 227-42. 2006.
https://rsc.byu.edu/how-new-testament-came-be/pauls-use-old-testament-scripture
