WinstonY

Q5. (Romans 7:14-25) Christians disagree about who is the "I" in Romans 7. Is Paul referring to himself or others? What is your opinion? This is a rather an intriguing question! As the notes indicate the Ancients believed that Paul was impersonating an unregenerate person, because Paul, as a mature and regenerate believer, could not describe himself as "sold as a slave to sin. On the other hand many scholars from the time of St. Augustine decided that Paul is writing as a truly regenerate and even mature believer. These two offer an interesting contrast but neither seem to be adequate. Paul's writing seems to be personal for him to be impersonating someone else's experience. I like note 140 in the notes where " Stott also notes a third approach by Martin Lloyd-Jones: People who in times of revival are convicted by the Holy Spirit, but have not yet grasped the gospel. They are neither regenerate nor unregenerate (Stott, Romans, pp. 205-207) This seems to be a good an adequate explanation but it would imply that the letter was written early in Paul's career before he worked through all of the intricacies of the theology required. One can almost see and feel the anguish in the of the writer as he struggles with the problem. Paul is baring his very soul and seems to have little or no understanding of the Holy Spirit and the conditioning process of the Spirit's work in sanctification. This is quite noticeable and remarkable. It is almost as if Paul had not yet met the Holy Spirit. This then is similar to the story in Acts 19 where a believer is asked by Paul where with he was baptized and if he had had the Holy Spirit. The negative answer may be our key. Was Paul able to diagnose the absence of the spirit because he also was without the Spirit for some time. Or are the roles reversed by a early copier and Paul is the one diagnosed - the copier feeling the it was not right that Paul would not have had the Spirit. The later notion that has been presented here does seem to be a possible solution for the problem.

Q4. (Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 15:18-20; Romans 7:24) What is the doctrine of "total depravity"? Put it in your own words. Does it mean that none of God's original goodness shows through? Then what does it mean? Why does modern man tend to believe that man is basically good? How does this differ from what the Bible teaches? Totality depravity is the doctrine developed by theologians to describe the basic nature of people. The Bible teaches the people are flawed in all aspects of their lives -from thought, word and deed.sin affects all areas of our being including who we are and what we do. Sin penetrates to the very core of our being so that everything is tainted by evil-thought word and deed. Total depravity does not mean that people are completely evil but that everything about people is a mixture of good and evil. So often we do our good works before people so that we will get there praise and admiration. Even when we pray we tend to be like a hypocrite. Jesus taught "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."Matthew 6.4-5 Modern man from the time of the Renaissance tends to believe that people are naturally good and all they need is the a little help from psychologists, therapists and self help books. However when one studies humanity and the bible it is difficult to believe that people are basically good. Instead the bible teaches us that are flawed in every part but still holds some of the essential Spirit of God. When we are Christian and have been baptized with the Holy Spirit then our being gradually becomes more and more centered upon the things of God and the good gradually begins to outweigh the evil. But it is a battle and it is only through the Holy Spirit that we gradually begin and strive to a process of Sanctification where we gradually become more and more like Christ. No we never get there until the Day of the Lord but we work and continue to pray as did Paul in Philippians 1 :23 " For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far."

Q3. (Romans 7:12; 8:3) What does the law do well? What does it do poorly? Why is the law (knowing right and wrong) powerless to save us? What is the problem here? The law defines sin in a proper fashion in accordance with God's will. However it is unable to a) make people behave properly -we have free will, the ability to decide for God or evil. to redeem people as it only defines the law and does not make us righteous. The law itself must be obeyed and we humans are not strong enough to continuously obey the law. Through, carelessness, forgetfulness and stupidity we cannot rely upon ourselves to do good. We tend to covey and generally sin against God. We are sinful and need help in order to become holy. It is only by the grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ that we are able, by relying on Him, by believing in Him, by trusting in Him by having faith in the Lord that we can be made holy-set apart for God.

Q2. (Romans 7:7-8) The law reveals sin for what it is. Why wouldn't we be better off just not knowing that we should not covet, for example? Why does the flesh respond to being told "Do not covet" by coveting all the more? There is sin in the world-from the time of Adam and Eve. Cain murdered his brother. These were all punished- the wrath fell upon them. Adam and Eve had to leave their home in eden and work in the world to survive. Cain was ravished by the wrath. Whether we know it or not if we covet, for example, we are harming our relation with our neighbour and with God Himself. Thus the world is hurt by sin whether the sin is defined or not. When sin was defined by commandment the people became more aware of their sins. Although the flesh reacts to the knowing of the sin often by rebellion, yet often the reaction is positive. some children naturally rebell-in these the flesh seems strong. In others they want to obey-here the flesh is weaker. Both, however, need the hand of discipline to make them firmly aware of the consequent of sin. The flesh rebels often when presented with laws. This is probably more true in this day of individualism.

Q1. (Romans 7:5) Paul uses the word "flesh" (or NIV "sinful nature") many times in chapters 7 and 8. In your own words, what does Paul mean by "flesh" in these verses? It seems that within each of us there is two natures, that one which is good or tends towards doing what is right. Also there is within us that which is evil or tends toward acting in evil ways. One is often able to see these conflicting natures in children who are torn between doing what the parents encourage as 'good' and towards their fleshy desires. Paul refers to the second as flesh or sinful nature as it is translated by the NIV.. Paul in (Galatians 5:19-21) describes the fleshy desires as "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like." Dr. Ralph probably, for most of us today, describes our fleshy acts as "The flesh motivates the selfishness we sometimes feel, the whining about our circumstances, the petty jealousies, the jockeying for power in the office and in our marriages, the lure of ***********, the desire for money and possessions, and all the rest." We often do not like these fleshy desires but oh how easy to give in to such desires. Yes, we have weakness of the flesh but God has provided by His grace the sacrifice of His son so that our transgressions are separated from us and we can approach the Lord as righteous. we are justified by Christ.

Q5. (Romans 6:18-22) In Paul's analogy in these verses, is there a place of independent freedom apart from "slavery" to sin or to Christ? Why do we long for this kind of independent freedom? Why do we hesitate to firmly take sides and make our allegiance clear to all? No Paul is quite clear that we must make a choice we are for God or for the force of evil. It is a matter of man's free choice we chose the side of good or the side of evil. Jesus said you cannot serve both God and mammon.(Matthew 6,24) We hesitate because the desires of the world really have a strong control upon us. And just as Adam could not keep from the earthy taste temptation of the world.

Q4. (Romans 6:17b) How does good doctrine affect the way we live? Why should we honor good doctrine? If we shouldn't look down on doctrine itself, what kind of teaching should we be avoiding? Form of doctrine or teaching in Greek is "a kind, class, or thing that suggests a model or pattern, form, figure, pattern,". Our Christian doctrine is the model or pattern that we have been taught to believe by the fathers of the church down through the centuries. This what we believe and this is what we live for we live what we believe. I had a friend who grew up on John Wayne movies so he had all kinds of cliches of Wayne sayings like "That's all for you pilgrim!". For those who grew up on church doctrine we also have sayings such as "THe Lord is my shepherd" or I AM the light of the world" or " There is neither Jew or Greek, slave or free or male or female but all are one in Christ". This sayings strengthen us in times of trial. We must ensure that this doctrine is truly Biblical, that is, conforms carefully to the actual teaching of the Bible. However, we are not able to forget the doctrine of the church and the teachings of the church fathers. There have been more than one form of Christian teaching in our Christian heritage. As well as the teaching of Paul there is the teaching of John and the teaching of James and the jerusalem church. A very high percentage of the Bible is pauline of souce so if we ignore church doctrine for the Bible only we are possibly over stressing the work of Paul. (Not that might not be a good thing!)

Q3. (Romans 6:15-18). What does obedience have to do with slavery? In what way does doing acts of righteousness demonstrate your slavery to God? In what ways does doing bad things demonstrate a slavery to sin? How is such a slavery or bondage broken? What part does obedience have in breaking this bondage? In what areas is God speaking to you about a fresh obedience in your life? Slavery is all about obedience. The centurion understood. He told Jesus that when he say come the servant comes and when he(the centurion says go he goeth, (Luke 7.8) Slavery involves complete and absolute obedience or severe punishment on ti death if the master requires. In the same fashion we are to obey God as he requires. However Jesus says "My yoke is easy my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30) Acts of righteousness are acts performed under the power of the Holy Spirit that comes upon us as we are justified and begin to be sanctified unto the Lord. Bad things cannot be performed when we are under the power of the Holy Spirit. Hence when one is doing bad acts that one must be under the power of evil. Bondage to slavery can be broken by giving our allegiance to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Our obedience than is to the Lord. God is asking me to continue a ministry of visitation which as been interrupted by illness.

2. (Romans 6:13) In what ways do you "offer the members of your body" to either sin or God multiple times in a day? Why is it that we can sin unconsciously? How can we begin to offer our members deliberately to God? What changes will it take in our daily life to do this? When we are justified by faith in Christ our sins are forgiven and we are baptized with the Holy spirit. At time the process of sanctification begins. The Holy Spirit begins to teach us that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.The Holy Spirit e also guides our lives to help us break from our old habits as we become obedient to the Lord. Sanctification however is a slow process that gradually sanctifies us to become more like Christ. each day, as we live our lives in joy with the Holy Trinity we gradually learn to do works of piety and begin to be aware of the sin and squalor around us. As we become more and more of the poor and desperation around us the Holy Spirit points out to us that there are various and wonderful ways to aid these 'miserables' and we begin to offer our members to God. Gradually as the process of sanctification we are set apart to God and we begin to know feel and express the joy and hope of being 'in Christ' as this happens we will begin to call more and more upon Christ and the Spirit and will allow our members to act deliberately to the Lord. May the Lord be praised!

Q1. (Romans 6:12) What does obedience have to do with the "reign" of sin? To whom do we offer obedience? If we offer obedience to Christ than we have the promise, the hope, the fore knowledge that by the Grace of God Jesus died to deliver us from the bounds of sin and death. If we 'believe in the Lord Jesus we will be saved' (Romans 16.10) from obedience to the powers of evil and sin. If we do not believe than we are obedient to sin and are slaves to sin. If we are slaves to sin we are then supporting the "reign of sin". However if we are believers we support the reign of Christ.

Q5. (Romans 6:11) What does it mean to "reckon, consider, count" in verse 11? As Dr Ralph says "The basic meaning (of to reckon, consider, count) is "to determine by mathematical process, reckon, calculate." Often used by Paul in a transferred sense: as a result of a calculation, "evaluate, estimate, look upon as, consider. So it does not mean that we are convincing ourselves of something that isn't really true. No it is used here as our reckoning takes into full account the presence of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in our lives. These two have such a positive impact upon our lives that as we share our lives with them we cannot help but know - we cannot but believe the truth that Christ has broken the power of sin and the flesh, and that we can step out of slavery into freedom. Praise to be the God who has showed us such grace. As we read and are taught the meaning in these verses, Romans 6:1-10we can see the logic and the passion of the man Paul and the power of the Divine Christ shows through and we are convicted in the power of the Lord's resurection over the power of evil and are convinced of Christ's power to deliver us from death and that He will live with us in power and glory for evermore. Praise God!

Q4. (Romans 6:6-7) In what way has our "body of sin," our "flesh," our old nature been made powerless because of our crucifixion with Christ Paul here in these verses is talking about the mystery of God-the mysteries of our union in Christ.This union leads us to a union with Christ when he was crucified. In some fashion this crucification which happened at a particular point in time-must also be happening at the present so that we can experience the crucification of our sins. This union with Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit strengthens us to stand forth from the sins. we were justified by Christ and are now in the process of sanctification by and with the Holy Spirit -in union with Christ we are given the tools to stand forth from sin. We been freed from slavery by being united in Christ. Paul writes in Galatians 3.28 "There is now (united in Christ) no longer Jew or Greek , there is no longer slave or free or there is no longer male or female, for all of you are one in Christ. What difference does this understanding make in our struggles against temptation? We know that we have all the force of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to aid us in our struggles. We need to put on the 'whole armour of God'.

Q3. (Romans 6:1-7) Is Paul referring to a figurative "death" to sin, or to a kind of historical, actual death? Whose death is he talking about? How does this death become our own? To what degree is this just theological mumbo-jumbo or does it have some basis in reality? Paul is speaking of a figurative death to sin for sin does not die it just lives on in generation. It always finds a breast in which it can hide. Is it not like the demons that Christ threw out of the people of his time. When we are baptized by the fire of the Holy Spirit we develop some immunity to sin. The Holy spirit acts as a buffer for us to sin. That does not mean that we are free from sin for always the world bears in upon us and we fall victim. But as we live and mature in Christ and the Holy spirit these work with us to sanctify us so that we become-very gradually- more like Jesus until that day when,as Adam, we die and we become like Jesus after our resurrection into the Lord when Christ will cloth us in a cloak of righteousness to stand in righteousness before God our creator or when the Day of the Lord arrives in all its righteousness. Paul is referring to the our figurative death to sin when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit onto Christ. It is a reality, spiritual but real. It is so real that those who experience KNOW that something has happened. This is the secret of the early Christians. when they were baptized in the Spirit thew KNEW something had happened. They could feel it within themselves and it showed in their lives. The same can be true for us to day. We need to respond to Jesus' order " “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Q1. (Romans 6:3-5) In what sense does baptism bring about our union with Christ? In what sense does baptism symbolize our union with Christ? Paul is speaking mystically when he says " don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" In the same fashion John the Baptist says " ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ When Jesus baptizes he baptizes with the Holy Spirit. Thus when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit we are buried in him in the sense that we are in Christ,we are members of the body of Christ, crucified to Christ's suffering. when we are filled with the Spirit we live a life in Christ. All our thoughts, all our actions are buried in His mission and goals. Our mind is always on Christ and we attempt to act in Christ. In this sense we are truly baptized in Christ. Our baptism can symbolize our union in Christ as one is 'buried' in the water and arises in Christ. Yet there is still the true burying in Christ as we are baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Q4. (Romans 6:2-5) According to this passage, at what point do we move from being under the headship of Adam to the headship of Christ? Is there anything we must do to bring about this change in headship? What are the implications of us having died with Christ? It would seem that humankind would be under the headship of adam until the time of the resurrection. At that point than we are 'in Christ', we are 'members of the body of Christ, we are 'buried in Christ', we are baptized unto Christ and we are 'crucified with Christ'. Hence we are safe in the arms of Jesus and the power of the comforting Holy Spirit protects us from the evils if the realm in which we presently life. Well, technically we need to accept Jesus into our lives as Lord. AS Paul told the jailer in Acts 16.10 'Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.' If we die unto Christ than according to Paul we are unite with Christ in Hid resurrection! (Romans 6.5)

Q3. (Romans 5:15-19) By what right does Adam represent all humankind? By what right does Christ become head of all who become his disciples? If Christ is not our "representative" or "head," how can his death for sins be effective for us? Adam was the first born of the family of mankind. The first born of the family inherits the majority of the inheritance and rules the clan.All the rest of the people descend from Adam. So by this tradition Adam is the head of all mankind. In the old testament God often looks favourably upon the younger thus weaker son. God looked favourably upon Abel, Jacob rather than Esau. And Joseph was a favourite as well. Jesus is the second Adam so God looks favourably upon this beloved son. But jesus is our head for other reasons- He is the Son of God who died for our sins and was resurrected on the third day and lives in us in the Holy spirit. Thus we can have eternal salvation because of this gracious gift of the father through his son!

Q2. (Romans 5:13, 20) What is Paul saying in these verses? Can there be sin without law? In what sense does the "trespass increase" (5:20) when the law is present? It rather seems as if Paul has become side tracked here for a moment. Verse 12 concludes: "...and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned." (5:12) and seems to pick up in verse 15: 1" But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" The in between words seem to be an aside-as if he was talking to himself. Verse 13 and 14 seem to divide the age into sub periods from Adam to Moses and Moses to Christ. Before Moses Paul says that there was no law the sin was not tallied. But as we look through the Bible we see that this is hardly correct. David's sin with Beersheba for the prophet came to call David on the sin. Cain was judged for his violent act against Abel. And death is the result of sin in the world. So yes there can be sin without the law it is just that the names the sin specifically and makes the sin more prominent. Regardless the sense of Paul's argument holds in the in that he sees Adam as being the representative, the spokesperson for humankind and Jesus being human represents people as they are presented before God on judgement day.

Q1. What kinds of circumstances in modern life can you think of where a single person acts for an entire group? In what ways are members of the group tied to this person? When the chairperson of a cabinet speaks for the cabinet that one than speaks for the whole cabinet. As well the concept of cabinet solidarity implies that the whole cabinet acts as one. If someone disagrees than they are honor bound to resign from cabinet. They are not to speak about cabinet issues outside of cabinet- they stand or fall together.

Q4. (Romans 5:9-11) What does "reconciliation" mean? Why is reconciliation with God necessary? We understand our having been saved by Jesus' death (5:10a, past tense). In what sense are we being saved (5:10b, present tense) by his life? What is Jesus doing for us in the present? Paul uses the Greek word katallassō, "the exchange of hostility for a friendly relationship, to reconcile someone to someone" for the term we translate reconciliation. The way Paul uses the Greek word is in the sense to treat a person or account them as something, (valuable that is.) If God justifies a sinner, then, it means not that man has been proven to be good. Rather it means that God treats the sinner as if that person had not been a sinner at all! The sinner is treated as a child to be loved. If a child misbehaves it is chastised it is not cast out. So it is with God and His family -we are chastised not cast out.So than to be justified is to be placed in a new relationship with God -one of confidence, fellowship (through the Holy Spirit and Love (through Jesus). This is all brought about by the crucification and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence we are thought to be saved by Jesus' actions. But this is a process that is carried out in the past-hence we have been saved. It is being worked out in the present- we are being saved and it will continue into the future- we will be saved. This is a process of now-not yet-it is coming. We have been saved in the past-we are being saved at the present- and we will be saved in the future. But we have a promise from Jesus through all this. I will be with you always even until the end of the earth. Glory to God for He has come, is now coming and will come. The past is ours, the present is ours and the future is ours- Glory to God in the highest and on earth goodwill to people. All this gives us great joy. "Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (5:11) (notes)

Q3. (Romans 5:6, 8) Why is it so important to embrace the truth that "Christ died for the ungodly"(5:6), that "Christ died for sinners" (5:8)? According to 5:8, did Christ die for us at our best or at our worst? How does this give us assurance against the devil's lies about us being too bad to forgive? "Christ died for the ungodly" is vitally important to us for Christ died because of our sin and for we sinners. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.(Romans 3.23) we must emphasize this point for one often hears "I am not good enough for (church,God, etc.) or only saints go to church!. These do not understand that christianity is for those who have sinned and continued. That is the promise that we get but it is just too good to be true to believe. As Jesus died for us we are in effect covered with His robe of righteousness and it appears as if we have never sinned at all. Even John Newton, a slaver, was saved!1

Q2. (Romans 5:2-5) According to this passage why should we rejoice in our sufferings and tribulations? One by one, what is the importance to our lives of: perseverance, tried character, and hope? We should rejoice in our sufferings " because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (5:2b-4) This is what Paul speaks and we also know that " because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" than we have the power to suffer through tribulations and thus are able to produce perseverance, character and hope. Perseverance or endurance helps develop our faith and allows us to be longsuffering in the Lord. The eschatological view is a long view, it will probably go after our death and our passing to Jesus in the resurrection of our bodies yet the final day seems distant. we need to honker down and live in the Lord in the power that is given to us in the Holy spirit. As we endure life's challenges we develop with and by the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit christian character which is a distinguishing trait of Jesus' disciples. It is the hope of being with Jesus that shines above all our tribulations and enables us to know why we are who we are and how we know where we are going. The evidence for our hope is found in the experience of the Holy Spirit which is certain evidence and an absolute guarantee for God has put a stamp on us by the out pouring of the Holy Spirit, (1 Corinthians 2.21-22) and "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (5:5b).

Q1. (Romans 5:1-2) According to verses 1-2, faith is a key to salvation. For Abraham (4:3), what was the relationship between faith and justification? For us (5:1-2), what is the relationship between faith and justification? In your own words, just what does it mean to be justified? Paul quotes Genesis 15.6 "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." (Romans 4:3) For Abraham then he was considered righteous because he believed and trusted God's God's promise of having descendants as many as the stars in the sky.The only worth of Abraham that really mattered to God was his belief in the promise. When one is justified one is cloaked in righteousness. Abraham's belief lead him to being 'accounted' righteous. Belief in this situation is faith. For us the situation is basically the same. Our justification comes through the promise of Lord Jesus Christ, we, like Abraham must believe and it will be accounted to us as righteousness. Jesus cloaks us with the coat of righteousness and than we have access to the Lord Almighty. Christ and God are one so belief and trust in Christ is belief and trust in God and also the Holy Spirit. To be justified is to be made righteous before God in Christ.

Q3. (Philemon 18-19) Paul vouches for Onesimus and puts up his money (at least in theory) to cover Onesimus�s debts to Philemon? Is this wise in all cases? Why does Paul do it here? How does Christ vouch for us? When should we vouch for our Christian brothers and sisters? It was , it is all about Love. The notes have Luther saying "This epistle," he wrote, "shows a right noble lovely example of Christian love.... Even as Christ did for us with God the Father, thus also does St. Paul for Onesimus with Philemon ..." No, it is not wise to vouch for someone but it is about love. If we love someone we must take chances for them. We are to love our neighbours as our selves so love demands the risk. The Lord risked it all for us for the sake of Love. we too must comply as did Paul. This is a great example of Christian love and we are to follow this example. Why else has this epistle been saved.

Paul doesn't command for several reasons. First it is not Pauls way. We note in Paul's letters that he tends to urge people to respond to his way by compliment and coaxing. Secondly the Roman law was against him. Philemon had every right to demand slave return and demand payment for lost value. Those protecting the slave could be punished. Paul is much better to kindly ask his request. Paul and Onesimus have no leg to stand upon except Christian love and charity. This is Pauls approach.

Q1. (Philemon 12) Why does Paul send Onesimus back to Philemon where he can lose his freedom again? Why is it necessary for Paul to do this? Why is it necessary for Onesimus to do this? Firstly it seems as if this is what Paul ethically thinks that he should do. In the first century anybody with means has a slave. Fully thirty percent of the population was enslaved. To Paul, having Onesimus with him was without permission was like having Philemon's property without permission. Legally Paul was to send the slave back regardless of how useful he was to Paul. Paul is very supportive of the Roman Law. He writes in Ephesians 6.5 " Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ "