The Open Word

We continue our discussion of the Christian and government. Paul indicates that God has ordained government to provide stability in a society, and that the Christian is responsible to be submissive, …

We continue our discussion of the believer's response to governmental authorities by exploring the statement of Paul that all authorities, even those that are godless, are appointed by God and as suc…

We begin a new section and topic in the Book of Romans which is the believer's response towards governmental authorities, even those that may not reflect a Christian worldview. This is an important t…

Paul completes his discussion of our Christian duties by focusing on how we are to treat our enemies.

Having discussed our duties to ourselves and the family of God, Paul expands the circle in Romans 12:14–16 to all men. In these few verses, Paul packs a host of admonitions on how we are to treat oth…

In the last part of Romans 12, Paul lays out Christian virtues in an expanding circle from personal duties to the family of God, then to all people, and finally to enemies. In this session we look at…

We complete our study of spiritual gifts in Romans 12.

We continue our discussion of spiritual gifts as found in Romans 12:3-8. Spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to minister to others in the body of Christ, the Church, and it is the responsibi…

In this session we begin a three-week discussion of spiritual gifts. All believers have a spiritual gift that is given to them to minister to the body of Christ. In this, and the next two sessions, w…

Romans 12 begins the practical section of Romans. After laying out God's plan of salvation, Paul now turns to practical applications. He begins by exhorting his readers to present themselves wholly t…

We finish Romans Chapter 11 by discussing Israel's ultimate salvation. Although the nation as a whole lives in rebellion against Christ - there is coming a day when their eyes will be open, they will…

Paul continues his discussion of the future of Israel by referring to an agrarian illustration of an olive tree. The Gentiles have been grafted into the olive tree temporarily, and the natural branch…

One of the major questions debated my many theologians is the place of Israel in God's future plans. Paul addresses this directly by affirming that God is not done with Israel, but there is coming a …

Paul explains the national rejection of Christ by Israel by referring back to the teaching in the Old Testament about the remnant. He shows that God has always had a remnant, a small group of true be…

Paul completes his discussion of Israel's rejection of Christ by quoting several passages from the Old Testament. He shows that just because Israel rejected Christ, that does not imply that the messa…

We continue our discussion of what it means to confess Christ. What does it mean to believe in one's heart? Is mere head knowledge sufficient, or is there something more? We will be exploring these q…

Romans 10:5–13 contains one of the clearest descriptions on how one appropriates salvation by placing one's faith in the finished work of Christ. In this session we look at the passage at a high leve…

Paul bears his grief for his fellow Israelites who missed salvation by seeking to be justified by their works. His heart for them comes true when he says he almost could wish himself cursed for their…

In Romans 9:30–33, Paul shows that the Jews who pursued a righteous by works missed the righteousness that God requires for salvation whereas the Gentiles, who pursued a righteous by faith, are the o…

In this short section of Scripture, Paul makes the point that just because someone was an Israelite, that did not necessarily mean they were all part of the covenant and by extension redeemed. He bri…