The Letter to the Romans by Paul may be the most significant letter or writing in the history of Christianity. Now that’s saying something! From this letter alone, doctrines, disputations, and reformations have stemmed. When Augustine (a name the Breakfast Club is fond of bringing forth) became a Christian, it happened when he was reading this letter (specifically 13:13-14). Martin Luther claimed that the letter to the Romans was the most important document in the entire New Testament. For you dyed in the wool Methodists, John Wesley became a Christian after hearing Luther’s Preface to Romans. Heavy stuff indeed.
The letter was most likely penned from Corinth sometime between 55 and 58. Rome very well may have been the hub between all the churches in the Diaspora (the Jewish areas outside Israel). Paul knew many of the people in the churches in Rome (see 16:3-4) but he had never been there himself.
When Paul is writing this letter, all is not well in the Roman churches. Remember in class how I pointed out that the Jews had been expelled from Rome? Guess who was left? Right, the Gentile Christians. Now picture this, they had been on their own for five years before the Jews were allowed back in. Now the Jews come back and needless to say, there is a little bit of friction! Think of it like this: Godfry, Linda, and Ray leave the Foundry for five years because the Governor of Texas expelled them. Mike Gammill is now running Foundry for the next five years. Godfry and crew come back and say, “OK Mike, good job, we got it from here.” Frightening isn’t it! Well that’s exactly what is happening in Rome (chapters 14 and 15).
Other than that, what we have in this letter can be broken down in two: chapters 1-8 and 9-15 (with 9-11 and 12-15 being really two subgroups). So what say we the class start there…chapters 1-8. Sound good?
Remember to keep Paul in his culture and not ours. It is so easy to place what they are writing to our culture, day, and time. Trust me, I have to fight that urge constantly when studying scripture. Also remember that the Bible events did not happen in a vacuum. There was a whole world happening out there!
So let’s get to it. Read chapters 1-9 a few times this week, take a moment or two an post a blog about what you think, questions you have, and what the Spirit may be showing you. Remember this if you feel something while studying this you owe it to the group to share it because it may not be you but the Holy Spirit working through you!!!!!!!!!
Shalom
The letter was most likely penned from Corinth sometime between 55 and 58. Rome very well may have been the hub between all the churches in the Diaspora (the Jewish areas outside Israel). Paul knew many of the people in the churches in Rome (see 16:3-4) but he had never been there himself.
When Paul is writing this letter, all is not well in the Roman churches. Remember in class how I pointed out that the Jews had been expelled from Rome? Guess who was left? Right, the Gentile Christians. Now picture this, they had been on their own for five years before the Jews were allowed back in. Now the Jews come back and needless to say, there is a little bit of friction! Think of it like this: Godfry, Linda, and Ray leave the Foundry for five years because the Governor of Texas expelled them. Mike Gammill is now running Foundry for the next five years. Godfry and crew come back and say, “OK Mike, good job, we got it from here.” Frightening isn’t it! Well that’s exactly what is happening in Rome (chapters 14 and 15).
Other than that, what we have in this letter can be broken down in two: chapters 1-8 and 9-15 (with 9-11 and 12-15 being really two subgroups). So what say we the class start there…chapters 1-8. Sound good?
Remember to keep Paul in his culture and not ours. It is so easy to place what they are writing to our culture, day, and time. Trust me, I have to fight that urge constantly when studying scripture. Also remember that the Bible events did not happen in a vacuum. There was a whole world happening out there!
So let’s get to it. Read chapters 1-9 a few times this week, take a moment or two an post a blog about what you think, questions you have, and what the Spirit may be showing you. Remember this if you feel something while studying this you owe it to the group to share it because it may not be you but the Holy Spirit working through you!!!!!!!!!
Shalom
Labels: Chapters 1-8
posted by brad at
6:02 PM
7 Comments:
OK -- I'm tryong this a second time -- here goes.
Brad -- thanks again for your passion and care preparing yesterday's lesson.
I talked about it for a while with my brother (an assoc. pastor at Tomball UMC) ironically on the way to a family funeral.
I know that the cultural view of death was very foreign to most of us, but the more we discussed it, the more i was struck by the impact.
The best metaphor i can think of actually came up at the family funeral -- even under Paul's view the dying person exhales their final breath on this earth and inhales their next breath in the presence of God. Now there may have been days or even millenia in between, but the impact to the dying person would be seamless.
So my question is, would this have impacted the way they lived in devotion to God. It does seem like a very rhetorical debate between the Pharisees and Saducees with interesting theological impact. But what was the practical impact to the life of everyday Jews?
The Sanhedrin (like most politicians) are very helpful in the ABSTRACT but almost useless in the CONCRETE.
Is that fair?
I think John has hit on a theme that runs through some of Paul's letters...how the people react to this theology in there everyday lives. You see in Thessalonica people leaving their jobs. You see in Corinth, women taking on "new freedoms" not felt before. You also see Paul himself advocating a life of celibacy as a direct result of this thinking. I think that John sees now what was being seen in these churches during Paul's time. Our theology HAS a direct impact on how we live our lives hence practical theology!
Taking this another step, where do we see this playing out today in our lives? Is it true that our day to day life reflects how and what we believe about God? Is this what Mike touched on in his sermon last Sunday? I think that this is where the rubber hits the road...
After discussing the blog with another Breakfast Club member who shall remain anonymous, I decided to post a comment. My first foray in to the blogging world.
You guys are going to have to dumb this down for some of us (at least I hope I am not the only one). John, I have read and re-read your comment several times and still don't understand. Please have pity on those of us that grew up Catholic and didn't read the bible.
Brad- thanks for getting this started and motivating me. I am actually reading Romans.
Ladies, I wanted to recommend the Beth Moore book titled To Live is Christ.. it is a great introduction to Paul and provides an outline of Paul's life and times while not as "dry" and scholarly as some reasearch books might seem.. it is very much in "Beth" fashion.. an easy, light read...
All:
Previous "John Rhoads" comment from Sandra -- not me!
--John
Thanks for clearing that up John! I thought you were being pretty sexist after Brenna's comment by saying "ladies... read this Beth Moore book!" Now I know it's Sandra who is the sexist one. ha-ha!
-Kimberly
Brad-
HA! I love the analogy of Mike (the Gentile) and we Jews. I guess I will never read Romans the same again.
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