Transcript ROMANS - West London Church of God

EQUIP BIBLE STUDY
7:00 PM
 By Pastor. Saji Mathew
 The Doctrinal Epistles
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(Romans – 2 Thessalonians)
 The Prison Epistles
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(Ephesians – Philemon)
 The Pastoral Epistles
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(1 Timothy – Titus)
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Theme: The Righteousness of God
Date written: AD. 56-57
Author: Paul
Setting: Corinth
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Toward the close of his 3rd missionary
journey, Paul writes this letter to the church
in Rome from the Greek city of Cornith. He
has come from Ephesus, a city in what is now
modern Turkey, where he spent 3 years
planting and strengthening a church.
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As he prepares to travel to Jerusalem church
with an offering for the poor believers, he
stops long enough to write a letter to a
church he has never visited. He writes not to
correct any doctrinal error, but to introduce
himself to the church at Rome so the people
can pray for him, encourage him, and help
him with his future plans to minister in Spain.
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But being a teacher he is, Paul can’t help but
also teach his new friends about the
righteousness that comes from God—the
great truths of the gospel of grace.
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Everything you receive as a Christian—your
salvation, your justification, your
sanctification, and someday your glorification
–is a work of God’s grace.
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Inward change will produce a corresponding
outward fruit. Whatever is true about your
heart will show up in your actions.
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The Righteousness of God is a gift that can be
received only by faith, not earned by your
works.
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Faithfulness in the little things will prepare
you for greater tasks from God.
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The Revelation of the Righteousness of God
(1-8) (Doctrinal)
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The Vindication of the Righteousness of God
(9-11) (National)
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The Application of the Righteousness of God
(12-16) (Practical)
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Theme: Christian Conduct
Date written: A.D. 55
Author: Paul
Setting: Ephesus
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While the apostle Paul is teaching and
preaching in Ephesus (a city in what is now
modern Turkey) during his third missionary
journey, visitors arrive from the church at
Corinth, a church he had planted in Greece
some three years before. One group of the
visitors reports disturbing news of factions,
immorality, and lawsuits within the body of
believers.
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Another Group comes with difficult questions
concerning marriage and divorce, eating food
offered to idols, matters of public worship,
and the resurrection of the body. Using his
God-given power and authority as an apostleone sent by God as a spokesman—Paul writes
this first of two letters to believers in Corinth
to firmly address their deplorable conduct
and answer their questions.
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Corinth was a key city in ancient Greece until
it was destroyed by the Romans in 146 B.C.
Julius Caesar rebuilt it as a Roman colony in
46 B.C. And it grew and prospered, becoming
the capital of the province of Achaia. Its
official language was Latin, but the common
language remained Greek
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Corinth has two Sea Ports.
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The city was filled shrines and temples, but
the most important was the Temple of
Aphrodite on the top of an 1,800 foot
promontory called the Acrocorinthus.
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In Paul’s day the population of Corinth was
approximately 700,000 about 2/3 of whom
were slaves.
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This book proclaims the relevance of Christ
Jesus to every area of the believer’s life. He
“became for us wisdom from God—and
righteousness and sanctification and
redemption” (1:30), and these are themes
Paul addresses in this epistle.
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God has given you unique “spiritual gifts” to
use for the support and growth of the body of
Christ.
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Exercising a spiritual gift without showing
true love is meaningless.
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God takes sexual immorality very seriously
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The Lord’s Supper is an important celebration
and should not betaken lightly.
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Because of the calling God has placed upon
their lives, Christian leaders should be treated
with respect and honor.
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Christians should not bring lawsuits against
each other.
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Chapters 1-2 The Need for True Unity
Chapter 3 The Nature of True Spirituality
Chapters 4 -11 The Problems in the Church
Chapters 12 – 16 The Resources for Problems
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Theme: Paul’s defense of his apostleship
Date: A.D. 56
Author: Paul
Setting: Philippi (on the way to Corinth)
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The Major theme of Second Corinthians is Paul’s
defense of his apostolic credentials and
authority.
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Since Paul’s first letter, the Corinthian church
had been swayed by false teachers who stirred
the people against Paul. They claimed he was
fickle, proud, unimpressive in appearance and
speech, dishonest, and unqualified as an apostle
of Jesus Christ.
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After writing 1 Corinthians, Paul plans to stay
at Ephesus a little while longer before going
on to Corinth. His stay, however, is cut short
by a riot of the tradesmen over the effect
Christianity is having on the sale of idols.
Paul send his young disciples, Titus and
Timothy, ahead to find out what effect his
exhortations are having on the Corinthian
believers.
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As Paul travels toward Corinth, Titus find him
and reports that the Corinthians have
repented of their resistance against Paul and
his teaching. With great joy, but filled with
concerns regarding new threats and
smoldering rebellious attitudes, Paul writes
this second letter.
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Christ is presented as the believer’s
comfort (1:5), triumph (2:14), Lord (4:5),
Light (4:6), Judge (5:10), reconciliation
(5:19), substitute (5:21), gift (9:15),
owner (10:7), and power (12:9).
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God has established ministry leaders to
shepherd His flock, or His people. These
leaders are to be blameless, pure, and
dedicated to service, and such leaders are
deserving of your honour and respect.
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No Christian—including you—is immune from
suffering. In many instances, God’s workers
suffer more than non-Christians.
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Trials are used by God to teach you humility
and dependence on His grace rather than
your own strength.
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You should give financially to God’s work—
sacrificially, with great joy, and with a sense
of responsibility.
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Paul’s Explanation of his Ministry (1 – 7)
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Paul’s Collection for the Saints (8 -9)
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Paul’s Vindication of his Apostleship (10 – 13)
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1. He is Called by God (1:1)
2. He was Utterly Sincere and honest (1:12)
3. Anointed with Holy Spirit (1:22)
4. He love those whom he served (2:4)
5. He depended totally on God (3:5)
6. He never gave up (4:1)
7. He was an example to others (6:3,4)
8. He never took advantage of other people (7:2)
9. He handled money wisely , never been a burden to any( 8:20,21 ;
11:19)
10. He stayed within in the Boundaries God appointed for him (10:13)
11. He was willing to suffer (11:23-33, 12:9-10)
12. He longed to lead believers to perfection (13:9)
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Theme: Freedom in Christ
Date written: A.D. 49
Author: Paul
Setting: Antioch
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Galatia had many churches. (Gala. 1:1-2) On
Paul’s first missionary journey he visited
many areas in the southern Galatian cities of
Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts
13:14 – 14:23).
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Key Verse: Galatians 5:1 Stand fast
therefore in the liberty by which Christ has
made us free, and do not be entangled again
with a yoke of bondage (5:1)
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Having just returned from Jerusalem to his home
church in Antioch, where the issue of faith in
Christ alone for salvation has been affirmed,
Paul is shocked by some distressing news. He
hears that many of the Galatians who had come
to belief in Christ during his first missionary
journey have fallen prey to the heresy that
Gentile believers must submit to all the Mosaic
Law before they can become Christians.
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Paul immediately writes this letter to defend
justification by faith alone and warn the
churches in Galatia of the dreadful
consequences of abandoning the pure gospel
of Christ alone for salvation.
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Chapters 1-2 Concern for the Pure Gospel
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Chapters 3-4 Defense of the Pure Gospel
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Chapters 5-6 Freedom in the Pure Gospel
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1. He defends his apostolic authority, which affirms
his gospel message;
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2. He refutes the false teaching of justification
through the law by using the Mosaic Law itself to
teach the principles of Justification by faith alone;
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3. He shows that liberty from the law does not mean
lawlessness, but instead means that, by God’s
grace, believers are free to obediently love and
serve God.
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The Gifts of Salvation and God’s Love are
given to you purely by God’s grace.
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There is nothing you can do to gain favour
with God.
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You cannot produce good works on your own,
but only with the help of the Holy Spirit.
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When you yield yourself to God, He produces
the fruits of the Spirit in your life.
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Christ alone makes possible everything you
are as a Christian.