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Life in the Spirit: Saint Paul. (from 12b). According to chapter 1, has Paul been to Rome before? How then is this letter different from his other letters? Why does he want to visit ? Is God responsible for sinfulness, even of those who do not have the Law of Moses (according to Romans 1 )?
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Christian Doctrine 1 / Dr. Billings Life in the Spirit: Saint Paul
Christian Doctrine 1 / Dr. Billings (from 12b) • According to chapter 1, has Paul been to Rome before? How then is this letter different from his other letters? Why does he want to visit? • Is God responsible for sinfulness, even of those who do not have the Law of Moses (according to Romans 1)? • In chapter 1 of Romans, what is Paul’s position on why sinfulness and evil exists? • Who is Paul blaming for sinfulness in Chapter 2? How does this transform the issue of sin? • Does circumcision make for "a real Jew" according to Paul? How does one really become on of God’s own people?
Christian Doctrine 1 / Dr. Billings Prayer of the week: The Angelus V: The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. R: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.Hail Mary,… V: Behold, the handmaid of the Lord. R: Be it done unto me according to thy word. Hail Mary ... V: And the Word was made flesh. R: And dwelt among us. Hail Mary… V: Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Christian Doctrine 1 / Dr. Billings Red Letter Points Romans 5, 6 • Was Abraham righteous because of his circumcision, or circumcised because he was righteous, according to Paul? Explain the difference. • Explain the following quotation: "Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand"; "while we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly…" (Rm 5:2; 5:6) • Explain this quotation: "sin came into the world through one man" (5:12) Which man? What is the point Paul wants to make here? • Paul speaks of "the free gift" of grace (5:15; 16; 6:23). How is a gift different from a wage? What are the wages of sin? How is this shocking when it comes to salvation? • If God forgives our sin, why not just sin? What does baptism have to do with it? • Summarize some of the principle points of Romans:
Christian Doctrine 1 / Dr. Billings Romans 4 Was Abraham righteous because of his circumcision, or circumcised because he was righteous, according to Paul? Explain the difference. • The issue is whether or not circumcision “makes you righteous”: Paul says it does not. • Abraham is evidence to make his point: righteousness came first, circumcision followed. • The difference for Paul: it is faith, and not the Law, that justifies Abraham and leads to his righteous acts; • The law (and circumcision) cannot save us: to the contrary – it condemns us if (and since) we sin • E.g.: set up an exercise routine for yourself and then break it
Christian Doctrine 1 / Dr. Billings Romans 5-6 Explain the following quotation: "Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand"; "while we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly…" (Rm 5:2; 5:6) • the blessing of God we receive is through the merits of Jesus Christ and not our own (hence a grace or gift to us) • we were lost in our sin, helpless and separated from God – needing redemption through one who is close to God • God Himself reached down and went even so far as to die for us – for sinners, not for the righteous • we had made ourselves enemies of God - fortunately, God loves his enemies! • God's plan has come to fulfillment ("the right time"), according to God’s plan and promise
Christian Doctrine 1 / Dr. Billings Romans 5-6 Explain this quotation: "sin came into the world through one man" (5:12) Which man? What is the point Paul wants to make here? • the effects of sin through Adam, the one man, became pervasive and universal • the effects of redemption through Jesus, the one man, do likewise • Adam's disobedience is contrasted with Christ's obedience • sin has abounded, but grace even more: Christ’s death is the “antidote” to Adam’s sin. • The ultimate example of God transforming what we “meant for evil” into something He “means for good.”
Christian Doctrine 1 / Dr. Billings Romans 5-6 Paul speaks of "the free gift" of grace (5:15; 16; 6:23). How is a gift different from a wage? What are the wages of sin? How is this shocking when it comes to salvation? • You earn a wage, based on work that you do (this is JUSTICE); • you are given a free gift, regardless of what you do; simply from the generosity of the giver (this is like MERCY) • Paul speaks of the free “gift of righteousness” – a right relationship with God, true life, is not something we earn – what we could not earn it on our own under the law • God makes things right when we could not or would not (like Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus): • we do not EARN salvation – God offers it to us DESPITE our sin! • Salvation should prompt a sense of gratitude as for a gift, not a sense of pride as thought we earned it.
Christian Doctrine 1 / Dr. Billings Romans 5-6 If God forgives our sin, why not just sin? What does baptism have to do with it? • baptism is "death to our sinful self": birth to a new life in Christ • Baptism means leaving sin behind and drawing close to God. • Our inmost self, our true self, does not wantto sin; remaining without sin is function of love, not of external obligation of law • Faith in Christ means desiring to do His will • if you love someone, why separate yourself from them? you want to draw closer to them! • Sin & righteousness are seen here in terms of love, not in terms of earning something or deserving something.
Christian Doctrine 1 / Dr. Billings Romans Summarize some of the principle points of Romans: • Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Son of God, died for us, so that we could become righteous (close to God) • Our world feels the affects of sin, and we cannot make ourselves righteous. • The Law condemns us when we do not keep it, and we do not keep it. • If the Law were enough to save us, Jesus would not have had to die on the cross. • Faith in Christ saves us: a matter of the heart and not dependent upon keeping the Law. • Faith is our response to God’s freely given grace – it is a new life, a relationship of love, grounded in God’s love (particularly manifest in His cross).
Christian Doctrine 1 / Dr. Billings His Life in the Spirit: Saint Paul