The Bible Study Session 1

[GOE]

We will first start with the Book of Romans

Intorduction:

Paul, author of Romans, ranks with the great world-changers of all time. Having encountered Jesus Christ in a vision while en route to arrest Christians, he gave himself to Christ's purpose for his life- announcing the gospel to the Gentile world. Paul completed that mission. But Paul was much more than an itinerant evangelist and church planter; he was an intellectual giant. He had received the finest education of his time. He was zealous, uncompromising, courageous, and indefatigable. He conquered illness, shipwreck, and imprisonment. At the same time, he was compassionate, seeing himself as a nurse bringing up newborn babies in the Christian faith.

Romans is the foundational document of Paul's entire system of theology. Its impact and influence in history have been immeasureable, inspiring such great men as Augustine, Luther, Bunyan, and Wesley. Through them Romans as shaped not only the history of the church, but of the world.

At the same time, this letter is the keysone of faith and life for countless thousands of individuals today. We study it not only because it has influenced the past, but because it can change our own lives as well. It is the Christian's

story.http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=NIV&passage=all

There are two great spiritual realities: God's salvation and God's wrath. Both stem from his righteousness. In the opening chapter of his letter, Paul introduces himself and his mission. The doctrine of salvation--the good news of God's gift in Christ--occupies center stage. He looks at society and gives convincing eveidence of human-kind's sin and the need for salvation.


Romans 1

1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God-- 2the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4and who through the Spirit[1] of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God[2] by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
7To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.



1. In popular thought, what reasons are commonly given for social and personal problem?____________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________

2. From this preface what impression do you get of Paul?
Of the gospel? Of Jesus? Of believers in Rome?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____

3. What ws Paul's overiding purpose in life? Why?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____

4.Why is it important to know who you are and what you're living for?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____

[GOE]

opps sorry, I obviously did not know what I was doing on the poll thing. And I tried to edit it, but I guess I am not allowed to do that. sorry!

[MistOfTheSea86]

Originally posted by GOE
opps sorry, I obviously did not know what I was doing on the poll thing. And I tried to edit it, but I guess I am not allowed to do that. sorry!

PM me with the modifications I would be glad to help:) Thanks for sharing

[GOE]

Read Romans 1:8-17

Paul's Longing to Visit Rome

8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong-- 12that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. 13I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
14I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.
16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[3] just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."[4]



Paul uses the phrase " I thank God through Jesus Christ to emphasize the point that Christ is the one and only mediator between God and humans. Through Christ, God sends his love and forgivness to us: through Christ, we send our thanks to God.

The Roman Christians, at the WEstern world's political power center, were highly visivle. Fourtunately, their reputation was excelent; their strong faith was making itself known around the world, When people talk about your congregation or your denomination, what do they say? Are their comments accurate? would you rahter they noticed other features? What is the best way to get the public to recongnize your faith?

Whe you pray continually about concern, don't be suprised at how God answers. Paul prayed to visit Rome so he could teach the Christians there. When he finally arrived in Rome, it was as a prisoner. Paul prayed for a safe trip, and he did arrive safely-after getting arrested, slapped in the face, shippwrecked, and bitten by a poisonous snake. God's ways of answering our prayers are often far from what we expect, When you sincerely pray, God will answer-although sometimes with timing and in way you do not expect.

Paul prayed for the chance to visit these Christinas so that he could encourage them with his gift of faith and be encouraged by theirs. As God's missionary, he could help them understand the meaning of the Good News about Jesus, As God's devoted people, they could offer him fellowship and comfort. When Christians gather, everyone should give and receive. Our mutual fiath gives us a common language and a common purpose for encourageing one another.

By the end of his third missionary journey, Paul had traveled through Syria, Galatia, Asia, Macedonia, and Achaia. The churches in these areas were made up mostly of Gentile believers.

What was Paul's Obligation? After his experience with Christ on the road to Damascus, his whole life was consumed with spreading the Good News of salvation. His obligation was to Christ for being his Savior, and he was obligated to the entire world. He met his obligation by proclaming Christ's salvation to all people- both Jews and Gentiles, across all cultural, social, racial, and economic lines.

Jew's and Christians aloke stood against the idolatrous Roman religions, and Roman officials often confused the two groups.

The gospel shows us both how righteous God is in his plan for us to be saved, and also how we may be made fit for eternal life. By trusting Christ, our relationsip with God is made right.

From first to last- God declares us to be righteous because of faith and faith alone.

Paul is quoting Habakkuk 2:4 Habakkuk may have understood "will Live" to mean this present life only. But Paul extends this statement to inlude eternal life.

As we trust God, we are saved; we find life both now and forever.

[GOE]

Sorry guys, I have been meaning to get back online and keep this updated, but its been crazy around here. I will be back soon, with some more info :)

[Emerald Oak]

I voted "Not at all helpful" because I could never understand anything in the Bible. All I know about Christianity is what I was told. That was a fascinating story, though ^.^

[GOE]

God's Wrath Against Mankind

18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.


Why is God angry at sinful people? Because they have substituted the truth about him with a fantasy of their own imagination. (verse 25)
They have stifled the truth God naturally reveals to all people in order to believe anything that supports their own selfcentered life-styles.. God cannot tolerate sin because his nature is morally perfect. He cannot ignore or condone such willful rebellion. God wants to remove the sin and resotre the sinner- and he is able to, as long as the sinner does not stubbornly distort or reject the truth. But his anger errupts agains those who persist in sinning. Make sure you are not pursuing a fantasy rather than the ture God. Don't suppress the truth about him merely to protect your own lifestyle.

Does anyone have an excuse for not believing in God?
the Bible answers an emphatic no. God has revealed what he is like in and through his creation. Every person, therefore, either accepts or rejects God. Don't be fooled. When the day comes for God to judge your response to him, no excuses will be accepted. Begin today to give your devotion and worsip to him.

Vereses 18-20 Paul answers a common objection. How could a loving God send anyone to hell, expecially someone who has never heard about Christ? in fact, says Paul, God has revealed himself plainly in the creation to all people. And yet people reject even this basic knowledge of God. Also, everyone has an innersense of what God requires, but they choose not to live up to it. Put another way, people's moral standard are always better than their behavior. if people suppress God's truth in order to live their own way, they have no excuse. They know the truth, and they will have to endure the consequences of ignoring it.

Paul clearly portrays the inevitable downward spiral into sin, First, people reject God; next, they make up their own ideas of what a god should be and do; then they fall into sin-sexual sin, greed, hatred, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, finally they grow to hate God and encourage others to do so. God does not cause this steady progression toward evil. Rather, when people reject him, he allows them to live as they choose. God gives them over or permits them to experience the natural consequences of their sin. Once caught in the downward spiral, no one can pull himself or herself out. Sinners must trust Christ alone to put them on the path of escape.


When Paul says that men exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of birds, animals, and reptiles, he seems to deliverately state man's wickedness in the terms used in the genesis narrative of Adam's fall(see Genesis 1:20-26) When we worship the creature instead of the Creator, we lose sight of our own identity as those who are higher than the animals-made in the image of God.

These people chose to reject God, and God allowed them to do it. God does not usually stop us from makin choices that are against his will. He lets us declare our supposed independence fromhim, even though he knows that in time we will become slaves to our own rebellious choices-we will lose our freedom not to sin. Does life without God look like freedom to you? Look more closely. There is no worse slavery than slavery to sin.

Verse 32- How were these people aware of God's death penalty? Human beings, created in God's image, have a basic moral nature and a conscience. This truth is understood beyond religious circles. Psychologists, for example, say that the rare person who has no conscience has a serious personality disorder that is extremely difficult to treat. Most people instinctively know when they do wrong-but they may not care. Some people will even risk an early death for the freedom to indulge their desires now. "I know it's wrong, but I really want it"they say, or. " I know its dangerous, but it's worth the risk. " For such people, part of the "fun" is going against God's law. the community's moral standards, common sense, or their own sense of right and wrong, But deep down in side they know that sin deserves the punishment of death.

[Myst]

Originally posted by GOE
Vereses 18-20 Paul answers a common objection.

How can you say this is so? How has God "revealed himself plainly in the creation to all people"? Personally I've never seen God nor had any sign nor symbol of his existence, so how has he proven he exists? Do you prove your existence by never being observed by or interacting with people you expect to believe in your existence, or do you consciously make an effort to be part of their life? How is a child who's never been taught about God in any way, shape, or form, expected to just one day, without being touched by God or observing him in any sense, "know" he is there?

I guess the question is, do you have any reasoning to say that "people just know" other then that you or God just says they should know?


Originally posted by GOE
First, people reject God; next, they make up their own ideas of what a god should be and do; then they fall into sin-sexual sin, greed, hatred, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, finally they grow to hate God and encourage others to do so. God does not cause this steady progression toward evil. Rather, when people reject him, he allows them to live as they choose. God gives them over or permits them to experience the natural consequences of their sin. Once caught in the downward spiral, no one can pull himself or herself out. .

I find this interesting too. If people make up their own ideas of what a God should be or do, how are they hating God? Are they not instead loving God? Most of us feel that the biblical God is just as valid as any God, and we love them all as faces who appeal to people and give them hope and strength.

Also, this message board is composed of over 2500 people, most of us Pagan. I would say most of us don't feel we are in a "downward spiral" and are instead quite happy with our lives. Personally I've never been happier in my life.

Finally, is it not hatred to judge people based on their differences? Is it not hatred to punish people eternally for their sins? Personally I've heard of many people who have physically been attacked by those acting in God's names, and haven't those people also been full of hatred and judgment?

I guess what I'm saying is that if judgment comes and I stand before your God, I will be judged by him as is right and live by that. I won't, however, be judged by other people who are sinning by being hateful and thus should be judged just as harshly in turn.

I'm enjoying this study.

[MasterMoon]

But deep down in side they know that sin deserves the punishment of death.
Does it really?
there is so much in this one sentence. Firstly, sin is a man made concept. Human beings with thier imaginative brain have taken events and called them right and wrong. They call this sin.
When you do something that hurts you, would you do it again?
Yes?...well I call that stupidity not sin.
Sin only works as a concept if you happen to believe in a judgemental God. (which I dont)
Death as a punishment? Isnt death part of life?
Dont you see flowers go thru the life cycle? sprout, bloom, wither and die?
Why do you think humans are any different?

Every person, therefore, either accepts or rejects God. Don't be fooled. When the day comes for God to judge your response to him, no excuses will be accepted. Begin today to give your devotion and worship to him.

How can my life be anything other than the unfolding of God consciousness? My every action is a "becoming" I have no guilt for I realize I am a human being. The human being is part of the animal kingdom. When did you ever see an animal sin?
I dont equate the human mind and consciousness with spirituality at all. Spirituality is a man made phantom, made in order to patch his feelings up. Why does he/she have to patch their feelings? Because humans do not live in natural conditions.
Cities espescially breed this type of feeling...of longing for more.

(with all due respect)
John
more later

[Danustouch]

God gives them over or permits them to experience the natural consequences of their sin. Once caught in the downward spiral, no one can pull himself or herself out. .

Ummmm...see..you're kind of negating your own teachings here. First of all..in Christian theology, God is a forgiving God. He also sent Jesus Christ to ransom the sinners...so that they would not have to go to hell. He paid the ultimate sacrifice, and the fee for sin, with his blood. At least, that's what I remember learning in Church, and in Christian College. Secondly, The only unforgiveable sin listed in the Bible, is the Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Lastly, since human beings have been given free will, in your theology, they CAN pull themselves out of that downward spiral. Even if only by making the choice to pray for Gods' intervention and forgiveness. It is still THEY who are making the Choice. God, in Christian theology did NOT create robots. Individuals must make their own choice whether or not to seek him or not.


Every person, therefore, either accepts or rejects God. Don't be fooled. When the day comes for God to judge your response to him, no excuses will be accepted. Begin today to give your devotion and worship to him.

Hmmm..and yet in the other bible study thread, you said you were not trying to convert anyone. Seems to me that that is exactly what you are doing, with this paragraph. Warning people of Gods impending wrath should they reject the salvation of Christ. Thus..you are trying to convert folks, heh...even though I think most of us already guessed it, due to your posts on that Christian BBS that Chibhi so nicely provided us with the link to.

How CONVENIENT of us to post a bible study thread eh? Gee..what is it convenient for????? hmm???




Verse 32- How were these people aware of God's death penalty? Human beings, created in God's image, have a basic moral nature and a conscience. This truth is understood beyond religious circles

Uh-huh. So every single person who chooses a differen't religious path than Christianity, is automatically immoral? I see. Well...let's all call the Dalai Lama and tell him that. "You Sinful, immoral creature, mr. Dalai. Shame on you!". Oh please. Choosing a differen't path doesn't automatically make you immoral. Choosing immorality makes you immoral. And immorality is found in Christianity as many times as in any other faith. Look at the priests who have been found molesting children. Look at the Bakers, look at Jimmy Swaggart, the Reverand Jessie Jackson...all of these figures, and more, have committed immoral actions AFTER their "Salvation in Christ". Immorality is a problem within individuals. It is a personal struggle. Choosing another path besides christianity does not make one immoral, an immoral nature does.





When Paul says that men exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of birds, animals, and reptiles, he seems to deliverately state man's wickedness in the terms used in the genesis narrative of Adam's fall(see Genesis 1:20-26) When we worship the creature instead of the Creator, we lose sight of our own identity as those who are higher than the animals-made in the image of God.

Interesting. And yet, God appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush. To Abraham in the guise of a ram, the holy spirit took the form of flames, and of doves. Very interesting, indeed. If God didn't want people to look for him in the guise of creatures, than why would he take the form of created objects, in order to relate to them? Very interesting.


And finally..I would like to share a brief chapter out of the epistles with YOU...maybe you haven't read it before...maybe you just read it, but let it go in one ear, and out the other...(judging from your attitude both hear and on the Christian BBS)...

I Corinthians 2, verse 11-12 "For what person knows a mans thoughts, except for the spirit of the man within him? So also, no one comprehends the thoughts of God, except the spirit of God."

In other words....don't be so quick to say that You know the Will of God in all things. Don't be so quick to condemn people who believe or act differently than you. The bible, having been translated and retranslated time and time again, and written by MORTAL men, (yeah, yeah..i know..devinely inspired..yadda yadda), is full of mistakes, and could very well, in parts, be self serving of its authors. Be sure not to try to assume what is right for all people. Be concerned only with what is right, for you.

I have no problem with those who testify to Christs Loving nature, and his miracles. For indeed, he is represented as an exceedingly loving, wise, and peaceful man. What I do have a problem with, is those who quote redundantly from the epistles, putting far more emphasis on the words of the Apostles, than on the words of their own Savior, Jesus Christ. I have no problem with teaching love, peace, forgiveness, and healing. But I do have a problem with those who would ignore Christs own example, his peace, his love, his forgiveness, tolerance, and method of teaching, in order to condemn people who think differently than them, in order to satisfy some inner psychological need to feel superior.

Good Day to you, sir. And remember..many of those who call out "Abba, Father", will not be saved in the end. For where were you for the tired, and the hungry. Whatever you do for the least of these my brethren, you do unto me. Remember that.

[Illuminatus]

** sound of crickets chirping **

[MistOfTheSea86]

This really confuses me.

A man, working his whole life, Has a great family, has a steady income and is all around happy. Instead of saying "I have worked my whole life and I feel I deserve this happiness and contentment" He says "God is the reason I have all this, without him I would be no one" Now I have heard it is the idea of someone watching over you, someone giving you strength. But that supposed someone is puppeteering you around on strings making you work. No you are doing it, you are getting the money. Not GOd. This is just something I Never understood.

It is kind of like a murderer saying that Satan made him do it... VEry very interesting...

(IMO of course, and I mean no disrespect)