Romans Midterm 2

Reformed view of Romans 7

Paul is describing his own personal struggle with sin as a Christian

Arminian view of Romans 7

Paul is describing the struggle with sin of an unregenerate trying to fulfill the Law

Wesleyan view of Romans 7

Paul is describing the experience of a carnal Christian

Ridderbos’ view of Romans 7

Paul is not talking about personal sin in anyone, but is using an extended metaphor to describe the change from the old age of the Law to the New Age of the Spirit

Berding’s view of Romans 7

Paul wasn’t struggling with personal sin because he was so embroiled in sin, but because he was so close with God. Sin makes you numb.

main issue with other views of Romans 7

Paul's use of “I” and the present tense

“Struggling with sin” can mean…

to continually fall into sin or to wrestle to avoid falling into sin

three approaches people take in relating to God as unbelievers

libertinism, legalism, the Gospel

three approaches people take in relating to God as believers

misuse of grace, misunderstanding the role of law, life in the Spirit

example of a metaphor in Romans 6

you died with Christ (6:1-14)

example of a key question in Romans 6 and 8

Are we to continue to sin so that grace may increase? (6:1)

Sanctification Step #1

Know what happened at salvation and live like it (6:1-23)

Sanctification Step #2

Don’t depend on the law for sanctification (7:1-13)

Sanctification Step #3

Stay sensitive to sin and keep aware of your weakness (7:14-25)

Sanctification Step #4

Walk Spirit-ually, 8:1-27

What key movement enlivens Romans 6?

the indicative to the imperative

What does “the imperative flows out of the indicative” mean?

“Become who you were made to be” or “You’re in Christ… now live like it.”

indicative of Romans 6

At salvation we died to our old lives and entered a new life (6:2-4). We were united with Christ (6:5). We were freed from our slavery to the power of sin (6:6-7, 17-18, 22).

imperative of Romans 6

Live like you are dead to sin and alive to God! (6:11)

Romans 8 is not just about you and me; it is also about…

the change from the old age to the new age

Romans 8 starts with an emphasis on the Holy Spirit, but moves toward…

an affirmation of the security of the believer

Romans 8 ties together…

Paul’s earlier arguments about sanctification and justification

“flesh” in Romans 8

the pull towards sin

the “evil inclination” (yetzer hara)

like gravity; this is closer to Paul’s understanding

Walk in the Spirit

8:4

Set your mind on the things of the Spirit

8:5-6

Put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit

8:12-13

Be led by the Spirit

8:14

Know the fatherhood of God by the Spirit

8:15-16

Hope in the Spirit

8:23-25

Pray in the Spirit

8:26-27

question in 9:14

Is God unjust in choosing some and not others?

question in 9:19

Is God unjust in holding us accountable for our sins since nobody can resist his will?

question in 9:30-32

Why did Gentiles who didn’t pursue the law attain righteousness, whereas Jews who pursued righteousness through the law didn’t?

questions in 10:14-15a, 18-19

How does someone come to know the good news? Israel never really heard, did they? Israel didn’t really know, did they?

question in 11:1, 7

Has God rejected his people altogether?

question in 11:11

Did Israel’s general rejection of Christ cause them to be forever cut off in the plan of God?

Why is it important to understand predestination?

To understand the Bible better, avoid fatalism, not be trivial, and help us have wonder at God and his greater understanding

Josephus’ account of early understandings of predestination

Essenes -> Calvinists; Pharisees -> Arminians; Sadducees -> Pelagians

most important passage in the Bible for dealing with predestination

Romans 9–11

main actor in 9:1-5

Paul

main actor in 9:6-29

God

main actor in 9:30-10:21

They/You

main actor in 11:1-10

God

main actor in 11:11-20

They/You

main actor in 11:21-32

Between God and They/You

main actor in 11:33-36

God

What difference do the main actors of 9–11 make?

You do not have to be able to resolve every question before affirming what is revealed in the Scripture.

examples for why it’s ok to give partial explanations when appropriate

preserved remnant (9 & 11); “all Israel will be saved” (11:26)

biblical necessities

need to be affirmed

theological explanations

used to hold ideas together

God predestines everything that takes place, including…

who is saved and who is not

You must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to…

be saved

God does not delight in punishing the wicked, but…

he will punish them if they refuse to repent

Some things are not directly caused by God. The biblical language is that…

God “allows” some things to take place

Highest Desire Freedom

humans do whatever they want to do, but their chief desire rises to the top so that they make their decision as influenced by other factors

Contrary Choice Freedom

in any given situation, humans have the ability to make a different choice

Middle Knowledge/Molinism

omnisciently, God actualized a world in which many people freely believed

Calvinist modification of Molinism

those who believed only did because God first drew them to

traditional dispensationalism

looks at OT promises to Israel as only applicable to Israel

traditional dispensationalists on the church and Israel

two distinct plans of God—one for Israel and one for the church

covenant theology

OT promises to Israel were swallowed up into Christ’s first coming and are fulfilled spiritually in the church

covenant theology on the church and Israel

the church replaced Israel in the plan of God

progressive dispensationalism

there is a spiritual fulfillment which the church shares in now, and a physical/spiritual fulfillment that will take place in a future Millennium

progressive dispensationalism on the church and Israel

the church spiritually shares in the promises to Israel, but God still has a plan for ethnic Israel

Paul's primary argument in Romans 11

a partial hardening has come upon Israel during his day and Gentiles seem more open than Jews to the gospel

analogy of refugee policy to Romans 11

certain nations are granted greater mercy in a certain period

Paul primarily addresses the corporate issue of “kindness” versus “hardening” in Romans 11, but…

he occasionally intertwines it with individual salvation

Just as Israel, despite some Jews’ rejection, enjoyed a special relationship with God and his favor…

so now individual Gentiles shouldn’t be arrogant

“You were grafted in” means that…

you responded to the gospel and were included in the new community of believers

Difficulty of Romans 11

the merging of the individual and the corporate perspectives

Can you use Romans 11 to argue that you can lose your salvation?

No, Paul is telling the Gentiles to not lose their standing in God’s grace

What passages in Romans bear upon the question of salvation?

5:9-10; 8:29-30; 8:31-39