Amor divino na Carta aos Romanos: análise histórica, exegética e sistemática da entrega de Cristo em textos selecionados

Abstract

The present dissertation deals with the subject of divine love in a very specific way, having as emphasis the love that gives of itself; more specifically, the love which goes to the ultimate consequences present in Christ's self-giving. Its objective is to explain this extremely abstract theme which is, at the same time, deeply perceptible through the eyes of faith. To do this, the paper was distributed in three essential parts to develop a dissertation in the form of an exegesis of the New Testament. First, it intends to explain how God's love was present in the moments of difficulty of the Roman Christians of the first century (history); in second place, how the preaching of the apostle Paul, in talking about agape, was important and made sense in dealing with the subjects quoted in several of his epistles (exegesis) and, last, how the idea that God gives himself up for love through salvific models (systematics) was developed in order to maintain the love alive in those who put their faith, since the origins, in his apostolic word, as well as, in the proposal of having a relationship with God. Based on three selected texts of the letter to the Romans, we wish to demonstrate who the first Christians were, how they lived and what they overcame in terms of persecution in those difficult times, characteristic of the warmongering Roman Empire. However challenging these difficulties were, even so, Paul left a word of encouragement and wisdom: ―there is nothing greater than God's love for you and, anchored in this love, there exists no tribulation, anguish, danger or pain that will be able to defeat you. You are more than winners!‖ (Rom. 8:31-39) It is thanks to the love that was poured into the human being s heart that the Christian person is enabled and filled to love without limits, preferences, barriers, prejudice or aversion (Rom. 5:6-11). And how important was this love, creator of unity for the Christians who recognized themselves as faulty, incompetent of carrying out the law or even of justifying themselves before God (Rom. 3:21-26). For them, and for the maintenance of their faith, the models of expiation, reconciliation and justification were developed; in the certainty that God reaches and saves his/her own, independently of any human claim. The certainty that God was always at their side supported all of them in love and contributed to produce unconditional pardon in their hearts; this is the final message, as well as the conclusion of the research done in this dissertation.