Here are a few books that I think you may find useful:
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Romans 1:8 (the bridge)
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.
After addressing the people he was writing to, Paul expresses his gratitude to God because of the work that He had accomplished among this body of believers. We must remember that all believers are God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). Further in the text, Paul personalizes his faith in saying my God. To him, God is not a ephemeral impersonal force that has no affection for mankind, but rather a father with whom every Christian has a personal relationship with. God is so invested in establishing a relationship with His children that He calls us, pursues us, and regenerates us. In Ephesians 2:1-5 Paul informs us of our pathetic state, "and you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan], of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly live in the lusts of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of wrath, end ans the rest. But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with He loved us, even when were were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you have been saved)." We were naturally dead, spiritually speaking, because of our sinful nature and we were His enemies (Romans 5:10) but because He loved us He sent Jesus Christ to die in our place; to receive our punishment and be a propitiation for our sins. Propitiation is a fancy theological term that comes from a Greek word hilasterion (hil-as-tay'-ree-on) which means an appeasement or a covering for sin. This same word even goes so far back to the the original Ark of the Covenant. The lid of the Ark was referred to as the Mercy Seat because on Yom Kippur (or day of atonement) the high-priest would sprinkle blood from the sacrificial animal on it. Under the lid was the law represented by the two tables of the Ten Commandments. The spirit of God would hover over (or rest on) the Mercy Seat and when God looked at the lid, the law would be atoned or covered by the blood of the sacrificial animal. In the same way, when Christ shed his blood by dying His blood atoned the requirement of the law.
your faith
The church in Rome had a genuine expression of faith that was so strong that in A.D. 49 the emperor Claudius Caesar expelled all of the Jews due to the apparent influence of "Chrestus" which clearly alluded to Jesus Christ. While the Romans may have been familiar with the Jewish religion, they did not know what to make of these "Followers of the Way (Acts 9:2) or Sect of the Nazarenes (Acts 24:5). They were not called Christians until Antioch (Acts 11:26). Generally speaking members of the strange new religious sect were either poor or slaves. These Christians could get in trouble by refusing to worship the Emperor or any other of the gods of the Roman empire. Because of the danger, they would often meet in secret; yet their influence was beginning to be noticed.
is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.
Because Rome was the center of the Roman Empire as well as known world, whatever happened there was known everywhere. Therefore it was an ideal place from which to spring-board off for an Evangelism journey. Paul had planned to use Rome as a stepping-stone on a trip to preach the Gospel in modern-day Spain.
Well here ends another chunk of our examination of this amazing book. I apologize that it took me so long to post new messages but I will try to make contributions more regularly.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of your lovingkindness
Because of your faithfulness
After addressing the people he was writing to, Paul expresses his gratitude to God because of the work that He had accomplished among this body of believers. We must remember that all believers are God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). Further in the text, Paul personalizes his faith in saying my God. To him, God is not a ephemeral impersonal force that has no affection for mankind, but rather a father with whom every Christian has a personal relationship with. God is so invested in establishing a relationship with His children that He calls us, pursues us, and regenerates us. In Ephesians 2:1-5 Paul informs us of our pathetic state, "and you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan], of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly live in the lusts of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of wrath, end ans the rest. But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with He loved us, even when were were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you have been saved)." We were naturally dead, spiritually speaking, because of our sinful nature and we were His enemies (Romans 5:10) but because He loved us He sent Jesus Christ to die in our place; to receive our punishment and be a propitiation for our sins. Propitiation is a fancy theological term that comes from a Greek word hilasterion (hil-as-tay'-ree-on) which means an appeasement or a covering for sin. This same word even goes so far back to the the original Ark of the Covenant. The lid of the Ark was referred to as the Mercy Seat because on Yom Kippur (or day of atonement) the high-priest would sprinkle blood from the sacrificial animal on it. Under the lid was the law represented by the two tables of the Ten Commandments. The spirit of God would hover over (or rest on) the Mercy Seat and when God looked at the lid, the law would be atoned or covered by the blood of the sacrificial animal. In the same way, when Christ shed his blood by dying His blood atoned the requirement of the law.
your faith
The church in Rome had a genuine expression of faith that was so strong that in A.D. 49 the emperor Claudius Caesar expelled all of the Jews due to the apparent influence of "Chrestus" which clearly alluded to Jesus Christ. While the Romans may have been familiar with the Jewish religion, they did not know what to make of these "Followers of the Way (Acts 9:2) or Sect of the Nazarenes (Acts 24:5). They were not called Christians until Antioch (Acts 11:26). Generally speaking members of the strange new religious sect were either poor or slaves. These Christians could get in trouble by refusing to worship the Emperor or any other of the gods of the Roman empire. Because of the danger, they would often meet in secret; yet their influence was beginning to be noticed.
is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.
Because Rome was the center of the Roman Empire as well as known world, whatever happened there was known everywhere. Therefore it was an ideal place from which to spring-board off for an Evangelism journey. Paul had planned to use Rome as a stepping-stone on a trip to preach the Gospel in modern-day Spain.
Well here ends another chunk of our examination of this amazing book. I apologize that it took me so long to post new messages but I will try to make contributions more regularly.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of your lovingkindness
Because of your faithfulness
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