Romans 13:8-10 Considering the subject of our obligations to others within the civil sphere, Paul transitions into the subject of loving others. What does Paul mean by instructing us against owing anything to anyone? Is this a blanket prohibition against borrowing money? What do other scriptures have to say on the subject? What is the ongoing debt we all have? Why does Paul speak of our "fulfilling the law" through love in this passage, when earlier in Romans he has said that we have "died" to the law and are "free" from the law? How does love fulfill the law? What is the foundational principle behind all the commandments? What is wrong with the view of this passage that says we need to learn to love ourselves before we can love our neighbor? What is the given assumption in the statement that we are to love our neighbor as ourself? When is low self esteem warranted? When is it unwarranted? How is unwarranted low self esteem a form of pride? Is someone with low self esteem excused from the obligation to love others as themselves? What is the minimum measurement for how we are to love others? Is love for others merely a matter of prohibitions (do not commit adultery, do not steal, etc.)? (53 min.)

Keywords Love, Law, Debt, Self esteem

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)

Keywords Righteousness, Law, Faith

Romans 10:1-4 Paul continues in this passage his explanation of what happened that caused Israel's failure to attain righteousness. He begins by renewing his emphasis on the love and burden he had for the salvation of the Jewish people. In view of what Paul had experienced at the hands of his Jewish opponents, how is this burden significant? How is Paul's own story a personification of the story of the nation of Israel. What is significant about Paul saying that in respect to the Law he had been a Pharisee? In spite of their zeal, what did Israel lack? What did Paul have to relinquish in order to gain Christ and the righteousness of God? What does Paul mean when he speaks of Christ being the end of the Law for righteousness to all who believe in Him? (54 min)

Keywords Law, Christ, Faith, Righteousness

Romans 8:1-4 In today's lesson we move from Paul's discovery of his miserable condition in chapter seven, to his explanation of what it is like to be one who lives the life of the Spirit in chapter eight. To what does the word "therefore" in verse one refer? Who does Paul have in mind when he speaks of those who are "in Christ?" What is the condemnation of which he speaks. What is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ? How are we set free from the law of sin which we learned ruled our lives in chapter seven? What had the Law failed to do that God did? How did God do that? What is the requirement of the law that is met in those who walk according to the Spirit? (49 min)

Keywords Law, Death, Life, Spirit, Flesh

Romans 7:21-25 Paul now reaches the conclusion of all that he's been saying in verses 14-25. Having spoken about the Mosaic law throughout the chapter, he now introduces us to other laws that have a bearing on his condition. What are these other laws, and how do they relate to the Mosaic law? What is the "different" law, and what does it do? Why does Paul not keep the law? Can a non-believer "delight" in God's law? To what is Paul driven by the realization of the war between the two laws within him? Is Paul's awareness of wretchedness something he encountered before or after conversion? What is the answer to his condition? What is the "inner man" to which Paul refers? What are some ways that this passage can relate to us whether we view it as speaking of a Christian or an non-believer? (63 min)

Keywords Sin, Law, Death, Christ, Flesh

Romans 7:17-20 We continue in this lesson following Paul's logical train through Romans 7 as he explains how it was that he came to understand the utter sinfulness of sin, and his own bondage to it. What does he mean when he says that he was not the one doing it (disobeying the Law) but sin in him? What are the two primary views in the Western world of what it means to be human? How does Paul reflect a dualism in his theology in this passage? What would be a serious error to conclude from this passage? How does the view that the Christian possesses two natures (an old sinful nature and a new nature) present difficulties with what Paul says in this passage? What are some other words that Paul uses to refer to the "I" in this chapter? What is the flesh of which Paul speaks here? (63 min)

Keywords Law, Sin, Death, Flesh

Romans 7:14-17 In this lesson we continue to explore one of the more challenging passages of the New Testament to interpret. Several things particularly notable about the passage have a bearing on our interpretation: the logical order of the passage, the absence of any mention of the Holy Spirit, and the prominence of the idea of bondage to sin and inability to do what is right. What are the two primary views of this passage that Christians hold? Why is it important how we understand this passage? What are two ways that the present tense can be used? How are we to determine which way Paul is using the present tense in these verses? Are there strong reasons to think that Paul is not using the present tense in a literal sense? Can an unbeliever want to obey God's law? What does Paul know as a result of the interplay of sin with the Law? How is it that Paul has come to know this? What is the dichotomy or dualism that Paul discovers about himself? A handout comparing the person in this passage with the believer in chapters 6 and 8 may be viewed or downloaded here. (57 min)

Keywords Sin, Law, Death

Romans 7:13 (14-20) We are now ready to tackle one of the more challenging passages in Scripture to interpret (7:14-25), and believers throughout church history have differed in their understanding of it. We often come with preset ideas that color our view of the passage. In this lesson we will lay the groundwork for properly interpreting the rest of the chapter by examining the importance of verse 13, and consider how it should set the direction of our interpretation of the following verses. How does Paul's own background bear on the meaning of this passage? How does the situation in the church in Rome relate to what Paul says? How do verses 14-20 demonstrate Paul's train of logic following on verse 13? What are the two chief ways this passage is understood? What is not an issue in these differing views? What things are at issue? How do verses 14-20 show how someone discovers the utter sinfulness of sin mentioned in verse 13? What does Paul mean when he says that he does "not understand" what is happening, and yet goes on to explain what was happening? A handout accompanied this lesson and can be viewed or downloaded here. (63 min)

Keywords Sin, Death, Law

Romans 7:7-12 Given what Paul has already said about the Law increasing transgression and arousing sinful passions, he now tackles the obvious question: "Is the law sin (or evil)?" He immediately denies that it is, but what are the reasons he provides? What are the two kinds of knowledge of sin which Paul discusses? How does sin take us from one kind of knowledge to the other? Why does Paul choose to use the tenth commandment prohibiting covetousness as his example of how the Law reveals sin? What does Paul mean that he was "alive" before the commandment and "dead" after the commandment? How was sin "dead" before the Law and "alive" after the Law? What are two ways that sin deceives us through the Law? What does the Law teach us about sin that we did not know before? (62 min)

Keywords Law, Sin, Death, Covetousness

Romans 7:7 In this lesson we begin our study of the main part of Romans 7. This is a very challenging chapter to interpret properly, and so this lesson is devoted to laying the groundwork and giving us the proper tools to understand what Paul is saying. What are some of the questions that arise as we read this chapter? Why is it important to properly interpret a passage before applying it to our lives? Of whom does Paul speak when he talks about "I" in this passage? What are the four chief views of the "I" in the chapter, and what are their strengths and challenges? What are the three principle issues that need to be decided before we can properly interpret this chapter? What are some things to be concerned about as we interpret this passage? (64 min)

Keywords Law, Sin, Death

Romans 7:1-6 In this passage Paul continues to explore the subject he introduced in chapter six. Note the three times beginning in chapter six where he asks the question, "Do you not know?" These provide a sort of outline of Paul's discussion of the believer's relationship to sin. What question is Paul addressing in these verses in chapter seven? What is the point of the illustration Paul uses? How do we need to be careful in interpreting illustrations in the Bible? What is Paul referring to by the "law" in this passage? What does Paul associate with the law in Romans? What is the believer's relationship to the law? How did this happen? What is the purpose for which this happened? What subject does Paul introduce in this passage that he will expound more fully in chapter eight? (51 min)

Keywords Law, Grace, Sin

Romans 6:12-16 In this passage Paul transitions from the idea of being dead to sin and alive to God to another way of looking at things, being a slave to sin or a slave to obedience. What is our "mortal body?" What two things does Paul's imperative about not letting sin reign imply? What are the "members" of our bodies? What does Paul mean by talking about presenting our members? What promise does Paul offer the believer? What is the question Paul confronts in this passage? What does it mean to be under the law or under grace? What common knowledge did the Roman believers possess that was rooted in ancient slavery practices? Why are there only two options open to us? (50 min)

Keywords Sin, Obedience, Righteousness, Sin, Law, Grace

Romans 5:15-21 In this lesson we back away a bit from our passage in order to make sure we can see the whole forest, rather than only the trees. What is a protasis and an apodisis? How is that important in understanding this passage? What are the three ways in which Paul illustrates the difference between Christ and Adam? Many people understand that Paul teaches that Adam is a "type" of Christ. However, two chief questions remain: How is Adam a type of Christ? And why is it important that Adam is a type of Christ? Who are the two all important characters in Paul's grand panoply of human history? Who is missing from Paul's grand story, and why is that significant? How do Paul's remarks about the coming of the Law tie in to His point about Adam as a type of Christ? (58 min)

Keywords Types, Adam, Christ, Death, Grace, Law

Romans 5:12-14 The passage we are beginning in this lesson is critically important to understanding the Christian faith, yet it can also be difficult to understand. We will take our time to be certain we understand it fully. What is a protasis and an apodosis? In this passage what is Paul's protasis? Where do we find the apodosis? What is Paul setting out to establish in this section? Why is sin not the chief theme of these verses? Why is what Paul says about sin so important to grasp? What is original sin? How did we become sinners? What did Paul mean by saying that sin is not imputed where there is no Law? How do we know that men were sinners between the time of Adam and Moses? (62 min)

Keywords Sin, Death, Adam, Law

Romans 4:13-17 In these verses Paul begins to explain how it is that those who believe like Abraham believed are Abraham's descendants. What is the promise made to Abraham that he believed? What are the two categories that Paul presents for our consideration? What is the consequence of confusing these categories? What is it that the Law brings about? Why can it not bring about the inheritance of the promise? Why must the inheritance come by faith? What is it that is "in the presence of God?" What did Paul have in mind when he spoke of God giving life to the dead? Why is it important that God calls into being that which did not exist? (58 min)

Keywords Works, Faith, Law, Grace, Wrath, Inheritance, Promise

Romans 3:21-24 Today's passage begins with two of the most wonderful words in Scripture: “but now." How does Paul intend us to understand these words, logically or temporally? What is the righteousness of God of which Paul speaks here and back in Romans 1:17? What do justification and righteousness have in common? How does the righteousness of God differ from what Paul calls "his righteousness" in verses 25 and 26? Why does Paul refer twice in one sentence to receiving the righteousness of God by faith? Is he arguing in a circle? What is the standard or mark that we have all missed when we sinned? How do Adam and Eve demonstrate this to us? How does God provide justification for us, and how does this contrast with his wrath at our sin? (51 min)

Keywords Righteousness, Law, Sin, Faith

Romans 3:9-20 In this lesson's passage Paul reaches the grand finale of his argument about the universal condition of man. We begin to learn some important things about sin that will become more clear throughout Romans. In what way do the Jews have an advantage, and in what way are they on the same plane with everyone else? What is significant about Paul's use of the singular form of the word "sin?" What is implied by Paul's use of the word "under?" In Paul's selection and arrangement of verses he quotes from the Old Testament, what are the two kinds of relationship that he shows are impacted by sin? What are the two aspects of the extent of sin which these verses point out? When we speak of "total depravity" what do we not mean, and what do we mean? How does the Law stop our mouths when we are indicted before God? (52 min)

Keywords Sin, Total Depravity, Law

Romans 3:1-8 Backed into a corner by Paul's arguments concerning the Law and Circumcision, Paul's imaginary challenger attempts to show that Paul's message leads to unacceptable conclusions about God. By this point in Paul's "diatribe,” who might Paul actually be envisioning as his opponent? What are the four questions presented against Paul's Gospel? What are the four things about God that Paul is accused of undermining? Does Paul believe that there is any real advantage to being Jewish? How are we today sometimes guilty of the same errors that Paul exposes in the thinking of his Jewish opponent? How does Paul successfully defend the character of God while maintaining his position regarding the Law and Circumcision? (58 min)

Keywords Jews, Law, Circumcision, Righteousness, Faithfulness, Justice

Romans 2:25-29 After getting our bearings once again in the flow of Paul's case, we consider in this lesson his response to the Jew's reliance on circumcision. What was the purpose of circumcision? What value did Paul see in circumcision for the Jew who kept the Law? What value did it have for the one who transgressed the Law? What are the two "hypothetical" characters Paul sets before us in this passage? What essentially happens for the uncircumcised person who keeps the Law of Moses? What becomes the relationship of the uncircumcised keeper of the law with the circumcised transgressor? What are the four distinct ways that scripture speaks of someone being the descendant of Abraham or the "seed" of Abraham? How is the fourth way both a new and old way of looking at things? What is Paul saying, and not saying, when he speaks of being a Jew as an internal thing? What implications does Paul's dismissal of circumcision as effective for redemption have upon us today? (58 min)

Keywords Jews, Law, Circumcision, Gentiles

Romans 2:17-24 Paul continues to tighten his net around even the most convinced moralists, in this case the Jews. What does it mean to be a Jew? Is Paul speaking as an anti-Semite or as one who has discounted the significance of being Jewish? What are the two supports the Jew believes keep him in right standing with God? What are the five privileges Paul attributes to being a Jew? Additionally, what are the four prerogatives that the Jew possessed? In his imagined dialog with a Jewish moralist, what would have likely been the response of his imagined Jew to the things Paul listed in verses seventeen through twenty? How does Paul "lower the boom" on the Jewish moralist? What is the result among non-Jews to the disobedience of the Jew to the Law. How can this passage, clearly written with Jews in mind, apply to us today? (59 min)

Keywords Jews, Law, Moralists

Romans 2:5-16 Paul continues his argument that the moralist is also guilty before God. Having regarded lightly the patience and forbearance of God, they are storing up wrath for themselves. When will that wrath be experienced? By what standard will God judge all men and women? How does the Jew and Gentile differ in what they know about right and wrong? Does God judge the Jew differently than he judges the Gentile? In what different ways does Paul use the word "law" in Romans? Does Paul teach in this passage that a person can be saved by being good? What mistake does the moralist make in thinking that his sins are minor and hidden? What kind of sins did Jesus teach that God would judge? Who will be the final judge? (56 min) (The class handout on Paul’s uses of the word “law” in Romans can be accessed/downloaded from the Things To Grow With page.)

Keywords Law, Judging, Judgment