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BIBLE 1102 ROMANS: PART I CONTENTS I. II. III. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 2 The Roman Empire • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 3 The Roman Church • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 9 The Book of Romans • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 13 PAUL’S EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS • • • • • • • • 18 Salutation • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 18 State of Condemnation • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 22 State of Justification • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 28 THE WAY ACCORDING TO ROMANS • • • • • • • 37 Sin • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 37 Salvation • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 41 GLOSSARY 50 •••••••••••••••••••••••• Author: Editor: Graphic Design: Tricia Buddin Alan Christopherson, M.S. Alpha Omega Staff 300 North McKemy Avenue, Chandler, Arizona 85226-2618 © MM by Alpha Omega Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. LIFEPAC is a registered trademark of Alpha Omega Publications, Inc. All trademarks and/or service marks referenced in this material are the property of their respective owners. Alpha Omega Publications, Inc. makes no claim of ownership to any trademarks and/or service marks other than their own and their affiliates’, and makes no claim of affiliation to any companies whose trademarks may be listed in this material, other than their own. ROMANS: PART I In 2 Timothy 2:15 you have been exhorted to “study to shew [show] thyself [yourself] approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The same man who wrote these words authored the book of Romans. He appreciated the importance of education. The apostle Paul was a noted Jewish scholar and a Roman citizen. He had been a Pharisee well known for his persecution of those who called themselves Christians. Then one day he encountered the very Jesus Whom he had been persecuting, and from that moment he began to increase in the wisdom and knowledge of Christ. A yearning grew in his heart to see other young Christians become established in the doctrine of Jesus. The Epistle to the Romans is Paul’s masterly exposition of man’s need for salvation. He had found that there is no other foundation that can be laid than that which is in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). The letter was written to a group of Christians Paul had never met, yet he intended to visit them as soon as possible. The book of Romans sets forth the theme of justification by faith and of sanctification through the Holy Spirit. In this LIFEPAC® you will scan the Christian church as viewed in the setting of the mighty Roman Empire. You will focus on the first eight chapters of the book of Romans for a close-up of the basic Christian truths concerning sin, salvation, and sanctification. Finally, you will be exposed to a scripturally-based approach to proclaim to others the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. OBJECTIVES Read these objectives. The objectives tell you what you will be able to do when you have successfully completed this LIFEPAC. When you have finished this LIFEPAC, you should be able to: 1. List the first five emperors of the Roman Empire. 2. List the five social classes of Rome’s population. 3. Describe the characteristics of the empire in terms of land area, political control, cities, education, occupations, and clothing. 4. Explain the official state religion. 5. Relate the attitude of the empire toward the Christian church. 6. Tell how the Christian church began in Rome, where believers assembled, and how they worshiped. 7. Tell where and when Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans. 8. List at least five reasons why Paul wrote Romans. 9. Briefly outline the first eight chapters of Romans, chapter by chapter. 10. Illustrate the Roman form of a letter. 11. Describe how Paul introduced himself to Roman believers. 12. Memorize the theme of the letter in Romans 1:16-17. 13. Explain the downward progression of sin. 14. Contrast Jewish faithlessness to Abraham’s faithfulness. 15. Contrast the works of Adam and Jesus. 16. Explain the transfer from sin and carnality to righteousness and a walk in the Spirit. 17. Describe the problem of universal sin and its effects. 18. Relate the process of salvation by faith in Jesus. 19. Define the process of sanctification through Jesus by the Holy Spirit. 20. Memorize the following Scriptures: Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:1, Romans 5:8, Romans 6:11, and Romans 8:1. 1 Survey the LIFEPAC. Ask yourself some questions about this study. Write your questions here. _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE Before studying any book of the Bible, you should gain an understanding of the historical perspective of the author. Though every word of Scripture is relevant today, you must keep in mind the fact that the authors were real people, writing to real situations. The inspiration of the Holy Spirit has revealed to us Jesus Christ, through God’s eternal Word. In this section you will explore the Roman Empire at the time when the apostle Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans; you will discover how the Roman Church began and functioned; and you will determine when, where, and why Paul wrote the book of Romans. SECTION OBJECTIVES Review these objectives. When you have completed this section you should be able to: 1. List the first five emperors of the Roman Empire. 2. List the five social classes of Rome’s population. 3. Describe the characteristics of the empire in terms of land area, political control, cities, education, occupations, and clothing. 4. Explain the official state religion. 5. Relate the attitude of the empire toward the Christian church. 6. Tell how the Christian church began in Rome, where believers assembled, and how they worshiped. 7. Tell where and when Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans. 8. List at least five reasons why Paul wrote Romans. VOCABULARY Study these words to enhance your learning success in this section. equestrian exactitude forum freedmen pantheism plebes Praetorian guard procurators saint senatorial aristocracy stole syncretism toga tunica Note: All vocabulary words in this LIFEPAC appear in boldface print the first time they are used. If you are unsure of the meaning when you are reading, study the definitions given. 2 THE ROMAN EMPIRE Throughout the histories of the world, one of the most impressive of ancient civilizations has been the Roman Empire. It included the land areas around the Mediterranean Sea. Its millions of peo- ple spoke many languages, were engaged in many occupations, and worshiped many different gods; but they were united by the military power and government of the Romans. The political situation. At the time the book of Romans was written, Rome was the capital center of the civilized world. The Roman government possessed the coastal land areas of Europe, Asia, and Africa surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Commerce flourished throughout the empire. Because of excellent roads and seaports, communication and transportation were easily accessible. The city of Rome was the great metropolis of the vast empire, and because of power, fame, and popularity, Rome became known as the Eternal City. Rome was noted for its development of civil law and legal justice. The enforcement of law and order was designated to district governors and Roman soldiers. The Roman army formed a civilizing force as well as a conquering one. When soldiers were neither fighting nor patrolling the empire’s boarders, they were building roads, bridges, and walls. A handpicked group of soldiers served as bodyguards for the emperor and were called the Praetorian Guard. The early Roman Empire was a cultural world of holidays and festivals featuring public entertainment at government expense. Charioteers raced the oblong arena called a circus. Amphitheaters, such as the Colosseum, featured mighty gladiators matched with each other or with wild beasts, condemned criminals, or Christians. They were sometimes thrown to lions or other animals for the amusement of governmental authorities and the public’s pleasure. Roman theaters presented Greek and Roman plays. Huge establishments known as public baths housed pools, gymnasiums, art galleries, and libraries. The empire was a world within a world. 3 Generally, the first 100 years of the history of Rome is described in terms of the personal lives of the emperors. Many were inferior men, but through the reigns of both good and bad emperors, competent administrators gave the Roman government the efficiency to become one of the world’s greatest empires. leader, he was among the best; but as an emperor he did not know how to work well with the governing society of the capital. He made the mistake of turning over temporary rule to a friend named Sejanus while he retreated to the island of Capri. Sejanus murdered all followers of Tiberius and ruled a reign of terror for five years. In retaliation, Tiberius had Sejanus put to death and continued killing anyone whom he mistrusted. During the reign of Tiberius, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Jesus Christ was put to death. The emperor’s death in A.D. 37 was a relief to the governing class in Rome. The grandnephew of Tiberius became the third emperor of Rome. His real name was Gaius, but he is known by his nickname Caligula. The first eight months of his reign were characterized by his mildness and acts of justice. However, he suffered from a severe illness that left him mentally imbalanced, resulting in a reign of cruelty and torture. He considered himself a god and had a temple built in his honor. In A.D. 41 he was murdered by the officers of his own guard. The First Emperors of Rome Name Augustus Reign 27 B.C–A.D. 14 Tiberius A.D. 14-37 Caligula (Gaius) A.D. 37-41 Claudius A.D. 41-54 Nero A.D. 54-68 Augustus, first Roman emperor, for whom the month of August is named. Around 27 B.C., shortly before the birth of Jesus, Augustus named himself emperor. He was the supreme authority, aided and advised by appointed senators. During his reign he restored peace and order to the land after 100 years of civil wars. He developed an efficient postal system, improved harbors, and established colonies. An elaborate highway system connecting the most remote parts of the empire with Rome was built during his reign. Thus evolved the phrase, “all roads lead to Rome.” Augustus introduced many reforms, and the resulting peace and prosperity won him the admiration and great respect of the people. After Augustus’ death, his stepson Tiberius became emperor. He followed the peaceful policies laid down by Augustus in the early part of his reign. As a governor of the provinces and military Caligula was known as the mad emperor of Rome. The fourth Roman emperor was the nephew of Tiberius and step-grandson of Augustus. His name was Claudius. During his reign he formed the nucleus of the empire’s first cabinet of statesmen. Another of his outstanding achievements was the accumulation of the southern part of Britain as a province of Rome. Claudius was poisoned by his fourth wife in A.D. 54. She wanted the empire for her son Nero. Nero was seventeen when he became emperor, so the senate actually ruled until he came of age. When Nero began to rule, he had his stepbrother, his mother, and his wife murdered. He became like 4 a wild animal, murdering anyone who was the least suspicious of threatening his position. His private life was one of wicked immorality. He is generally regarded as one of the most evil of all men. In A.D. 64 a great fire destroyed the city of Rome. Legend says that Nero may have started the fire himself and played the fiddle while Rome burned. Nero placed the blame on the Christians and began severe persecutions under accusations of arson and treason. The apostle Peter may have been among those who were killed under Nero. Paul may have suffered from his persecutions as well. Nero motioning thumbs down, which meant death for a gladiator in the arena. ➨ Match the following items. (Do not match name for name.) 1.1 _____ Praetorian Guard a. Augustus 1.2 _____ Eternal City b. baths 1.3 _____ self-acclaimed emperor c. Rome 1.4 _____ Tiberius d. Gaius 1.5 _____ Augustus e. emperor’s bodyguard 1.6 _____ Caligula f. Tiberius 1.7 _____ second emperor g. roman soldiers 1.8 _____ persecuted Christians h. reformer 1.9 _____ Nero i. Claudius 1.10 _____ formed first cabinet j. center of civilized world 1.11 _____ circus k. played the fiddle while Rome burned 1.12 _____ gymnasiums l. chariots 1.13 _____ built roads m. Sejanus 1.14 _____ Rome n. Nero ➨ Fill in the following chart with the correct names and dates. 1.15 _____________________________________ 27 B.C.-A.D. 14 1.16 _____________________________________ A.D. 14-A.D. 37 1.17 Caligula ____________________________________ 1.18 Claudius ____________________________________ 1.19 _____________________________________ A.D. 54-A.D. 68 5 ➨ Answer true or false. 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ➨ Write the name of the emperor to which the statement applies. 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ The Roman Empire included all of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Tiberius was emperor when Jesus was born. Caligula was known as the mad emperor of Rome. Gaius was Caligula’s nickname. Rome was noted for civil law and legal justice. Claudius was poisoned by his fourth wife. the grandnephew of Tiberius accumulated the southern part of Britain emperor when Jesus was put to death brought peace to Rome developed an efficient postal system The population. The Roman Empire was composed of all different races of people. No one was an “average Roman.” Germanic tribesmen, cultured Greeks, Jewish scholars, and Egyptian farmers were included among those who claimed Roman citizenship. One common denominator among this variety of peoples was the use of one common language. Many other languages were spoken within the empire, but Greek was spoken in all the provinces during the first century. Creation of unity among the diverse nationalities was the most serious internal problem for the empire. The problem was attacked politically by the emperors; either the Roman government was superimposed on the native governments of the provinces, or a client king was recognized. In either case, the Roman presence was clear to all. The Roman Empire recognized the emperor as the supreme authority to the point of making him a god. He was advised by a senate of about six hundred men. The provinces were ruled by governors, also called procurators, appointed by the emperor. The provinces had little voice in the government, but local officials were permitted to manage local affairs. Taxation was a constant reminder of Roman authority. Roman soldiers patrolled the provinces to maintain peace among them and to protect them from non-Roman invasion. The price that the provinces paid for peace consisted of accepting Roman political institutions and paying the high taxes. Aside from political control, Rome did not intrude into social and religious affairs in the provinces. Social classes among the Romans were very definite. Money and talent were beginning to be more significant than birth and legal status. Five basic classes were seen. The top class was the sen- A Roman Soldier In Full Armor atorial aristocracy. Besides being noble by birth, these people were required by Augustus to meet a monetary worth requirement comparable to $50,000. The chief source of such capital for senatorial families was land and commerce. The second class was the equestrian order. Their capital requirement was $20,000. They were successful businessmen who often became the governors of Roman provinces. The class of freedmen, or emancipated slaves, composed the third class of Roman society. They were often aggressive businessmen able to become wealthy and occupy positions of power. Some were employed by the emperor to manage administrative departments of the government. The fourth class was made up of plebes. They were freeborn Romans but were poor and 6 often on public relief. They served as construction workers, farm hands, and common laborers. Their wages were low because they had to compete with slaves for jobs. Slaves formed the bottom rung of the social ladder. Slavery was accepted throughout the Mediterranean world, and the ranks were filled with Rome’s conquered people. Most provincial foreigners were considered equal with slaves unless citizenship was granted to them by the emperor. Citizenship was granted mainly to native political leaders in the provinces or to those persons who made outstanding contributions to the empire. Roman dress often indicated a person’s social class. Both men and women wore a short-sleeved garment called a tunica that hung to the knees. Over this, the men who were Roman citizens wore a toga, an oblong drape with rounded corners. The style and color of the toga varied according to the person’s age and position. Women wore a similar garment called a stola, a long tunic fastened with clasps. Both citizens and noncitizens wore cloaks of various shapes. Their clothing was homemade, and styles seldom changed. Both men and women wore sandals. The women were especially fond of elaborate jewelry and ornate hair styles. Sometimes they dyed their hair and powdered it with gold dust. The temperature around the Mediterranean remained mild in the winter and hot in the summer, much like the climate of southern California. Therefore, they wore the same clothes year round. In spite of class distinctions, schools were available for a wide range of men, women, and children. They were not exclusively for the wealthy. The three levels of education included primary, secondary, and advanced. At age seven, children entered the primary school where they learned the Greek and Latin classical writers, music, and mathematics. In the secondary schools, students learned to write in the classical style. Professional occupations of law, rhetoric, medicine, and philosophy were learned in the advanced level of education. If a person attended all three levels, he generally finished at about age twenty. Jewish education was parallel to the Roman structure, but the curriculum consisted almost entirely of the Scriptures. The occupations of the people were much the same as they are today. Mining ranked among the most important industries because of the needs involved in vast building projects. Manufacturing varied from province to province throughout the Roman Empire: perfume from Alexandria, silk from Phoenicia, wool from Pergamum, bronzeware from Corinth, and glassware from Syria. Traders had plenty of business importing grain, drugs, precious stones, and ivory and exporting oil, wine, and manufactured goods. Agriculture formed a basis of economic life in the Roman Empire. Romans grew all varieties of fruits and vegetables. Olive trees yielded olives for food and oil. Livestock of many kinds was tended. Rich landowners often owned houses in the country and in the city. Even when Rome became a vast empire years later, agriculture was regarded as the only fit occupation for a gentleman. The cities of the Roman Empire generally resembled the city of Rome. At the time of Augustus, the population of Rome was about one million. Elaborate mansions were owned by the wealthy, and private dwellings were owned by many others. Most Romans were crowded into apartment houses built five to six stories high. They were built close to the crowded, twisting, unmarked streets of the city. Residential areas and shops surrounded a group of public buildings called a forum. Temples were erected throughout the city in honor of the various gods. The magnificent buildings of the Eternal City were ornamented with white marble, triumphal arches, and great columned porches. The Romans borrowed much of their style from the Greeks, but made their buildings larger and more ornate. Transportation throughout the empire was easily accessible. The Romans traveled more easily, quickly, and safely than any other people before them or after them until the 1700s. Seaports were located all along the Mediterranean coast. On land, the famous Roman road system connected all parts of the empire. Wealthy people hired carriages and drivers, but most Romans walked or rode horses or mules. The Romans sent news by sea more often than by land because it was faster. The postal system was established on land, but it was used only for official governmental correspondence. Generally, businesses and wealthy individuals provided their own messenger systems. Any important announcements were either posted on buildings or, in the city of Rome, circulated in a government newspaper. 7 ➨ 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 Answer true or false. ____________ No one was an “average Roman.” ____________ The emperor Gaius considered himself a god. ____________ The provinces were ruled by senate members. ____________ High taxes were a means of maintaining Roman political control. ____________ Social and religious life was strictly censored in the provinces by Roman officials. ____________ Only the elite were allowed an eduction. ➨ Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words or phrases. 1.37 The Roman Empire consisted of the land areas around the __________________________________ . 1.38 The common language of the early empire was __________________________________ . 1.39 The provinces paid for peace by accepting Roman institutions and ___________________________ . 1.40 The emperor was advised by the __________________________________ . 1.41 Another name for the governor of the provinces was __________________________________ . 1.42 The elite social class was the __________________________________ . 1.43 Governors were usually selected from the __________________________________ order. 1.44 The class of freedmen, or _____________________________ , generally became wealthy and occupied positions of power. 1.45 The fourth social class consisted of free-born Romans called __________________________________ . 1.46 Most provincial foreigners were considered equal with __________________________________ . 1.47 The main sources of income for senatorial families were commerce and ______________________ . 1.48 One of the empire’s major industries was __________________________________ . 1.49 Another basis of Roman economic life was __________________________________ . 1.50 Jewish curriculum consisted mainly of a study of the __________________________________ . 1.51 The group of public buildings surrounded by residential areas was called the ________________ . 1.52 Many forms of Roman art and architecture were borrowed from the _________________________ . 1.53 The postal system was only for __________________________________ correspondence. ➨ List the names of the five social classes in rank from highest to lowest. 1.54 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1.55 _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1.56 _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1.57 _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1.58 _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8 ➨ Name the articles of clothing. 1.59 1.60 1.61 __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ 1.59 ➨ 1.62 1.60 1.61 Complete this activity Using the past two sections of material, pretend you were on a tour of the ancient city of Rome. Describe in detail all the features of the Eternal City on another piece of paper. Your teacher will check your essay with you. ✔ Adult check ______________________ Initial Date THE ROMAN CHURCH God has all the history of the world in the palms of His infinite hands. Nothing has ever happened outside of His control. Before the Christian church developed, He set the stage for it in the Roman Empire. Though a state religion existed, the Roman attitude toward religion was conducive to the growth of the Christian church. Believers were free to worship when, where, and how they chose, with very little interference from the Roman government. The organization. The Roman Empire was a conglomeration of many peoples, customs, and reli- gions. The emperor exercised political control throughout the empire, but social and religious affairs were generally not disturbed. Only when independent religions clashed with the official state religion did the political powers of the empire intervene. The Romans adopted their pantheistic beliefs from the Greeks. They worshiped individual gods that were personified abstractions of the powers of nature such as the sun, moon, thunder, and wind. Besides the major deities, they had thousands of lesser gods because the Romans believed that a dif9 ferent god represented every object as well as the many events that occurred in a person’s life. For example, they had a goddess of fever, a god of gold coins, a god of a door, etc. Such a religion was never a matter of feeling, but of form. Pleasing the gods was dependent upon the exactitude of prayers uttered and the perfection of all ceremonial activities. The slightest error in word or gesture would invalidate the entire proceeding. Sometimes the same ritual was repeated thirty or even fifty times because of one wrong movement. Since the emperor was the most powerful person alive, he was also considered deity. He was believed to have in his hands the ultimate destiny of all the people residing within the boundaries of the Roman Empire. Imperial worship included reverence to the emperor himself and to his image, whether it be a portrait or life-size statue. Often in festival parades, as the emperor rode past, the people were expected to bow before him in adoration. Under the reigns of Gaius and Nero, imperial worship included making a sacrifice to the emperor. Though a state religion existed, the Roman religious policy was one of syncretism. The government tolerated all religions of its conquered peoples and did not impose worship of their gods as exclusively powerful. Such a disposition allowed Jews to settle in all parts of the Graeco-Roman world and to administer Jewish government under Roman authority. Jewish synagogues were found in almost every city. In many cases the synagogues furnished opportunity for the planting and growth of Christian truth. At first the presence of Christianity was unnoticed by Roman officials. It appeared to them merely as a reformed and more spiritual form of Judaism. Christians were only another Jewish sect. This friendly relationship became strained when Gentiles began to be converted. Exclusive Judaism finally began to persecute the infant church to the point of accusing Christians before Roman courts. At first the Roman government protected the new faith, not only from Jews, but also against the populace. Acts 21:27-32 records the story of Roman soldiers helping Paul escape a mob of people in Jerusalem who were trying to kill him. Christian missionaries such as Paul soon recognized an ally and a power for good in the Roman Empire. In writing to Roman Christians, Paul counseled them to submit in obedience to the ruling authorities (Romans 13:1). Toward the accusation of the Jews against their rivals, the Romans either showed indifference (Acts 18:12-16) or recognized the innocence of the accused, as did both Felix (Acts 24:2225) and Porcius Festus (Acts 25:24-27). The Jews finally disowned Christians in formulating a charge of disloyalty to Caesar (Acts 17:5-7), thus making a strong distinction in the eyes of Rome between Jews and Christians. Christians were no longer considered a Jewish sect, but were recognized as a distinct religion based in the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. ➨ Complete the statements. 1.63 The Roman policy toward religion was one of __________________________________ . 1.64 Roman pantheism was an adaptation of the beliefs of the __________________________________ . 1.65 Belief in nature and nature gods is called _____________________________ . 1.66 Romans believed _________________________________ was more important than feeling. 1.67 The institution that fostered the planting and growth of Christianity was the __________________________________ . 1.68 The Roman government first thought Christianity was a __________________________________ . 1.69 Christians were charged as being disloyal to __________________________________ . 1.70 Who were the Christians’ first persecutors? __________________________________ ➨ Answer these questions. 1.71 Why did the Romans worship the emperor? Give a complete answer. ________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10 1.72 1.73 1.74 How did the Romans worship the emperor?_______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ What was Gallio’s response to Jewish accusations?_______________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ How did Felix respond to the Jews’ charge against Paul?__________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ The local church. The church is an organism held together by belief in the Lord Jesus, by participation in a common life and salvation, and by common aims and interests. The New Testament use of the term church carries with it the concept of holiness. The term was specifically applied to groups of believers assembled together for the worship of God, the exercise of discipline, the edification of fellow believers, and the fulfillment of Christian service. By the time the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, many such churches had been formed throughout the Roman Empire. Scholars do not know exactly who founded the church at Rome. It was probably not founded by Peter, since his ministry was to the Jews, as we are informed in Galatians 2:9. Paul had not yet been to Rome. Probably the nucleus of the church at Rome had been formed by the Romans who were at Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. Twenty-eight years lapsed between Pentecost and the time Paul wrote to the Romans. During those years, Christians migrated to the capital city from throughout the empire. Some who settled in Rome were Paul’s own converts and intimate friends. In Romans chapter 16, Paul greeted twenty-four of his acquaintances who had relocated in Rome. Paul’s first greeting is to Priscilla and Aquila. Acts 18:1-3 relates Paul’s first meeting with them. We are told that the Jews were banished from Rome at the command of Emperor Claudius. Aquila and his wife Priscilla were among them. They settled in Corinth, where they lived and worked with Paul over a year and a half. Subsequently, the couple moved back to Rome and became teachers of a Roman congregation that assembled in their home. The Roman congregation consisted of Christian Jews and Gentiles. The church was a mixed community socially and racially. Generally, Christian communities of the first two centuries derived their adherents from the lower classes of the Roman population—slaves, freedmen, free-born Roman citizens of low rank, and non-Romans of various nationalities. Apparently, the believers in Rome were not centrally organized. Rather, they were associated into various small groups. In Romans 16:5, Paul mentions “the church” that met in the house of Aquila and Priscilla. In Romans 16:10-11, Paul addressed the households of Aristobulus and Narcissus. Romans 16:14 refers to five men and “the brethren which are with them” as an individual unit. Lastly, verse 15 salutes another group consisting of “…Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.” Paul’s traditional greetings to the churches at Corinth, Galatia, and Thessolonica are not the same as his greeting to the Romans. Rather than specifying the church, “the church of Rome,” Paul simply greets (Romans 1:7) “all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints…” Such a salutation includes all small groups of believers found in the capital city. Since Jewish Christians were influential members of Roman congregations, the term synagogue could have been employed to designate the assemblies. James 2:2 is a good example of this. James was admonishing all Christian churches to halt discrimination in favor of the wealthy in the “synagogue.” Generally the apostles began their evangelistic efforts in Jewish synagogues and transferred their labors from there to other meeting places when opposition forced them to do so. If synagogue members had been united in accepting Jesus as Lord, it would easily have been transformed into a Christian church with very few modifications. After a group of believers were cast out of a synagogue and met together for worship, the older and more experienced men would by common consent become the leaders, or elders, of the church. Once a church was established in basic doctrine, the evangelistic apostle would move on to the next city, leaving the appointing of leadership to the local assembly. At the time Paul’s Epistle to the Romans was written, the office of deacon or deaconess was already recognized (Romans 16:1), but basically the churches had very little structure. By 11 the time Ephesians and Timothy were written, much more structure had been introduced (Ephesians 4:11-13, 1 Timothy 3:1-13). The worship of early Christians was very free and informal. Mainly, it consisted of prayer, the singing of psalms, the exercising of the gifts of the Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and the reading and exposition of the Scriptures. Church meetings were essentially free from mere ceremonialism. ➨ 1.75 1.76 1.77 1.78 1.79 ➨ However, the rites of baptism and the Lord’s Supper were ordinances recognized by all Christian churches. The Lord’s Supper, or “love feast,” was a full meal shared by believers for fellowship and the commemoration of the Lord’s atoning work on the part of baptized believers. The crux of the Christian church, then as now, was uniting in worship and fellowship around the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Choose the best answer to complete these statements. The Christian community was not considered an organization held together by ________________________________________________________________________________________________ . a. participation in a common life c. the founding of a popular apostle b. belief in the Lord Jesus Christ d. common aims and interests The church at Rome was probably founded by __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ . a. Paul c. Aquila and Priscilla b. Romans present in Jerusalem d. Peter on the Day of Pentecost The Christian community was mainly comprised of ____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ . a. the lower classes of the empire c. the wealthy and powerful b. Paul’s own converts and friends d. Jewish believers Priscilla and Aquila were not ______________________________________________________ . a. Jews c. Paul’s friends b. banished from Rome d. Gentiles When moving into a new area for the purpose of evangelizing, the apostles generally went first to _______________________________________ . a. a love feast c. a synagogue b. a home church d. a forum Complete these activities. 1.80 List four general reasons why believers assembled together. a. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ b. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ c. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ d. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 1.81 List four elements used in worship in the early Christian church. a. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ b. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ c. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ d. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Complete this activity. ➨ 1.82 Briefly describe how Paul met Priscilla and Aquila and what position they held in the Roman church. _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12 THE BOOK OF ROMANS Paul had never been to Rome so he did not actually know the church in the capital city. Yet, apparently the witness of the church in Rome had spread throughout the empire. Paul believed that, because the Roman church had begun without any authoritative leadership, Roman Christians needed a thorough grounding in the fundamental doctrines of the faith. The first eight chapters of the book of Romans illustrate Paul’s fears that Judaizing influences, with all their legalistic Jewish traditions, might reach Rome and destroy the work of God among the people. After delivering the collection to Jerusalem, Paul hoped to visit Rome. From Rome, he intended to carry the gospel to Spain. Thus, he wrote to acquaint Roman Christians with his desires to use Rome as a base for evangelism in Spain and to secure the financial support of that church for his work farther to the west. Paul learned that a woman named Phoebe, a deaconess in the Corinthian church, was preparing to sail to Rome (Romans 16:1-2). Her visit presented an opportunity for Paul to send his letter to the saints in that city. The Roman Empire had no postal system except for official governmental business. Personal letters had to be carried by friends or special messengers. The church in Rome was already showing the vitality that later would play a significant role in the history of the world. Yet Paul wrote his letter to the Roman church, which he had never personally visited, to introduce himself and to establish the growing church in the basic doctrines of Jesus Christ. The occasion. During several years of intense missionary activity, Paul had been collecting contributions from the Gentile churches in Greece and Asia Minor for the needy Jerusalem church, which had been the springboard for the Christian church as a whole. (The collection is referred to in Acts 11:27-30.) His hope was that these gifts would allay certain suspicions that some in the Jewish Christian community at Jerusalem felt toward him concerning his activities with the Gentiles. The collection had been completed when the apostle Paul Paul’s Third Missionary Journey wrote to the Romans. Paul was awaiting an opportunity to personally present the gifts in Jerusalem. At the time the letter was written, Paul was in the midst of his third missionary journey. The dating of the letter is generally accepted as the winter of A.D. 57-58, during the fourth year of Nero’s reign. The letter was written shortly after the composition of 2 Corinthians, during Paul’s three-month visit to Greece referred to in Acts 20:2-3. It was probably written in Corinth from the home of Gaius, a wealthy Corinthian Christian (Romans 16:23). Phoebe, Paul’s Letter Bearer 13 ➨ Fill in the blanks with the correct answers. 1.83 Paul wrote to the Romans during his ___________________________ missionary journey. 1.84 The ruling Roman emperor at the time the letter was written was __________________________ . 1.85 His host was a wealthy Christian named ___________________________ . 1.86 Paul had just completed writing ___________________________ . 1.87 The dating of Romans is the winter of ___________________________ . 1.88 Paul planned to travel to ___________________________ after visiting Rome. ➨ Complete this list. 1.89 List four reasons why Paul wrote the book of Romans. a. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ b. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ c. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ d. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ➨ Answer the following questions. 1.90 Why did Phoebe deliver the letter to the Romans? ____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1.91 Why did Paul want to go to Jerusalem before visiting Rome? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ The persuasion. Paul had never personally visited the Roman Christians. He had friends in the various congregations, and was looking forward to meeting more of the brothers and sisters in the Lord. Before his personal visit, he felt it necessary to introduce himself and to send greetings to friends and coworkers. He was concerned for Phoebe, his letter bearer, and wanted to commend her to the church at Rome. Besides establishing relations, Paul wanted to acquaint Roman believers with his travel plans and ask for their aid concerning the projected trip to Spain. The letter goes much farther than introducing Paul and his travel plans. In his letter to the Romans, Paul gives the most complete, systematic statement of his theology we have. A much briefer note would have been sufficient, unless he had other purposes in mind. Romans is the longest, weightiest, and most influential of all Paul’s letters. It conveys the full richness of his experience with Christ as well as the full maturity of his thought. Why would the apostle put so much effort into this letter addressed to a group of believers he had never met? Perhaps Paul was conscious of a kind of turning point in his life. He had completed a number of missionary endeavors and was planning to begin work in a totally new region. He had preached the gospel in the east: now his attentions were turned toward the west. He must have intended this letter to be a summary and restatement of his basic thinking as well as instruction of the fundamental doctrines of salvation to believers in Rome. The bulk of the letter deals with the problem of sin and what God has done about it. Paul attempted to fortify the Romans against the error of the Judaizers by the careful explanation of the grace of God, void of human acts of righteousness. Paul purposed to explain the unbelief of Israel, indicating its extent and duration, and also reveal God’s favor toward His “chosen nation.” Paul urged his readers to become whole-heartedly involved in the full Christian life through participation and interaction with His church body. He 14 admonished the Roman church to remain subject to higher authorities and to remain in an attitude of submission and love toward one another, maintaining unity in Christ Jesus. Paul’s persuasion is one of instructional clarification and admonition written in a style of pater- ➨ 1.92 1.93 1.94 1.95 ➨ nal tenderness. His letter to the Romans is the great “Gospel Manifesto” for the world. Paul viewed Rome as a center of the world for which Christ died and recognized it as a key city for the dissemination of the “Good News” of Jesus Christ. Choose the best answer. Before visiting the Romans, Paul wanted to _____________________________________ . a. introduce himself c. commend Phoebe e. not a, b, or c b. send greetings d. a, b, and c f. only a and b Paul wanted Roman support for his trip to _____________________________________ . a. Asia Minor c. Jerusalem b. Corinth d. Spain The bulk of the letter deals with _____________________________________ . a. Judaizers c. sin and God’s solution to it b. justification through human d. life in the body of Christ righteousness Paul’s letter to the Romans is _____________________________________ . a. his shortest letter c. the least influential of his letters b. a “Gospel Manifesto” d. instruction only for the chosen nation Complete the following purposes for Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. 1.100 Paul wrote the book of Romans to: Fortify them against the errors of the ________________________________________________________ . Explain the unbelief of _______________________________________________________________________ . Urge them to participate and interact with __________________________________________________ . Admonish them to maintain unity by submitting to __________________________________________ and to each other. Instruct them in the fundamental doctrine of ________________________________________________ . ➨ Answer the following question. 1.96 1.97 1.98 1.99 1.101 ✞ Besides the purposes mentioned in 1.96-1.100, why did Paul put so much effort into this letter? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Review the material in this section in preparation for the Self Test. The Self Test will check your mastery of this particular section. The items missed on this Self Test will indicate specific areas where restudy is needed for mastery. 15 SELF TEST 1 Match these items (each match, 2 points). 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.010 _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ procurator tunica Roman religious policy Eternal City Jews forum Phoebe collection “Gospel Manifesto” pantheism a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. group of public buildings Paul’s messenger the book of Romans short–sleeved garment syncretism governor of a province worship of forces of nature as gods Rome first Christian persecutors Jerusalem Complete these lists (each answer, 3 points). 1.011 1.012 List the first five Roman emperors in the order of their reign. a. ___________________________________________ b. ___________________________________________ c. ___________________________________________ d. ___________________________________________ e. ___________________________________________ List the five social classes of the Roman Empire in the order of highest to lowest rank. a. ___________________________________________ b. ___________________________________________ c. ___________________________________________ d. ___________________________________________ e. ___________________________________________ Write the letter for the correct answer (each answer, 2 points). 1.013 1.014 1.015 1.016 1.017 1.018 Paul’s planned missionary expansion was to _______________ . a. Jerusalem c. Corinth b. Spain d. Rome Women wore an outer garment called a _______________ . a. toga c. stola b. tunica d. cape A constant reminder of Roman authority was _______________ . a. the Praetorian Guard c. the state religion b. judaizers d. taxes The dating of the writing of Romans was _______________ . a. A.D. 54-55 c. A.D. 56-57 b. A.D. 55-56 d. A.D. 57-58 The postal system was _______________ . a. highly developed c. poorly developed b. only for the wealthy d. only for governmental business The reforming emperor was _______________ . a. Augustus c. Nero b. Caligula d. Claudius 16 1.019 1.020 1.021 1.022 Roman soldiers did not _______________ . a. build roads c. enforce law b. patrol the empire’s borders d. govern the provinces Education was _______________ . a. reserved for the wealthy c. only for children b. available to all d. available only for professional training The Christian community was not considered an organization held together by _____________ . a. belief in the Lord Jesus c. the founding of a popular apostle b. common aims and interests d. a common life and salvation The bulk of the Epistle to the Romans deals with _______________ . a. Judaizers c. justification through human righteousness b. life in the body of Christ d. sin and God’s solution for it Complete the following statements (each answer, 3 points). 1.023 1.024 1.025 1.026 1.027 1.028 1.029 1.030 1.031 1.032 Roman religion was a matter of _____________________ rather than feeling. Christianity was initially considered by the Romans to be a _____________________ . The only fit occupation of a Roman gentleman was _____________________ . The common language used by Romans in the first century was _____________________ . Apostles began their evangelistic work in the Jewish institutions called _____________________ . The Roman Empire included the land area around the _____________________ . Charioteers raced around an oblong arena called a _____________________ . The emperor’s bodyguards were known as the _____________________ . Many forms of art and architecture were borrowed from the _____________________ . Paul’s friends, Priscilla and Aquila, were banished from Rome when _____________________ was emperor. Describe the Roman Christian church (this answer, 10 points). 1.033 Include information on how it began, where they met, and what the meetings included. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ✔ 88 110 17 Score Adult check ______________________ ______________________ Initial Date II. PAUL’S EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS thanksgiving, he launches into the subject of the world’s desperate need for redemption and the importance of righteousness in man’s relationship with God. He explains that this relationship is only achieved through God’s saving act in Christ. He reinforces this discussion by describing how a man should live who has become righteous before God through His Son. The Epistle to the Romans, in its sixteen chapters, is the most comprehensive of the Pauline Epistles. In this LIFEPAC we will study only chapters 1-8. The next LIFEPAC will cover the last half of the letter. Paul opens his letter with preliminary comments preparing the readers for all he intends to write and establishing excellent rapport with the believers in Rome. After the salutation and SECTION OBJECTIVES Review these objectives. When you have completed this section you should be able to: 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Briefly outline the first eight chapters of Romans, chapter by chapter. Illustrate the Roman form of a letter. Describe how Paul introduced himself to the Roman believers. Memorize the theme of the letter in Romans 1:16-17. Explain the downward progression of sin. Contrast Jewish faithlessness to Abraham’s faithfulness. Contrast the works of Adam and Jesus. Explain the transfer from sin and carnality to righteousness and a walk in the Spirit. VOCABULARY Study these words to enhance your learning success in this section. autonomous faith grace ✞ guilt justification propitiation redemption remission reprobate Read Romans 1:1–17. SALUTATION Paul’s salutation covers Romans 1:1-17. Ancient Greek letters usually began with the names of the sender and those to whom it was addressed and included a short greeting. Paul expanded the usual form to express his Christian faith. Following the salutation, customarily a short prayer of thanksgiving or a petition on behalf of the addressee was given. Again Paul followed the custom in a characteristically Christian way. As a means of introduction to the body of the letter, a key sentence or two summarized the theme of the discourse. Address (1:1-7). In a winsome way Paul introduces himself to a church he had never met. Any relationship should be started well since people often form opinions in the first few minutes of contact. Paul was undoubtedly aware of this fact. He did not inform his readers of his wonderful achievements or of his missionary fame. Instead, he described himself as a servant of Christ. Often we have met people who introduce themselves with great self acclaim. Paul’s boasting was of Jesus Christ. 18 Modern Letter Form Ancient Roman Letter Form The introduction tells of Paul’s calling. Paul did not travel as a tourist. He was on a specific mission for the kingdom of God. He had not encountered peril for the purpose of gaining power and position. He was called by God. This sense of calling sustained him through all the dangers and hardships that threatened his life daily. Because of the force of his calling, Paul was separated, or set apart, “unto the Gospel of God.” In verse 6, he makes clear that his readers, too, are called of Jesus Christ. Such a calling can only be fulfilled by separation, or coming out from, anything that is contrary to the perfect will of God. Second Corinthians 6:17 says, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate…” God never calls us out to desert us in a neutral state of uncertainty. Rather, for every place from which He calls us, He leads us into a more glorious position. We, like Paul, are called out of the kingdom of darkness and separated unto the Gospel of God, which is Jesus Christ. The letter is addressed to “all that be in Rome” rather than to a single congregation. Apparently, several small groups of believers were meeting in homes or other places throughout the metropolis. Yet they had a common bond. They were all called to be saints. A saint is any person made righteous by the saving blood of Jesus Christ. The address to the Romans could be summarized as Paul, the servant (1:1) wrote to the saints at Rome (1:7) on the subject of the Saviour (1:3-4). ➨ Write the answers on the lines. 2.1 Paul introduced himself as being a ___________________________________________________________ . 2.2 His boasting was of____________________________________________________________________________ . 2.3 Paul was a. _______________________ of God to fulfill the ministry of an b. ________________________. 2.4 His letter was addressed to ___________________________________________________________________ . 2.5 Who is a saint? _______________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ . 19 2.6 In your own words, explain Paul’s phrase “separated unto the gospel of God.” ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ➨ 2.7 ✔ Adult check ______________________ Initial Date ✔ Adult check ______________________ Initial Date Complete this activity. List or draw the form of a Roman letter. Witness (1:8-17). After Paul’s greeting to the church, he extended a prayer of thanksgiving for the faith of the Roman Christians. As you will see later in this epistle, Paul developed the concept of universal sin and human degradation. However, he began with edifying comments to the readers. This approach is an example of the spirit of Jesus. Our Lord always lifts up his children, restores, and refreshes. He does not insult or condemn. From God’s first conversation with man recorded in Genesis 1:28-31 and Genesis 2:16-17, His provisions for love and kindness were demonstrated before any mention of the one and only restriction. Again, in the book of of Revelation chapters 2-3, the pattern of edification is re-established in the Spirit’s messages to the seven churches. The Holy Spirit commends the churches before administering any correction. God’s intention is always for his best for his children. In this same attitude Paul greeted his Roman brethren with thankfulness and prayers. The apostle expressed his wish to personally visit them. As an apostle, Paul was to establish churches in the truth of Jesus Christ. A dictionary explanation of the word establish would include such meanings as to make stable, to settle, to make firm, and to secure. Paul intended to fulfill the commission of Jesus recorded in Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore and teach all nations…” The command was not to “convert and then depart from all nations,” but to teach them. Such a job involves the time, energy, and sincere dedication of the teacher. Jesus was the greatest of all teachers. His twelve students had learned all they needed to know in only three short years. It wasn’t the time spent in learning, but the quality of the education and the character of the Teacher that mattered. Jesus’ most popular teaching method was the use of parables. His goal in teaching was to firmly implant in his learners the basic principles of life. He knew that any growth begins with a firm foundation. Read Matthew 7:24-27. According to Matthew 16:15-19, the church was to be built on solid rock; but where was this rock? It was not a specified geographic location. Nor was it in a human founder, such as Peter. It was the revelation from God in heaven that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Once this foun20 dation is laid, “the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.” This affirmation does not mean that the church will defensively continue to push back the forces of hell. Rather, that hell will not be able to withstand the mighty offensive onslaught of the church of Jesus Christ. Paul’s job was to firmly secure believers, like those in Rome, in the awesome rock of victorious salvation. A consuming passion for the gospel propelled Paul to continue in his apostolic ministry. The theme of his letter to the Romans is summarized in Romans 1:16-17: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written. The just shall live by faith.” Thus Paul expressed his sense of obligation by three simple “I am’s”: Paul had been beaten, mocked, shipwrecked, chased out of town, and imprisoned for the sake of the gospel. Yet he had never wavered from carrying forward the gospel message. His life had been completely transformed when he encountered the glorified Christ on the road to Damascus. One glimpse of the risen Lord left Paul with only one message— faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is not dependent on keeping rules and regulations. The Pharisees had already been convicted of that crime by Jesus Himself. Faith is not dependent on human righteousness. Isaiah 64:6 declares that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in the sight of the Lord. Faith is belief in the atoning work of Jesus accomplished at Calvary and evidenced by His Resurrection. Faith comes by hearing the gospel. Gospel means good news. Paul knew that to obtain faith, a person must hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Ridicule, pain, threat, hardships, and even death itself could not turn Paul away from preaching the gospel. Paul was separated unto the gospel (1:1), serving in the gospel (1:5), and saved by the gospel (1:16). He recognized that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and nothing short of this power of God could make anyone a true disciple of Jesus. I am debtor (to all people, Jew and Gentile) Romans 1:14. I am ready to preach (fulfill the apostolic ministry) Romans 1:15. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ (the message) Romans 1:16. ➨ 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 ➨ 2.13 Choose the best answer. Write the letter and the answer on the blank. After the initial address, Paul greeted the Romans with _____________________________________ . a. small talk c. condemnation b. edification d. correction The work of an apostle is to __________________________________________________________________ . a. locate physical laborers to build churches c. establish churches b. employ pastors d. travel throughout the world teaching parables A church must be built _______________________________________________________________________ . a. on a rock c. on doctrine b. in a sandy place d. in Jesus Jesus’ Great Commission was to ______________________________________________________________ . a. teach all nations c. convert all nations b. exhort all nations d. restore all nations Jesus’ goal in teaching was to ________________________________________________________________ . a. popularize parables c. establish learners in the basic principles of life b. establish schools for disciples d. become the greatest of all teachers From memory, write the theme of Paul’s letter. Chapter and verse _______________________ The theme: ____________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 21 ➨ 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 ✞ Answer the following questions. The word gospel actually means what? _______________________________________________________ What is faith dependent upon? _______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ How is faith obtained? ________________________________________________________________________ Why was Paul willing to be an apostle? ______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Read Romans 1:18 – 4:25. STATE OF CONDEMNATION Without the saving grace of God, man would remain in a perpetual state of condemnation. To emphasize God’s mercy and love, Paul contrasts man’s sinful nature. Light could not be fully explained without an understanding of darkness. We would not know right without some knowledge of wrong. A solution could not exist without a problem. Therefore, to explain to the Romans the good news of salvation, Paul first presented the bad news of universal guilt and the downward spiral of the human condition resulting in judgment and condemnation (see Romans 1:18-2:29). Paul narrowed the discussion to the faithlessness of the Jewish population (Romans chapter 3) and used the father of the Jews, Abraham, as the example of how righteousness can be obtained when faith is exercised (Romans chapter 4). Guiltiness (1:18-2:29). All the world stands guilty before God! Hell’s fire leaps higher as the wrath of God is loosed toward all those who hold the truth in unrighteousness. In the creation of the universe, God displayed His magnificence and splendor, yet man refused to acknowledge the Creator. Because man would not join in the praises of the created world, God’s judgment of guilt was branded into the minds and hearts of all mankind. None stands righteous before God. Sin can be compared to a cancerous disease. There seems to be no single cause. Once the disease has developed, if not treated, it begins to spread until it becomes malignant and incurable. In Romans 1:18-32, Paul illustrated the spread of cancerous sin in the diseased body of mankind. By paralleling Scripture, his explanation can be clarified. God’s x-ray of the human heart shows that “the heart is deceitful above all things…” Jeremiah 17:9. Our condition is hereditary, for we are sons of Adam. Because God is righteous and true, He must judge our sinfulness. He has made His laws explicitly clear by setting them into nature so that no man could misinterpret them unless he deliberately decides to be blind. Ephesians 4:18 says that men developed their incurable condition by ‘’having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” Once we have been exposed to God’s laws, we become responsible to act in obedience and become doers of the truth. Those who reject the truth are 22 participates in all the vices mentioned in Romans 1:29-31. That passage is a picture of the human race as a whole. However, each of us is guilty of some of the evils mentioned. Often the sin we detect in others is a mirror reflecting the same flaws in our own character. Yet it is easier to diagnose the disease in other people than in ourselves. in very serious trouble according to 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12: “…with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” The cancer began to grow when, rather than being thankful to God, men became vain, thinking themselves to be wise. God’s wisdom was demonstrated at the Cross of Calvary. First Corinthians 1:18 says: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” Man became autonomous in his own eyes and made images to worship rather than worshiping the Creator. The cancer continued to spread, infecting the mind and body. People became so separated from God that they practiced unnatural sexual relationships. Compare stories of similar dishonor in Genesis 19:1-10, Judges 19:22-26, and Judges 20:13. Both in the Old and New Testaments, God makes His law against homosexuality clear. Homosexuality is not inherited, it is learned. (Also refer to Leviticus 18:22, 1 Corinthians 6:9, and 1 Timothy 1:10). Those who practice such things are violating the Word of God, and by their lifestyle calling God a liar. In so doing they puff themselves up against the knowledge and power of their Creator. When the mind and body became cancerous to the point that people did not retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind. A reprobate person is one who is depraved, rejected by God, and damned. The fruits of reprobation are listed in Romans 1:29-31. In the first sixteen verses of chapter 2, Paul explained the universality of sin. No one is excluded—not even “good” people. Jesus said in Matthew 7:1-5: God is the only one Who has the right to judge, for He alone is pure. Yet God is patient and forebearing. He does not immediately strike us dead when we commit sin. He is not, like a bullying stereotyped soldier with a whip in one hand and a club in the other, waiting for someone to make a mistake so He can derive pleasure from cracking that person’s skull. Neither does He (God) pretend not to notice our sins and simply grant us amnesty. Rather, by His goodness and longsuffering He is giving the sinner time to recognize His love and mercy and to repent. Repentance means to change one’s mind. If one does not change, but continues in sin, his heart becomes hardened toward God. Meanwhile, he incurs God’s wrath against the Judgment Day. Unto those who continue to seek the Lord, He will grant eternal life. Deuteronomy 4:29 says, “But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother; Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” God does not judge according to wealth, fame, position, or race. He is no respecter of persons. God looks on the heart. The Jews inherited the Law of Moses as a standard for conduct. The Gentiles were given a law of conscience as a standard. Therefore both Jew and Gentile could be justly judged. Romans 2:1-16 lists four standards of God’s judgment on mankind: 1. according to truth (2:2) 2. according to a person’s deeds (2:6) 3. according to the Law (2:12) 4. according to God’s Gospel (2:16) Paul basically restated this same principle in Romans 2:1. He was not saying that every one of us 23 The act of circumcision was a very important sacrament to the Jewish nation. It was first instigated in God’s covenant with Abraham as recorded in Genesis 17:9-14. It was a token of the everlasting covenant between God and His chosen nation. In Deuteronomy 30:6 God said to His people:“... The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.” A real Jew is one who has presented his heart before God for circumcision by the Holy Spirit. Romans 2:17-19 narrows universal guilt to the guilt of the Jewish nation. Paul addressed God’s chosen people in much the same attitude as Jesus did in Matthew chapter 23. Paul, a Jew, was writing to congregations comprised of a considerable Jewish faction. Therefore, he spoke as “the voice of authority.” Paul gives a summarizing statement of a real Jew in Romans 2:29. “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” ➨ 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 ➨ 2.24 2.25 Choose the best answer. Who has been pronounced guilty? ____________________________________________________________ a. Jews c. no one b. Gentiles d. everyone How did humans catch the cancerous disease of sin? ____________________________________ a. through our parents c. through Adam b. by committing acts of sin d. by exposure to our sinful environment Why was the disease not cured? _______________________________________________________ a. no one told of the cure c. God did not want man cured b. man ignored God’s obvious Law d. there was no cure What happens to people who ignore God in their knowledge? ____________________________ a. they become reprobate c. they are killed b. they are granted amnesty d. they become wise What leads us to repentance? __________________________________________________________ a. the threat of judgment c. God’s goodness b. our change of mind d. our softened hearts A real Jew is _________________________________________________________________________ . a. a member of God’s chosen race c. one whose heart is circumcised b. a person who follows the Law of Moses d. a follower of Paul Complete the following activities. Write a brief essay on a scripturally–based discussion of homosexuality. Give references to support your statements. (Hint: See Gensis 19:1-10; Judges 19:22-26 and 20:13; Leviticus 18:22; 1 Corintions 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10; and Romans 1:23-32). Is there a scriptural solution to the problem of homosexuality? Give at least five Bible references to support your answer. (Hint: See 1 Corinthians 7:9 and 1 John 1:5-9). ✔ ➨ 2.26 2.27 2.28 Adult check ______________________ Initial Date Define these words. autonomous ___________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ repentance ____________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ reprobate _____________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 24 BIBLE 1 1 0 2 LIFEPAC TEST Name 74 Date 93 Score BIBLE 1102: LIFEPAC TEST Match the following items (each answer, 2 points). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ first Roman emperor an apostle tunica Judaizers autonomous new field of evangelism sanctification A.D. 57-58 pantheism edification sin senatorial aristocracy A.D. 54-68 justification Greek equestrian order Jerusalem reprobate syncretism stola a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. k. l. m. n. o. p. q. r. s. t. highest Roman social class common language of Roman Empire Nero worship of forces of nature as many gods Roman attitude toward religion collection totally independent death Augustus candidates for procurator Spain writing date of book of Romans damned under garment woman’s outer garment make Jewish proselytes Paul greeting act of God that declares a sinner righteous an on-going process Answer true or false (each answer, 1 point). 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ Paul wrote the book of Romans from Corinth. The Roman church was definitely founded by Priscilla and Aquila. The state religion of the empire included emperor worship. Paul introduced himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. Sin is a downward spiral. Choose the best answer (each answer, 1 point). 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. Paul did not write the Romans to _________ . a. extend greetings c. b. establish them in doctrines of faith d. A real Jew is _________ . a. one whose heart is circumcised c. b. a member of the Jewish race d. The Holy Spirit is the _________ of redemption. a. token c. b. pitch d. The source of salvation is _________ . a. righteousness c. b. Jesus d. Sin has affected _________ . a. Jews c. b. Gentiles d. 1 ask them to sponsor the Jerusalem collection refute the error of the Judaizers a Jewish proselyte one who believes in God seal representation Abraham blood everyone Adam Complete this drawing (this activity, 5 points). 31. Draw the form of a Roman letter. Complete the outline (this answer, 10 points). 32. Outline the first eight chapters of the book of Romans. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ From memory write the following verses of Scripture (each answer, 4 points). 33. Romans 1:16-17 _______________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 34. Romans 3:23 _________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 35. Romans 6:23 _________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 36. Romans 5:1 __________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 37. Romans 5:8 __________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 38. Romans 6:11 _________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 39. Romans 8:1____________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2 NOTES 3 ➨ Complete these activities. 2.29 List the four standards of judgment mentioned in Romans chapter 2. a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ c. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ d. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2.30 Write examples of man’s sinful nature that are given by Jesus in Matthew and by Paul in Romans. Jesus Paul Tell others what to do, but do not follow their own advice. You teach others but do not teach yourself. a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. 25 Faithlessness (3:1-4:25). Before his conversion, Paul had spent his life trying to obey the Law of Moses. He was “a Pharisee of the Pharisees.” Then he met Jesus Christ and discovered that legalism was not the way to find God’s favor. He found that only the grace of God could make a person whole. Yet, Paul did not disown his Jewish heritage. He knew Jews were still God’s covenant people. God had given them the Scriptures (Oracles of God) and the unconditional promises they contained, but that did not mean that intrinsically they were any better in God’s sight than any other nation. The Hebrew nation was called forth to pave the way for God’s age-long plan of redemption devised before the foundations of the world. The covenant with Israel was not an agreement between equal parties. It was a free institution of God’s grace. Therefore, the faithfulness of God was not invalidated by the faithlessness of His covenant people. However, the failure of the Jews to fulfill their part of the covenant could not be excused on the plea that God would receive more glory because of their failure and that His truth would shine brighter when His part was fulfilled. Numbers 23:19 states: “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” God is true, and His judgment is according to truth. If the Jews insisted on living according to the legalism of the Law of Moses, then God would judge them according to that Law. Through experience, Paul had learned that this requirement was impossible to perform. Did the Jews have the answer to pleasing God in the Law? Paul said “No!” Both Jews and Greeks, despite the formerly mentioned advantages, stand on the same ground. All are under the power of sin. No one is innocent. To make sure his statement was clearly understood, Paul vividly described the Judge’s verdict in Romans 3:10-18. Sin means to miss the mark. Everyone has missed the mark of God’s righteousness. Nothing man could have done, or will ever be able to do, would meet God’s standard—not even fulfilling the Law of Moses. As a matter of fact, God instituted the Law for the purpose of making men aware of their helpless and hopeless condition. Imagine a courtroom scene. At a prior hearing, both Jews and Gentiles were pronounced guilty. The case has been taken to the Supreme Court of heaven. God listens to the pleas of both Jews and Gentiles. The Gentile members say, “We cannot be held responsible for our actions because we were ignorant of the laws we transgressed.” The Judge responds, “Ignorance of the Law is no excuse, for I wrote my Laws on your hearts. I pronounce you guilty.” The Jews’ plead, “We found the Law of Moses humanly impossible to obey. The standards were unobtainable.” God’s sentence is given, “By your own confession you are found guilty of sin. Both Jews and Gentiles are found Guilty.” There is a pause in the courtroom. Again God speaks, “Is anyone able to plead the cause of the accused before I pronounce the sentence of eternal damnation?” Again there is silence. No man can give an answer. The Judge speaks again, “According to justice, mankind must die, but according to mercy, I have substituted my Son to die for the sins of the world.” Jesus stands from His royal throne at the right hand of His Father and addresses His Highness: “I am willing to represent these people. It is true that they are guilty and have committed all manner of sin. Yet I died in their place that they might be free from the power of sin. I bore their guilt on the Cross. Their righteousness is not of their own accord. For those who believe, their righteousness is in Me.” At this news, the Judge, the Defense Attorney, and all those on trial celebrate the glorious pronouncement. Because (Romans 3:23) “…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” there is only one solution to man’s desperate plight. In Romans 3:2426 Paul explained the solution in legal terms. First, Paul stated the fact of justification. To justify is to free from blame, to declare guiltless, to acquit (to release from a specific charge by a judicial decision), or to absolve (implies a setting free from responsibilities or obligations or from the penalties for a violation). Simply, justified means an act of God that declares a sinner righteous. Secondly, justification is by God’s grace. Grace is unmerited favor. Thirdly, justification is obtained through redemption in Jesus. To redeem means to ransom, rescue, buy back, or recover, as by paying a fee. The fee paid for redemption was the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ. God sent forth His Son to be a propitiation through faith in His blood (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). Faith does not indicate any work on the part of the redeemed. It is simply the act of believing in His blood. Faith is not belief in the historical facts that Jesus lived and died. Nor is it belief in His moral teachings and character. Faith is believing in the atoning work of His blood. Only in His blood is there remission of sins. Remission means forgiveness, cancellation of a debt, or release from a penalty. Our justification was a legal process accomplished by our Redeemer because of the love of God. At Calvary, Jesus broke the power of sin. He 26 not only forgave our sinful acts, eliminated the general state of sin, and delivered us from the penalty of sin; but He also freed us from the consciousness of guilt. The result of sin is guilt, which propels us to hide and keeps us in a state of fear and selfdegradation. No one can accuse us of anything God has forgiven and forgotten—not even ourselves. Our justification is by faith. Does this fact mean that the Law is done away with entirely? No! Jesus fulfilled all the Law. Therefore, if we are found in Him, rather than throwing away the Law we establish it. The Law is not bad. God used it to pave the way for its fulfillment, Jesus Christ. The Old Covenant God made with Israel led the way to the fullness of God’s promises revealed in the New Testament. The message of the New Testament is the salvation of mankind, both Jew and Gentile, through faith in Jesus Christ the Lord. In Romans chapter 4, Paul used the illustration of Abraham to exemplify faith, rather than obedience to Law, as the source of our righteousness. Paul took great pains to establish the Roman congregations in the principle of justification by faith so that they would not be negatively influenced by the common teaching that Gentiles must become Jewish proselytes to become Christians. The teaching held that God’s promises were only to Abraham and his seed, those who were of the circumcision. Paul undermined this line of reasoning by pointing to the fact that the rite of circumcision was a result of faith in God, which was credited as his righteousness. Paul chose the “father of the Jews” as his example of faith. God’s call to Abraham caused him to leave the comforts and securities of an established home to wander in the uncertainties of the unknown. Yet he was not alone. God was always with him. Abraham trusted God, for he knew His promises were sure. It was through this unquestioning faith that God would fulfill what He had spoken that was counted as righteousness. God’s blessings depend neither on our achievements nor on our perfection in following directions. If they did, Abraham would have been disqualified at the conception of his son Ishmael. God’s blessings are toward those who in faith accept His free gift of forgiveness. Paul cited Psalm 32:1-2 as further verification of the issue, when he says in Romans 4:7-8, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute his sin.” David was well acquainted with the forgiving kindness of the Lord. In this psalm he described the torture of carrying his unconfessed sin and the joyous release of God’s forgiving mercy. God’s mercy and blessing was not limited to the Jewish nation, as Paul clarifies in verses 9-16. Once again the Roman Christians were reminded that Abraham was justified before he was circumcised. Abraham’s example to future generations was not of circumcision, but of faith. Faith does not contend with God. Faith recognizes God’s loving kindness and acts on it. In Romans 4:17-25, Paul recounts the amazing promises of God to Abraham. Abraham was about one hundred years old and Sarah was about ninety. It was physically impossible for them to become parents. Yet God kept His word by restoring their youth and giving them the healthy child of promise. Abraham had remained (Romans 4:21 ) “…fully persuaded that, what he [God] had promised, he was able also to perform.” Abraham received three things by faith: 1. righteousness (4:3) 2. inheritance (4:13) 3. posterity (4:17) The true heirs of Abraham are those who (Romans 4:24-25) “…believe in him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.” ➨ On the blank write the correct term for each meaning. (Use an additional source, if necessary). 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 justification faith ___________________ ___________________ _________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ grace redeem propitiation atonement remission guilt unmerited favor; privilege freely granted; clemency enables God to turn to man, to manifest Himself in grace act of God that declares a sinner righteous culpable; sense of wrongdoing, result of sin recover; ransom; buy back reparation; make amends; expiation; reconciliation unquestioning belief; confidence; complete trust; allegiance cancellation of debt; release from penalty 27 ➨ 2.39 2.40 2.41 2.42 2.43 2.44 2.45 2.46 2.47 2.48 2.49 ✞ Answer the following questions. Who did Paul use as the example of faith? ____________________________________________________ What does sin mean?__________________________________________________________________________ What made the Jewish nation special in the eyes of God? ____________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ What was God’s purpose in giving the Law? __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why was the covenant not invalidated when the Jews disobeyed? ____________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ What is the basis for the blessing of God?_____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ What was the teaching Paul was opposing in Romans chapter 4?_____________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ How did Paul refute this error (from 2:45)? ___________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ What was the basis of Abraham’s faith? ______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ What three things did Abraham receive as a result of his faith?______________________________ a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ c. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Who are the heirs of Abraham? _______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Read Romans chapters 5–8. STATE OF JUSTIFICATION The first four chapters of Romans theologically dealt with the sinful nature of mankind, the lack of faith in God by both Jews and Gentiles, and the futility of trying to earn salvation through circumcision and the Law. Paul used Abraham to illustrate faith which would result in righteousness. Chapters 5-8 deal with the fruits of faithfulness and the plan by which Jesus removes our guilt so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ. Faithfulness (Chapters 5-6). Imagine yourself standing high atop the rim of the Grand Canyon. Far, far below in a remote crevice near a bend in the rushing Colorado River, an escaped criminal hides in fear of being discovered. Though you are miles higher in altitude, you are as little able to touch the glittering stars as he. However 28 high our moral standards are set, we can never attain the righteousness that God requires. Justification depends on a work done apart from us, something accomplished at Calvary. In God’s forgiveness our garment of unrighteousness is removed. Through justification we are clothed in God’s garment of righteousness. Justification buries all our sin and guilt in the grave of Jesus Christ and then lifts us into heavenly places where we are victoriously seated with our Savior. In the first five verses of Romans chapter 5, Paul gave the progression of the fruits of justification by faith: Peace ➞ Access to God’s grace ➞ Rejoicing ➞ Hope of Glory ➞ Glorying in tribulations ➞ Patience ➞ Experience ➞ Hope ➞ Love of God. How could such a marvelous transaction take place? How could sinful people who deserved to die be justified? Paul explained it with the tremendous declaration of Romans 5:8: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” In His death, Christ bore the consequences of our sin, thus reconciling us to God. Paul made clear that we are the ones estranged from God. He is not reconciled to us; we are reconciled to God. As a result of our justification through Christ, we are saved from God’s judgment. In Romans 5:12-21, Paul presented an analogy and contrast between Adam and Jesus. He explained that men are not to blame for being sinners. At birth the nature of Adam was imparted to the human soul. Adam did not start with a sinful nature, but he chose it. As a result, this negative nature became a human hereditary condition. We sin because we are sinners. However, Christ undid what Adam began. Through Jesus’ death, atonement was made. Just as one man brought death to the human race, one man’s death was sufficient to bring life to those who will receive it. First Corinthians 15:22 says, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” The following chart summarizes Paul’s message. Condemnation through Adam source nature extent cause measure effect from one – first Adam judgement unto all; many disobedience and offense sin did abound brought sin and death Throughout the chapter, Paul repeated the key phrase much more. He emphasized that although Adam was the natural head of humanity, the spiritual head had more authority and dominion. Romans 5:9 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Romans 5:10 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:15 “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” Romans 5:17 “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Justification through Jesus from one – second Adam free gift unto all; many obedience and grace grace did much more abound brought righteousness and life Romans 5:20 “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” By the repetition of this key phrase, Paul stressed the excellency of the work of the Cross and of the new life in Jesus. Everything concerning the Lord Jesus is far superior to anything outside Him. As Hebrews 8:6 says, he has “…obtained a more excellent ministry…” Paul had strongly insisted that salvation was an entirely gracious and undeserved gift of God. To some he may have appeared guilty to the charge of encouraging sin. Since they were no longer under the Law and God promised to forgive sin, why should they not continue sinning so that God could continue forgiving? In Romans 6:1-14, Paul emphatically refuted such reasoning by stressing the importance of baptism. Colossians 3:3 says “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Galatians 2:20 further states, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but 29 Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” The union with Christ in His death and Resurrection became the basis of deliverance from sin. Sin could no longer take dominion over the life of one who had been saved by grace unto righteousness. In Romans 6:15-23, Paul set forth an analogy from slavery. A person has a choice of serving sin or serving God. When one is a servant of sin, the wages are impurity, greater iniquity, and death. When one is a servant of God, his return is sanctification, righteousness, and eternal life. In one’s heart he belongs to either sin or God, but not to both. This relationship does not mean that immediately after becoming a slave to God he can completely overcome all sins, for no one in this life will ever be beyond the need of God’s mercy. Through faith in Jesus Christ, however, all the inheritance of God belongs to those found in Him. ✔ ➨ 2.50 Complete the list. List five of the fruits of justification by faith. a. _____________________________________ b. _____________________________________ c. _____________________________________ ➨ Answer true or false. 2.51 2.52 2.53 2.54 2.55 2.56 2.57 2.58 2.59 2.60 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ➨ Briefly answer the following questions. 2.61 2.62 2.63 2.64 2.65 2.66 2.67 ➨ 2.68 Adult check ______________________ Initial Date d. _____________________________________ e. _____________________________________ Degrees of righteousness depend on moral standards. Hope is a result of experience. The only reason we are sinners is because we sin. Justification is attained in degrees. We were estranged from God and therefore had to be reconciled to Him. At birth, the nature of Abraham is imparted to a person. When we are justified, we are saved from God’s judgment. Justification is a free gift of God. Paul was not encouraging sin by stressing the grace of God. After baptism, a person never sins again. What was the cause of condemnation? ________________________________________________________ What was the source of justification? _________________________________________________________ What was the effect of justification? __________________________________________________________ What was the effect of condemnation? ________________________________________________________ What was the extent of condemnation and justification?______________________________________ What is the basis of deliverance from sin? ____________________________________________________ According to Romans 6:4 what should be the effect of our baptism into Christ? ______________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Write the correct answer on the line. Summarize in short phrases the “much mores” promised in Jesus. Romans 5:9 Much more: saved from wrath Romans 5:10 Much more: a. ______________________________________________________ Romans 5:15 Much more: b. ______________________________________________________ Romans 5:17 Much more: c. ______________________________________________________ Romans 5:20 Much more: d. ______________________________________________________ 30 ➨ 2.69 ✔ Write an explanation. In your own words, explain Paul’s analogy of slavery. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Adult check ______________________ Initial Date Guiltlessness (Chapters 7-8). Since Christians are justified by faith, they are free from the penalty of sin and guilt. However, a struggle continues in the inward man between the old and new natures. This struggle could result in guilt and self-condemnation. Yet God has provided for total salvation from sin and its adverse results. Paul systematically explained the process of removing sin and guilt once a person is justified by faith. (Read Romans chapters 7-8 again.) Often in Scripture the relationship between Christ and His church is compared with the marriage union. Second Corinthians 11:2 states, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealously: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” Other similar Scriptures include Isaiah 62:5; Revelation 19:7; 21:2; 22:17; and Ephesians 5:22-32. Paul used this sacred union as an analogy in Romans 7:1-6. When two people marry they are bound to each other until one of them dies (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 5:32; Mark 10:9; and 1 Corinthians 7:10-11). If they divorce and remarry, according to Romans 7:3, they live in the state of adultery. However, if one of them dies, then the other is no longer bound to the deceased spouse, but is free to remarry. Likewise, once a person dies to the Law by accepting justification through Christ, he is free to be married to the grace of Jesus. Through the atonement of the Lord’s blood we are loosed from the bondage of the Law, and are freed to serve the spirit of the Law which is found in Christ Jesus (refer to Matthew chapters 5-7). Paul found it necessary to explain that the Law in itself is not an evil culprit. The Law was given as a preparatory measure to educate men of their need of a Savior. Galatians 3:24 says, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” The Law was given to allow us to distinguish right from wrong. Sin was not known until the Law was given. Therefore, since the Law is not evil, the real enemy is sin. When Adam was in the Garden of Eden he was in a somewhat blissful state of innocence, enjoying the goodness of a life in God. He could have continued in that state even after God forbade him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which would bring death. Satan tempted Adam and Eve to disobey God. When they tasted of the knowledge of good and evil, they became spiritually dead and sin began to multiply. Once man obtained the knowledge of right and wrong, his deceived heart provoked him to continue doing wrong. Similarly, once man obtained the knowledge of the Law, he was provoked to disobedience. Satan is not only the tempter, but also the accuser. Thus, once sin was provoked by the Law, the Law became a means by which men could be condemned. As Paul stated in Romans 7:11, “For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, 31 deceived me, and by it slew me.” Sin deceives in that it represents the Law as a limitation separating a person from happiness. Beyond the limitation, it charms a person into transgression by a phantom of happiness. God’s Law was perfect, but man was sold under sin and could not obey. In Romans 7:14-24, Paul agonizingly portrayed the warring inner conflict of man’s carnal and spiritual natures. When trying to obey the Law, the spiritual nature is always trampled by the carnal nature. The spiritual nature wills what is right, but the carnal nature performs what is wrong. In utter frustration and defeat comes the moaning cry, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” On our own merit we cannot live a victorious life. The struggle Paul described in Romans chapter 7 is a result of a severe “I” problem. The word I is used thirty-eight times in the last twenty-five (Romans chapter 7) verses. Although “I” tries, he only finds defeat. Obeying God is not hard; it’s impossible! There is only one solution to such an “I” problem as found in Romans 7:25. “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” When “I” gives up, the Holy Spirit can take over. Struggling yields to power; defeat turns into victory; and misery is transformed into rejoicing. We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ—not by our own futile attempts at self-righteousness. Furthermore, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.” Condemnation implies being incurable and doomed for all eternity. Paul began one of the best loved chapters of the Bible, Romans chapter 8, with the emancipating declaration that we are free from condemnation. Instead of us, sin has been condemned by Jesus’ death and Resurrection. When we yield our carnal humanity to Jesus and His Spirit of Holiness, God does in us an unceasing, unwearying work whereby we are transformed into responsible, mature sons of God. Sometimes we may not feel God working in us, or even be conscious of His presence, but God continues His steady regenerative process. We accept it as a matter of faith. Being “in the flesh” means to be giving our lives over to the gratification of selfish and evil desires. God’s requirement is righteousness leading unto holiness. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we hope for the righteousness which God demands. This power is what Paul meant by “living by the Spirit.” Imagine yourself on a balloon ride. As the balloon is rising, you are defying the law of gravity which normally holds you fast to the earth. The law of gravity is not destroyed, it is simply rendered inoperable. A balloon has no steering mechanism. It must be carried by the wind. The Greek word for spirit also means breath or wind. In John 3:8 Jesus says, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” When we commit ourselves to Christ and submit ourselves to the control of the Spirit, we can be lifted above sin’s dominating control. Sin no longer need have dominion over us. We are free from condemnation. We may not always know where we are going, but God is in control. In Romans 8:11-18, Paul warned his readers of problems and struggles to be encountered. The Spirit-filled life is not all flowers and sunshine. A look at the life of Jesus proves this point. Yet Paul reassuringly stated, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” God has given us the exact same life-asserting, resurrecting Spirit of God. Just as the Spirit propelled Jesus from the clutches of death, even so that same Spirit motivates us into a life of righteousness. In some of the most trying times during Jesus’ life he cried (Mark 14:36) “Abba, Father.” This plea is an endearing one from a Son to His loving Father. By the Spirit of adoption we also have access to the use of this same phrase in appealing to the heart of God, the Father. Jesus says in John 3:5, “…Except a man be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Once we are born of the Spirit, we become children of God and joint heirs with Jesus. From childhood we must grow in maturity until we become adult, responsible sons of God. Since the Fall of man, all creation has groaned and travailed until the total work of redemption was manifested. Though we experience many “growing pains,” we maintain hope as we await the unveiling of the full glory of God. Sometimes along the way we come to a point where we don’t know which way to turn, or even how to pray. Once again the Spirit helps us in our infirmities by praying through us to the Father (Romans 8:26-27) “…with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searches” the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Through all events of life we have the assurance that God has known us since the begin32 ning of time, and has preordained that whoever will believe on Jesus Christ the Lord would be justified by His blood and glorified in the likeness of His Resurrection. God is for us and wants to give us of His bounteous blessings. We can proclaim with Paul, “All things work together for good to them that love God…” When we realize that God so ➨ 2.70 2.71 2.72 2.73 2.74 ➨ 2.75 2.76 2.77 ➨ 2.78 loved us that “… he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” then we will share Paul’s certainty that nothing—absolutely nothing—shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Choose the best answer. Write it on the line. The relationship between Christ and the church is often compared with _____________________ . a. slavery c. balloons b. marriage d. adultery If a couple divorces and remarries someone else, then they live in a state of _________________ . a. acceptability c. adultery b. bliss d. righteousness People die to the Law when they ______________________________________________________________ . a. quit sinning c. make atonement b. neglect the Law d. accept justification through Jesus The Law _______________________ sin. a. provoked c. insisted on b. prevented d. cured The Law also became a means by which man could be________________________________________ . a. justified c. condemned b. schooled d. counseled Answer the following questions. Base your answers on Scripture you have read. In Romans chapter 7, why did the spiritual nature lose the war against the carnal nature ? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ What does “being in the flesh” mean? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ What does “walking after the Spirit” mean? __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Complete the following verses of Scripture. a. “There is therefore now no ____________________________ to them which are in Christ Jesus.” b. “For to be carnally minded is ___________________________ ; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” c. “For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry 1. ________________________ , 2. __________________________ .” d. “For I reckon that the __________________________ of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the _______________________ which shall be revealed in us.” e. “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the ____________________________ .” f. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should __________________________ for as we ought…” g. “And we know that all things work together for ______________________________ to them that love God…” h. “If God be for us, who can be ________________________ ?” i. “Nay, in all these things we are more than _____________________________ through him that loved us.” j. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels ... shall be able to 1. _________________ us from the 2. ____________________ of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 33 ✞ Review the material in this section in preparation for the Self Test. This Self Test will check you mastery of this particular section as well as your knowledge of the previous section. SELF TEST 2 Match these items (each answer, 2 points). 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.010 ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ saint repentance separated Abraham Gospel sin grace peace Law carnality a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. good news miss the mark fruit of justification change one’s mind set apart example of faith self-gratification person saved by the blood of Jesus unmerited favor schoolmaster Which of the following is NOT an accurate definition (each answer, 1 point). 2.011 ________ establish: a. make steady b. unsettle c. make firm d. secure 2.012 ________ reprobate: a. depraved b. rejected by God c. damned d. deprived 2.013 ________ justify: a. place blame b. acquit c. just as if I’d never sinned d. absolve 2.014 ________ redeem: a. recover b. buy back c. avoid paying ransom d. rescue 2.015 ________ propitiation: a. enables God to turn to man c. regain good will b. God manifesting Himself in grace d. flatter 2.016 ________ remission: a. cancellation of debt b. release from penalty c. omission d. forgiveness 2.017 ________ faith: a. questioning belief b. confidence c. allegiance d. complete trust 2.018 ________ atonement: a. at one-ment b. reconciliation c. sacrifice d. make amends 2.019 ________ grace: a. unmerited favor b. thanksgiving c. clemency d. privilege freely granted 2.020 ________ guilt: a. sense of wrongdoing b. reprobation c. result of sin d. culpability 34 Choose the best answer (each answer, 2 points). 2.021 2.022 2.023 2.024 2.025 2.026 2.027 2.028 2.029 2.030 2.031 2.032 2.033 2.034 2.035 The Roman Christian church was probably started by _______________________________________ . a. Paul’s converts and friends c. Priscilla and Aquila b. Peter d. those present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost A group of public buildings was called a/an ___________________________________________________ . a. circus c. gymnasium b. forum d. arena The top rung of the social order was the _____________________________________________________ . a. equestrian order b. freedmen c. plebe d. senatorial aristocracy The dating of the book of Romans was _______________________________________________________ . a. A.D. 55-56 c. A.D. 57-58 b. A.D. 56-57 d. A.D. 58-59 The Roman attitude toward other religions was ______________________________________________ . a. syncretism c. to enforce the state religion b. pantheism d. suppression The job of an apostle is to ____________________________________________________________________ . a. restore old churches c. employ pastors b. convert all nations d. establish churches Paul introduced himself to the church at Rome _______________________________________________ . a. with great pomp c. as a servant b. as a pauper d. as a missionary Paul’s greeting to the Romans was ____________________________________________________________ . a. condemning c. flattering b. edifying d. usual The only people guilty of sin are ______________________________________________________________ . a. all people c. Gentiles b. Jews d. Romans A real Jew is __________________________________________________________________________________ . a. a person who follows the Law c. one of Paul’s followers of Moses b. one whose heart is circumcised d. a member of God’s chosen nation In the work Jesus did at Calvary, he did not _________________________________________________ . a. forgive our sinful acts c. free us from guilt b. ignore our sin d. eliminate our general state of sin God’s purpose in giving the Law was _________________________________________________________ . a. to condemn the Jews c. to make people aware of their need for gracious salvation b. to derive pleasure from their d. to disqualify all Gentiles from righteousness disobedience Being baptized into Christ’s death does NOT mean___________________________________________ . a. we should continue in sin c. we have been planted together in His likeness b. we are dead to sin d. our old man is crucified with Him To describe man’s choice of justification or condemnation, Paul uses an analogy of __________ . (See Romans 6:16) a. marriage c. gifts b. mountains and valleys d. servants The relationship between Christ and the Church is often compared with ____________________ . a. slavery c. the Law and the Spirit b. adultery d. the marriage union 35 Fill in the following Scripture verses (each answer, 2 points). 2.036 There is therefore now no __________________________ to them which are in Christ Jesus.” 2.037 “And we know that all things work together for __________________________ to them that love God.” 2.038 “Nay in all these things we are more than __________________________ through him that loved us.” 2.039 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and ________________ .” 2.040 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to __________________________ us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Complete this list (each answer, 2 points). 2.041 List in order the names of the first five emperors of the Roman Empire. a. __________________________ b. __________________________ c. __________________________ d. __________________________ e. __________________________ Complete this drawing (this answer, 5 points). 2.042 Draw the Roman form of a letter. Write the correct answers (each answer, 5 points). 2.043 2.044 Write from memory the theme of the Epistle to the Romans. _________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Describe the teaching Paul refuted in Romans chapter 4, and how he opposed it. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 36 2.045 Explain how sin worked through the Law. ____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Complete this writing activity (each answer, 10 points). 2.046 On another sheet of paper, discuss the downward progression of man as given in Romans 1:18–2:9. Include the answers to the following questions: Who is guilty of sin and why? Why does sin continue? What happens to men’s heart and mind? What is the final result? (Your teacher will assign points for this activity.) ✔ 88 110 Score Adult check ______________________ ______________________ Initial Date III. THE WAY ACCORDING TO ROMANS Jesus said in John 14:6, “...I am the way, the truth, and the life…” The early New Testament church often referred to the Christian way of life as “the way.” As responsible ambassadors for Christ we are obligated to be able to explain the way of salvation to others who have not yet come into a personal relationship with the Savior of the world. In this section you will review Romans chapters 18 in regard to sin, salvation, and sanctification; for in 1 Peter 3:15 you have been commanded to “…be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you …” SECTION OBJECTIVES Review these objectives. When you have completed this section you should be able to: 17. 18. 19. 20. Describe the problem of universal sin and its effects. Relate the process of salvation by faith in Jesus. Define the process of sanctification through Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Memorize the following Scriptures: Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:1, Romans 5:8, Romans 6:11, and Romans 8:1. SIN In Romans 1:18-2:29 you discovered that sin is a universal condition inherited from Adam. As a result of one man’s sin we were all made sinners. We sin because we are sinners. By comparing Scripture you will define sin and discover who it has affected. You will also determine sin’s results. Through Adam. Romans 5:12 states, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Reread the account of the Fall of man in Genesis chapter 3. Notice how sin, once conceived, began to multiply. By the time of David, sin was considered a universal fact. David said in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Sin is basically a matter of the heart, for 37 Jesus says in Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” James summarized the process of sin in James 1:15, “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” A very simple definition of sin is to do wrong, commit any kind of offense, or have any faults. God demands perfect holiness. Therefore, missing His standard in any way is sin. Obviously, every person who has ever lived, with one exception, is guilty of sin. Romans 3:23 summarizes this point: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” All includes you. Although this concept is very basic, it is one of the most difficult things for many people to admit. Our society has invented many other terms to escape the admission of sin. For example, in the realm of psychology, we hear such vocabulary as psychotic, guilt complex, neurosis, tension, and phobias of all sorts. All of these conditions suggest one problem—sin. The universality of sin is further verified by the following Scriptures: Psalm 53:3 “Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way…” Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” 1 John 1:8 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” In sharing the Gospel with others, you should follow Paul’s example. He began his letter in an attitude of love and humility, yet he was fully assured of his message. Our assurance is the infallible Word of God. He has promised (Isaiah 55:11) that His Word will not return void. Therefore, rather than expressing our opinions and perhaps becoming guilty of Jesus’ charge in Matthew 7:3-5, we can minister to others the universal fact of sin by showing them what God has said about the matter through His Word. ➨ Complete the following statements. 3.1 Sin entered the human race through ___________________________________________________ . 3.2 Death is a result of ___________________________________________________________________ . 3.3 Sin is basically a matter of the_________________________________________________________ . 3.4 A brief definition of sin is _____________________________________________________________ . _____________________________________________________________________________________ . 3.5 Assurance of the message of salvation is not through personal experiences alone, but is according to __________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ . ➨ Complete the following activities. 3.6 From memory write Romans 3:23 ______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.7 Describe in your own words how sin develops, according to James 1:15. Give an example to support your explanation. ____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ✔ 38 Adult check ______________________ Initial Date 3.8 Review Genesis chapter 3. The initial root of the final action of sin was the planting of doubt: “Hath God not said ...?” List three incidents recorded in Genesis 3:7–14 that illustrate the multiplication of one sin. a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ c. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ➨ Begin a handy notebook with all the Scriptures given in this and the following sections so that you will have your witness references available at all times. By reviewing the notebook often, you may be able to commit all these verses to memory. By nature. When Adam sinned, his seed became corrupt. Since that time, parents have continued to pass the Adamic nature on to succeeding generations. Children do not have to be taught to be bad, but must be taught to be good. They don’t need to be taught to lie, but they do need to be taught to tell the truth. Man sins by choice because he is a sinner by nature. What are the results of sin? Romans 6:23 plainly states, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The outcome of sin is death. Death does not annihilate; it only separates. The Bible speaks of three kinds of death: spiritual death, physical death, and eternal death. The first death is a spiritual death, which separates man from God temporarily. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, they were banished from the garden and separated from the presence of God. Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Christ shed His blood to open an access whereby we may (Hebrews 4:16) “…come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” The way to restore fellowship with God is to confess our sins, as 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We must also forsake those sins. Isaiah 55:7 says, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” The second kind of death is a physical death, which separates the spirit and soul from the body. As a result of the spiritual death of Adam and Eve, their physical bodies began a process of aging and decay. In comparison to life in Old Testament ages, our life expectancy is far less today. Psalm 90:10 tells us that, “the days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore…” Compare 70 or 80 years of age with the longevity of such men as Noah, who died at age 950, or Abraham, who died at age 175. Methuselah, the oldest man in the Bible, lived until he was 969 years old! The universal effect of sin causes everyone to die a physical death. The good and the bad, the young and the aged will continue to die until Jesus destroys this final enemy as explained in 1 Corinthians 15:26, “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death,” and in verse 54 of that same chapter, “…when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” The third type of death is eternal death, which separates men from God forever. Recall the story of the rich man and Lazarus, recorded in Luke 16:1931. A great gulf separates heaven and hell. Once a soul passes beyond the gates of hell there is eternal separation from God. The person continues to exist, but without hope and in torturous misery. Finally, as we are told in Revelation 20:14, “…Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire…” For each of the three kinds of death, the origin remains the same–sin. A person does not have to be recognized as a sinner in the eyes of men to be counted such before God. By moral standards we differentiate degrees of sin, but the fact of sin and its wages are not altered: “For the wages of sin is death.” Suppose the newspaper reported two drownings. One person drowned in a lake at a depth of twenty feet. The other person drowned in a bathtub accident. Is one more dead than the other? Of course not! In our ability to save ourselves, we are all on the same level. 39 ➨ Choose the best answer. 3.9 The origin of death is ________________________________ . b. Satan c. hell d. man a. sin 3.10 According to Psalm 90:10, the longevity of man’s life is between _________________________ years. a. 50-60 3.11 b. 969 c. 875 d. 900 b. attitude c. his behavior d. nature What separates heaven from hell? ________________________________ a. an ocean 3.14 d. 80-90 Man sins by choice because he is a sinner by ________________________________ . a. choice 3.13 c. 70-80 How old was Methuselah when he died? ________________________________ a. 950 3.12 b. 60-70 b. a great gulf c. 1,000 miles d. another world We are all _______________________________ to save ourselves. a. equipped b. able c. ready d. unable ➨ Complete the following activities. 3.15 From memory, write Romans 6:23. ____________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ➨ Define these terms and give a scriptural remedy if one is available. 3.16 Spiritual death: a. separation of ______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ b. remedy:____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.17 Physical death: a. separation of ______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ b. remedy:____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.18 Eternal death: a. separation of ______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ b. remedy:____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 40 SALVATION Once a person realizes his state of sin, his natural inclination is to find the remedy within himself. He attempts to bring about his own salvation by human means. He tries various reforms when he needs to be regenerated. As with the Israelites, he tries to become justified by the Law rather than by faith in Jesus. Rather than cleaning up the old man, he needs to be made a new man in Christ. He doesn’t need to “turn over a new leaf,” he needs a completely new life. The only remedy for man’s fallen state is salvation by the grace of God through faith in His Son Jesus. In Christ. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus died to save us from sin and its effects, and that He rose again that we might live in newness of life. First Corinthians 15:22 says, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Since one man’s sin brought death to the entire human race, one Man’s righteousness also brought life to all the race. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God allowed Jesus to take all the sin of the world to the Cross of Calvary on our behalf. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” God’s motive for allowing His Son to die in our place was love. Recall the familiar verse, John 3:16. Yet because of God’s justice, a blood sacrifice was required to make atonement for sin. Hebrews 9:22 tells us that, “...without shedding of blood is no remission.” Jesus was the only sacrifice acceptable before God, for He was perfect in every way. Isaiah the prophet foretold the mission of the Messiah in Isaiah 53:4-5: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” God could have sent His Son to pronounce judgment on this world. Instead, He came to accomplish the wondrous work of salvation as a free gift of God. John 3:17 says, “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” All human efforts of righteousness could not bring man back into the presence of God. Thus, God had to provide men with His own righteousness which is in Jesus. Titus 3:5-6 tells us, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” Paul summarized the concept of our righteousness in Christ in Romans 5:17-21. Note verse 20: “…But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Out of the depths of sin, after it had multiplied through thousands of years and in millions of unrighteous people, one Man came and replaced sin’s depravity with His own perfection. Hebrews 2:3 asks the question, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation…” Unless we accept the saving work of Jesus, we will not escape the wrath of God. Rather than facing eternal death, we can accept the free gift of God. We are people condemned to die because of our sin, but we can look to the Cross of Calvary and see that Christ has already died for us. In exchange for our poor, sinful rags, we can put on the Lord’s garment of righteousness and become clothed in His abundant life. ➨ Answer the following questions. 3.19 What is man’s natural response to his problem of sin?________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.20 What does God require for remission of sins? _________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.21 Why was Jesus the only acceptable sacrifice? _________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 41 3.22 According to Titus 3:5, how are we saved? Explain in your own words. _______________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.23 If not for the purpose of condemnation, why did Christ come into the world? Base your answer on at least five Scripture references. __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ➨ From memory write this verse of Scripture. 3.24 Romans 5:8. ___________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ By faith. In Romans 1:16 Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…” The condition to God’s saving grace is believing. Faith in Jesus releases the power of God to save a person’s soul. Thus, Romans 5:1 guarantees us, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The story of the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:2531 is a classic example of the salvation experience. In verse 30 the jailer simply asked Paul and Silas, “…Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They quickly and positively responded, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” The jailer was not told to believe that Jesus, a historical figure, once lived and passed on to the world great teachings of moral character. Rather, he was being told to believe that, as an action of God’s love for him as an individual, Christ died for his sins, was buried and rose again to live forevermore. Intellectual acceptance does not qualify for faith. Many people know about Jesus and believe that he once lived. Fewer people know Jesus and are assured that he is still alive. Many Oriental religions include Jesus in their sacred writings as a prophet, or great teacher, but they do not teach God’s salvation. James 2:19 says, “Thou believest” that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” What then are we to believe that would bring to us the gift of salvation? Buddhists say to believe in Buddha. Moslems tell men to believe in Mohammed. Jews say to believe in God. Christians say to believe in Jesus. What distinguishing characteristic should we believe about Jesus that is different from other claims to salvation? Romans 3:25 tells us that we are justified through Jesus, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” Romans 5:9 further affirms, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Ephesians 1:7 tells us that we have been made acceptable before God through Jesus “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace…” Once again, 1 Peter 1:19 says that we were redeemed “…with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” From the beginning God has required a blood sacrifice for atonement. Leviticus 17:11 clearly states, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” Our new life is found only in the blood of Jesus, which was poured out for us. When we believe in the atoning work of Calvary, we receive a transfusion of the life of Jesus Christ. To believe means to cling to, to trust in, to adhere to, to become joined to, to be devoted to, to rely upon, or to stick fast to someone or something. All these terms are action verbs. They require emotional intensity and assertiveness. Romans 10:9-10 says “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Recall the story of the man born blind recorded in John chapter 9. He miraculously received his physical sight when Jesus anointed the blind man’s eyes with clay and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. However, the man’s spiritual eyes were not opened until he responded to Jesus’ question “Does thou believe on the Son of 42 God?” with the reply, “Lord, I believe.” When by faith we accept the work of Jesus as Savior, we are saved from the workings of sin. We are born again unto God. Jesus explained this process to Nicodemus in John chapter 3. In sharing with others the concept of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, we must not be sidetracked to other issues. The greatest issue of life is the state of the human soul. Jesus’ mission was to save sinners. When witnessing about the Lord, one should stay on the subject of the discussion. If we show a person some of the Scriptures covered in this section, the Holy Spirit will have an opportunity to do His convicting work. Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The disciple Andrew established a precedent for all who want to share the love of God with others. In John 1:40-42, we find him bringing his brother to Jesus. When asked a question about Jesus by the Greeks (John 12:20-22), Andrew and Philip take the issue directly to Jesus. In John 6:69, when Jesus projects the question as to feeding the hungry multitude, Andrew knows the miraculous multiplying power of the Lord, so he directed a little boy to present his lunch to Jesus. Andrew had the answer for each situation—take it to Jesus. As we share the message of salvation with others, we should always apply the Andrew principle. We can lead others to Jesus through the written Word of God, for therein is He revealed. ➨ Choose the best answer. 3.25 To whom did Jesus explain the process of becoming born again? _____________________________ 3.26 3.27 3.28 a. Andrew c. Nicodemus b. Philip d. John Salvation is given to everyone who ___________________________________________________________ . a. believes the teachings of Jesus c. believes that Jesus died on a Cross b. believes in God d. believes in the atoning work of Jesus’ blood The word believe does not mean _______________________________________________________________ . a. to intellectually accept c. rely on b. cling to d. become joined to Life is in ______________________________________________________________________________________ . a. sacrifice c. atonement b. the blood d. the soul ➨ Complete the following activities. 3.29 What does Romans 10:9-10 say about man and salvation? a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.30 3.31 List four characteristics of the Word of God according to Hebrews 4:12. a. ___________________________________ c. ___________________________________ b. ___________________________________ d ___________________________________ From memory write Romans 1:16-17. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 43 3.32 3.33 3.34 From memory write Romans 5:1. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Briefly explain the Andrew principle. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– How is atonement accomplished? Give at least three Scriptures to support your answer. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– From sin. When God looks at us in Christ, He sees only Christ’s righteousness. All that Jesus accomplished through His death and Resurrection has been credited to our account. Just as we were saved by faith, we must also continue to live by faith, trusting in Christ. First Corinthians 1:30 tells us what Paul said concerning believers, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” How are we sanctified in Jesus? Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:11 we are washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our Lord. The answer to how our sanctification process began is found in Romans 6:3: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” Justification from sin can only happen through death. Forgiveness of sin does not mean that the sin is forgotten or overlooked; it means a real death on the part of the sinner and it means separation from sin. It is baptism into the death of Christ that affects our forgiveness and justification and completes our separation from sin. ➨ 3.35 3.36 3.37 Romans 6:11 states, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” To reckon means to consider as, or regard as being. Suppose you inherited a sizeable amount of money and it had been deposited into your bank account. You could draw on that money at any time, even though you never actually saw the money. If you never used that money, it would serve no purpose. However, if you reckoned that money to be yours, wrote a check to yourself, and gave it to the bank teller to cash, that which you had not seen would become a reality. If we consider, or reckon, ourselves dead to sin, then it will also become a reality. The power of sin will have no hold on us. We are also advised in Romans 6:13, “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Rather than trying to produce our own righteousness, we are to “let go” and “let God” live His life through us. Choose the best answer. When God looks at us in Christ He sees ______________________________________________________ . a. an improvement c. Christ’s righteousness b. one more Christian d. a person almost made holy Without the righteousness of Jesus we are____________________________________________________ . a. totally righteous c. totally unrighteous b. totally saved d. totally emancipated Forgiveness of sins means_____________________________________________________________________ . a. the sins are forgiven, but not forgotten c. death results from sin b. sin is overlooked d. separation from sin 44 ➨ 3.38 3.39 3.40 Complete the following activities. List the four things Christ is made unto us according to I Corinthians 1:30. _________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Give a definition of the verb to reckon, and in your own words describe how we reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to Jesus. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ From memory, write Romans 6:11. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Our sanctification is through Jesus Christ. He is our sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30). In Hebrews 7:25 we read, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” In John 14:17, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to dwell in the disciples. While Jesus unceasingly intercedes for us, the Spirit of holiness continually works in us as we yield ourselves to Him. Romans 8:1 says “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” The process of sanctification by the Holy Spirit is the power enabling those who have been justified to abide in Christ. Justification is the new creation of the new man, and sanctification is his preservation until the day of Christ Jesus. Sanctification is the fulfillment of God’s plan enunciated in the words, “Ye shall be holy: for I am holy,” and also, “I the Lord who sanctifies you am holy.” The Holy Spirit is the “seal” whereby we are sealed as God’s possession until total redemption is manifested. The Holy Spirit reveals salvation in Jesus, and then He takes up residence in our lives. To be a victorious Christian, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit must have the control of a believer’s life. The Spirit brings the abundant life, which is not found in environment or circumstances. The abundant life is found only in the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 commands us to “...be filled with the Spirit.” When we experience the filling of our lives with the Holy Spirit, we become Spirit-led, Spirit-controlled, and Spirit-empowered. When our lives are yielded to the work of the Spirit, we begin to bear the fruit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-24. The fruit of the Spirit is a gift of God, and only He can produce it. Imagine an apple tree. Does the fruit ask the tree if it may grow? Of course not. As a result of growth, the tree simply bears apples. Within the fruit are the seeds, which are the new beginnings for even more apple trees. The source of growth for the tree is an invisible inside force. Firmly planted in Jesus Christ and His Word, we grow in maturity by the ministry of His Spirit; and we bear fruit for the glory of God. In Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians he honestly admitted that a person’s struggle with sin is not over. We reckon ourselves dead to sin, and in doing so are actively setting aside former ways of life. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to sanctify us. Jesus not only saves us, He also keeps us. Jesus is our Advocate. When we are separated from God, the Spirit woos us into repentance whereby we find forgiveness. We are delivered from the universal power of sin through salvation. We are kept from sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are forgiven from sins by repentance. As 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The Christian life is not one of compromise, but of separation unto the Gospel of God. We must allow the Spirit of the Lord to kindle in us a burning passion to be established in and to establish others in the truth of Jesus. Like Paul, we should introduce ourselves as servants who have received the grace of God and address others in the spirit of love and edification. The message of justification by faith should be our theme. With a sound scriptural basis we should teach others the basic doctrines of sin, salvation, and sanctification. Each believer is an official eyewitness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for in Him we personally have died and been resurrected unto a glorious hope. We are endued with power from on high and have access to all truth 45 through the infallible Word of God. Through triumphs and failures, God is for us; and nothing shall separate us from His love, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ✞ ➨ Summary of the book of Romans chapters 1-8 Romans 1 :1-17 Salutation Romans 1:18-2:29 Downward spiral of sin Romans 3 Universal sin and guilt with emphasis on the Jewish nation Abraham Romans 4 Romans 5 Justification Reckoning justification by bapRomans 6 tism Romans 7 Carnal nature vs. spiritual nature Romans 8 Life in the Holy Spirit Choose the best answer. 3.41 According to Hebrews 7:25, how far is Jesus able to save us? _________________________________ a. to heaven c. to sanctification b. to justification d. to the uttermost Since the Holy Spirit is working in the lives of believers, what is Jesus doing? ______________ a. waiting for us c. saving us b. interceding for us d. glorifying us Sanctification is the means whereby saints are _______________________________________________ . a. justified c. preserved b. resurrected d. fulfilled Complete the following activities. 3.42 3.43 ➨ 3.44 From memory write Romans 8:1 ______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.45 Summarize the first eight chapters of the book of Romans. ___________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ✞ 1. 2. 3. 4. Before you take this last Self Test, you may want to do one or more of these self checks. ________ Read the objectives. Determine if you can do them. ________ Restudy the material related to any objectives that you cannot do. ________ Use the SQ3R study procedure to review the material: a. Scan the sections. b. Question yourself again (review the questions you wrote initially). c. Read to answer your questions. d. Recite the answers to yourself. e. Review areas you didn’t understand. ________ Review all vocabulary, activities, and Self Tests, writing a correct answer for each wrong answer. 46 SELF TEST 3 Match these items (each answer, 2 points). 3.01 ________ separation of man from the presence of God a. do wrong, miss the mark 3.02 ________ believe b. blood sacrifice 3.03 ________ Phoebe c. physical death 3.04 ________ requirement for remission of sin d. take it to Jesus 3.05 ________ reckon e. to set apart for a purpose 3.06 ________ stola f. spiritual death 3.07 ________ sin g. governor of a province 3.08 ________ propitiation h. cancellation of a debt 3.09 ________ separation of spirit and soul from body i. cling to; trust in; adhere to 3.010 ________ remission j. unmerited favor 3.011 ________ grace k. enable God to turn to man 3.012 ________ procurator l. self–gratification 3.013 ________ Andrew principle m. regard as being 3.014 ________ carnality n. Paul’s messenger 3.015 ________ sanctification o. woman’s outer garment Answer true or false (each answer, 1 point). 3.016 ________ The Roman Empire included all of Europe, Asia, and Africa. 3.017 ________ The third emperor was Caligula. 3.018 ________ Paul was going to Jerusalem to present the collection. 3.019 ________ Taxes were a constant reminder of Roman authority. 3.020 ________ Roman Christians had very formal worship services. 3.021 ________ Christian churches usually had their beginnings in a synagogue. 3.022 ________ Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans from Spain. 3.023 ________ Paul’s example of faith was Adam. 3.024 ________ The Law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. 3.025 ________ Baptism denotes washing away, cleansing, immersion, or identity. Fill in the blank with the correct answer (each answer, 3 points). 3.026 Sin entered the human race through _____________________________ . 3.027 Death is a result of _____________________________ . 3.028 Our assurance of the message of salvation is according to the infallible _____________________ . 3.029 Man sins by choice because he is a sinner by _____________________________ . 3.030 The remedy for spiritual death is _____________________________ . 3.031 The last enemy Jesus will destroy is _____________________________ . 3.032 Separation of man from God forever is _____________________________ death. 47 3.033 God’s motive for sending Jesus was _____________________________ . 3.034 Jesus explained how to be born again to _____________________________ . 3.035 Without the shedding of __________________________ there is no remission of sins. 3.036 Justification from sin could only happen through the _____________________________ of Christ. 3.037 Our sanctification is through Jesus by the _____________________________ . Choose the best answer (each answer, 2 points). 3.038 3.039 3.040 3.041 3.042 3.043 3.044 3.045 3.046 3.047 The common language of the Roman Empire in the first two centuries was __________________ . a. Latin c. Greek b. Italian d. Spanish Education was for ____________________________________________________________________ . a. the wealthy c. professional training b. the children d. anyone The Christians’ first persecutors were __________________________________________________ . a. the Roman soldiers c. the emperor b. the Jews d. the Praetorian Guard The postal system was ________________________________________________________________ . a. highly developed c. only for governmental business b. poorly developed d. only for the wealthy As stated in his salutation to the Romans, Paul was called of God to be ___________________ . a. a servant c. a separator b. an apostle d. an evangelist When people totally ignore God in knowledge, they become_______________________________ . a. reprobate c. rich b. autonomous d. justified The source of condemnation is found in _________________________________________________ . a. Jesus c. Adam b. Abraham d. the Jews The assurance of the message of salvation is in _________________________________________ . a. the infallible Word of God c. a historical fact b. our personal experience d. testimonies of others Salvation is given to everyone who _____________________________________________________ . a. believes the teachings of Jesus c. believes that Jesus died on a Cross b. believes in God d. believes in the atoning work of Jesus’ blood Sanctification is NOT _________________________________________________________________ . a. an ongoing process c. through Jesus Christ b. a single event d. worked in us by the Holy Spirit Complete the following activities (each numbered item, 5 points). 3.048 List in order the first five emperors of the Roman Empire. a. ________________________________________ d. ________________________________________ b. ________________________________________ e. ________________________________________ c. ________________________________________ 3.049 List the five social classes of the Roman Empire. a. ________________________________________ b. ________________________________________ c. ________________________________________ 48 d. e. ________________________________________ ________________________________________ 3.050 List five reasons why Paul wrote to the Romans. a. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ c. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ d. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ e. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ From memory write the following verses of Scripture (each answer, 4 points). 3.051 Romans 1:16-17 _______________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.052 Romans 3:23 _________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.053 Romans 6:23 _________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.054 Romans 5:1 __________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.055 Romans 5:8 __________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.056 Romans 6:11 _________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3.057 Romans 8:1 __________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Complete this outline (this answer, 10 points). 3.058 Outline the first eight chapters of the book of Romans. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ✔ 119 149 49 Score Adult check ______________________ ______________________ Initial Date GLOSSARY autonomous. Self-contained; totally independent; self-governing. equestrian. Second ranking Roman social class from which provincial governors were drawn; actually the word means of or pertaining to horsemanship. exactitude. Exactness. faith. Confident belief; trust; religious conviction; allegiance. forum. Group of buildings; the public square or marketplace of an ancient Roman city. freedmen. Third ranking Roman social class composed of emancipated slaves; free-born Roman citizens; often became successful businessmen. grace. Unmerited favor; clemency; privilege freely granted. guilt. Result of sin; culpable; sense of wrong doing. justification. Act of acquittal; act of absolving; to free from blame. pantheism. The doctrine or belief that all laws, forces, manifestations of the self-existing universe are gods. plebes. Fourth ranking Roman social class; poor Roman citizens; common laborers. Praetorian Guard. A hand-picked group of soldiers serving as bodyguards for the emperor. procurator. A Roman official who managed the financial affairs of a province and acted as governor. propitiation. Cause to be favorably inclined; enable God to turn to man. redemption. Recover; ransom; rescue; buy back. remission. Cancellation of or release from a debt or penalty. reprobate. Depraved; rejected of God; damned. senatorial aristocracy. The highest ranking Roman social class; nobility by birth and wealth. stola. Woman’s outer garment; a long tunic fastened with clasps. syncretism. The combination or reconciliation of differing beliefs in religion, philosophy, etc. toga. Men’s outer garment; oblong drape with rounded corners varying in color and style according to social class. tunica. Short-sleeved under garment that hung to the knees; worn by men and women. ✞ Before taking the LIFEPAC Test, you may want to do one or more of these self 1. ______ Read the objectives. Check to see if you can do them. 2. ______ Restudy the material related to any objectives that you cannot do. 3. ______ Use the SQ3R study procedure to review the material. 4. ______ Review activities, Self Tests, and LIFEPAC vocabulary words. 5. ______ Restudy areas of weakness indicated by the last Self Test. 50