Here is where attempts to discern a coherent Pauline strategy get fuzzy.
Aus (1979, 242–49) claims that evangelistic work in “the most distant site”
mentioned in Isaiah 66:19 (i.e., Tarshish=Spain) will complete the task of
gathering “representatives from all the nations mentioned in Old Testament
eschatological prophecy,” but does not provide any real indication of how
those nations to the east or south of Spain would be included. Munck
(1959, 52), with greater consistency but without any supporting evidence
from Paul himself, suggests that Paul intended to evangelize in Gaul and
Britain as well. Gerd Theissen (1982b, 40) similarly assumes without fur-
ther clarification that Paul will evangelize “all the way to Spain.” Knox
argues that, after reaching Spain, Paul planned to turn south and then
east, completing the circuit of nations ringing the Mediterranean. But the
single word kyklôis too slender a basis on which to construct such an elab-
orate itinerary. J.M. Scott (1995, 138) refers to examples where kyklôis
used of a curving route, with no expectation of a complete circuit. Scott’s
own argument (1995, 138–40), that the term kyklôis used by Paul to refer
to the arrangement of the nations in a circle around Jerusalem, is intrigu-
ing; but it is hard to square this with Scott’s belief that Paul’s own mission,
which after all is what is being described in the verse, is to be carried out
in the nations of Japheth alone. Even if this could be demonstrated, it
would not eliminate the problems faced by all such attempts to fit Paul’s
projected Spanish mission into a coherent strategy: most especially, the
absence of any reference to evangelizing work in the territory between
Rome and Spain, but also (even if it could be assumed that Paul’s plans were
to do for the territory between Rome and Spain what he had already done
from Jerusalem to Illyricum) the vastness of the territory in question and
the considerably greater difficulties involved (e.g., the language barrier,
the absence of Jewish communities, etc.: see Jewett 1988, 143–47).
Thus, it is even more difficult to discern a coherent geographical strat-
egy behind Paul’s plans to head to Spain than it was regarding his already
accomplished work in the east. This tends to confirm the tentative inter-
pretation of Romans 15 suggested above. For reasons yet to be ascertained,
Paul wants to head westward, to Rome and ultimately Spain. But, at the
same time, he feels compelled to present his work in the east not only as
completed but also in grandly comprehensive terms. And so, in my opin-
ion, the tension in Romans 15 between grand claim and gritty reality must
be allowed to stand.
This, however, is not a negative conclusion. It suggests, rather, an alter-
native model for interpreting the rich and confusing data emerging from
Paul’s letters: the dialectic, if you will, between a grand vision and a set of
“The Field God Has Assigned” 125