The Gospel of God Romans Series Discussion & Study Questions Romans 1:1-5:21

Transcription

1 The Gospel of God Romans Series Discussion & Study Questions Romans 1:1-5:21

2 Week 1 Date: September 15, 2013 Title: Called Text: Romans 1: Write a brief summary of the Gospel using what you find in Romans 1: What do you think is meant by th? 3. In verse 1, Paul describes himself as called to be an apostle. In this passage of Romans 1:1-7 who else is called, and for what purpose(s) are they called? three times in this passage, and it is the same Greek word in all three cases.) Page 2, Romans Series - Fall 2013

3 Week 2 Date: September 22 Title: Encouraged Text: Romans 1: What does verse 8 tell you about the people Paul is writing to? 2. In verses 9-12 what is Paul hoping to do for the Romans and what does he hope he will receive from them? What similarity do you see between this and what Paul had done for other churches? (See Acts 14:21-22.) 3. Read verses and then go to Romans 15:8- Paul had a number of reasons for wanting to go to Rome. Write your own summary of why Paul was headed there. A Little History: The Letter to the Romans was written during the time described in Acts 20:1-3. Paul was in Greece (mostly Corinth) and was preparing to go on his final voyage back to Jerusalem. (Note Romans 16:1 and The people mentioned in these verses lived in the area of Corinth/Cenchreae. On Gaius, see 1 Corinthians 1:14.) 4. There is debate among scholars over how much the receivers of the Letter to the Romans were a Jewish group versus a Gentile community. From your reading of Romans 1:13-15 what do you think may have been the make-up of the Roman church? 5. Take a look back at Romans 1:9-12. Do you see yourself as a person who encourages other people in their faith? What changes need to take place in you to make you more of an Page 3, Romans Series - Fall 2013

4 Week 3 Date: September 29 Title: The Way to Live Text: Romans 1: Read verses Why is Paul unashamed of the Gospel? 2. In verse 17, what is it about the Gospel that is able to save people? 3. In these verses the Gospel is not only talked about as the message that we receive by faith, but the Gospel is also what we live. Can you think of ways we can live by faith in the Gospel every day? Page 4, Romans Series - Fall 2013

5 Week 4 Date: October 6 Title: Truth All Around You Text: Romans 1: In verse 18, what does unrighteousness lead people to do? 2. From verses 19-20, what is the truth that they are suppressing? 3. Take a look at Psalm 19:1-6. What are the heavens and the skies doing if people would only pay attention? 4. In Romans 1:21-23, what is the outcome of this truth- 5. From looking at these verses, would you say that there is a distinction to be made between intelligence a 6. How does the idolatry in verse 23 play itself out in our culture today? 7. In verses 24-28, how did God respond to all this and why? 8. Look at verses Do these verses intend to say that every person did all of these? Explain your answer. 9. Take a look back at Romans 1: How often do you take time to notice the creation around you and thank God for who He is? Page 5, Romans Series - Fall 2013

6 Week 5 Date: October 13 Title: From God with Love Text: Romans 2: practice the very same thi -32 to? 2. In the opening of Romans 2, Paul is confronting those who judge. What is a judgmental ahead to Romans 2: From these verses, what is a judgmental person guilty of doing? 3. Are there ways in which Christian believers today might fall into being judgmental? 4. kind at the time He does this with us? 5. In verses 4- wrath? 6. In our current culture, the popular picture of a person who is not judgmental is someone who ok at Romans 2:6- between the way our culture sees goodness vs. judgmentalism and the way God sees it? What are the differences picture? Page 6, Romans Series - Fall 2013

7 Week 6 Date: October 20 Title: The Heart Text: Romans 2: Read verses What is the subtle danger that can come with knowing the truth? To what extent do we need to be concerned about this for ourselves? 2. In verses 13-16, how is it has never heard anything true about God is able to live in ways that are consistent with the Law? Could this have any connection back to Romans 1:19-20? 3. Carefully read verses Why does Paul challe? (Note: Paul is drawing from Isaiah 52:5. In the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, Isaiah 52:5 [despised] among the Ge 4. In a similar way, could we ever find ourselves guilty of prompting someone to blaspheme God? 5. Read Romans 2: What then makes a Jewish person a real Jew? (October 27 is Global Missions Sunday. Romans Series resumes November 3) Page 7, Romans Series - Fall 2013

8 Week 7 Date: November 3 Title: Accountable Text: Romans 3: In Romans 3:1-2 what is special about Israel and those who are born into the Jewish nation? 2. Read Romans 3:3-4. In verse 3, Paul voices a question that some people are asking. The wing the look at the Old Testament passage that Paul is quoting: Psalm 51:4. Understanding Romans 3:5-8: (Psalm 51:4), Paul explains that this is really a silly question. Because judgment is how God displays His righteousness in the first place. (Romans 2:4-5.) If He did not judge Israel, along with all other sinners, He would not be a righteous God to begin with. In verses 7-8 Paul answers his critics who are accusing that all sin will be punished, the sins of Jews as well as the sins of Gentiles. The surprise ending in the Gospel is how God has already punished sin. W this next week in Romans 3: Read Romans 3:9- -2.) But does that mean that Israel will be treated any differently than anyone else? Explain your answer. 4. Read verses In your own words, explain what verse 20 is saying. 5. What does Romans 3:1-20 Page 8, Romans Series - Fall 2013

9 Week 8 Date: November 10 Title: Mercy Text: Romans 3: So far, we have seen that one of the ways God displays His righteousness is by judging sin and sinners. (Romans 2:4-5, 3:3-4.) But in Romans 3:21-22 we learn that God has revealed a new way to display His righteousness. What is this new way? 2. In verses there are two things that are true for all people these verses are talking about. Defining Important Words in verse 24: Justified: means to be counted as righteous, or good, Redemption: To redeem people means to release them - to set them free - from troubles or consequences. 3. Jesus has redeemed us in a very particular way. Go to Ephesians 1:7-10, read these verses and then write your own explanation of how Jesus Christ has redeemed us. Defining Propitiation in verse 25: Propitiation is a profoundly Old Testament idea that goes back to the blood hilasterion. -7 ith God extending mercy to us as a result of someone shedding blood. 4. A thorough explanation of how Jesus gave us mercy from God is found in Hebrews 9: d so far, how has the work of Christ made it possible for God to be both the just God who punishes all sin and the God who forgives all sinners who have faith in Jesus? 6. Read Romans 3: Why is there no place in the Kingdom of God for arrogance? Page 9, Romans Series - Fall 2013

10 Week 9 Date: November 17 Title: Faith Footsteps Text: Romans 4: Read Genesis 15:1-6 to get the background for Romans 4:1-8. What was the situation that Abraham was struggling with? What did Abraham do in Genesis 15:6 promise? How did God respond? 2. done according to the Law. Now, in chapter 4, Paul uses Abraham to explain how God justifies people. Read Romans 4:1-8. Does Abraham have any reason to brag about his relationship with God? Why? Why not? 3. Go back now into Genesis and read Genesis 17:9-14. This is the first mention of circumcision aham. Was this before or after the time when God 4. Now read Romans 4:9-12 and see why the observation you made from Genesis 17 is so important. How do we know that salvation is just as open to those who are not among the circumcised Jews as those who are? 5. Go back to Romans 4:3. If you believe in Jesus Christ, God has done this for you as well. Take a moment of time with God and let your mind dwell on what God has given you. Pray a prayer of thanks and praise to Him. Page 10, Romans Series - Fall 2013

11 Week 10 Date: November 24 Title: Living By Hope Text: Romans 4: Read Romans 4: You can think about these verses this way: How does a person become an heir? Is it because of something they did? 2. The main idea running through Romans 4:13-15 is that faith results in righteousness (verse 13) but the law brings wrath (verse15). righteousness? And why does the law bring wrath? 3. Read Romans 4: What connection do you see between these verses and the cause of global missions - getting the Gospel out to the nations? 4. Go on to Romans 4: These verses bring faith down to the trenches of real life. Abraham believed through the years when circumstances were working against him and the visible realities of his life gave him every reason to walk away from trusting God. And it was that kind (verse 22). Based on these verses, write your own brief definition of what faith in Jesus Christ is. 5. Take a moment to reflect on your own life. How may God be growing and strengthening your faith through your experiences in life now? 6. Read verses 22- Page 11, Romans Series - Fall 2013

12 Week 11 Date: December 1 Title: Peace With God Text: Romans 5: fore..., iew the verses that come before. Everything Paul is about to say in Romans 5 flows out of what he has said in Romans 4. So look back at Romans 4: What promise to you do you find in those verses? 2. At the start of Romans 5, w again. When we were in Romans 3:24 we goodness is a gift people can have because of redemption in Christ Jesus. In Romans 5:1, what does justification mean for our relationship with God? 3. In Romans 5:2, we see that another outcome of justification is we have gain standing description of how you are living your life right now? Where are you grace in your life, and what can be done about that? 4. Read Romans 5:2-5. In these verses, Paul explains that God is able to increasingly produce the verses, coupled with your personal experience, how does God use challenges to strengthen our hope? 5. Read verses 5:5-11. How has God demonstrated His love? How does the love that God has demonstrated in the past strengthen our hope in the love He has for us in the future? Page 12, Romans Series - Fall 2013

13 Week 12 Date: December 8 Title: Through One Man Text: Romans 5: Read Romans 5:12. How did sin enter the world, and why has death come to all people? Understanding Romans 5:13-14 sin is not counted when there is no? It cannot mean that God automatically forgave all sin committed before the Law came through Moses. That would conflict with everything Romans has said to this point. the Law, we ur sin is a Romans, A Shorter Commentary, p. 116) But v m Adam to Moses... act that sin is sin and that it results in death. (Romans 1:18-20, 2:14.) Sin was sin and death was the punishment long before the Ten Commandments were written. So whether a sinner is familiar with the Law or not, there is no escaping death. Paul is bringing us through this line of thinking to help us understand how Jesus Christ is a - all his descendants, those who ome through faith and gave life to 2. Read Romans 5:15-16 and, in your own words, explain how the sin of Adam and the work of Christ has the opposite effect. 3. I want to invite you to spend some devotional time in Romans 5:17. and insert your own name there Then say Romans 5:17 with your name in the verse. What does it mean to you when you read the verse in this way? 4. Verses 18 through 21 serve to cap off and complete the first section of Romans that starts at Romans 1:1 and closes here. Summarize Romans 5:18-21 in your own words. Page 13, Romans Series - Fall 2013