Study session scripture: Romans 13

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Study session topics:

• Marks of the Christian Community, Part 3

• The Christian’s relationship to the government (vv. 1-7)

• Governmental authority is from God

• The legitimate role of the government

• A positive reason to obey the law: conscience

• Scriptural limits on government power

• The Christian’s relationship to all people (vv. 8-14) -“Owe no one anything”—The Christian’s financial responsibility

• Love: the sole exception to not owe anything

• Paul’s exhortation to live the Christian life now, and not put off serving God

In this two-week special study session during Justin’s absence, Rev Rogers leads a two-part series: ‘Discussing the Diversity of ‘Church.’’ This episode is part two, focusing on Ephesians.

Study session audio:

In this two-week special study session during Justin’s absence, Rev Rogers leads a two-part series: ‘Discussing the Diversity of ‘Church.’’ This episode is part one.

Study session audio:

Study session scripture: Romans 12:9-21

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Study session topics:

• Marks of the Christian community, part 2

• The Christian's relationship to other Christians (vv. 9-13)

• Love: genuine, discriminating, brotherly kindness, honoring others, zealous service, persistent hope, meeting one another's needs

• Commands given for Christian unity

• The Christian's relationship to the world (vv. 14-21)

• Response to persecution

• Response to unbelievers: empathy, amicability, humility, response to conflict, upright and ethical, peaceable, charitable

Study session audio:

Study session scripture: Romans 12:1-8

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Study session topics:

• Marks of the Christian Community, Part 1

• Living sacrifice

• Therefore-the biggest one yet

• The strangeness of the phrase “living sacrifice”

• How to offer ourselves as living sacrifices:

• Resist the pressures of the world around us

• Accept and cooperate with the sanctifying work of God

• Spiritual gifts

• Another warning against pride

• The Body of Christ—one of Paul’s most famous illustrations

• The purpose and application of spiritual gifts

• Unity in Christ—Paul’s underlying point

Study session audio:

Study session scripture: Romans 11:11-26

Rev. Rogers filled in for Justin this week. Please see the audio recording of this week’s session below.

Study session scripture: Romans 10:14-11:10

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.” Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God's reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”

Study session topics:

• Israel's Rejection of God's Promises, Continued

• Israel's disobedience to the Gospel (10:14-21)

• The chain from sent to saved

• Israel's rejection of the message of salvation

• Israel's rejection foretold in the Old Testament

• The first excuse: Has Israel heard the Gospel?

• The second excuse: Did Israel understand the Gospel?

• The remnant of Israel (11:1-10)

• Has God abandoned His people? By no means! -

  God still reserves a remnant for Himself

• Israel's greater responsibility toward God

Study session audio: