Tag: bsf answers questions lesson 3

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BSF Study Questions Romans: From Guilt to Grace Lesson 3, Day 3: Romans 2:5-16

by atozmom, posted in BSF Romans: From Guilt to Grace 2026/2027

Summary of Romans 2:5-16

God will repay each according to what they have done. If you honor him, you will receive eternal life, glory, honor, and peace. If you reject the truth, there will be wrath, anger, trouble, and distress. God does not show favoritism.

Those who obey the law are declared righteous. God’s judgment is completely impartial; He rejects self-righteousness and stores up wrath, judging both Jew and Gentile by their true deeds, heart, and conscience.

BSF Study Questions Romans: From Guilt to Grace Lesson 3, Day 3: Romans 2:5-16

6) Stubborn and unrepentant, self-seeking, rejecting the truth, and obeying evil. They store up wrath.

7a) Those who do good. They seek glory, honor, and immortality. They will receive eternal life, glory, honor, and peace. Those who are self-seeking and who reject truth and follow evil. They receive wrath and anger.

b) I seek God. My actions reveal a heart for Jesus.

c) This is encouraging as I know God will accept me just as I am.

8 ) Those who obey the law will be judged righteous. Those who disobey the law will face God’s wrath. The judgment will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares (The End Times).

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Romans: From Guilt to Grace Lesson 3, Day 3: Romans 2:5-16

This seems simple enough: obey and follow God and receive eternal life. Turn from Him and face hell. While the choice is simple, many fail to make the right one.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Romans: From Guilt to Grace Lesson 3, Day 3: Romans 2:5-16

Note the Jews will be judged first.

Gentiles who have never received the written law are still accountable because the work of the law is written on their hearts as conscience, which bears witness and accuses or excuses them. The Jews are accountable as they have the law in hand.

Jews believe that God will judge the world. But the New Testament tells us that Jesus will judge the world.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

In Romans 2:5–16, Paul expands on the nature of God’s judgment, dismantling the illusion that moral knowledge or religious heritage offers immunity. He lays out the absolute impartiality of God’s justice, showing that both Jew and Gentile will be evaluated by the same righteous standard: actual deeds and internal reality, not mere profession.

1. The Accumulation of Wrath and Impartial Judgment (vv. 5–11)

  • Hardened Hearts (v. 5): By misinterpreting God’s patience as approval, the unrepentant person actively “stores up wrath” for the final day of judgment.

  • Judged by Works (vv. 6–10): God will render to each person according to their deeds. Eternal life belongs to those who persistently seek good; wrath and fury belong to those who obey unrighteousness.

  • No Favoritism (v. 11): Divine justice is entirely impartial. Priority in privilege (to the Jew first, then the Gentile) also means priority in accountability.

2. The Law of the Heart and Inward Reality (vv. 12–16)

  • Hearers vs. Doers (vv. 12–13): Possessing or hearing the Law of Moses saves no one; only those who obey it are justified before God.

  • The Gentile Conscience (vv. 14–15): Gentiles who lack the written Law still display its moral requirements written on their hearts. Their consciences and internal thoughts either accuse or defend them, proving humanity possesses an innate moral compass.

  • Secrets Exposed (v. 16): On the final day, God’s judgment through Jesus Christ will reach beyond external religion to evaluate the hidden motives and secrets of every heart.

Conclusion

Romans 2:5–16 establishes that God’s ultimate judgment is completely impartial, perfectly just, and focused on the condition of the heart and actual obedience, leaving both religious insiders and outsiders equally accountable before Christ.

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BSF Study Questions Romans: From Guilt to Grace Lesson 3, Day 2: Romans 2:1-4

by atozmom, posted in BSF Romans: From Guilt to Grace 2026/2027

Summary of Romans 2:1-4

You should not pass judgment on others because you do the same things. God’s kindness is intended to drive repentance.

BSF Study Questions Romans: From Guilt to Grace Lesson 3, Day 2: Romans 2:1-4

3) Paul says you are condemning yourself when you pass judgment on others.

4a) God’s judgment is based on truth (His holiness and ways). Our judgment is based on our subjectiveness, sin, bias, outward appearances, and imperfectness.

b) God judges those who judge others because they commit the very same sins.

c) People wrongly judge others in every way. They judge their actions, inactions, motivations, and they jump to conclusions without the facts. I often do this to deflect attention to my own sins, to make myself feel better about myself, and to have a false sense of superiority. I try not to judge others as best as I can as a sinner in a fallen world.

5a) We show contempt for God’s judgment. People show contempt for the riches of God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience, ignoring that His grace is meant to lead repentance. We miss that God’s kindness—not His anger—drives true repentance, mistaking His patient restraint for approval of our sin rather than mercy.

b) God can use us when we forgive others, love others, show them undeserving kindness, and accept people for who they are despite all their shortcomings.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Romans: From Guilt to Grace Lesson 3, Day 2: Romans 2:1-4

Great lesson about judging others! This is something we all struggle with, but we can make improvements when we remember it is God’s job to judge, not ours.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Romans: From Guilt to Grace Lesson 3, Day 2: Romans 2:1-4

We should not judge others because we all do the same thing. Therefore, we are essentially judging ourselves, as God judges us, too.

God is kind to us in our past, present, and even our future sins. God’s mercy is rich.

God’s patience is not His approval.

God’s goodness is to lead all of us to repentance, to Him, eternally and forever.

We are to turn to a new life.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

In Romans 2:1–4, Paul shifts his crosshairs from the blatant pagan depravity described in Chapter 1 to a second target: the moralist and religious insider. Having secured everyone’s agreement that pagan lawlessness deserves judgment, Paul turns to those who proudly point the finger at others while committing the very same sins.

1. The Traps of Moral Superiority and Self-Condemnation (v. 1)

  • Self-Righteous Judgment: Paul directly addresses the reader (“you, whoever you are”), stripping away their sense of moral high ground.

  • The Hypocrisy Trap: Judging another person for sin while engaging in those same sins internally or secretly makes one’s own judgment self-condemning. The standard used to condemn others becomes the benchmark by which God judges the judge.

2. The Inescapable Standard of Divine Truth (vv. 2–3)

  • Based on Reality: Human judgment relies on surface appearances and self-serving bias, but God’s judgment “is based on truth” (v. 2).

  • Folly of Presuming Escape: Paul exposes the absurdity of assuming that religious identity, moral knowledge, or verbal condemnation of others provides a pass from God’s righteous scrutiny (v. 3).

3. Misinterpreting God’s Patience (v. 4)

  • Despising God’s Goodness: Rather than taking God’s current delay in judgment as proof of His approval, religious pride treats His kindness, forbearance, and patience with contempt.

  • The True Purpose of Kindness: God’s patience is not a stamp of endorsement on subtle or hidden sin; its explicit design is to lead people to genuine repentance.

Conclusion

Romans 2:1–4 establishes that self-righteous moralism offers zero protection from God’s judgment; relying on religious privilege while judging others only distorts God’s patience, which is given not to validate self-righteousness, but to draw us to repentance.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 3, Day 2: Daniel 1:1-7

by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Daniel 1:1-7

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon besieged Jerusalem and took Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. 

The king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians and then to enter the king’s service.

Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 3, Day 2: Daniel 1:1-7

3a) The priests and the people were unfaithful to God, followed the detestable practices of the atheist nations around them, and defiled the temple of the Lord. They refused to obey God. The people ignored the prophets sent by God to warn His people to turn back to Him, so God sent the king of Babylon against them.
b) The young men were from the royal family and the nobility without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well-informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace.
4) They gave the men new names in order to assimilate them into the Babylonian culture and hoped to eradicate their connection to their people and to their God. They wanted to indoctrinate them with Babylonian ways.
5a) Their religion, their culture, their heritage.
b) My God defines my identity.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 3, Day 2: Daniel 1:1-7

Great reminder of how God uses punishments in order to bring His people back to Him, which can explain the lessons in our lives, too.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 3, Day 2: Daniel 1:1-7

We’ll find Daniel in the sixth century B.C. To put this is perspective with the rest of the world’s history, some events that occurred include:

  • The Mayans were at their height in the New World
  • The Greeks were in charge of the known world
  • Aesop was writing his fables
  • Confucius and Buddha were influencing their respective corners of the world

Jehoiakim was placed on the throne by the Pharaoh in Egypt.

Nebuchadnezzar is the king of Babylon at this time.

Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar because they were loyal to Egypt, and Nebuchadnezzar had just defeated the Egyptians in a war.

These invasions began in 607 B.C. and lasted till 587 B.C.

Jehoiakim, Ezekiel, and many others were taken to Babylon at this time. This was because the Israelites were not observing the Sabbaths (Leviticus 25:1-7 and 26:2-35), and they were worshipping foreign gods.

In ancient times, the rich ate much better than the poor.

The Name Changes

  • Daniel (God is my judge) was changed to Belteshazzar (Bel protects). Bel is the chief Babylonian god.
  • Hananiah (Yahweh is gracious) was changed to Shadrach (Commanded by Aku). Aku was the moon god.
  • Mishael (Who is like God?) was changed to Meshach (Who is like Aku).
  • Azariah (Yahweh is my helper) was changed to Abednego (Servant of Nebu). Nebu was the god of wisdom.

The first half of the book of Daniel mirrors the second half in a chiastic manner. The beginning and end feature dreams. Then, we find Daniel in a predicament, and in the middle, Daniel interprets a dream and handwriting.

The theme of Daniel is the encouragement of God’s people. In the midst of hardship and circumstances beyond your control, stand firm with the Lord.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

  1. A World of Divine Sovereignty: On the surface, Daniel 1:1-7 narrates a catastrophic defeat: Jerusalem is conquered by Babylon, and sacred vessels from God’s Temple are taken as tribute to a pagan god. However, the narrator immediately reframes this disaster by stating, “the Lord gave Jehoiakim into his hand.” This crucial phrase establishes the book’s foundational theme: God is sovereign even in the defeat and exile of His people. History is not random; God is using Babylon as His instrument of judgment.
  2. A Strategy of Cultural Assimilation: The passage then details Babylon’s systematic attempt to absorb and neutralize the best of Judah’s youth. This is a calculated, multi-pronged assault on their identity: they are physically displaced, intellectually re-educated in Chaldean literature, made dependent on the king’s food, and finally, their Hebrew names (which honor God) are replaced with Babylonian names that honor pagan deities.

In essence, these verses create the central tension for the book of Daniel: a powerful empire methodically attempts to erase the faith and identity of God’s people, while the narrative simultaneously affirms that the God who allowed their exile is still fully in control, setting the stage for a conflict between allegiance to an earthly king and faithfulness to the sovereign God.

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BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 3, Day 4: John 2:18-22

by atozmom, posted in BSF John's Gospel: The Truth 2023/2024

SUMMARY OF JOHN 2:18-22

The Jewish leaders asked Jesus’ authority to do all this. He said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” Jesus was speaking of the temple as his body that would rise again in three days, not the actual temple.

BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 3, Day 4: John 2:18-22

9a) Because Jesus’ actions were audacious. The Jewish leaders allowed this to happen, so it made them look bad to let Jesus do their job.

b) They maybe might be thinking Jesus is the Messiah, so they want more proof. Or, they are looking to disprove him altogether.

c) No, not really.

10a) He said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” Jesus was speaking of the temple as his body that would rise again in three days, not the actual temple. He willingly laid down his life for us.

b) The false witnesses testified that Jesus said he himself would destroy the temple, God’s holy place, and raise it in three days.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 3, Day 4: John 2:18-22

I love how Jesus answers the Jewish leaders with profound wisdom, and I love Jesus’ body as the temple. Such depth here.

End Notes BSF Study Questions John’s Gospel: The Truth Lesson 3, Day 4: John 2:18-22

Jesus told them that they would destroy his temple (him), but he would rise again. The body of Christ is still a temple of sorts as embodied by the church.

Note Jesus says he will raise himself from the dead and in John 10:18. Also, note that God (Romans 6:4 and Galatians 1:1) and the Holy Spirit (Romans 1:4 and 8:11) raise Jesus, too. It was the power of the Holy Trinity at work here.

Jesus often answers a question asked of him like this. He is not lowering himself to respond to such questions.

The disciples only connected Jesus’ meaning here after his death. This is a frequent occurrence for them that they did not understand at the time but only later.

The Scripture they believed is here:  Psalm 16:10 where Jesus would not be abandoned in the realm of the dead nor would he decay.

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