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romans study

Best Commentaries For Studying Romans: Case Study

I’ve been doing this series on Bible Study tools and was focusing on commentaries. In this post, I am going to list my commentary methodology, and a recommendation, with one book of the Bible: Romans.

I’ve read it quite a few times. Repeatedly. Taken notes on my perfect Bible and backed them up. Each time I find myself thinking “well, still don’t fully get it!” Paul had quite the brain.

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romans sin

Adam And Us: Romans 5

Romans 5 is a theological watershed: Adam Christology; the nature of the New Humanity; Original Sin; the Progression of Original Sin; and more. In this post I just wanted to examine the relationship of humanity to Adam and what his role is as decider.

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eschatology romans

A Dawning Future and Romans 7

Romans 7 has a long, messy history of interpretative clashes. Some interpreters say that although the Believer struggles with Sin nature in the present, Romans 7 isn’t addressing the issue at all. Another view says that the Believer has no sin nature and the struggle is with habits. Yet another view dictates that the entire experience in Romans 7 is pre-conversion: dealing with the struggles of a person that is coming to enlightenment and finally conversion. Another view likes to split the chapter in two so that the first half deals with pre-conversion and the following section deals with a post-conversion hypothetical without the empowering of the Holy Spirit; essentially a rhetorical hypothetical to establish Paul’s point.

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romans

Rejoice In Tribulations (Rom 5:3)

Should Romans 5:3 καυχώμεθα εν ταίς θλίψεσιν (rejoice/exult/boast in tribulations) be limited in scope to only specific type of tribulations—as in the afflictions that come about from sufferings caused directly by the believer’s profession of Christ as Lord? Some students in the class removed tribulations that come about from sinning because of καυχώμεθα addressing the tribulations; they similarly removed tribulations that come about from natural afflictions because no one should rejoice in having their legs cut off.

I don’t think this exegetical decision is viable.

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israel romans study

The Non-Violated Law of Romans 4:15

Tonight at the Roman’s study there was a question regarding Romans 4:15—why is it there?

The questioner was confused about the nature of violation of Law since this entire chapter doesn’t seem to be dealing with Law at all. After all, asked the student, isn’t the nature of Law to (1) prescribe and punish; and hasn’t Paul already established the (2) equality of Jew and Gentile to enter in by faith: why go back and deal with condemnation that comes about from Law breaking?