In Romans 5: 12-21, Paul explains how Jesus' redemtive acts on our behalf supersede the effects of original sin resulting from Adam's choice to disobey God. This Sunday 1/30/05 our discussion will focus on trying to understand the doctrine and effects of original sin, with a view towards having a better understanding of the present status of our fallen world. We will also try to reach a better understanding of God's purposes for this world given that he allowed us to fall, the penalties He imposed on this world, and the remedy He has provided through Christ. I look forward to seeing you all.
1) In the first 11 verses of Ch 5, Paul speaks of the fact that we have peace with God and can rejoice because of our justification by faith in God, a reconciliation made possible through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
In verses 12-14 Paul begins to further his exposition of the effects that Christ's redemptive acts of crucifixion and resurrection have on our lives by comparing our redemption through Christ with the disobedient act of Adam and its catastrophic effects. The first thing we must do in reading this section of the epistle is discuss the circumstances surrounding the fall and its effects.
--In Rom 3: 23, Paul tells us that all have sinned in that we have disobeyed God and missed the mark of His holiness. In Rom 5: 12we are told that all sinned as a result of the act of Adam. Think about the account of the fall. What were the key mistakes that Adam made that led him and his wife into sin? Calvin states that we have an innate and hereditary depravity because of the fall. What do you think he means by this?
--In Rom 5:13, Paul establishes that sin existed in the world prior to God's presentation of the law. Does this indicate that some actions are inherently evil regardless of whether there is a concrete law in place to condemn them? If so, what is the importance of this fact?
--Paul also says in 5: 13-14, that sin is not taken into account where there is no law. Yet he notes that death reigned over all those who did not sin by breaking a command. Why does death reign on those who do not sin by breaking a command? Wesley viewed this passage as refering to infants, while Calvin says it refers to those who lived before the law was given. Who do you agree with, Wesley, Calvin, both or neither?
2) In verse 15, Paul tells us that the gift of salvation through faith in Christ is dissimilar from Adam's trespass in that Christ's gift exceeds the death that resulted from Adam's sin. Paul then gives a logical proof in verse 16, saying that the judgment arising from Adam's sin followed only one disobedient act, while the God's gift of Christ followed many sins from all who had lived or were living at that point. Therefore the gift is wider in scope than than Adam's act. As Wesley says, these two points are brought together in verse 17 to reiterate the point that God's grace supercedes the damage wrought by Adam's sin and the fall of man.
--In a sermon on verse 15, Wesley attempted to give an answer to the question of whether God's punishment of all mankind because of Adam's sin is just, and whether God should have prevented the fall from occuring. Wesley's defense is that the fall ends up being good for mankind because without it, there would have been no need for Christ's atonement on our behalf and we would not have as full an understanding of God's grace. As a result, Wesley claims we can have more holiness and happiness on earth than we otherwise could have been, and that we will be happier in heaven as a result. Do you agree? If so, why so; if not, why not?
--Calvin says succinctly that we do not receive the punishment of death because Adam sinned, but rather that his sin is the cause of our sin. We earn it, in other words. Do you agree? Begin to think about the extent of our depravity because of original sin, as it should inform your answer to this question.
3) In verses 18-19 Paul reiterates his point that just as death reigns and all of Adam's progeny are made sinners through his sin, through the obedience of Christ in accepting his role as savior many will be made righteous.
4) In verse 20, we read that the law was put into place by God so that the trespass of it might increase, but that where sin increased grace increased all the more, being brought to its fullness in the life and actions of Jesus.
--What does Paul mean when he says that the law was enacted so that the trespass might increase? Wesley states that while it is the consequence of the law that sin increases, that was not its design. Do you agree? Why? Calvin states that a reason for this was to make man aware of his hopeless situation and the necessity of a savior. Can you think of any additional or alternative reasons God may have enacted the law?
5) The final verse of the chapter concludes Paul's thought from verse 20, and tells us that grace reigns through reghteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The statement that grace reigns through righteousness is the key thing to notice here, as it sets up the transition into chapter 6, where Paul will give us a more in depth treatment of the importance of righteousness in the Chrsitian life.
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1/27/2005
1/22/2005
Norwegian Confusion
Being of one-half norwegian descent and being a Christian, I must say that President Bush's conduct at the inaugural has given me some pause. Perhaps I should have listened to Grandfather Twilight and the animals of the forest and voted for Dennis Kucinich.
1/19/2005
Killearn DTS Romans 5: 1-11
This posting is for the Killearn UMC Bible Study on Romans that I lead, but those who are interested in following along at home or even posting your own thoughts as a response are invited to do so. Below you will find questions for thought that we will discuss in class this Sunday 1/23/05.
1) Both Wesley and Calvin comment on Paul's statement in 5:1 that we have peace with God as a result of our being justified by faith. Wesley notes that we have peace, hope, love, and power over sin as a result of our justification through faith, and says that each corresponds to chapters 5, 6, 7 and 8 of Romans. Calvin defines the peace spoken of here as "tranquility of conscience", also defined as reconciliation with God. Given these statements, consider the following question
--Today many people do not accept the morals and claims of scripture, and some doubt the existence or relevance of a concrete moral law. As a result, they may not be as emotionally troubled by sin as the person born in church who is living contrary to scripture. Think of all the ways in which peace and reconciliation occurs between us and God and what would are the different ways to explain the concept.
2) Martin Luther stated that before good or bad works can happen there has to be present in the heart either faith or unbelief. In verse two we read that we have access to the grace of God (God's favor and kindness, as Luther calls it) through Christ by our faith. We also read that we can now stand on this grace and rejoice in hope of the "Glory of God", which includes all his attributes, including his personality, actions, and purposes. This being the case, consider the following:
--In what ways does is the dicta of Luther that faith/unbelief must precede good or bad works proven true or false by our observation of Christians and unbelievers?
--Paul says that we can now "stand" on the grace (favor) of God and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. What does it mean in the passage to stand on his grace? What aspects of God's glory give us hope?
3) In verses 3-5 Paul states that Christians are to "rejoice in our sufferings" because of the positive effects these have on our will, character and spiritual life. Wesley states that the Christian accepts such things as a token of fatherly love that prepares us for greater happiness. Calvin posits that Christians are to glory in difficulties because they are are provided by God for our good.
--Do you agree that our sufferings are from God? Why did you give the answer you gave? What do you think of the following statement by Luther?: The positive characterestics formed by suffering follow where faith is genuine. The reason they follow is because of the overwhelming good will (grace) God has shown us through Christ's atonement.
4) In verses 6-8, Paul tells us that Christ has died for each of us despite our not having acted in such a way as to merit such a sacrifice. By making such a sacrifice, Paul states that Christ demonstrated his love for us. Luther, Wesley and Calvin all echo these statements.
--How is it that Christ's sacrifice on the cross is different than that made by regular persons who give their lives for other people? Think about not only what it accomplished, but also who the sacrifice is for.
5) In verses 9-11, Paul elaborates on his teaching in verse 1 that we are justified (found innocent) through faith by saying we are justified by Christ's blood. He then argues that since this is the case, we are also saved from God's wrath through Christ. However, reconciliation is apparently only part of the story because he goes on to say that a further reconciliation occurs because of His resurrection. This further reconciliation refers to as our being saved.
--Wesley states that God's expression of wrath and love differ from the human expression of these things. Do you agree? If so, explain how they differ.
--What do you suppose that the further reconciliation (that Paul goes so far as to call being saved) entails? Name everything you can think of. What exactly did Christ's death accomplish and what exactly does his resurrection accomplish?
Links to Class Resources (click on them and save in favorites if you haven't already)
Luther on Romans
Wesley's Explanatory Notes on Romans
Calvin on Romans
1) Both Wesley and Calvin comment on Paul's statement in 5:1 that we have peace with God as a result of our being justified by faith. Wesley notes that we have peace, hope, love, and power over sin as a result of our justification through faith, and says that each corresponds to chapters 5, 6, 7 and 8 of Romans. Calvin defines the peace spoken of here as "tranquility of conscience", also defined as reconciliation with God. Given these statements, consider the following question
--Today many people do not accept the morals and claims of scripture, and some doubt the existence or relevance of a concrete moral law. As a result, they may not be as emotionally troubled by sin as the person born in church who is living contrary to scripture. Think of all the ways in which peace and reconciliation occurs between us and God and what would are the different ways to explain the concept.
2) Martin Luther stated that before good or bad works can happen there has to be present in the heart either faith or unbelief. In verse two we read that we have access to the grace of God (God's favor and kindness, as Luther calls it) through Christ by our faith. We also read that we can now stand on this grace and rejoice in hope of the "Glory of God", which includes all his attributes, including his personality, actions, and purposes. This being the case, consider the following:
--In what ways does is the dicta of Luther that faith/unbelief must precede good or bad works proven true or false by our observation of Christians and unbelievers?
--Paul says that we can now "stand" on the grace (favor) of God and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. What does it mean in the passage to stand on his grace? What aspects of God's glory give us hope?
3) In verses 3-5 Paul states that Christians are to "rejoice in our sufferings" because of the positive effects these have on our will, character and spiritual life. Wesley states that the Christian accepts such things as a token of fatherly love that prepares us for greater happiness. Calvin posits that Christians are to glory in difficulties because they are are provided by God for our good.
--Do you agree that our sufferings are from God? Why did you give the answer you gave? What do you think of the following statement by Luther?: The positive characterestics formed by suffering follow where faith is genuine. The reason they follow is because of the overwhelming good will (grace) God has shown us through Christ's atonement.
4) In verses 6-8, Paul tells us that Christ has died for each of us despite our not having acted in such a way as to merit such a sacrifice. By making such a sacrifice, Paul states that Christ demonstrated his love for us. Luther, Wesley and Calvin all echo these statements.
--How is it that Christ's sacrifice on the cross is different than that made by regular persons who give their lives for other people? Think about not only what it accomplished, but also who the sacrifice is for.
5) In verses 9-11, Paul elaborates on his teaching in verse 1 that we are justified (found innocent) through faith by saying we are justified by Christ's blood. He then argues that since this is the case, we are also saved from God's wrath through Christ. However, reconciliation is apparently only part of the story because he goes on to say that a further reconciliation occurs because of His resurrection. This further reconciliation refers to as our being saved.
--Wesley states that God's expression of wrath and love differ from the human expression of these things. Do you agree? If so, explain how they differ.
--What do you suppose that the further reconciliation (that Paul goes so far as to call being saved) entails? Name everything you can think of. What exactly did Christ's death accomplish and what exactly does his resurrection accomplish?
Links to Class Resources (click on them and save in favorites if you haven't already)
Luther on Romans
Wesley's Explanatory Notes on Romans
Calvin on Romans
1/09/2005
Thoughts on the Tsunami; Reggie White
The recent tsunami that hit Indonesia and surrounding islands, as well as the death of former NFL All Pro Reggie White while not yet 45 years old, both struck like a bolt out of the blue. Such events draw a person toward contemplation of some of the "deeper issues" of life. I am no different and the following are some of my thoughts on each event. A natural disaster and an early death by no means unheard of events, though they are thankfully rare. My thoughts in no way are a comprehensive treatment of each event, but instead are what came to my mind while considering each occurance.
Tsunami
Death is always tragic. No matter how it happens, no matter when. The tsunami that killed 150,000 certainly is on a larger scale. Whenever one of these events happens, it is immediately stated that God did not cause the tragedy. I agree. God did not desire for a tsunami to kill 150,000 people. God is certainly good. However, we should keep in mind that each person on this planet dies. And the scriptures tell us that this is the punishment for sin, meeted out because man would descend to too great of evil if his life was not cut short. So, yes, in a very real sense God has imposed a death sentence on each of us. The sentence is just, we deserve it because of our rebellion and inherent selfishness. You and I will receive the same sentence as the tsunami victims. The only question is when. It may come early in life for me or you, or later. Either way, the same event occurs. In this sense, the tragedy in Indonesia is only different in the fact that a rare natural disaster was the cause of death, and that mass death was the result. Saying this about the tsunami tragedy is not an attempt to minimize it. Certainly the victims must be helped as soon as possible. Rather, my point is that each human life ends a death that is either meaningless (if there is no God), tragic (if there is a God, and human life ends in oblivion or worse), or somehow happily in redemption (if there is a God, and God has provided a way out of our predicament). The tsunami and other events like it serve, as C.S. Lewis said, as "God's megaphone" that each life ends--the unhappiest ending possible if God has not provided a way out of it. This is the situation we face, and this is the fact that should help to frame all of our thinking about what life is about, and what sort of life we should lead.
Reggie White
In the aftermath of Reggie White's death from a breathing condition in his sleep, many articles were written that extolled his strong Christian faith during his playing career. The articles detailed how he attempted to lead many of his fellow teammates into living moral lives, not sleeping around on their wives, managing their money, staying clean from illegal substances and more. Comment was also made on White's attempts to help the poor in his native Tennessee, including trying to rebuild churches for many of the poor. However, what was not discussed in many of these articles is the fact that White appeared to have lost his Christian faith after the churches that White helped rebuild for the poor were burned down--by their own congregants in an insurance scheme. He was searching the scriptures in Hebrew at the time of his death, to try and find otu the truth for himself, since he felt that what he had been tought about God in his Christian churches was not accurate or sufficient. White could not reconcile the teaching that Christ changes the heart of those who accept him with the sinfulness and hypocrisy of that he saw. I cannot say that White was not right to seriously doubt the truthfulness of the Gospel when looking at the actions of Christ's followers, and we will never know what Reggie White's studies would have led to. However, I think in the end, his reaction resulted from a misunderstanding of what God is doing in this world. That some Christians are hypocrites does not mean that all are. Additionally, almost all Christians continue to struggle with temptation and sin. It is called free will. If we want to rebel, God lets us enjoy the rotten fruit of our rebellion. Perhaps Reggie had not fully come to terms with this fact. We cannot be sure. What we do know is this: Christians who White tried to help, through their greed and duplicity, not only swindled Reggie White and others who helped them, but also were the catalyst for his loss of faith. It serves as a good example of how our sin and failure to live as Christ has called us can have negative consequences that we cannot anticipate, and can harm others in ways we cannot imagine. All the more important that we try to avoid such actions and pray for forgiveness and blessings on others when we do fall short.
Tsunami
Death is always tragic. No matter how it happens, no matter when. The tsunami that killed 150,000 certainly is on a larger scale. Whenever one of these events happens, it is immediately stated that God did not cause the tragedy. I agree. God did not desire for a tsunami to kill 150,000 people. God is certainly good. However, we should keep in mind that each person on this planet dies. And the scriptures tell us that this is the punishment for sin, meeted out because man would descend to too great of evil if his life was not cut short. So, yes, in a very real sense God has imposed a death sentence on each of us. The sentence is just, we deserve it because of our rebellion and inherent selfishness. You and I will receive the same sentence as the tsunami victims. The only question is when. It may come early in life for me or you, or later. Either way, the same event occurs. In this sense, the tragedy in Indonesia is only different in the fact that a rare natural disaster was the cause of death, and that mass death was the result. Saying this about the tsunami tragedy is not an attempt to minimize it. Certainly the victims must be helped as soon as possible. Rather, my point is that each human life ends a death that is either meaningless (if there is no God), tragic (if there is a God, and human life ends in oblivion or worse), or somehow happily in redemption (if there is a God, and God has provided a way out of our predicament). The tsunami and other events like it serve, as C.S. Lewis said, as "God's megaphone" that each life ends--the unhappiest ending possible if God has not provided a way out of it. This is the situation we face, and this is the fact that should help to frame all of our thinking about what life is about, and what sort of life we should lead.
Reggie White
In the aftermath of Reggie White's death from a breathing condition in his sleep, many articles were written that extolled his strong Christian faith during his playing career. The articles detailed how he attempted to lead many of his fellow teammates into living moral lives, not sleeping around on their wives, managing their money, staying clean from illegal substances and more. Comment was also made on White's attempts to help the poor in his native Tennessee, including trying to rebuild churches for many of the poor. However, what was not discussed in many of these articles is the fact that White appeared to have lost his Christian faith after the churches that White helped rebuild for the poor were burned down--by their own congregants in an insurance scheme. He was searching the scriptures in Hebrew at the time of his death, to try and find otu the truth for himself, since he felt that what he had been tought about God in his Christian churches was not accurate or sufficient. White could not reconcile the teaching that Christ changes the heart of those who accept him with the sinfulness and hypocrisy of that he saw. I cannot say that White was not right to seriously doubt the truthfulness of the Gospel when looking at the actions of Christ's followers, and we will never know what Reggie White's studies would have led to. However, I think in the end, his reaction resulted from a misunderstanding of what God is doing in this world. That some Christians are hypocrites does not mean that all are. Additionally, almost all Christians continue to struggle with temptation and sin. It is called free will. If we want to rebel, God lets us enjoy the rotten fruit of our rebellion. Perhaps Reggie had not fully come to terms with this fact. We cannot be sure. What we do know is this: Christians who White tried to help, through their greed and duplicity, not only swindled Reggie White and others who helped them, but also were the catalyst for his loss of faith. It serves as a good example of how our sin and failure to live as Christ has called us can have negative consequences that we cannot anticipate, and can harm others in ways we cannot imagine. All the more important that we try to avoid such actions and pray for forgiveness and blessings on others when we do fall short.
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