July 10 - Romans: Diving Back In



 

Opening Prayer

The Psalms of Ascent

Psalm 120 In my distress I called to the Lord,

    and he answered me.
Deliver me, O Lord,
    from lying lips,
    from a deceitful tongue.

What shall be given to you,
    and what more shall be done to you,
    you deceitful tongue?
A warrior's sharp arrows,
    with glowing coals of the broom tree!

Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech (maybe Turkey?),
    that I dwell among the tents of Kedar (maybe Saudi Arabia?)!
Too long have I had my dwelling
    among those who hate peace.
I am for peace,
    but when I speak, they are for war!

Romans – A Refresher

We began this study on January 24, 2021.

 

Probably written around 55 A.D.

Author: Paul

 

What do we know about St. Paul?

 

Where else did we encounter St. Paul today?

 

Paul was not a writer. He was an orator. He dictated his letters to a scribe. Tertius was the scribe for Romans (cf. Rom. 16:22).

-        The idea was that we would listen to this letter.

-        Romans 10:17

Key Themes

Gospel & Faith

Romans 1:16-17 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

 

Righteousness

Romans 3:21-26 - 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Law

Sin

Salvation

Romans 7:21-25 - So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

 

Outline of the Letter

Introduction – 1:1-15

The Righteousness that Comes by Faith

-        The power of God for salvation (1:16-17)

-        Who is righteous? (1:18-3:20)

-        How is God’s righteousness revealed? (3:21-4:25)

-        How is God’s righteousness received? (ch. 5-8)

-        What about Israel’s righteousness? (ch. 9-11)

Living in Righteousness

-        Being living sacrifices. (12:1-2)

-        Being the Body of Christ (12:3-8)

-        Loving one another (12:9-21)

-        Relating to authority (13:1-7)

-        Loving your neighbor (13:8-10)

-        Casting off evil and being clothed in Christ (13:11-14)

-        Caring about the weak in faith (14:1-15:13)

Conclusion

-        Planning a new mission journey (15:14-33)

-        Greetings (16:1-23)

-        Doxology (16:25-27)

 

Romans 8:1-17

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

 

Heirs with Christ

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons[f] of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

 

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