Saturday, May 22, 2010

Romans - Index

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Who is the Apostle Paul?

Before we start studying Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we need to do an overview of his letter to the church in Rome since it forms the foundation of Ephesians.

However, remember when we did our "How to study the Bible" study and I said that we need to be a good journalist and find the answers to these questions:

  1. Who - Who wrote it; to whom was it written; about whom was it written?
  2. What - What is the subject matter? What are the key words? What are the key verses?
  3. When - When was it written? What was going on in the rest of the world at the time that had an influence on this writing?
  4. Where - To where was it written? From where was it written?
  5. Why - Why was it written?

Right now, I want to briefly look at part of the "Who" - Who wrote Romans and Ephesians!

His name: Paul's Jewish name was Saul (Saulos) which means "desired" and his Latin name was Paulus or Paullus which means "small". He was called "Saul of Tarsus".

His background:

  • He was not only a Jew, but he was also a Roman citizen—a fact that afforded him a privileged social status with respect to laws, property, and governance.
  • He spoke Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
  • Paul's own account of his background is found particularly in Galatians.
  • He was afflicted with an eye disease which is difficult to diagnose (2 Corinthians 12:7-9; Galatians 4:13-14).
  • Acts 23:6: Paul realized that some members of the high council were Sadducees and some were Pharisees, so he shouted, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!”
  • Philippians 3:5: I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.
  • Romans 11:1: ...I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
  • Acts 22:1-22 identifies Paul as from the Mediterranean city of Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia (in present-day south-central Turkey). Tarsus was also the seat of a famous university, higher in reputation even than the universities of Athens and Alexandria, the only others that then existed.
  • He was well respected by everyone and advancing in stature within Judaism's Jerusalem Temple leadership before his conversion.
  • Saul was sent, when about thirteen years of age probably, to the great Jewish school of sacred learning at Jerusalem as a student of the law. Here he became a pupil of the celebrated rabbi Gamaliel, and here he spent many years in an elaborate study of the Scriptures and of the many questions concerning them with which the rabbis exercised themselves.
  • Acts 7:57-59, 8:1: Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died. Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.
  • He was at this time probably a member of the great Sanhedrin, and became the active leader in the furious persecution by which the rulers then sought to exterminate Christianity.
  • Galatians 1:13: You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

His mission:

  • He called himself the "Apostle to the Gentiles".
  • Romans 15:16: I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles...

The Book of Acts contains an account of Paul's travels and deeds, his conflicts with Pagans and Jews, and his interactions with apostles. Acts leaves several parts of Paul's life out of its narrative, such as his execution in Rome. Peter is the focus of the first half of Acts and Paul is the focus of the second half.

His conversion:

  • Paul's conversion can be dated to 33 - 36 by his reference to it in one of his letters.
  • According to the Acts of the Apostles, his conversion took place on the road to Damascus where he experienced a vision of the resurrected Jesus after which he was temporarily blinded. [Acts 9:1-31], [Acts 22:1-22], [Acts 26:9-24].
  • After his conversion, Paul went to Damascus, where Acts states he was healed of his blindness and baptized by Ananias of Damascus.
  • Paul says that he then went first to Arabia, and then came back to Damascus. [Galatians 1:17].
  • He describes in Galatians how three years after his conversion he went to Jerusalem. There he met James and stayed with Simon Peter for 15 days. [Galatians 1:13–24]
  • Paul asserted that he received the Gospel not from any person, but by a personal revelation of Jesus Christ.[Galatians 1:11–16].

His writings:

  • Fourteen epistles, or letters, in the New Testament were written to Paul. about half of the New Testament stems from Paul and the people whom he influenced
  • Paul's influence on Christian thinking arguably has been more significant than any other New Testament author. In fact, I remember one Jewish scholar mistakenly saying that Jesus was not the founder of Christianity; Paul was.
  • Paul apparently dictated all his epistles through a secretary (or amanuensis). These epistles were circulated within the Christian community, where they were read aloud by members of the church. Paul's epistles were accepted early as scripture and later established as Canon of Scripture. Critical scholars regard Paul's epistles to be the earliest-written books of the New Testament. They are referenced as early as 96 AD by Clement of Rome.
  • Romans 1:1: This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.

Those whom he deeply influenced after his death: Augustine developed Paul's idea that salvation is based on faith and not works. Luther and his doctrine of sola fide were heavily influenced by Paul. Through his activity and writings, his beliefs eventually changed religious thought throughout the Mediterranean. This leadership, influence and legacy led to the formation of communities dominated by gentile groups that adhered to the Judaic "moral code" but relaxed or abandoned the "ritual" obligations of the Mosaic law on the basis of the life and works of Jesus Christ and the New Covenant.

His speaking ability: Paul was a fluent writer, but, self admittedly, not an eloquent public speaker.

Paul's travels:

  • Most scholars agree that a vital meeting between Paul and the Jerusalem church took place in year 49 or 50 described in Acts 15:2 and usually seen as the same event mentioned by Paul in Galatians 2:1. The key question raised was whether Gentile converts needed to be circumcised. At this meeting, Peter, James, and John accepted Paul's mission to the Gentiles.
  • Around 50-52, Paul spent 18 months in Corinth. The reference in Acts to proconsul Gallio helps ascertain this date. Here he worked with Silas and Timothy.
  • After Corinth, the next major center for Paul's activities was Ephesus. Ephesus was an important center for early Christianity from the year 50. From 52 to 54, Paul lived here, working with the congregation and apparently organizing missionary activity into the hinterlands. Paul's time here was marked by disturbances and possibly imprisonment. Finally, he was forced to leave.
  • Next, he traveled to Macedonia before going probably to Corinth for three months (56-57) before his final visit to Jerusalem.
  • Though Paul wrote that he visited Illyricum, he meant what would now be called Illyria Graeca that was part of the Roman province of Macedonia, which is now modern day Albania.

  • Paul arrived in Jerusalem in 57 with a collection of money for the congregation there. Acts reports that the church welcomed Paul gladly, but it was apparently a proposal of James that led to his arrest. Paul caused a stir when he appeared at the Temple, and he escaped being killed by the crowd by being taken into custody.
  • He was held as a prisoner for two years in Caesarea until a new governor reopened his case in 59. When accused of treason, he appealed to Caesar, claiming his right as a citizen of Rome to appear there before a proper court and to defend himself of the charges.
  • The Acts recounts that on the way to Rome he was shipwrecked on Malta [Acts 28:1] where he was met by Publius [Acts 28:7] and the islanders, who showed him "unusual kindness". [Acts 28:2]
  • He arrived in Rome about 60 and spent two years under house arrest. [Acts 28:16]
  • All told, during his ministry the Apostle Paul spent roughly 5 1/2 to 6 years as a prisoner or in prison.
  • Neither the Bible nor other history says how or when Paul died. Eusebius of Caesarea, who wrote in the fourth century, states that Paul was beheaded in the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. This event has been dated either to the year 64, when Rome was devastated by a fire, or a few years later, to 67 at Tre Fontane Abbey (Three Fountains Abbey) - three years before the destruction of the Temple. By comparison, tradition has Peter being crucified upside-down. Paul's Roman citizenship accorded him the more merciful death by beheading.

Paul's burial place:

  • In June 2009, Pope Benedict announced excavation results concerning the tomb of Saint Paul at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. The sarcophagus itself was not opened but was examined by means of a probe. It revealed pieces of incense and purple and blue linen as well as small bone fragments. The bone was radiocarbon dated to the 1st to 2nd century. According to the Vatican, this seems to confirm the tradition of the tomb being Saint Paul's. Of course, one must take with a grain of salt anything coming out of the Vatican.

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Romans

Before we start studying Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we need to do an overview of his letter to the church in Rome since it forms the foundation of Ephesians.

However, remember when we did our "How to study the Bible" study and I said that we need to be a good journalist and find the answers to these questions:

  1. Who - Who wrote it; to whom was it written; about whom was it written?
  2. What - What is the subject matter? What are the key words? What are the key verses?
  3. When - When was it written? What was going on in the rest of the world at the time that had an influence on this writing?
  4. Where - To where was it written? From where was it written?
  5. Why - Why was it written?

We've reviewed very briefly the "who wrote this letter" and could have studied half of the Book of Acts for more details, but we need to move on since this is an "overview" of Romans, not a thorough study.

WHO:

  • TO WHOM was this epistle (letter) written?: Romans 1:1,6-8: This letter is from Paul...And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people...Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world...
  • ABOUT WHOM was this epistle (letter) written?: Romans 1:3-4: The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • WHO carried the letter?: Romans 16:1: I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea.

WHAT is the epistle about?:

  • Key words:
    • Abraham
    • Brothers and sisters
    • Commandments
    • Christ
    • Faith/Believe (pistis, pisteuo) - 39 times
    • Gentile
    • God
    • Good News (Gospel) - 10 times
    • Hope
    • Israel
    • Jew
    • Law
    • Moses
    • Mystery
    • Sin - 47 times
    • Spirit (pneuma) - 34 times (21 times in chapter 8)
    • Wrath - 12 times
  • Key verses:
    • Romans 1:17: This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
    • Romans 3:23: For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
    • Romans 3:28: So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
    • Romans 5:1-17: Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
      We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
      When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
      When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
    • Romans 6:1-14: Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
    • Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
    • Romans 7:4: So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.
    • Romans 7:15-25: I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
    • Romans 8:1-11: So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
    • Romans 8:15-17: So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
    • Romans 8:26-30: And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
    • Romans 8:31-39: What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    • Romans 9:27: And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out, Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant will be saved.
    • Romans 9:30-33: What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, “I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”
    • Romans 10:1-4: Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.
    • Romans 10:9-10,13: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved...For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
    • Romans 10:17: So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
    • Romans 11:1: I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
    • Romans 11:11-15: Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead!
    • Romans 11:25-29: I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, “The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them that I will take away their sins.” Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.
    • Romans 12:1-2: And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
    • Romans 12:17: Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.
    • Romans 13:11-14: This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.
    • Romans 15:4: Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
    • Romans 15:8-13: Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: “For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name.” And in another place it is written, “Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles.” And yet again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles.
      Praise him, all you people of the earth.” And in another place Isaiah said, “The heir to David’s throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him.” I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
    • Romans 15:16-20: I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum. My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.
    • Romans 16:25-26: Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him.
  • The great subject is the revelation of God's wrath against sin, and of the ground upon which alone the sinner can stand in righteousness before Him.
  • Key Thought: The righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel.

WHEN:

  • Probably written between Acts 19:21 & Acts 21:14, probably in Acts 20:2-3.
  • Written before Paul's imprisonment in Rome.

To WHERE and from WHERE was it written?:

  • Romans 15:24: I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome...
  • Possibly written from Corinth in the spring of 58 AD, curing the 4th year of Nero; probably during Paul's travels in Greece after the departure from Ephesus (Acts 20:2-3).

Why was it written?: Romans 1:10-17: One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News. For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

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Bible studies are held in Oakbay subdivision in Noblesville, Indiana. In-person Sunday studies have been eliminated because of COVID-19 concerns. Wednesday studies at 7:00 pm led by Don Terry via Zoom - presently studying the Book of Acts from a dispensationalist viewpoint. Bi-monthly Wednesday’s women’s studies at 7:00 pm led by Carolyn Terry via Zoom - presently studying Paul’s second letter to Timothy - and his last writing. You can see several of our present and past studies but we covered many other subjects before starting this blog. The goal of these studies is to bring each of us to know Christ better (epignosis) and then to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” as mentioned by Paul in Philippians 3:14 and to hear Jesus’ “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”. Dedicated to the memory of Don & Carolyn Terry’s daughter, DJ (Dorothy Jean) Terry, who went to be with the Lord Jesus Christ in 1999 at 20 years old.