Podcasts about romans chapter

Episode for Friday October 2nd - Romans Chapter 1:1-7 by Chuck Missler

Missionary Evangelist Robert Breaker talks about Romans Chapter 10 and shows it fully in context. He further explains how many today try to ONLY go to Romans 10 to try to show people salvation. WHY??? Why don't they go to the more powerful and understandable verses like: 1 Cor. 15:1-4, Romans 3:25, Romans 5:9-11 FIRST??? For those places show the blood and salvation by faith in it (i.e. the atoning work of Jesus). While Romans ten seems to leave the blood out. He further speaks about the "bloodsuckers" or those who leave out the message of the blood in their modern gospel presentation and shows how that teaching comes from TRANSYLVANIA! (Vampire territory!) He then asks "Could they be Spiritual Vampires?"

Send us Fan MailWhy do we still struggle with sin after following Jesus?In this episode of The eXchange Church Podcast with Pastor Andy Meyer, we continue our Bible Open Sunday journey through Romans 7–9. Pastor Andy and Steve lead an honest conversation about the daily battle between the flesh and the Spirit, the freedom found in God's grace, and the hope we have because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.This discussion is a powerful reminder that the Christian life isn't about achieving perfection—it's about continually returning to Christ, trusting His grace, and allowing Him to transform us one step at a time. As we wrestle with our weaknesses, we're invited to lean into God's presence, grow through discipleship, and discover the peace that comes from walking with Him.

With Jo on holiday, Chris and Alex open with a quick recap of chapter 7. The law was good but powerless, sin was pervasive, and the chapter ended with Paul's cry: who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ. They then read verses 1–11. They unpack "no condemnation" as both a verdict and a penalty. The cross deals with the believer's forensic status, but it also deals with sin's power and its wages of death. They note how the chapter brings the Holy Spirit to centre stage, and how Paul contrasts "the law of the Spirit of life" with "the law of sin and death". For the Trinitarian nerds, verses 3–4 show all three persons at work. Chris points out that the Greek peri hamartias ("for sin") carries the language of the Septuagint's sin offering. Christ both fulfils the law's standard and becomes the offering for those who can't meet it. They also hear echoes of Ezekiel's returning Spirit and Jeremiah's law written on the heart. And, as promised to Jo, the new Exodus gets a mention.Verses 12–17 move the metaphor from slavery to family. Chris suggests adoption is less a picture than the underlying reality of the relationship, with both obligations and blessings. Alex brings in the prodigal son and his older brother: our identity rests in the Father, and our obligations flow out of that identity rather than earning it. The pair explore adoption in first-century Jewish and Roman settings, where an adoptee took on a new father's name, status and inheritance (hence the outrageous number of men called Gaius Julius Caesar). They discuss how best to render "Abba": not "Daddy", but something closer to an Australian "Dad", both reverent and intimate. They close the section on verse 17's condition that heirs suffer with Christ in order to be glorified with him.Verses 18–27 zoom out to the cosmic scale. Paul's "present sufferings" carry real weight coming from a former persecutor who now suffers for the faith. Alex pushes back on a narrow "where do I go when I die?" view of salvation. Paul's vision is a whole creation set free from its bondage to decay, reversing the effects of Genesis 3. Chris draws on being present for his wife's two labours to unpack the childbirth imagery: real anguish, with anticipation and new life on the other side. The Spirit becomes the bridge between the now and the not yet, interceding with groans too deep for words, a striking contrast to the helplessness of chapter 7. Both hosts firmly reject the idea that suffering is a sign that blessing has failed.The final section, verses 28–39, is a dense run of famous verses. "All things work together for good" is read against Genesis 50 and the Joseph story, where the good God brings may land generations later, and where the personal good is conformity to Christ rather than material blessing. On the "golden chain" of foreknew, predestined, called, justified and glorified, Chris and Alex outline several readings. They include whether foreknowledge and predestination should be merged or kept distinct, and whether "calling" is an invitation or a summons. Chris also notes the link between kaleō and ekklēsia. Both argue the chain is mainly about sanctification and family likeness to Christ, read corporately more than individually. The past-tense "glorified" speaks of a future so certain it can be described as done. Alex notes that every link in the chain is an act of God rather than a human response. Then come Paul's rhetorical questions, the quotation from Psalm 44 and the rare word hupernikōmen, "more than conquerors" (or in Chris's words, "uber victorious", not to be confused with the delivery app). The episode ends on Paul's sweeping list of things that cannot separate us from God's love, which Alex offers as the pastoral takeaway. Chris and Alex also flag that chapters 9–11 are coming next, where Paul turns to what all this means for the history of God's people.Resources used for this episode: Tom Schreiner and Colin Kruse on Romans; Douglas Moo; Ernst Käsemann; N.T. Wright's Paul: Fresh Perspectives and The Climax of the Covenant;Beverly Roberts Gaventa's When in Romans; Michael Gorman; Leon Morris. Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram.Subscribe to Bible Streams on Apple, Spotify, Google, and Amazon.

A study through the bible verse by verse and chapter by chapter with host Jeff Shepherd. For a Limited time, Free Journal and Worldwide Shipping with purchase of Rebel Hearts Redeemed. Go to https://books.by/jeffshepherd Thank you for Listening to Right on Radio. Prayerfully consider supporting Right on Radio. Click Here for all links, Right on Community ROC, Podcast web links, Freebies, Products (healing mushrooms, EMP Protection) Social media, courses and more...https://linktr.ee/RightonRadio Live Right in the Real World! We talk God and Politics, Faith Based Broadcast News, views, Opinions and Attitudes We are Your News Now. Keep the Faith

Discover the ultimate proof of unconditional love in this midday study through Romans chapter five, verses six through eleven. Connect with us or share prayer requests by calling or texting 314-279-1680, and support the ministry on Cash App at $WITCFC. 

Send us Fan MailWhat comes first—our works or our heart?In this week's Bible Open Sunday, Ryan leads our discussion through Romans 4–6, exploring the powerful truth that God isn't looking for outward performance before inward transformation. Through Paul's words, we're reminded that we are justified by faith, saved by grace, and called to live a new life because of what Christ has already done—not because of what we can accomplish on our own. In this discussion, we explore:Why faith has always been the foundation of our relationship with God.The difference between religious works and a transformed heart.What it means to have peace with God through Jesus Christ.How God's grace empowers us to walk in newness of life.Why true obedience flows from a heart changed by Christ. Whether you've been reading through Romans with us or are just joining the journey, we pray this discussion encourages you to trust God's grace and allow Him to transform your heart from the inside out.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, you will find the following:1) Reading of Romans Chapter 132) Explanations of key takeaways3) Summary4) Prayer

After a short break, Jo, Chris and Alex are back for episode eight of the To Rome with Love series, and they open with a quick recap of chapters 1 to 6: the universal problem of sin, Israel's share in it despite having the law, faith as the way into right standing, the Adam and Christ contrast, and baptism as union with Christ's death and resurrection. They point out that chapter 7 has Paul coming back to something he raised briefly in chapter 5 and then left alone: the law's arrival made sin increase. They also flag that chapters 7 and 8 really belong together, and that verses 5 and 6 work almost as headings for the rest of chapter 7 and for chapter 8.Verses 1 to 6 start with the "which law?" question. One reading separates "works of the law" (the covenant markers like circumcision and purity) from "the law" as the whole Mosaic framework, ethical commands included. Another follows N.T. Wright's language of solidarities, where the law is a sphere you take part in, much like being "in Adam" or "in Christ", and Paul gives it an almost personal force. The marriage illustration gets unpacked against first-century practice, where only the husband could start a divorce, so a wife was bound until death. The team push back on reading every detail of the analogy as code. Is the husband sin and death, Christ, or the Adam life? The metaphor is probably doing several jobs at once, and the main point is that death releases you legitimately into a new covenant. Fruitfulness, the natural result of a marriage, becomes the image for what life with God produces, and the alternative is fruit for death. There's also a note of caution about sarx (flesh). Paul doesn't always mean "sinful nature" by it, and every translation choice is also an interpretation.The middle section (verses 7 to 12) takes on Paul's next mē genoito: is the law sin? The discussion separates "is the law sinful by nature?" from "does the law give sin an opening?" The law works as a diagnostic tool, holy and good in itself, and sin takes the opening it creates. The choice of "you shall not covet" is picked out as deliberate, because it's an entirely internal command and it follows naturally from the marriage illustration. There's a pastoral aside about how simply naming a sin from the pulpit can plant the idea. The team then wrestle with Schreiner's description of sin as an "alien power". Scripture personifies sin ("sin is crouching at your door") without making it Satan or a demon, and the team suggest sin works as much from inside us as from outside.That leads into the big question of who the "I" is. The options on the table are Paul himself (drawing on his own experience but not straight autobiography), Adam, Israel personified, or some mix that retells a universal story. They also cover the two readings most common in church life. The first is the pre-conversion reading linked to Origen and Augustine and later German scholarship. The second is the Christian's ongoing struggle, linked to the Lutheran and Reformation tradition. Philippians 3 ("as to righteousness under the law, blameless") is weighed against the chapter, and the team agree that being blameless before the law is not the same thing as being sinless.The final section (verses 13 to 25) covers the "I do not do what I want" passage. The problem isn't knowing what's right. It's approving of the right thing and still not being able to do it. The law is spiritual, but it provides no power to keep its own commands, and whatever you live under ends up filling you and showing in how you live. Paul switching between past and present tense is part of why the debate never settles. The team land on a representative reading with some personal element: this is "pre-Christ" more than "pre-Christian", Israel's story and Adam's story told in the first person, and they argue chapters 9 to 11 only make sense on that reading. It isn't only a Jewish experience either, because devotion to any moral code without transformation meets the same dead end. They close with Paul's use of classical rhetoric (logos, pathos and ethos). His "I" builds a connection with his listeners, and in a way that turns the usual rules upside down, admitting his own struggle becomes part of what makes him worth listening to.Resources mentioned in the episode: Tom Schreiner and Colin Kruse on Romans; Douglas Moo; Ernst Käsemann; N.T. Wright's Paul: Fresh Perspectives and The Climax of the Covenant; Beverly Roberts Gaventa's When in Romans; Michael Gorman; Leon Morris. Suggested pre-reading for chapter 8: N.T. Wright's Into the Heart of Romans. Don't forget the code word for this episode (even Chris missed it on the day).* Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram.Subscribe to Bible Streams on Apple, Spotify, Google, and Amazon.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, you will find the following:1) Reading of Romans Chapter 122) Explanations of key takeaways3) Summary4) Prayer

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, you will find the following:1) Reading of Romans Chapter 112) Explanations of key takeaways3) Summary4) Prayer

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, you will find the following:1) Reading of Romans Chapter 102) Explanations of key takeaways3) Summary4) Prayer

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, you will find the following:1) Reading of Romans Chapter 92) Explanations of key takeaways3) Summary4) Prayer

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, you will find the following:1) Reading of Romans Chapter 82) Explanations of key takeaways3) Summary4) Prayer

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, you will find the following:1) Reading of Romans Chapter 72) Explanations of key takeaways3) Summary4) Prayer

Send us Fan MailWhat does it mean to be bankrupt without Christ?In this week's Bible Open Sunday, we begin our journey through Romans 1–3, exploring Paul's powerful introduction to the Gospel. Together, we discuss humanity's need for a Savior, why no one is righteous on their own, and how our hope is found in Jesus Christ alone. Through Paul's words, we're reminded that Christianity isn't about earning God's approval—it's about receiving His grace through faith.In this discussion, Pastor Andy unpacks:Why Paul describes himself as both a slave and an apostle.The difference between religion and relationship.Why every person stands in need of God's grace.How faith transforms our hearts—not just our knowledge.What it means to live as followers of Christ every day.Whether you're reading through Romans with us or discovering it for the first time, we pray this message encourages you to draw closer to Christ and rest in the grace that only He can provide.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, you will find the following:1) Reading of Romans Chapter 62) Explanations of key takeaways3) Summary4) Prayer

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, you will find the following:1) Reading of Romans Chapter 52) Explanations of key takeaways3) Summary4) Prayer

Send us Fan MailJoin us for Romans Chapter 12 Today!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, you will find the following:1) Reading of Romans Chapter 42) Explanations of key takeaways3) Summary4) Prayer

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, you will find the following:1) Reading of Romans Chapter 32) Explanations of key takeaways3) Summary4) Prayer

Welcome to Time in the Word, a Bible teaching ministry of A Love Outreach. In this episode, Pastor Dave will walk us through Romans chapter 16 with a practical, verse-by-verse reading and discussion. This is a simple Spirit-led time in God's Word—reading the Scriptures and pausing along the way to reflect, explain, and apply what we see. Whether you are new to the Bible or have walked with the Lord for years, our prayer is that this time in the Word would draw you closer to Jesus, strengthen your faith, and deepen your understanding of His truth.

Welcome to Time in the Word, a Bible teaching ministry of A Love Outreach. In this episode, Pastor Dave will walk us through Romans chapter 15 with a practical, verse-by-verse reading and discussion. This is a simple Spirit-led time in God's Word—reading the Scriptures and pausing along the way to reflect, explain, and apply what we see. Whether you are new to the Bible or have walked with the Lord for years, our prayer is that this time in the Word would draw you closer to Jesus, strengthen your faith, and deepen your understanding of His truth.

Welcome to Time in the Word, a Bible teaching ministry of A Love Outreach. In this episode, Pastor Dave will walk us through Romans chapter 14 with a practical, verse-by-verse reading and discussion. This is a simple Spirit-led time in God's Word—reading the Scriptures and pausing along the way to reflect, explain, and apply what we see. Whether you are new to the Bible or have walked with the Lord for years, our prayer is that this time in the Word would draw you closer to Jesus, strengthen your faith, and deepen your understanding of His truth.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, you will find the following:1) Reading of Romans Chapter 22) Explanations of key takeaways3) Summary4) Prayer

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, you will find the following:1) Reading of Romans Chapter 12) Explanations of key takeaways3) Summary4) Prayer

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

This message is on the third article of the Apostles' Creed, and we focus on the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Resurrection of the body can be the cornerstone of faith. The through line of our theology is that the body is central to our understanding of our existence in Christ. Scripture is full of creation words. Creeds struggle to get things right about what they believe. Gnosticism would have us believe tht the true self is spirit and soul. Not the physical being. Much of our theology is about escaping from the body. The creed talks about the creation as an important component of our belief. The creed does not tell us that humans are spiritual only. To the contrary, our bodies are clothed in Christ, and this informs us and guides our actions. Why does this matter? Because we don't just exist, we profoundly matter in God's plans. Today's message comes from Pastor Jason. Our New Testament Lesson comes from Romans Chapter 8 ,Verses 22- 25. Our second reading is from Revelations, Chapter 21, Verses 1 - 5.   Masai Creed We believe in Creator, Father-Mother Spirit, who called the world and all that is in it. Into being, who spoke the creative-forming wor, and all came father who created women and men and set them free to live in love. In obedience to the will of supreme love and in community with all. We believe in Creator, Son and Brother, who, because of love beyond our understanding, love for creation, entered the world to share our humanity, to rejoice and despair; ate set before us the paths of life and death, and walk them with us; to be rejected and die, but to finally conquer death and bind the world to himself for all time. We believe in Creator, In-Dwelling Spirit, who invites us into community., that we my thought faith and that community of oneness, experience uplifting and sustaining grace; that we may fulfill our human responsibility reach out to our neighbor, whoever that may be; that we may rejoice in the constant nature of creation and wondrous joy of life itself. We believe in Creator, whose word teaches us that all things grow together, the Circle of Life; that the paths of life and death, good and evil, too often come together, that choices are not clearly defined; but that we confidently and responsibly tread the path we choose and only the true One can be our judge. We believer in Creator, who is present and working in this world through all creation. AMEN. 

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

Send us Fan MailThis is a message I shared at Timothy Lutheran Church and Faith Lutheran Church (Both in Council Bluffs, Iowa) on Sunday August 23, 2026 from Romans Chapter 12 and Matthew Chapter 16. Thank you for listening!

Chris, Jo and Alex are back as a trio for episode seven in the Romans series, opening with a read-through of chapter 6 verses 1–14. They set the scene first: Paul has spent chapters 1–4 establishing the universal problem of sin and the inadequacy of the law to deal with it, and from chapter 5 onwards the vocabulary shifts — Jesus is back on the scene, justification language recedes, and life, freedom and reigning take over as Paul moves into the second act of the argument, heading for the crescendo of chapter 8. The chapter's opening question is a piece of Greco-Roman rhetorical technique Paul loves: anticipating your opponent's refutation and defusing it before it lands, necessary in a letter sent halfway across the known world with Phoebe carrying the delivery instructions. The team disagree amiably over how cynical the objection is: Chris and Alex read it as "why bother caring about right and wrong", Jo suspects someone hearing it as a licence to sin deliberately. The first half works through the death/burial/resurrection imagery, picking up the basileia kingdom-and-ruling-power language from chapter 5: sin isn't merely a catalogue of acts but a structural status, a dominion you're either under or dead to. They dig into baptism as both metaphor and action (down into the water and up out of it) and its resonance with the Exodus and the Red Sea, while insisting it's union with Christ, not the rite itself, that does the work (otherwise chapter 4's argument about faith preceding circumcision collapses). Jo highlights the pile-up of Greek sun- compound verbs: buried with, crucified with, raised with, living with; as the grammatical backbone of Paul's "in Christ" theology and, he argues, of a covenantal reading of Romans. There's a detour into what "the glory of the Father" in verse 4 might mean, including the reading that identifies it with the Spirit, and a discussion of Paul's habit of planting hints early that he unpacks chapters later. The pastoral heart of the episode sits in the sinless perfection debate: is verse 7's "anyone who has died has been set free from sin" a description of present moral reality, or a forensic status held in tension with verse 12's "do not let sin reign in your mortal body"? Jo names the two failure modes he's seen — either whatever I do can't be sin, or if I do sin I have to hide it, breeding hypocrisy and shame. Alex pushes the conversation out of the individualistic weeds and back into Paul's big covenantal categories: a new era for the people of God, not a status report on one person's behaviour. Chris nuances the "forensic" label as also sacramental. Alex's question about where sanctification fits gets a deliberate deferral; Paul starts the thought here and doesn't finish it until chapter 8. The second half takes up verses 15–23 and the antinomian objection's second form: if we're not under law, why is sin a problem? They set the slavery metaphor in its ancient context — a lifelong status attaching to the whole person, ownership of the body, exploitation, being counted among assets — with a recommended side trip to Philemon (and a plug for the podcast's own Philemon episode). The key move is that there's no neutral third state: you're a slave to one master or the other, which Jo links back to Jesus on serving two masters, and to the "freedom to, not freedom from" argument of Galatians. Order matters throughout: you're set free first, and obedience is the response, never the means. They touch on the commentators' storm-in-a-teacup over what "the standard of teaching" refers to, the responsibility-without-autonomy of the doulos, and Douglas Moo's phrase for what's happened: a salvation-historical regime change, which Chris gently contests on the grounds that grace was the operative regime all along — only the instrument changed. The chapter closes with Paul mixing his metaphors on purpose: freedom, wages and fruit. Slaves don't earn wages; free people do — so death is the wage sin honestly pays, while eternal life is precisely not a wage but a free gift. Sanctification finally appears by name in verse 22, closing the loop on Alex's earlier question. Next episode: chapter 7, which Jo bills as the genuinely hard one: who exactly is the "I" wrestling with sin? Resources The Epistle to the Romans - Douglas Moo (NICNT) Romans - Thomas Schreiner (BECNT) Romans - Beverly Roberts Gaventa (NTL) The Epistle to the Romans - Richard Longenecker (NIGTC) The Epistle to the Romans - Leon Morris (PNTC) Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram.Subscribe to Bible Streams on Apple, Spotify, Google, and Amazon.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.

"To Paul, brought up under the rigid Jewish Law, God was pre-eminently the God of Righteousness, i.e. moral perfection. In these days when the majority of people assume God to be a vague easy-going Benevolence it is difficult to appreciate the force of Paul's problem or the wonder of its solution.   If we are prepared the grant the absolute moral perfection of God, eternally aflame with positive goodness, truth and beauty, we can perhaps understand that any form of sin or evil cannot approach God without instant dissolution. This is as inevitable as, for example, the destruction of certain germs by the light of the sun.   How them, asks Paul, can man who has failed and, moreover, sinned deliberately, ever approach God or hope to share in his timeless existence?"   Originally published as part of Letters to Young Churches.