Romans Chapter 7

Hi Jennie!

Chapter 7 has a lot of "huh"?s for me. But I'll work through it anyway:

- vs. 1-3: I think Paul is using the law of marriage to describe how once we have passed away we are no longer under the law (and thus physically removed from the presence of sin). Is this your understanding? While it appears this commentary is strictly for a parallel between the law of marriage and the law which makes us aware of our sin, it's still interesting to me that Paul says "if while her husband is still living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress".  There's no exception here that says "unless she divorces for unfaithfulness". This sticks out to me because adulteress is among those mentioned in the gospels who will not inherit the kingdom of God, along with homosexuals. But the church isn't protesting second marriages is it?
- vs. 4: Thank you Lord that through Jesus we can bear fruit for you and not bear fruit for death
- vs. 7-14: I get that the law itself isn't sin. It makes us aware of our sin. However, I think Paul is "wrong" when he says (vs.9) "I was once alive apart from the Law but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died". Is that allowed? To think Paul is wrong? Haha... Paul just told us in chapter 2 that the law is written on our hearts. So it doesn't make sense that only once the commandments came that we (as a human race) became aware of our sin. That happened way back in the garden.
- vs. 18-19: Here we get our popular saying the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Though I want to do good, there is evil present in me "waging war" (vs. 23) Thank you Lord that Jesus will save us from this body of death! (vs. 24, 25)

Romans Chapter 6

Hi Jennie!

- I feel like this chapter is all about Paul trying to help the Roman Church (and us) understand the complexities yet simplicities of grace and how the freedom it brings us in Christ Jesus is freedom in righteousness not freedom to keep on sinning because that totally makes no sense. When we've died to sin we can't continue in it.
- vs. 4: We will walk in newness of life someday in resurrected bodies just as Jesus walks in newness of life in his resurrected body.
- vs. 10: The death that Jesus died he died to sin once for all. Thank you Lord!
- This chapter also helps me understand why it's really not helpful to put the moral demands of Christianity onto people who haven't yet accepted the free gift of grace in Jesus Christ. They are slaves to sin. Just as I was once. There's really no choice in the matter. Like you have to say yes to sin because it's your master and you are its slave. And at that point your "enemy" is God. But your enemy actually loves you and wants you to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and be freed from the slavery of sin. When you accept it, only then can you actually make the choice to not sin.

That's all for now. Love!
Steph

Romans Chapter 5

Jennie:

Hi! Here are my thoughts on chapter 5:

- vs 1: Thank you, Lord, that we have peace with you through Jesus Christ and are saved from your wrath through him (vs. 9)
- vs. 2: I like that this verse says by this grace in which we STAND
- vs. 3-5: I wrote these verses down for my hubby, good encouragement on a rough road. Hope does not disappoint!
- vs. 6-10: We get that someone might die for a righteous or a good person but Christ died for us when we were totally helpless sinners and his enemies
- vs. 12-21: I know these verses are comparing the sin that came into the world through one man, Adam, with the righteous that came into the world through one man, Jesus Christ. I love the parallel, it's totally great. But it breaks down for me on this one point: through Adam ALL were born into sin and thus doomed to die to pay for the consequences of sin. Through Christ, only SOME are born again into righteousness through his blood because not all will believe. But these verses don't make that distinction. Vs 18 says: "so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men." Really, all? Seems very universalist. What do you think?

Romans Chapter 4

Hi Jennie!

- This chapter is all about Abraham. Here are some things that stuck out to me:
   - vs. 3 & 10: Good reminder that Abraham was credited with righteousness because of his faith (he believed God) even before he was circumcised. Circumcision was a sign of his faith and righteousness. Therefore, circumcision alone doesn't indicate righteousness. Kind of like how I could wear a wedding ring (the physical symbol) but not actually be married.
    - vs 7-8: Thank you Lord for forgiving our lawless deeds, covering our sin, and not taking it into account!
    - vs: 17: Abraham is the father of us all who believe and have faith. God, please give life to the dead places in our lives and call into being that which does not exist (like a job for my husband)  :)
   - vs 19-21 say "without becoming weak in faith ... he did not waiver in unbelief... assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform" but I'm kind of like: uh, Paul, did you read the story of Abraham? Abraham slept with his wife's maid-servant because his wife, Sara, wanted to 'help God out' in fulfilling his promise of a son. So how can Paul say Abraham didn't waiver or become weak in faith?
   - vs 24: Jesus is Lord. If we believe in God, who raised Jesus from the dead, we are credited with righteousness as Abraham was
    - vs. 25: Jesus was delivered over to death to pay for our transgressions. Because he was God (perfect, sinless), he didn't have to die to pay for his own sins. He paid for ours in our place. And he rose as proof that the debt has been paid.

Romans Chapter 3

Jennie:

- vs 1-2: Paul says there is still great advantage to being a Jew and to the benefit of circumcision.
- vs 3: Thank you Lord that unbelief doesn't nullify your faithfulness!
- vs 4-7: Not sure what Paul is trying to say here, do you know?
- vs 8: Paul setting the record straight here
- vs 9: We are all under sin
- vs 10:18: Where do you think these things are written?
- vs 19-20: The reason for the law: 1. that every mouth may be closed. 2. that the world may become accountable. 3. through the law comes the knowledge of sin
- vs 24-26: We are redeemed through Christ Jesus, the GIFT of God's grace. God publicly displayed this act of justification (Jesus on the cross to pay for us sins). Sins committed previous to Jesus's coming God passed over as well.
- vs 27-31: The law is established (through it we know we have sinned) but the law doesn't save us, only faith saves us. So we can't boast in our works (keeping the law).

Romans Chapter 2

Hi Jennie!

- vs 1-3: We should be extremely careful when passing any sort of judgement on others, this verse says if we judge others yet practice the same things, we condemn ourselves
- vs 4: Lord, help us not to take lightly the riches of your kindness and tolerance and patience. Thank you that your kindness leads us to repentance.
- vs 5: Stubbornness and an unrepentant heart is what stores up wrath for ourselves
- vs 6-10: How do we reconcile these verses about doing good = eternal life with the gospel of Jesus Christ that says by grace alone we are saved through faith?
- vs 11: Jew or Gentile, we all stand on the same ground before God
- vs 13: Again, doing the law = justification.  But how is that grace?
- vs 15: the Law is written in our hearts. I think this is why philanthropy is so popular among those who don't profess God. They don't have to profess God, He still wrote the law on their hearts
- vs 24: The name of the Lord is still dishonored among us today because of our hypocrisy I'm sure
- vs 25-29: I imagine if you were a Jew hearing these things for the first time, it could be pretty upsetting, because circumcision was a commandment handed down to the Jews from God himself. But thinking back to the original intent of circumcision, it was a physical sign that the Jews were set apart as God's chosen people. Like my wedding ring is a sign that I have been set apart for my husband. It's not the sign that matters so much, it's the actual setting apart of our hearts.

Romans Chapter 1

Jennie:

- vs 1-7: Wow, Paul really packs it in during his formal greeting to the Roman church. Here's a few truths I pulled out:
       - The Gospel of God was promised before hand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures
       - God's Son was born as a descendant of David, humanly speaking
       - Jesus was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead
       - There is a Spirit of holiness? (Who is Jesus Christ?)
       - Through Jesus Christ our Lord we receive grace
       - Through Jesus Christ our Lord we receive apostleship (not sure the definition of that exactly)
       - We have received this grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all     people, for the sake of Jesus Christ
        - The Roman church (and us) are among the called of Jesus Christ
        - We are called as saints (hey, it's a category not a description)   :)

- vs. 8: First Paul thanks God. This is a good model for us, in our prayers, in our letters, in our attitudes
- vs. 9: I like that Paul says he serves God in his spirit. It's a good check-point for me; am I serving God truly in my spirit (or just with my lips and my actions alone)
- vs. 10-15: You can tell just how much Paul really really wants to go be with the Roman church. Paul sounds a bit arrogant here (as I feel like he often does), he'll some impart some spiritual gift and wisdom and to them. But he does say he wants them to be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. I wonder what the definition was at the time for "barbarian"?
- vs. 18: verse about the wrath of God
- vs. 20: We are without excuse because God has revealed his power and nature through what he has made (but some don't honor him as God)
- vs 23-32: Do you think this is a commentary on when the Jewish people waited for Abraham to come back down the mountain and got impatient and so started creating their own gods, etc? PS: Do you think there is anyway that "natural function" could mean that it is sinful for heterosexual individuals to abandon their natural function but because homosexual individuals "natural function"is toward one another this verse isn't applicable to them? In fact, it would actually be wrong for homosexuals to exchange their "natural function" for the ways of heterosexuals because it's not natural to them... (almost didn't have the courage to write that, I'll start a war)