Romans 15:14-15 Having concluded the main instructional aspects of his letter to the Romans, Paul begins to address matters of a more personal nature. In these verses he begins to address the question of why he has written this letter at all. How is Paul's relationship with the church in Rome different from most of the other churches to which his New Testament letters were written? How does Paul know the condition of the church in Rome? What is his settled opinion of them? How can we know that Paul was not merely flattering the Romans? If the church in Rome was doing so well, then why did Paul even bother writing this letter? How did Paul view God having laid on him the responsibility Gentile world? Do you view your own spiritual gifts in the same way that Paul did? (62 min)

Keywords Grace, Knowledge, Praise, Flattery, Romans

Romans 1:13-16 In these verses Paul continues his introductory remarks, but is moving into the substance of his letter. His remark that he does not want the Romans to "be unaware" is not a throw away line. It introduces an important subject to the Romans and to Paul. Though Paul claims to have been hindered in coming to Rome, he does not explain here what hindered him. There is something far more important for the Romans to know, and that is what did not hinder him. Did Paul ever face the temptation to be ashamed of the Gospel? Why does he emphasize here that he is not ashamed? Why might someone be ashamed to take the Gospel into Rome? What was the view of both Gentiles and Jews to the preaching of the cross? What was the "scandal of the cross?" (52 min)

Keywords Romans, Gospel, Cross, Greeks, Gentiles, Barbarians

Romans 1:7-12 The city of Rome, the "Eternal City," was the center of the Roman world, a cosmopolitan city which ignited the imagination of people throughout the empire. It was to this city with its vast and diverse population that Paul wrote this epistle. Yet he wrote to a small and very select group within this remarkable metropolis. How did Paul identify those to whom he wrote? What does it mean to be a saint? How did Paul begin in addressing these people? What was the fame of these to whom he wrote? What was Paul's longing regarding these Romans? What did he wish to impart to them, and why? What did Paul hope to receive in return? Did he ever receive this? Do you ever feel like you are "in Rome?" (55 min)

Keywords Romans, Paul, Rome

Romans 1:1-6 This lesson begins our study of the actual text of Romans. Paul's introductory sentence to his letter is seven verses long. As such it takes some careful thinking to understand what he is saying. How is this opening sentence similar to and different from typical letters of Paul's day? Why does Paul go to such length to identify himself and tell what he is about? What are the three things Paul tells us about himself? What is the Gospel, and what is it about? What things does Paul tell us about the Gospel? What are two things about Christ that are made clear in the Gospel? How is this relevant to the people to whom Paul addresses his letter? What does Paul mean by saying that the resurrection declared Jesus to be the Son of God. How does this coincide with the biblical understanding of the eternal sonship of Christ? To whom does Paul say that he was commissioned in his apostleship, and what was he to bring about among those people? How did this relate to the Romans, and how does it relate to us? (In this lesson Rick makes extensive use of a whiteboard illustration. If you wish to view the actual finished illustration from class you may click here.) (59 min)

Keywords Romans, Paul, Apostle, Gospel, Christ, Faith, Son of God, Resurrection

Introduction To Romans In this lesson we are introduced to Paul's letter to the believers in Rome, or the Epistle to the Romans. We consider how we should think about this book and our ability to understand it. We learn about the importance of Romans to Christian belief. We contemplate the history of the church in Rome, and how that history has a bearing on the things Paul writes to them. We discuss the purposes of Paul's letter and the question of the theme or themes of Romans. Finally we considered the stories of four men in church history and what happened in their lives as they encountered the book of Romans. In conclusion, we asked how we can ensure that our own lives are impacted by this book as we launch our study. (61 min)

Keywords Romans, Paul, Introduction, Theme, Pentecost