Sep 2013
How Will They Call?
Sep 22 2013 Filed in: Romans
Romans 10:14-17 Having established that salvation is available to all who call on the name of the Lord, Paul now sets forth the necessary things that must occur for someone to call on God. This passage has two important messages for us. One is the primary thing that Paul is communicating. The second, and incidental message, pertains to the church's imperative of evangelism and missions. Why is Paul explaining what is necessary for someone to call on God? Is the believing mentioned in verse 14 different from that mentioned in verse 11? Why is it necessary for someone to hear? When Paul speaks of a preacher, how is his concept of a preacher different from what we often think of today? Why does a preacher need to be sent? Now we know what must occur before someone can call on God, yet we discover that Israel has not called on God. What has gone wrong in this process? (52 min)
Lord of All
Sep 15 2013 Filed in: Romans
Romans 10:11-13 In this lesson we are wrapping up our study of verses 5-13, in which Paul sets out how the righteousness of faith differs from the righteousness of the Law. How do we know that Paul is not intending to make a strong distinction between the faith of the heart and the confession of the mouth? When Moses speaks of the mouth and the heart, what is his point? How do we know that Paul does not intend us to see the acquiring of righteousness as distinct from salvation, or confession as distinct from believing? What is the underlying foundation to the assertion that whoever believes will be saved?. In what way is there no distinction between Jew and Greek (Gentile)? On what basis does Paul claim there is no such distinction? How did the Jews view the difference between themselves and the Gentiles? If the objective universal lordship of Jesus is the basis of Paul's argument about Jews and Gentiles, what else can we infer from it? (57 min.)
What Faith Says
Sep 08 2013 Filed in: Romans
Romans 10:5-13 In this lesson we continued our consideration of what the righteousness based on faith says. What are some of the pitfalls we need to avoid in understanding what Paul is saying in this passage? What are the two themes that run parallel through this passage? What is significant about the confession that Jesus is Lord? What is the difference between subjective and objective lordship, and which one is Paul addressing here? What were the two other confessions with which the believers in Rome would have been familiar? How does this confession pertain to those other confessions? How is confessing Jesus is Lord related to calling on the name of the Lord? (55 min)
Law and Faith Speak
Sep 01 2013 Filed in: Romans
Romans 10:5-11 This lesson is the first in a look at this passage, in which Paul explains more of how and why Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to those who believe. Paul demonstrates how Law righteousness and faith righteousness are different by showing how they say different things. What does he tell us that law righteousness says? What it the context of the passage from Leviticus to which he refers? How does Paul use that passage? When he tells us what faith righteousness says he uses passages from Deuteronomy. What is the context of those two passages? How does Paul's citation of those passages differ from the actual passages? What are some of the ways that Paul's use of these passages are viewed? Why does Paul use the idea of the abyss in the place of Deuteronomy's use of the idea of the sea? Having laid a foundation for understanding this passage, next week we will examine more fully what the righteousness based on faith says, which Paul says is the message he preaches. (55 min)