Bible

In the Bible room today, we begin reading the book of Romans with Session 1, the summaries of chapters 1 and 2.

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Romans

Session 1

Introduction

Writer: Paul, the Apostle.

Scope: This is a letter from Paul to the church at Rome which included both Jews and Gentiles, more of the latter. It was possibly written in Corinth during one of his missionary journeys around 54 to 57 AD.

Chapter 1. Grace

Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ and called to be an apostle:

• Dedicated to the gospel of God, as promised years ago
• Through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning
• His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who came from David’s family,
• Declared to be the Son of God who was raised from the dead;
• And through whom we have become an apostle to spread
• Faith in His name among all the nations:
• Grace and the peace of God and our Lord, Jesus Christ,
• To all the saints in Rome, the called of Jesus Christ;
• I thank God for you as your faith is known all over the world;
• I am constantly praying for all of you;
• And, I am asking God to make it possible for me to see you,
• So that our mutual faith in God will encourage you and me;
• I have often planned to come there, but have been hindered;
• My hope is that I might see more Gentiles there become
• Believers just as I have seen in other places;
• I owe much to the Greeks and other Gentiles, so I am ready
• To preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome;
• I do not shy away from preaching the Gospel to everyone,
• As it is the power of God for salvation which came first to
• The Jews, and is now spread to everyone who will believe;
• The righteous life comes from God: ‘The just shall live by faith;’
• The wrath of God will fall on the unrighteous, those to whom
• He has shown the truth, but who have tried to suppress it;
• The invisible God has shown his Devine nature in all creation,
• To be seen by everyone, so they knew Him, but they were not
• Thankful, would not acknowledge Him, and they became fools;
• They pretended to know everything, but knew nothing;
• They took the glorified things of God, and fashioned them into
• Objects and images of men and all kinds of animals;
• So that God released them to do their corrupt practices,
• To change God’s truth into a lie, and to worship and serve the
• Things of creation rather than the Creator;
• Because of all this, God allowed evil desires into their minds;
• Women using their bodies for unnatural practices;
• Likewise, men turning to shameful, homosexual activities;
• These people will pay the penalty for what they have done;
• They tried to forget God, so, their minds became obsessed
• With evil desires: fornication, immorality, wickedness,
• Murder, envy, deceit, hatred of God, violent, proud, even
• Creators of more evil things, disobedient to parents,
• Untrustworthy, unmerciful, knowing they will face the
• Judgement of God, while they are doing all these wicked
• Behaviors, or approving of those who practice them.

Chapter 2. Inward

Therefore, if you approve of these wicked behaviors,

• Then you are guilty the same as those who practice them;
• We know that God judges according to what is true
• Against those who practice such things, so, to those who
• Approve such behavior: How do you think you will escape the
• Judgement of God? Do you hate His goodness, and His
• Forbearance so much that you cannot see He is trying to lead
• You to repentance? However, your hard, unrepentant heart
• Is storing up the wrath of God for yourself, which will be
• Revealed on His day of judgement to everyone according to
• What they have done: Eternal life for those who have patiently
• Continued to do good and to seek immortality; But, there will
• Be anguish and trouble for those who are self-serving,
• Disobedient to the truth, and always indignant and angry;
• This judgement will come to both the Jews and the Gentiles, as
• There is no partiality with God: All who have sinned without
• Law will perish without law, and those who have sinned in
• The law, will be judged by the law; It is not enough to be only
• Hearers of the law, but the doers of the law will be justified;
• When Gentiles choose to live by the law, it is as written in
• Their hearts, and they become accountable to each other,
• Until the day when God will judge by Jesus Christ;
• But, if you are a Jew who relies on the law before God,
• And you have received instruction in the law, and seek to lead
• And teach others who do not know the law, are you not also
• Teaching yourself? For example, when you teach another
• ‘Do not steal’, do you then steal? Or, if you say, ‘do not commit
• Adultery,’ do you commit adultery? In other words, if you
• Are relying on the law, while you are dishonoring God by
• Breaking the law, to the Gentiles you are blaspheming God;
• If you are living by the law, circumcision is good for you;
• But if you are breaking the law, circumcision has no value;
• The uncircumcised man who is otherwise living by the law,
• Will condemn the one who is circumcised, but is otherwise
• Not living by the law; The true Jew is one who is living by
• The inward circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, and is
• Accepted by God rather than men.

End of Session 1 of the book of Romans.