This blog consists of bible studies written or done by tertiary students. The studies in yellow are works in progress. Please feel free to use the studies and blog your experience.
Showing posts with label Examination Time with Romans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Examination Time with Romans. Show all posts
Every tertiary student shares the experience of having to study hard and do their best in an examination. For some it is a breeze, for others palms go sweaty and we blank out. In some courses, an examination stands between you and your dreams.
In the next 6 studies, we will examine 6 passages from the book of Romans in depth, tease out the meaning and study each word carefully. (Note: Studies are being reused and revised in 2014)
Then again.....we might just procrastinate like this lot.
Like all the courses that you take in classes, the bible has vocabulary unique to its author and genre. Romans contains the most commonly used Christian vocabulary or jargon. Like technical language, there is probably no complete equivalent in common speech. Yet, it is important to decode these words for others who have not been brought up with this vocabulary. Look at this attempt to explain Christ work.
1) Look through the passage above and pick out the concepts you or you friends may find hard.
21But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.22This righteousness is given through faith in[a]Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.25God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[b]through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—26he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
2) Brainstorm what these words
might mean.
3) Get into pairs and read the
definitions in the bible dictionary and commentary. ( Recommendation: I would pick IVP New Bible commentary but not all the biblical books are available online)
Useful links: Bible dictionaries: I would type in the word,eg justified and read what different dictionaries say about it means. http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/justification.html http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/eastons-bible-dictionary/justification.html Bible commentaries: http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/
Summarize your findings and
compare these to what you have discussed.
4) Have your definations been
comprehensive?
5) Here is a definition table
from a Life Applications Bible. How comprehensive are the definitions? Could they be worded or illustrated clearer so your friends would grasp the concepts better?
ELECTION Romans 9:10-13 God's choice of an individual or group for a specific purpose or destiny.
JUSTIFICATION Romans 4:25; 5:18 God's act of declaring us not guilty for our sins
PROPITIATION/EXPIATION Romans 3:25 The removal of God's punishment for sin through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus
REDEMPTION Romans 3:24; 8:23 Jesus Christ has paid the price so that we can go free.
SANCTIFICATION Romans 5:2; 15:16 Becoming more and more like Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit.
GLORIFICATION Romans 8:18, 19 The ultimate state of the believer after death when we become like Christ.
Attempts to contextualise these concepts to real people results in differences. Watch these two videos and discuss them in the light of what the message means. Perhaps, it is because language consists of more than words; tone, emphasis, manner and body language communicate volumes. Are there visual and tonal differences in the presentation? How can we communicate our message with our whole manner not just the message?
6) If you have enjoyed this exercise consider starting a cell
group dictionary of Christian terms or you might like to make purely visual film messages with a emphasis on mood like this one....
The challenge is to decode and simplify our language and be loving and yet, comprehensive in our sharing of good new.
As we approach examination
time and assessments, times where we are “justified” by the work we do let’s
relook at this famous passage in Romans.
Peace and Hope
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b]boast in the hope of the glory of God.3Not only so, but we[c]also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;4perseverance, character; and character, hope.5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
As a group think of examples
in your own lives or from your studies of the main themes of this passage. Here
are some examples if you get stuck:
1) pictures of peace -- The peace pilgrim....
SEEDS--Young people born in war, choose peace...
2) areas inaccessible to us
except through one means…like afterhours access cards in uni computer labs. In the world of warcraft, levels become accessible when you know the way...
3) stories of undeserved
kindness (grace) Bankers have come under attack recently, but they have the opportunity and know-how to change lives.....
4) stories of people hoping
against all odds
Here a sand dancer hopes for wholeness.......in moments.
5) what the glory of God
looks like to you.
6) examples of endurance NZ Parkour-- The body needs to be strong, to be useful
7) examples of character
8) examples of your own
affliction
9) examples of God’s love
As a group decide which
stories move you most and why.
Get everyone to close their
eyes and get one person to read the verse twice slowly. The group is to run the
images and stories through their mind as the verse is read. This is one method
of biblical mediation. If you are alone read the verses slowly rereading and
thinking about each word.
You may like to just mediate
on a word or a phrase throughout the day and try to apply it to all the areas
of your life. For example you could pray for an awareness of God’s glory
throughout the day.
THE CHALLENGE IS TO MEDIATE ON SCRIPTURE FOR 21 DAYS SO THAT HABITS ARE FORMED.
Romans 8 is one of the most
famous chapters in the bible with 8:28 often used as a comforting promise. The
context of the verse is interesting. As a group try rewriting this passage in
your own words with your own context in mind. Remember you first need to figure
out what is Paul’s message before recontextualising it. If the first past is
too hard start with “who can separate us from the love of God, neither exams,
nor success, nor failure nor….”
Romans 8:9-39
New International Version (NIV)
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[a] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[b] his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[c] And by him we cry, “Abba,[d] Father.” 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[e] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[f] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long;
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[h] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
THE CHALLENGE: Memorise a biblical passage.
What were your difficulties in translation? What do you think the difficulties are for bible translators today? Gordon Fee suggest we use more than one translation in bible study the passages that don’t match up are probably passages that were difficult to translate.
Now that you have translated the verses try and imitate the tone of the text....like they have tried to do.....
Romans 8 Memory challenge....
Join these students and video tape your efforts...not sure if the challenge is still on but check it out-- http://www.romans8movement.com/
As a group you might like to start your own memorise a bible passage movement...maybe fun.
5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”[a]6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”[b] (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’”[c] (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”[d] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[e]12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[f]
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[g]
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”[h]17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
THE CHALLANGE Take action and do something, because/for/with of God.
Colour all the action words
in this passage. Who takes action? Who
is asked to take action? How would believing it change your life?
Those “with feet that bring
good news”do the following things: take action, have clear and focused thought,
take risks, unlock and liberate their own talents and others who work with
them, develop creativity, imagination, thoroughness and show determination. What if these feet are weak? Can they still bring good news?
Look at the different types
of enterprises young people are involved in today.
SocialMediaNZ explores enterprises online...
What would the “good news
enterprise” look like? What are the barriers? Would there be opportunities
during this examination period to bring good news?
What are issues that could
crop up if we see sharing the good news only as an enterprise? How would that
contradict the biblical message? Put another way, what qualities would a leader of a new venture enterprise need? Do these qualities match with Jesus' leadership style?
Are there other characters in the bible who have the qualities of an entrepreneur? In what way?
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.4For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,5so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Questions:
1) What is your own understanding of the passage?
2) Is there examples of undying commitment in daily life?
4) What is your own understanding of the passage? 5) Is there examples of undying commitment in daily life?
The Basis of Commitment (1a):
Both Ephesians and this passage in
Romans moves from doctrine, doxology to duty/practice.The greater our
comprehension of what God has done for us, the greater our commitment should
be. Practically applied, Christ’s gift, meditated on, accepted, taken to heart,
is a magnet drawing us to deepest commitment to him. Immense vision will bring
immense commitment. That is what Isaac Watts meant when he wrote:“ Love so amazing, so divine
demands my soul, my life, my all.”
The character of commitment (1b) The totality of commitment comes
dramatically to us through the language of sacrifice. The Greek translated “to
offer” is a technical term used for the ritual presentation of a sacrifice.
“Your bodies” referring to more than skin and bones, signifies everything we
are—our totality. “Sacrifices” refers to the holocaust in which the offering is
totally consumed. Old Testament sacrifices pervade as “living…holy…pleasing.”
The believer isn’t killed as the Old Testament sacrifices were, but remains
alive. We are to be living sacrifices in the deep theological sense of “a new
life”. We are also to be “holy” in that we have renounced sin and are set apart
to God. Finally, we are “pleasing” sacrifices not because we deserve to be
accepted, but because the offerings are true to God’s specifications.
Not only is commitment to be total,
it is also logical. I am glad I first memorized this in the King James Version
which more accurately represents the last phrase of the verse 1,”….which is
your reasonable service,” rather than the NIV’s “which is your spiritual
worship.” Cranfield is correct in maintaining that the root idea of the word
“logikos" is "logical.” For Paul, true worship in offering ourselves to God is
reasonable or logical because it is consistent with a proper understanding of
the truth of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Total commitment is the only
rational course to take when you really see who God is. Nothing else makes any
sense.
As Cranfield says:"Halfway commitment is irrational.
To decide to give part of your life God and keep other parts for yourself—to
say “Everything is yours, Lord, but this relationship, this deal, this
pleasure”—is beyond spiritual logic!
"The intelligent understanding of
worship, that is the worship which is consonant with the truth of the gospel,
is indeed nothing less than the offering of one’s whole self in the course of
one’s concrete living, in one’s inward thoughts, feelings and aspirations, but
also in one’s whole self in the course of one’s concrete living, in one’s
inward thoughts, feelings and aspirations, but also in one’s words and deeds".
If we are worshiping apart from
commitment to God, it is false worship. We are deceiving ourselves if we are
doing “Christian things” but are not consecrated to Jesus Christ. Sam Shoemaker
said it well: “To be a Christian means to give as much of myself as I can to as
much of Jesus Christ as I know.” This is why as we grow in knowledge of of his
mercy we should be committed at age twenty-one than sixteen, and more so at
thirty-five, forty-five, sixty and seventy.”
6) Are there questions that
Kent Hughes doesn’t answer?
The renewing of the mind
7) The bible seems to depict life
like an examination, where there needs to be a renewing of the mind. What 4 tips would you give someone from your faculty, who wanted to "renew" their mind?Malaysian Christian David Chong Wui Howediscusses what this means for students in http://www.scribd.com/doc/77551012/Love-God-With-All-Your-Mind Here is an extract:
Here are four simple suggestions which are by no means exhaustive:
Our mind needs to be fed. You are what you eat. If you eat junk food, your body will be weak or sick. You are what you read also. If you read healthy, solid books, your mind will also develop strong mental muscles or habits. There is no short cut. Let’s start small: Have we read the whole Bible at least once? LT Jeyachandran: If we don’t even know what’s inside this book, why do we believe it is God’s word?
Our minds need exercise. Memorizing bible verses and facts alone doesn’t mean that we have developed a Christian mindset. We need to re-imagine creatively and critically how to apply the biblical teachings of creation, sin, and redemption to life issues we face daily in the marketplace as a lawyer, artist, businessperson, teacher, healthcare
workers etc. Advertisement: The Catalyst website has many interesting helpful resources to equip us to do just that. Start with your own interests and passions.
If you are a student, do you think Christianly about the subjects you learn on campus?
I once met a student in church who was studying psychology at HELP
Institute. So I encouraged her: “Wow, that’s an interesting field. There are many areas in which psychology overlap to what the Bible teaches about the soul. Some faculty members like Dr Goh Chee Leong are committed Christians”. What she told me next broke my heart: “You know what, most Christians would frown when they hear that I’m doing psychology and you are one of few people who actually encouraged to pursue it”. I know there are some theories in psychology that may be incompatible with the Christian
faith. But in every discipline, including law, economics, arts and science, you’d find some theories which do not fit well with our beliefs. If we discourage people from studying and run away then who’s going to get in there and do better psychology, better economics and better science from a biblical outlook? Speak to the pastors and see how you may discern what is true, beautiful and right expressed in these disciplines of your research. They could well be your “fulltime ministry” in future.
Volunteer to join or lead evangelism groups like Alpha or Christianity Explored where small groups are trained in the art of giving a reason for our faith in Christ. So you learn to handle frequently asked questions from seekers with humility, confidence and knowledge. When you are stumped once, just say “I don’t know but I’d find out for you” – then go home and do your homework, ask around and get back to them. That way,all of us learn to grow in our journey of faith.Can you imagine what the transformation of our spirituality and witness in society looks like when our minds are regularly renewed with such practices?
It is a lifelong project that requires lots of energy and time, but the effort will be worth your while. And you’ll never know just when a curious young believer may approach you with questions like“ Why did God create the dinosaurs?” You know what, recently, a student in MMU asked me about the dinosaurs and how they fit in Genesis. Ask and you shall be asked in return. Do you know how I answered him? Basically I gave him a few possible Christian answers to that question, some pros and cons in each theory depending on how you look at the fossils and how you understand the book of Genesis. But in the end, the Bible is not meant to be a biological textbook to tell us everything about dinosaurs. Genesis tells us who created the universe and why everything is created, but its main purpose is not to tell us specifically how it all came about. Then one female student chipped in: “If God didn’t create dinosaurs, we won’t have any petroleum today! Our cars depend on fossil fuel ma...” And I thought “Ya hor…Have you ever thought of becoming a theologian?”
The point is this: Loving God with“ all our mind” does not mean that we can understand absolutely everything about God and His ways. Because God is God, and we are finite creatures, there will always be mystery. And some of our questions will only be answered when we meet God one day. That should not be an excuse for us to be lazy in our thinking, but it is a needed reminder that there is a limit to our ability to reason and sometimes, all we can do is save up our questions for heaven… To ask God when we finally meet Him face to face.
1Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.2One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.3The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.4Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister[a]? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will acknowledge God.’”[b]
12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.
Footnotes:
Romans 14:10 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verses 13, 15 and 21.
1) This passage to be seems much ado about food choice. Maybe in your culture there are other contentious customs that divide Christians. Some possibilities are music, style of service, dress sense etc...
2) What are we encouraged to do in this passage?
3) How would you apply this in your life?
