In Romans, Paul speaks of our inexorable duty toward God, as well as duty toward the church. But he also develops a concept of duty towards civil government. The 13th chapter of Romans is fairly …
Romans: The Heart of the Gospel
Romans is easily the most important of all the New Testament epistles. I am sometimes hesitant to say the most or the greatest or the best, as superlatives are sometimes a little hard to support. …
True Spirituality
Can there be such a thing as true spirituality? If so, that implies a spirituality which is not true. So how is the Christian able to discern the signs of an authentic Christian spirituality? Many …
The Epistle to the Romans #7
As we work our way through these last chapters of Romans, it’s a good thing to remember what a different world those disciples lived in compared to ours. The recipients of this letter lived and …
The Epistle to the Romans #6
And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through …
The Epistle to the Romans #5
I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. Romans 9–11 shows us that Paul had not expected the lack of response (or even hostile response) he received in synagogues all over his mission …
The Epistle to the Romans #4
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know you not, that so many of …
The Epistle to the Romans #3
All of us go through stages of learning in our Bible study. Each time we read something like Paul’s letter to the Romans, we see it with new eyes. Unless, of course, we feel as …
The Epistle to the Romans #2
The second chapter of Romans begins with a Therefore. Any time you see that in Paul’s letters, you need to pay attention, because it means what follows depends on what has just been said. Paul …
The Epistle to the Romans #1
Back in the good, old days in the heyday of biblical scholarship (especially those German schools of scholarship) lots and lots of people were doing computer analyses on Paul’s epistles and said, Well, we don’t …