Romans 1 | Romans 2 | Romans 3 | Romans 4 | Romans 5 | Romans 6 | Romans 7 | Romans 8 | Romans 9 | Romans 10 | Romans 11 | Romans 12 Topical Studies Romans Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Class Podcast links (audio only) - (Spotify) / (Apple) YouTube channel - (YouTube) Individual Audio/Video Bible Studies in Romans Introduction to Romans / Romans 1:1 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 1:2-10 - (YouTube) / (Video) / (Audio) Romans 1:11-17 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 1:18-20 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 1:21-32 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 2:1-5 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 2:6-11 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 2:12-16 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 2:17-29 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 3:1-18 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 3:19-26 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 3:21-32 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 4:1-3 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 4:3 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 4:4-12 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 4:13-16 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 4:17-21 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 4:22-25 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 5:1-5 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 5:5-11 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 5:12-19 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 5:13-21 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 6:1-4 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 6:3-11 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 6:11-16 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 6:17 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 6:18-23 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 7:1-6 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 7:7-8 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 7:9-13 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 7:12-25 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 8:1 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 8:2-4 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 8:4-11 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 8:10-17 - (YouTube) / (Video) / (Audio Only) Romans 8:18-23, pt. 1 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 8:18-23, pt. 2 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 8:24-28 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 8:28 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 8:29-30, pt. 1 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 8:29-30, pt. 2 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 8:31-39 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 9 Introduction - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio) Romans 9:1-9 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 9:10-18 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 9:17-23 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 9:24-29 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 9:30-10:4 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 10:5-8 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 10:8-13 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 10:9-13 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 10:14-21 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 11:1-10 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 11:11-32 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 11:12-24 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 11:25-36 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 12:1-2 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 12:2-8 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Romans 12:9-14 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) (Stay tuned for more studies in Romans, coming soon!) Detailed Descriptions of Audio/Video Bible Studies in Romans Romans 1 - (back to top) Introduction to Romans / Romans 1:1 - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The importance of Romans -- Rough outline of Romans -- The simplicity of the Gospel -- Romans 1:1 -- Being a servant of Christ -- True servanthood -- Paul as an Apostle -- Paul's calling -- Paul set apart. Romans 1:2-10 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The Gospel in the Old Testament -- The importance of Christ's humanity and divinity -- The correct order: obedience comes from faith -- Belonging to Christ -- Why we pray in the name of Jesus -- Prayer effective, even when far away. Romans 1:11-17 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: God's plans versus our plans -- Paul's obligations to all in need of the Gospel -- Paul's desire to reach all levels of society -- The danger of being ashamed of the Gospel -- The historical importance of Romans 1:17 -- The Gospel: a righteousness "from faith to faith." Romans 1:18-20 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Our reluctance to speak about the wrath of God -- The importance of understanding the wrath of God -- How God's wrath is being revealed -- The inherent knowledge of God that we all have -- Suppressing the knowledge of God -- The tendency in modern science to suppress the knowledge of God -- The support in science and mathematics that there is a God. Romans 1:21-32 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The process of falling into sin -- Ingratitude toward God as a source of sin -- Idolatry in the modern world -- God just "letting us be", as a punishment of sin -- Sin as a punishment of sin -- The church as a place which must welcome sinners -- The prevalence of sin in all of us -- The need for Christ by all of us. Romans 2 - (back to top) Romans 2:1-5 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The condemnation of those who judge others -- Judgment/salvation on a personal basis, not on a group basis -- Preparation for God's judgment -- God's perfect righteousness -- God's judges all humans on the same basis -- Our standard of righteousness vs. God's perfect standard -- God's kindness in patience. Romans 2:6-11 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Judgment/salvation for three groups of people: Those who know nothing of Christ -- Those know the Mosaic law, but not Christ -- Those who know Christ -- Judgment Day for all -- Salvation by faith for the Old Testament Jews -- The context of Hebrews 11 -- knowledge brings responsibility -- For those who don't know Christ, the possibility of faith in anticipation of Christ. Romans 2:12-16 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: God's judgment based on the light of knowledge -- The internal revelation of the existence of God, and the natural revelation of the law -- The conscience an evidence of the natural law -- The possibility of salvation for those who have never heard of Christ. Romans 2:17-29 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topic covered: Religious arrogance -- The God-given advantages to the Jews -- The rite of circumcision -- True circumcision: circumcision of the heart -- The need for inner purity. Romans 3 - (back to top) Romans 3:1-18 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics include: Paul's answer to objections by the Jews, as to whether they need Christ -- The value of the Word of God to the children of Israel -- The truth of religion not based on the unfaithfulness of its adherents -- Absurd arguments of the human intellect, at times -- The ends do not justify the means -- The universality of sin. Romans 3:19-26 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Accountability to the law, whether Mosaic or natural -- No one righteous under the law, whether Mosaic or natural -- The importance of the words, "But now" -- Paul's the grand declaration of the Gospel, in vss. 21-26 -- The importance, according to scholars, of vss. 21-26: "...the most important single paragraph ever written..." -- The "what?", "when?", and "how?" of the Gospel -- The Gospel in the Old Testament -- What "faith in Christ" means -- The righteousness of God -- The accessibility of justification to all -- What "justification" means -- An episode of Jacob and Esau, pre-figuring our standing before God. Romans 3:21-32 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Who needs justification? -- Why they need it -- The source of justification -- The cost of justification -- The value of being justified -- The mechanism of justification -- The scope of justification -- Meaning of the phrase "fall short of the glory of God" -- Christ's sacrifice atones for the sins of every human, including before Christ came to earth -- Salvation through Christ in Old Testament times -- The power of grace to influence behavior. Romans 4 - (back to top) Romans 4:1-3 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The New Testament as a continuation of the Old Testament -- Christ in the Old Testament -- The faith of Abraham -- Abraham's three great works, all driven by faith -- The three great promises of God to Abraham -- Abraham's faith in these promises. Romans 4:3 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The various citations of Gen. 15:6 in the New Testament (besides in Romans 4:3) -- Galatians 5:8 and Abraham's belief in the Gospel message -- Christ's teaching on the road to Emmaus -- The apparent contradiction between James 2:24 and Rom. 3:28 -- The context of James 2:24: James evaluating whether someone's faith is true -- A true faith will be demonstrated -- James many places states that salvation is based on faith -- Paul states many places that a true faith will be demonstrated -- James and Paul agree on what true faith is -- The value of both James' and Paul's viewpoints. Romans 4:4-12 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The importance of faith, in God’s eyes -- God’s crediting of righteousness not a result of any works -- An eternal truth: God is a debtor to no one -- This implies that salvation will never come from works -- God’s surprising willingness to justify even the ungodly -- All should rejoice when any sinner comes to Christ -- The forgiveness of David - - Salvation not earned by any religious ritual -- The purpose of circumcision -- The difference between circumcision and baptism -- Abraham, the father of our faith. Romans 4:13-16 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The promises to Abraham had nothing to do with the law -- Abraham’s great works rooted in faith -- The “all-or-nothing” aspect of righteousness through the law -- The perfect righteousness required by God’s perfect righteousness -- The purpose of the law -- “Faith is the response that makes the promise effective.” Romans 4:17-21 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The nature of Abraham’s faith: its core, its irrationality (in the eyes of the world), its consistency, its basis, its result -- The promises to Abraham pointed ahead to Christ -- Abraham’s faith in God’s life-giving power -- The relationship between hope and faith -- Abraham’s faith in the power and the promises of God -- The involvement of God in His creation -- Faith as a way to give glory to God. Romans 4:22-25 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The righteousness Abraham gained by faith, a model for us -- Abraham’s faith that God can “bring life from the dead” (and ours) -- Two ways that Abraham believed in God’s life-giving power -- Two ways that Christians believe in God’s life-giving power -- The value of Christ’s resurrection in strengthening our faith -- The importance of Romans 4:25 - - Atonement and justification, two different events -- The basis that Christ chose for our justification: faith. Romans 5 - (back to top) Romans 5:1-5 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The benefits of being justified -- Peace with God -- Access to God -- The confidence before God that we have through Christ -- Hope -- “…glory in our sufferings…” -- The surety of sufferings -- The purpose of sufferings -- Benefits to our sufferings. Romans 5:5-11 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The hope of the Christian -- God’s poured-out love -- The Holy Spirit, a token of God’s love -- The ultimate demonstration of God’s love -- Our state when we received God’s love -- The rareness of Christ’s sacrifice -- Who Christ died for -- The value of Romans 5:8 -- The perfect timing of Christ’s mission -- Christ’s sacrifice, and assured salvation -- Reconciliation with God. Romans 5:12-19 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The difficulty of this passage -- Paul’s purpose in writing -- A summary of Paul’s primary point of the passage -- Guiding principles for interpreting difficult passages -- The difficulties with verse 12 -- The significance of Adam’s sin -- The sin nature -- The Biblical view of death -- Bodily death and spiritual death -- Bodily death, a consequence of the first sin -- Spiritual death, a consequence of our sin -- Making sense of verse 12. Romans 5:13-21 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Review of verses 12 to 19 -- Finishing the sentence of verse 12 -- A purpose of the law -- The written law and the natural law -- Adam as a pattern of Christ -- The basis of the pattern -- Christ’s undoing of Adam’s work -- The vast scope of Christ’s work -- Christ’s obedience -- How the trespass increases through the law -- What the law teaches. Romans 6 - (back to top) Romans 6:1-4 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The sin of taking advantage of God's grace -- The salvation that begins in this life: Salvation from sin in this world -- The transforming nature of salvation: A new life -- Breaking free from sin's control -- Sanctification -- The Holy Spirit's role in sanctification -- The symbolism of baptism -- Baptism in the Christian church -- Faith precedes baptism. Romans 6:3-11 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The symbolism of baptism: A death, and a resurrection -- Being united with Christ -- The obstacles to dying to sin -- The slow process of dying to sin -- Mortification, and vivification -- Crucifying the old self -- Freedom from slavery to sin -- Victory through the Holy Spirit -- Vivification: New life in Christ -- Victory over death. Romans 6:11-16 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Change of language beginning with verse 11: giving instructions/commands -- The ruler of this world -- Our choice in verse 13 -- The military connotation of verse 13 -- Offering each part of ourselves -- “… not under law, but under grace…” -- The New Covenant -- The law’s (for us fallen people) enticement to sin -- Again, the sin of taking advantage of God’s grace -- “No one can serve two masters” -- “Slaves to the one you obey.” Romans 6:17 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Serving from the heart -- Obeying “the form of teaching to which you were entrusted” -- A fact: we are all “entrusted” with differing levels of teaching about Christ -- The ramifications of that -- This begs the question: What is the fate of those who have no knowledge of Christ or the Gospel? -- Is salvation available to them? -- Differing views on this -- A view consistent with the teachings of the Bible, and the character of God -- The example of the Old Testament saints. Romans 6:18-23 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Uses of analogies in the Bible -- The consequences of being a slave to sin -- The slog of sanctification -- Plea for zeal for righteousness -- The Christian’s modified view of the past -- Shame, and its value -- Holiness -- Silence about the Holy Spirit in chapters 6 and 7 -- Three contrasts in Romans 6:23. Romans 7 - (back to top) Romans 7:1-6 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Themes of chapters 7 and 8 -- “… under law…” and “… under grace…” -- Paul’s style of writing -- Paul’s analogy about living under law -- The mechanism by which we are released from the law: death -- The death and new life of Christians -- The symbolism of baptism -- A new covenant - - Serving in “the new way of the Spirit” -- The absence of the Holy Spirit from chapter 7. Romans 7:7-8 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Assuming the Bible says what it means, and means what it says -- Paul’s switch to use the first person -- Multiple levels of meaning in this passage -- How the Law and sin are related -- The Law educates us about sin -- The uniqueness of the Law, “Do not covet” -- God desires internal purity -- Why sin increases in the presence of the Law -- Spiritual warfare -- The “forbidden fruit” phenomenon -- FOMO (“Fear of missing out”) -- How Satan uses the Law to tempt -- A weapon against much temptation: Contentment. Romans 7:9-13 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: What moment in life in verse 9 referring to? -- Paul’s attitude before he was a Christian -- The moment when Paul recognized he was spiritually dead -- The moment in life, described in verse 9, that everyone on earth experiences: The true moment of accountability -- A real-life example of verse 9 at work -- The centrality of the gospel to the Christian religion -- The law, not at fault -- A key purpose of the law: The recognition of the horror of sin -- Various levels of interpretation of verse 9. Romans 7:12-25 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The horridness of sin -- Paul’s struggles with sin -- The Christian’s struggle with sin -- The battle within us -- “This body of death” -- Hope for the Christian -- The missing Holy Spirit in chapters 6 and 7 -- Introduction to chapter 8. Romans 8 - (back to top) Romans 8:1 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Introduction to chapter 8 -- The contrast between the end of chapter 7 and the beginning of chapter 8 -- What does the word “Therefore” refer to? -- The word “now” in verse 1, and what it suggests -- Romans 5 as a possible lead-in to Romans 8 -- The blessings and scope of the words “no condemnation” -- What it means to be “in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:2-4 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The meaning of the literary phrases ”the law of the Spirit of life”, and “the law of sin and death.” -- God intervening, because of our weaknesses -- Before Christ, everyone “under the law” -- How we are all under the law, before Christ -- The meaning of the difficult phrase, “in the likeness of sinful flesh” -- Christ’s humanity -- The meaning of the phrase, “… on account of sin…” -- Ways in which Christ, in his coming, dealt with the “sin problem” -- How Christ “condemned sin in the flesh” -- How many phrases in the NT apply both to “justification” and to “sanctification.” Romans 8:4-11 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: What “living by the flesh” means -- The difficulty of not “living by the flesh” -- The progression in verses 4 through 8, as reflected in the NASB translation -- Paul’s use of the word “walk” -- The high stakes of “living by the Spirit” vs. “living by the flesh” -- The common misunderstanding about how to stop “living by the flesh” -- The true way to stop “living by the flesh”, and start “living by the Spirit” -- Support for the concept of “The Trinity” in this passage. Romans 8:10-17 - (YouTube link) / (Video) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The work of the Holy Spirit -- The two aspects of “death” and “life” -- The Christian view of death -- The obligation of the Christian to live by the Spirit -- Various meanings of the phrase “putting to death the misdeeds of the body” -- Ways to “put to death the misdeeds of the body” -- Christians as “sons of God” -- The extent of our “sonship” -- Paul’s cry of “Abba, Father”. Romans 8:18-23, pt. 1 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Suffering inevitable in this world, even for Christians -- The suffering, even, of the Creation -- The correspondence between the physical health of the world, and the spiritual health of people -- The universe’s “subjection to frustration” and “bondage to decay” -- The beginning of the “bondage to decay” -- This passage’s expression of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics -- Explanation of the 2nd Law -- Paul’s perfect summary of the 2nd Law: “bondage to decay” -- The act of creation, a countering of the 2nd Law -- The eventual liberation from the 2nd Law. Romans 8:18-23, pt. 2 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Suffering as part of the Christian life -- Endurance through hope -- The subjection of the Creation to “frustration” -- The groaning of the Christian -- The groaning of the Creation -- The positive side to the “pains of childbirth” -- The hope in which we were saved. Romans 8:24-28 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The importance and significance of hope -- Patient endurance -- The three parties involved in prayer -- “We do not know what we ought to pray for” -- The Holy Spirit’s intercession in prayer -- Principles for prayer -- The end result of prayer -- God working all together for good. Romans 8:28 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Romans 8:28 as a transition verse -- The original Greek phrase ordering -- The four phrases in the verse -- “All things work together for good” -- The scope of this phrase -- “And we know that” -- Do we “know” it? -- Why we should know it -- The phrases which each define/describe a Christian -- One phrase depicts human decision; one phrase depicts God’s election -- The literary construction of the verse, in its original phrase ordering -- How “those who love God” looks back to the previous chapters -- How “those called according to His purpose” looks forward to the next chapters. Romans 8:29-30, pt. 1 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Our salvation from God’s point of view -- A difficult concept: reconciling God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, with respect to salvation -- The testimony of the Bible: these concepts are not contradictory, but compatible -- This compatibility testified to by all the main authors of the New Testament -- The role of God’s foreknowledge on predestination -- Our inability to understand things from God’s point of view -- A strategy for making peace with these concepts: Let God be God, and humans be human -- The importance of teaching both God’s sovereignty and human responsibility -- The beauty of the truth of both of these concepts. Romans 8:29-30, pt. 2 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: God’s involvement in His creation -- The link between foreknowledge and predestination -- The difficulty of reconciling election with free will -- A strategy for making peace with these concepts: Let God be God, and humans be human -- The many, many verses which affirm the role of our decisions in our salvation cannot be ignored -- The goal of our salvation: sanctification -- In verse 30, the entire process of the life of the Christian, from God’s point of view -- The Five Golden Links -- The calling spoken of in verse 30, an effectual calling -- The human steps of faith and sanctification omitted from verse 30 -- The implications of the word glorified being in the past tense: assurance. Romans 8:31-39 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The value of the question/answer format -- Proofs of God’s love for us -- The surety of justification for those in Christ -- Christ in the judgment seat, with the ability to condemn or save -- Why those in Christ will not be condemned -- The difference between how children of Israel face troubles, versus how Christians face troubles -- Paul, an example of a conqueror through adversity -- The courage of the Christian -- “More than conquerors”, or literally, hyper- conquerors -- The breadth of God’s love for us. Romans 9 - (back to top) Romans 9 Introduction - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Summary of Romans to this point -- Overview of Romans 9 to 11 -- A difficult concept: Reconciling “God’s sovereignty” with “human responsibility” -- The Bible presents these concepts as compatible -- “God’s sovereignty” in chapter 9 -- “Human responsibility” in chapter 10 -- God’s wisdom in all these things. Romans 9:1-9 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The importance of teaching both “God’s sovereignty” and “human responsibility” -- Summary of chapters 9 through 11 -- Paul’s concern for the children of Israel -- Paul’s love for the children of Israel -- The blessings of God, poured out over Israel -- God’s sovereign choice concerning Israel in the Christian era -- Distinguishing the fate of the nation of Israel, versus the fate of individual Jews - - Christian salvation is given on an individual basis -- Examples of God’s sovereignty over election -- Isaac, the child of the promise. Romans 9:10-18 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The example of the Jacob and Esau -- The difficult verses in this passage -- The references to “Jacob” and “Esau” as the nations that they became -- The purposes behind God’s elective choices -- Role of early Jewish Christians hindering the spread of the Gospel -- The wisdom, borne out in history, of God’s limiting the Christian Jews to a remnant -- The role of foreknowledge in God’s elective choices -- Our lack of standing to object to God’s elective choices. Romans 9:17-23 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Overview (once again) of chapters 9 through 11 -- The difficulty of verse 18 exceeds that of verse 15, because it deals with God hardening (rather than having mercy) -- God exercises His sovereignty based on carrying out His purposes -- God exercises His sovereignty, consistent with His character -- Review of Exodus 33, from which verse 15 comes -- The history of the hardening of Pharaoh -- God’s purposes in hardening Pharaoh -- It’s OK to wrestle with God; it’s not OK to impugn His character -- God’s “pride” in His righteous and just character -- God’s sovereignty does not eliminate our responsibility to make the correct choices. Romans 9:24-29 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: God’s history of “calling ‘my people’, those who are not ‘my people’” -- Rejoicing when any sinner repents, even those whom we thought never would -- Preaching Christ to everyone, even those whom we think don’t deserve to be saved -- Jonah, an illustration of the wrong attitude to have -- Why the Jews reject the New Covenant salvation: the stumbling stone. Romans 10 - (back to top) Romans 9:30-10:4 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The reasons that many children of Israel have rejected their Messiah -- Christ as a “stumbling stone” -- Prophecy in Isaiah of the Messiah as a “stumbling stone” -- The attempt of the early Christian church in Jerusalem to make Christianity a sect of Judaism -- The conflict between Paul and the Jerusalem church in Acts 15 -- Paul’s desire for the salvation of Israel -- Misplaced zeal -- Five ways that “Christ is the end of the law”. Romans 10:5-8 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Contrasting two systems of gaining righteousness -- One way to righteousness: obey the law perfectly and completely -- The impossibility of this way to righteousness -- The impossibility of now gaining atonement via animal sacrifices -- The other way to righteousness: through Jesus Christ -- The difficulty of verse 6 -- The point of verse 6: no difficult feat is required by us to attain salvation through Christ -- The difficult feats for our salvation were achieved by Jesus -- The human desire to earn our salvation -- The illustration of this in the history of Naaman -- The difficulties of interpreting references in the New Testament to Old Testament passages -- The prophetic nature of Deuteronomy 30. Romans 10:8-13 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The accessibility of attaining righteousness through Christ -- The significance of verse 9 -- The meaning of “believing in one’s heart” -- The “heart” in the Bible -- The significance of believing that “God raised Christ from the dead” -- The literary qualities of this passage -- The parallelisms of the “heart” and “mouth” motifs -- Introduction to “chiastic structures” -- The chiastic structure in verses 8 to 13 -- For illustration, a simple chiastic structure in Matt. 6:24 - - How knowing the literary devices in the Bible can lead to proper interpretation. Romans 10:9-13 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Verse 9 looks like a “formula” for salvation, but is it? -- Christian salvation as an event, and a process -- The event: faith in an aspect of who Christ is -- The process of learning about Christ in all His fullness -- What is meant by “declaring that Jesus is Lord”? -- The declaration of Christ as Lord as part of the process of salvation -- The scope of the Lordship of Christ -- How the verbal and natural declaration of Christ as Lord strengthens our faith. Romans 10:14-21 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The questions in verses 14 and 15: Are they informational questions or questions of objection? -- Review of chiastic structures -- The chiastic structure of verses 14 to 21 -- The center, thus emphasis of the structure -- How the four questions are answered in their parallel passages in the chiastic structure -- The meaning of the citation of Psalm 19, in Romans 10:18 -- God’s natural revelation of Himself, and the Gospel. Romans 11 - (back to top) Romans 11:1-10 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Ways in which God has not rejected “His people” -- Paul, as an example -- The preserved remnant, as an example -- The remnant, as illustrated through the history of Elijah -- Elijah on Mt. Carmel -- Elijah, fleeing from Jezebel -- The “still small voice” of God -- The absurdity of thinking that God needs us -- A look at Psalm 69 -- The dangers of prosperity -- Contentment over prosperity. Romans 11:11-32 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The remnant of the children of Israel throughout history -- The three stage process leading to the salvation of Israel -- Paul’s reiteration of the three stages, throughout this passage -- The literary device of parallelism in the Bible -- Paul’s seven parallel passages, each laying out the three stage process of Israel’s salvation -- The first passage: the cause-and-effect nature of the stages in the process. Romans 11:12-24 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Review of the three steps leading to the salvation of Israel -- The cause and effect nature of the three steps -- The benefits to the world flowing from the salvation of Israel -- What “full inclusion” means in vs. 12 -- A prophecy in Zechariah regarding the salvation of Israel -- The existence of the nation of Israel makes this prophecy more understandable -- What Paul means by “life from the dead”, in verse 15 -- The Olive Tree analogy -- The necessary humility of the Gentiles expressed in the analogy. Romans 11:25-36 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: Review of the three steps leading to the salvation of Israel, and Paul’s repetition of these steps -- The directness of Paul’s prophecy about the salvation of Israel in verse 26 -- A speculation about how Israel’s salvation will occur -- What “fullness of the Gentiles” means -- The salvation of Israel, as prophesied in the Old Testament -- What the phrase “ bound everyone over to disobedience means” -- The literary and thematic beauty of the doxology in verses 33-36. Romans 12 - (back to top) Romans 12:1-2 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: A significant instruction: “… offer your bodies…” -- The “why” of the instruction: “… in view of God’s mercy…” -- To what extent: “… as a sacrifice…” -- In what manner: “… living, holy, and pleasing to God.” -- By what motivation: “… This is your true and proper worship.” -- How to achieve it: -- “Do not be conformed… but be transformed.” Romans 12:2-8 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: A benefit to “offering your body as a sacrifice”: ability to “test and approve” what God’s will is -- God’s “good, pleasing, and perfect” will -- How to serve God -- Who is to serve?: “… every one of you…” -- Self-reflection and “sober judgement” in deciding how to serve -- The analogy of the church as a body, and it’s application to service -- “Gifts” to serve -- We have “different” gifts -- Some representative works of service -- Prophesying -- Serving, or “ministering” -- Teaching -- Encouragement, on a macro and micro level -- Giving, generously and simply -- Leadership, on a macro and micro level -- Showing mercy. Romans 12:9-14 - (YouTube link) / (Video File) / (Audio Only) Topics covered: The sparse style of writing in this passage -- A translation of the passage which reflects the original style of writing -- The continuation of the parse style suggests that verses 9-14 are closely tied to verses 6-8 -- In general, literary style can give us clues to interpretation, so translations should reflect the original literary style -- The instructions: “Unhypocritical love” -- How does one cultivate a sincere love? -- “Hate evil / cling to good”: deceptively obvious statements - - Fervency in service, serving “the Lord” -- The gift of “hope” -- The gift of “patience” in affliction - The gift of “prayer” -- The gift of “hospitality” -- Verse 14, reflecting the teachings of Christ -- Praying for enemies. (Stay tuned for more studies in Romans, coming soon!) Topical Excerpts - (back to top) Mathematical Argument That God Created Life - (YouTube) / (Video File) / (Audio Only)