Romans Chapter 12

Jennie:

Here's my thoughts on chapter 12:

- vs. 1: Therefore (because to God be the glory forever) present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice. This is worship. And I like that it says "by the mercies of God, we can't do it all alone.
- vs. 2: God's good, acceptable, and perfect will can be known if we are 1. Not worldly 2. being transformed by the renewing of our minds
- vs. 3: I feel like we use this verse to say that everyone has been allotted some portion of faith from God, but do you think this is more saying that for believers, our faith helps us not think too highly of ourselves?
- vs. 4-8: Though there are many believers in Jesus Christ, we are one body
- vs. 9: "cling to what is good": This stands out to me because Proverbs 31 says I need to do my husband good and not evil all the days of my life. Lord, help me cling to good!
- vs. 10-13: Ooo, lots of good stuff here:
      - Be devoted
      - Have brotherly love for one another
      - Honor each other
      - Be fervent in spirit and diligence
      - Serve the Lord
      - Rejoice in hope
      - Persevere in tribulation
      - Be devoted to prayer
      - Contribute to the needs of others
      - Practice hospitality

- vs. 14-21: More good stuff (notice it never says "protest against people you disagree with")
      - Bless those who persecute you
      - Rejoice with those who rejoice
      - Weep with those who weep
      - Associate with the lowly
      - Don't be "wise" and haughty in your own mind
      - Never pay back evil with evil
      - Respect what is right
      - Be at peace with all men (not just talking about other believers here), so far as it depends on you (boundaries!)
      - Never take your own revenge
      - Leave room for God's wrath, for it is his to repay
      - Feed our enemies, give them something to drink
      - Overcome evil with good

Romans 11:17-35

Hi Jennie:

These verses are just so theologically heavy to me and I feel like I need a degree to understand it. So instead of asking a bunch of questions and getting frustrated, I'll just make lists about what I learn from these verses:

About Gentiles (us):
- Like a wild olive branch
- Grafted into the natural olive tree, contrary to nature
- Should not be arrogant
- Does not support the root, the root supports us
- Must stand by our faith
- Must not be conceited but fear God for God will not spare us either
- Once disobedient but have been shown mercy


About Jews:
- Like a natural olive branch
- Broken off for their unbelief
- Will be grafted back in if they don't continue in their unbelief
- A partial hardening has happened
- Beloved
- Will be shown mercy


About God:
- He is the rich root of the natural olive tree
- Kind
- Severe
- Able to graft branches into the natural olive tree
- Deliverer
- His gifts and calling are irrevocable
- Has shut up all in disobedience so that he may show mercy to all
- Deep riches of wisdom
- Deep riches of knowledge
- His judgements are unsearchable
- His way are unfathomable
- No one knows his mind
- No one has become his counselor
- No one has first given to him that God needs to pay him back
- From him and through him and to him are all things
- The glory is his forever

Romans 11:1-16

Jennie:

Hi! Thought I'd break this one up a bit too.

- vs. 1-2: We know that God hasn't rejected his people Israel because Paul is an Israelite and God has not rejected him.
- vs. 3-4: God "keeps for himself" people who do not bow their knee to other gods. Predestination?
- vs. 5-6: In the same way then God keeps for himself a remnant (very OT word) according to his gracious choice. Again, predestination? I've heard an argument that verse 6 seems to speak to - that of course God "chooses" people to be saved. Otherwise, it's something we have done and not grace alone.
- vs. 7-10: This seems to be saying that God hardens some hearts and darkens some eyes that they cannot see. But I think the point is that not all Israel has been hardened, some have been chosen.
- vs. 11-12: By the Israelite "transgression" (not believing Christ?) salvation has come to the gentiles. But if God choses them not to be saved, how it is transgression? How is it their fault? Again, this question haunts me. Would the biblical answer really be: well, who are you to question God?
- vs. 13-16:  Paul will keep amping up his ministry to the gentiles in hopes that he moves some of his fellow Israelites to jealousy and they are saved. Do you think this is saying that the piece of "dough" that we all originated from as followers of Christ and children of Abraham is God the Father?

Love!
Steph

Romans Chapter 10

Hi Jennie!

For this chapter I think I'll break it up like this:

What we learn about Paul:
- His heart's desire and his prayer is that the people of Israel would be saved


What we learn about Israel:
- They have a zeal for God
- They do not know about God's righteousness
- They try to establish their own righteousness
- God will use other people to make them jealous
- Disobedient and obstinate


What we learn about Christ:
- He is the end of the law
- He is Lord
- His words bring about faith


What we learn about God:
- He raised Jesus from the dead
- Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed
- He is Lord of all, both Jew and Greek
- He is abounding in riches for all who call on his name
- He became manifest/found by those who did not ask for him (gentiles)

Romans Chapter 9

Jennie:

- vs. 1-5: Paul has great grief and sorrow in his heart for his fellow Israelites, he would choose to be separated from Christ if it meant that they could be saved.
- vs. 6-13: I think this is telling us that gentiles who believe in Christ (you and I) are also descendants of Abraham because of the promise, is that your understanding? Not sure why the reference to Rebekah and her sons...
- vs. 14-22: I struggle with these verses. I think Paul is saying that God hardens some hearts (like Pharaoh) to bring glory to his name and demonstrate his power. So some vessels (people) that the potter (God) makes are created to not be saved (predestination?). And of course I ask the exact thing this scripture tells me not to ask: how is it their fault then? The answer is: who are we to question God? Which is probably perfectly legitimate - I have no right to question God for who am I? Did I create the heavens and the earth and set the waters into place and breathe life into living creatures? No. But I just can't help but to think that's sort of a "lame" explanation. It's like a parent telling a child "because I said so".
- vs. 23-29: Verses about other places in scripture that show us that God called some from among the Jews and from among the Gentiles
- vs. 30-33: I think this is saying that Jesus is a "stumbling block" because we get tripped up trying to understand that we are saved not by works (following the law or being "good") but by faith in Jesus Christ alone. But for those who believe in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, we will not be disappointed.

Love!

Romans 8:18-37

Jennie:

To help me look at many of these popular verses in another way, I'm going to list what we "learn" from these verses about us as believers:

- glory will be revealed in us
- our sufferings don't even compare to this glory
- we are children of God
- the glory of the children of God will set creation free from its slavery to corruption
- we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons
- our bodies will be redeemed
- in hope we have been saved
- we hope for what we do not see
- the Spirit helps our weakness
- we don't know how to pray as we should
- the Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God
- we are saints (category not a description, haha)
- because we are called according to his purpose and love God, he will cause all things to work together for good
- God is for us
- no one can be against us
- God didn't spare his own Son but delivered him over for us
- Christ Jesus intercedes for us too
- tribulation, distress, persecution, peril, sword, nakedness - none of these can separate us from the love of Christ
- He loves us and through him we overwhelmingly conquer
- no created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God
- the love of God for us is in Christ Jesus our Lord

Romans 8: 1-17

Hi Jennie!

This is a power-packed chapter! I decided to split it up a bit.

- vs. 1: Do you think there is missing manuscript at the end of chapter 7? It doesn't really make sense to say one the other hand I am with my flesh serving the law of sin Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
- But vs. 2 clarifies a little more: The law of the Spirit in Christ Jesus has actually set us free from the law of sin and death.
- Thank you Lord for sending your own son in the likeness of sinful man, yet perfect, to be an acceptable offering for our sins.
- Help us Lord to keep our minds set on the things of the Spirit
- vs. 7-8: We see again that sin is a slavery that renders those in its grip no choice but to sin
- vs. 10-11: Praise God that though these bodies of ours are wasting away, our spirit is alive in Christ Jesus and the same power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in us!
- vs. 14: who are the sons of God? All who are being lead by the Spirit of God
- vs. 15-17: We are adopted as sons, fellow heirs of the Kingdom of God with Christ Jesus. By the way, I'm totally ok with being a "son" of God even though I'm a woman. In the context of biblical times it was the son that inherited the riches and wealth of his father. God uses "daughter" plenty in the Bible. I'm not offended at all to be called a son in the light of these verses.