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BSF Study Questions Romans Lesson 3, Day 5: Romans 2:25-29

Summary of passage:  Paul says what matters is keeping the law and what’s in your heart, not outward conformity. Circumcision of the heart by the Spirit is what matters.

Questions:

12a)  Circumcision is the cutting of the foreskin from a boy’s penis as an outward sign (sign of the covenant God gave to Abraham) that boy belongs to God.  It would show how that person belongs to God and has been chosen out of all the people on the earth for God’s plan.  Pride by definition is “the quality or state of being proud as in inordinate self-esteem or conceit.”  Pride is excessive.  We are all equal in God’s eyes.

b)  Going to church, taking communion, volunteering, mission trips, tithing, doing what Jesus would do, praying, etc.

13)  Part personal Question.  My answer:  Circumcision of the heart by the Spirit (the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit within Titus 3:5).  It means God cares about what kind of person I am, how I’m following Him, and my intentions behind what I do.  I fail. We all do.  As long as my intent was out of love and kindness, God forgives.

Conclusions:  Love how Paul lays it all out and says it is about the heart and being a hypocrite will get you nowhere with God.  Faith in Jesus trumps all.  Always.  You can walk about and think you’re the best thing on this planet and you won’t get into heaven.  Instead, walk around, seeking ways to listen to God, obey God, and open your heart to others.

End Notes:  Again, in first century AD Jews believed that circumcision guaranteed salvation. He might be punished in the world to come, but could never be lost.

In Paul’s day, some Rabbis taught that God will measure the Gentiles one way and the Jews another.

Circumcision (or baptism – or any ritual in itself) doesn’t save anyone.  In the ancient world the Egyptians also circumcised their boys but it did not make them followers of the true God.  Even in Abraham’s day Ishmael (the son of the flesh) was circumcised, but it did not make him a son of the covenant.

Deuteronomy 10:16 says that it’s the heart that matters.  Another example of God’s people taking His word and twisting it to fit what they wanted it to fit.

Having the law is not enough. God requires righteousness (acting in accord with divine law), obeying His law.

This answers the question of “what about the Pygmy in Africa who has never heard about Jesus?”.  He would be guilty because no one is perfect.  He needs forgiveness for sins and only Jesus’s blood grants that.

More importantly, if you’re one of those who is concerned about the Pygmy, ask yourself this:

  1.  What about you who hear the gospel, but reject it? What excuse is there for you?
  2.  What about you, who are commanded to take the gospel to that Pygmy in Africa (Matthew 28:19), but refuse to do it?

What matters is God’s praise, not man’s (John 5:41, 44: 12:43; 1 Cor 4:3-5).  Evidence of our salvation and rightness with God is found in our hearts and we see it in the fruit we leave behind.

William Newell summarizes Romans 2 with Seven Great Principles of God’s Judgment:

– God’s judgment is according to truth (Romans 2:2)

– God’s judgment is according to accumulated guilt (Romans 2:5)

– God’s judgment is according to works (Romans 2:6)

– God’s judgment is without partiality (Romans 2:11)

– God’s judgment is according to performance, not knowledge (Romans 2:13)

– God’s judgment reaches the secrets of the heart (Romans 2:16)

– God’s judgment is according to reality, not religious profession (Romans 2:17-29)

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BSF Study Questions Romans Lesson 3, Day 4: Romans 2:17-24

Summary of passage:  Paul calls out Jews who are hypocritical and believe themselves above others because of their beliefs.  He asks them if they do the very things they preach against:  steal, commit adultery, worship idols, etc.  They are the ones blaspheming God’s name amongst the Gentiles because of their behavior (giving God a bad name).

Questions:

9a)  God chose the Jews as the ones to receive His law, abide by it, and teach it and in return receive blessings.  It seems they have become lackadaisical and flippant, disregarding the law themselves but expecting everyone else to abide by it.

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  I can be hypocritical with my kids, using the fact I’m an adult as an excuse.  I have begun to catch myself lately and reverse this however.  Work in progress, as always!

10)  Idol worship, stealing, committing adultery, and breaking God’s law.  All of us say one thing and do another at some point in some way.  Basically, every commandment God or Jesus says to do in the Bible is broken by man.  We don’t love others; we’re not kind or compassionate; we don’t care for those in need; we do steal and lie and cheat and covet and commit adultery.  We blasphemy God’s name.  We puts things above Him.  We all sin.  Luckily, Jesus forgives.

11)  Part personal Question.  My answer:  God judges.  They stain Christianity and make it harder for non-Christians to come to God.  I think we all violate God’s standards cause we sin.  Our job is to shrink the number of times we sin, walking more and more towards the light, admitting our failures and faults, giving it to God, and rising tomorrow a better person.  That’s all we poor sinners can do.

Conclusions:  Good lesson, reminding us how we are being watched, how what we say and do does matter, how we do represent Christianity by default, and how God does hold us to higher standards.  If we do nothing else in this world but live to His standards, we will convert others just by our examples even without evangelizing per se.  We must diminish our desire to sin and be hypocrites and live by God’s ways.  In the end, that’s all we can do and why God is the loving, forgiving God that He is.

End Notes:  In first century AD, Jews looked upon themselves as special, chosen by God, given His law, and guaranteed salvation (as long as your heart was God’s).  This was true (before Jesus).  Once Jesus came you have to believe in Him to gain salvation.  That’s not Paul’s point, however.  His point is that this “specialness” belief has turned to boastfulness, pride, and superiority over others and is no guarantee of anything.

This presentation takes the form of a dialogue.  Paul knew how a self-righteous Jew thought, for he had been one himself (who better to speak to this?).  He cites on advantage after another that Jews regarded as unqualified assets.  But those assets became liabilities when there was no correspondence between profession and practice.  Paul applied to the Jews the principles of judgment laid out in verse 1-16.

Jesus explained in Matthew 5:19-48 that knowing the law does not justify anyone.  The law applies to both our actions and our heart.

Paul implies that some Jews may have been profiting from idolatry.

Paul reminds the Jews how God said in the Old Testament that the failure of the Jew to obey the law causes Gentiles to blaspheme God (Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:22).

BSF Study Questions Romans Lesson 3, Day 3: Romans 5-16

Summary of passage:  When you don’t repent, you are storing up wrath on the day of judgment.  God will give to each person according to what he has done.  Eternal life, honor, peace, and glory to those who do good.  Wrath and anger, trouble and distress to evil-doers.  All will be judged.  Those who obey the law will be declared righteous on the Day of Judgment by Christ.

Questions:

6)  Part personal Question.  My answer:  God’s wrath.  Good and treasures in heaven I hope.

7a) Eternal life, honor, peace, and glory to those who do good.  Wrath and anger, trouble and distress to evil-doers.

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  I hope goodness.

8 )  Jesus Christ.

Conclusions:  Terse answers on the personal questions.  It’s hard to judge oneself.  In my eyes and from my limited perspective, I’m doing good.  I’m sure I’m failing though in places in God’s eyes.  The questions would better be worded, “What would a friend say about your heart attitude and storing up for God?”  Or even better if we were asked to pray about what God sees in us and have Him reveal it to us.

End Notes:  Those who condemn sinners are storing up the wrath of God, not merits.  God is the only one who can grant eternal life because none of us are good all the time.  Sin stains us.

Jews are first in line for the gospel (Romans 1:16), first in line for reward (Romans 2:10), and first in line for judgment.

The word indignation comes from the idea of “boiling up,” thus having the sense of a passionate outburst. The word wrath comes from the idea of a swelling which eventually bursts, and applies more to an anger that proceeds from one’s settled nature.

Paul is emphasizing how people are saved by faith not by deeds and if one “persists in doing good” this is proof of genuine faith.

All are equal in God’s eyes.  The word translated partiality in some translations comes from two ancient Greek words put together – to receive and face. It means to judge things on the basis of externals or preconceived notions.

“All who sin apart from the law” refers to the Gentiles.  God judges according to the light available to them.  Gentiles will not be condemned for not obeying a law they did not possess.  Their judgement will be on other grounds.

Some ancient rabbis taught that God favored the Jews.  Paul refutes this.

All that matters is if you’ve obeyed the law.  Hearing the law or knowing the law is not good enough.

Paul clarifies that even if you haven’t heard the law per se, you can be condemned unless you follow the law written on your heart (law for themselves or conscience, which is the law abiding in their hearts).  By nature, man has morals.  But this is not a substitute for God’s laws.

Your conscious is your morals but everyone’s conscious is different and it can become corrupted.  You still need to follow the law to gain righteousness.  Conscious (like God) can still be ignored.

You still will be judged since all of us have a conscious.  No one escapes.  Ignorance is not an excuse.  Jesus is the judge to whom we will all be accountable.  The Jews believe God is the one who will deliver final judgement on the world.

BSF Study Questions Romans Lesson 3, Day 2: Romans 2:1-4

Summary of passage:  We have no right to pass judgement on others cause we do the same things (hypocrites). God judges us based on Truth and He’ll judge us as well.  His kindness leads us towards repentance.

Questions:

3)  We have no excuse to pass judgment on others because we commit the same sins.  God bases His judgement on Truth (facts).

4)  Part personal Question.  My answer:  Passing judgment in condemning others for sins when that is God’s job.  We should teach God’s standards instead of judging.  Our standards in judging is different than God’s standards.  I struggle with those who do things that to me is outrageous that I’d never do.

5)  Personal Question.  My answer:  He has given me all I have including my family.  He sticks by me when I’m stubborn and do dumb things.  He waits on me to figure out how dumb I’m being.  He forgives me for that and loves me anyways.  I try to be patient with others and kind.  I try not to judge because that is God’s job.

Conclusions:  This teaching is everywhere in our folklore:  It takes one to know one.  The pot calling the kettle black.  Paul is warning us to not be hypocrites as we all sin (often it’s the same sins) and then we criticize others for it.  God will handle it.  Let it be.  You insult God by trying to do His job.

End Notes:  Paul is going to set forth principles that govern God’s judgment.  God judges according to:

  1. Truth (verse 2)
  2. Deeds (verse 6-11)
  3. Light a person has (verse 12-15)

This will lay the groundwork for Paul’s discussion of the guilt of the Jews (verses 17-29).

Having pointed out some of the worst crimes in Romans 1, Paul doesn’t excuse those who may be thinking they are better than those in Chapter 1.  Man is not so different from each other.  We are all the same:  sinners.  We all deserve God’s judgment/wrath upon us.

We should repent and not have a superior attitude.

This teaching is in accordance with Jesus’s teaching who in Matthew 7:1 condemns hypocritical judging, not judging per se.  This is a warning for Jews who were inclined to look down on the Gentiles because of their ignorance of the Old Testament and their immoral lives.

God has been good to us because He has not judged us yet.  He tolerates our present sin.  He has patience knowing we will sin again and again–every day of our lives.  These riches show God’s mercy upon us.

God’s goodness and kindness towards the wicked (and us) is to lead us to repentance.  We choose.  He doesn’t make us.  Everything He gives us we don’t deserve.  For that alone, we must repent and lead a new life in Christ.  The Jews have misconstrued this patience to be a lack of intent to judge.

BSF Study Questions Romans Lesson 2, Day 5: Romans 1:28-32

Summary of passage:  God allowed man to do his will and sin as part of His divine judgment against him.  Man is full of very kind of evil.  Man continues to sin and approves of those who do so as well.

Questions:

12)  I discussed this word YESTERDAY but in essence man didn’t want to know God.  Man chose to dismiss Him (not worthwhile to retain the knowledge of Him) so God allowed the evil inside of man to thrive and take over (depraved).  Webster’s says depraved means “marked by corruption or evil; perverted”.

13)  Personal Question.  My answer:  I know homosexuality is wrong, not sure if I ever approved of it.  I’m unsure if I ever approved of any sin.  Yes, we all do it (especially gossip, envy, deceit, disobeying parents, etc).  But there’s a difference of approving of something.  When I sin, I know it’s wrong.  Somewhere in the back of my mind I know.  I’m just too weak to do anything about it.  Then I repent.  I’m not okay with sin.  Those with depraved minds are.

Conclusions:  If you re-read the sample list of sins Paul includes, you’ll see yourself.  Paul’s point here, however, is those who deliberately turn their back on God are given up to His judgment, which includes a depraved or evil mind that continues to sin and approve of sin.  As a Christian, we still sin, but it’s not willful.  It’s because we are weak and we Fall to temptation from our Enemy.  AND it’s not continuous.  We repent usually immediately, we are forgiven, and we are stronger for it.  We grow more and more like Jesus (free from sin); whereas, those who turn from Him drift more and more towards Satan, away from God, and sin snowballs.

End Notes:  Paul includes “socially acceptable sins” such as covetousness, pride, gossip, and envy along with the horrible sins such as murder.

Envy or covetousness means the itch for more.

Whisperers or gossip is those who secretly accuse and blast their neighbor’s reputation.

Why envy you say?  Envy is so powerful that there is a sense in which it put Jesus on the cross. Pilate knew that they had handed Him over because of envy (Matthew 27:18).

Small sins lead to bigger sins.  How many times has envy grown into a passion that lead to murder?  Sin is powerful. Very powerful.  We must remember no sin is good and dismiss our little sins as “no big deal”.  All sin is evil in God’s eyes.

Pride:   Clarke says this: “They who are continually exalting themselves and depressing others; magnifying themselves at the expense of their neighbours; and wishing all men to receive their sayings as oracles.”

We are all deserving of sin, Paul concludes.  Every last one of us.  Sinners and approvers of sin.

All this sin comes from man choosing to abandon the knowledge of God (rebel against Him) and the state of society shows God’s judgment upon them.

The extreme of sin is applauding, rather than regretting, the sins of others (Psalm 1:1; 1 Corinthians 15:33).

BSF Study Questions Romans Lesson 2, Day 4: Romans 1:24-28

Summary of passage: God allowed those who rejected Him to sin through sexual impurity and to degrade others.  These sinners worshiped created things (lies) rather than the Creator (Truth).  Men lusted for other men and committed indecent acts and were punished for such.  Women did so as well.  Furthermore, God allowed their minds to be perverted with no knowledge of Him and they did what ought NOT to be done.

Questions:

9a)  That God is the Creator of all things.

b)  Personal Question.  My answer:  Material things or the desire of, people, work or career, pets, images of god, other gods, nothing, and creation itself are common ones for people.  I think I do pretty good keeping Him the center of my world.  Sometimes passion overtakes God (when sin occurs like anger or love).  Like with any distraction, my life would be more God-centered, loving, compassionate, and kind-hearted without everything else pulling me in a thousand different directions.

10)  God created man and woman in His image to be together and I think sometimes man puts woman (or vice versa) ahead of Him.  Sexual sin is very intimate.  The Holy Spirit lives in our bodies, which we are to treat as a temple.  Hence, when we sin sexually, it is a greater sin (against our body) and we are the body of Christ.  It’s akin to worship and idolatry cause we are putting someone else ahead of God.

11)  Personal Question.  My answer:  “God gave them over”  In essence, God has abandoned them to their sin.  He’s turned His back.  No one “gets away” with immorality and/or injustice.  All will pay the price before Christ on Judgment Day.  It doesn’t change my thoughts because I don’t worry about what other people do because I know God will judge them.  However, it does sadden me to think of God abandoning them.  I don’t want to be abandoned by God.  It’s as if God has given up.  Incredibly sad.

Conclusions:  We see the importance God places on us taking our bodies seriously.  Sex is never ‘just sex’.  Our bodies mirror God’s and He lives in us.  Other sins (murder, lying, cheating, stealing, etc) don’t directly affect the Spirit.  This one does.  God is saying sexual sin is a complete abandonment of Him, thus deserving Him abandoning us.  How tragic!

End Notes:  God’s wrath allows us to keep sinning.  Otherwise, He’d stop us.

It’s supposed to read “the lie”, not “a lie” in verse 25.  “The lie” is us putting ourselves in God’s place (Genesis 3:5).

Paul wrote this from the city of Corinth, where every sort of sexual immorality and ritualistic prostitution was practiced freely, including in their temples.   Spurgeon would not even read this passage outloud he was so offended by its description of man’s vices.

This passage is clearly a condemnation of homosexuality.  The Old Testament condemns it as well (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13).

Paul uses the Greek words here for male and female, not men and women, a distinction to draw attention to the fact the sin is beyond human terms.

Roman culture approved of homosexuality and many practiced it openly.  Most Roman emperors had sex with young boys.  At times the Roman Empire specifically taxed approved homosexual prostitution and gave boy prostitutes a legal holiday. Legal marriage between same gender couples was recognized, and even some of the emperors married other men.  At the very time Paul wrote, Nero was emperor.  He took a boy named Sporus and had him castrated, then married him (with a full ceremony), brought him to the palace with a great procession, and made the boy his “wife.” Later, Nero lived with another man, and Nero was the “wife.”

Statistics show many homosexuals today have many more partners than non-homosexuals.  Sex is not honored.

The word debased or depraved (or, reprobate in the KJV) originally meant “that which has not stood the test.” It was used of coins that were below standard and therefore rejected. The idea is that since man did not “approve” to know God, they came to have an “unapproved” mind.  It is as if man were testing God to see if He passed and then rejected Him.

One commentator called the depraved mind “spiritually insane”.  I like this!  Our thinking is affected through sin.  Why else would one rebel against God?

Amen in verse 25 can mean either “Yes indeed, it is so” or “So be it”.

BSF Study Questions Romans Lesson 2, Day 3: Romans 1:21-23

Summary of passage:  Despite knowing God (in Creation and in their hearts and mind), mankind became foolish and gave up the glory given to them by God and instead worshiped false gods.

Questions:

6)  Through Free Will and denying who God is.  They did not glorify Him nor did they thank Him.

7a)  “Their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” and they “became fools.”  Any consequence is appropriate and God can and will express His wrath in different forms.  Why would God reward those who reject Him in any way?  You can’t be wise if you deny God.  Part of His judgement against unbelievers is to suffer the damage sin causes.  You deserve no mercy when you reject Him.

b)  Part personal Question.  My answer:  He has sent His son, Jesus Christ, and whoever believes in Jesus has light within.  In Genesis 1:3, God made light and separated it from the darkness that was over the surface of the deep.  From the beginning, God planned and gave light to mankind.  Jesus tells us in Matthew to let our light and good deeds shine before men.  Do what Jesus would do with respect to others.  Praise God.  Walk in His ways.  Give Him all the credit.  All will see through you the power of God.

8 )  Humanity exchanged wisdom for foolishness and the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man, birds, animals, and reptiles.  Mankind becomes hardened to others.  Love is pushed out.  Evil reigns.  For instance, I recently read about how young men videotaped another young man drowning.  They laughed in the background and didn’t help or even call 911.  How sick is that?  That’s evil.  Pure evil in this world.  All because man has forsaken God and his mind is useless.  Worshiping false gods leads to emptiness and a desire by man to fill it–with evil thoughts and deeds.  Without God, there is no right and wrong.  Without right and wrong, it’s every man for himself and chaos reigns.  Just like Satan desires.

Conclusions:  Great emphasis on the peril of mankind without God.  A Godless life is dark and black and unrewarding and destitute.  People deal with this in different ways:  violence against self (suicide), violence against others (rape, murder, assault), waging war on strangers or kids or animals or the weak or the poor or the downtrodden.  Those without God lead an empty life no matter how materially successful they are.  If you don’t work for God, your life is sad.  Very, very sad.

End Notes:  Knowledge of God is useless–by itself.  Every person on this planet past and present has “known” God.  You must glorify Him and thank Him, the God of the Bible.  An attitude of gratitude will change your life and the lives of those around you.

We must also be on guard to worship the God of the Bible, not the god of our mind’s creation.  Constantly be on guard for society and other influences to change in your mind whom you know God to be.

Knowledge leads to worship and gratitude.

As soon as man rejects God in Jesus, he becomes foolish.  Once foolish, he’ll believe any lie Satan says.  It is only when we turn back to God and stay with Him does wisdom return.  Sound familiar in our lives when we stray from Him?