The Theology Has Gone to the Dogs: a Kinetic Operation on the Letter to the Romans
By Kirk Lee
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About this ebook
A short look at the letter of Romans along with some observations from our pet dogs.
Kirk Lee
As a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity in Apologetics, he is currently serving as an senior pastor at a small church. In the past he has been involved in church planting.
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The Theology Has Gone to the Dogs - Kirk Lee
The Theology Has Gone to the Dogs:
a Kinetic Operation on the Letter to the Romans
___________________
By
Kirk Lee
Edited by
Stephanie Lee
Copyright © 2015 Kirk Lee
All rights reserved.
Distributed by Smashwords
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com
Keys
NAU = New American Standard version of the Bible
⁸ First, = Verse number plus bold first word means there is a new paragraph.
* = Dog observations of God’s grace
∆ = Can find concepts of all parts of the trinity in this verse or connecting verses
= ALL
= Jewish slant
= Gentile/Greek/Uncircumcised slant
*The use of the word Kinetic in the title is being used with meaning of a quick exercise, or short in duration.
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: When Left to Our Own Devices
Chapter 2: The Need of the Jews
Chapter 3: Jesus Sacrificed it All
Chapter 4: Abraham
Chapter 5: The Saving Grace of God
Chapter 6: Freedom from Sin
Chapter 7: Why Do I Covet Sin
Chapter 8: God's Love and Glory
Chapter 9: Biblical Balance We Hold Onto
Chapter 10: Israel’s Present Rejection
Chapter 11: Good Roots are All We Stand on
Chapter 12: Sacrificial Walk
Chapter 13: Citizenship in Our Walk
Chapter 14: The Grace of Faith is Liberty
Chapter 15: My Personal Relationship
Chapter 16: In Closing, Be Strong in Christ
Chapter 17: Book Flow
Chapter 18: The Roman Road to Salvation
Bibliography
End Notes
Introduction
* Dear God: Thank you for the baby brother, but I think you got confused, because what I prayed for was a puppy![1]
This book was written to help understand the flow of the letter of Romans, not necessarily cover a verse by verse study of the book. This was a Bible study I did to help me understand Romans better. I am not focused on every jot and title. I will gladly leave that work to the great theologians and there are plenty. I am after how I can apply this letter to my life and grow in Christ.
Chapter 1: When Left to Our Own Devices
BACKGROUND: We are in the third missionary journey from Antioch through the Galatian region (spring-summer of AD 53) and have reached Ephesus in the fall of AD 53 where Paul remained for two to three years (AD 53-56).[2] Therefore, Paul's return to Corinth (modern day Greece) through Macedonia was probably in the spring or summer of AD 56.[3] Paul probably arrived in Corinth in late fall of AD 56, and remained through early AD 57. Therefore, Romans was probably written in the winter - early spring of AD 56-57. He is writing to a group of citizens who (half of them) could be labeled as bond-servants and recently freed slaves. He has this letter delivered by a person with a shining personality known as Phoebe from Cenchrea which is east of Corinth.
FLOW: How can you be a slave and an apostle at the same time; the lowest and the highest in one person?
∆NAU Romans 1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus,(authoritative side) called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,[4] ² which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³ concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, ⁴ who was declared[5] the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ(personal side) our Lord, ⁵ through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith(1st reference) among all the Gentiles(16:26b;made known) for His name's sake, ⁶ among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; ⁷ to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
BACKGROUND: Paul was called to be an apostle. After accepting the calling, Paul volunteered to be submissive to follow Christ by choice; by giving up of himself.
Observation: Faith's
primary function is to receive what grace offers. Our calling is more than just followers of the Gospel; it is also to be proclaimers among the gentiles and the world. Also, of all of Paul's letters, this is the only letter addressed to all
of his receiving audience, a church Paul had not traveled too; while, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and Revelations are addressed to the church.
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 2 Peter, 1 John, and Jude are addressed to the saints
; which is really part of the church. 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and 2 & 3 John are addressed to persons connected to the church. Finally, Hebrews, James, and 1 Peter are addressed to Jewish Christian audiences. Notice how the Holy Spirit is who raised Christ’s body and therefore is the spirit of grace.
⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.
∆⁹ For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness(I'm not lying) as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, ¹⁰ always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.
FLOW: I'm trying to get to Rome, to expand the church!
(WHY?)¹¹ For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift(1st reference)(to expand the gospel) to you, that you may be established; ¹² that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.(relational)
* Loyalty: A dog will wag his tail and say hi to everyone in the group, but will always come back and stay with the one who feeds them and spends time with them; his master.
(BECAUSE?)¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.
¹⁴ I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
Observation: Are we just as overwhelmed as Paul was to our indebtedness to Jesus Christ? Our spiritual honor should be encouragement for others and bring glory to our Lord and Savior.
¹⁵ So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel[6](1:11) to you also who are in Rome.
Key Verse
FLOW: The gospel of Jesus Christ can save lives. Have I
ever been ashamed of the Gospel?
¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel,[7]
(WHY?) for it is the power of God for salvation[8](1st reference) to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
(WHY?) ¹⁷ For in it(1:16;salvation) the righteousness[9](1st reference) of God is revealed from faith to faith;(maturing process)(person to person) as it is written, BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.
[10]
(WHY?) ¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness[11] of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
(WHY?) ¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident within them(1:18b;unrighteous man); for God made it evident to them.[12]
Observation: Faith is not just one more work of God’s mercy in verse 17. He gives us faith. We might say that every aspect of God's salvation comes to us only by faith. Faith is our relationship with God. We cannot come to God through our own exercise of faith. It is God's word that saves people,(1:16) not our comments on God's word. People reject and suppress even the most basic knowledge of the existence of God, so God chooses to reveal His righteousness in faith.
Paul's concern is not how righteous people live, but how sinful people become righteous. So even if we live in a fly-over country and realize there is a God, but don't know His name. The unbeliever never comes to church, they never read the Bible, nor do they show interest in learning more about Jesus Christ. All people have been given Light, general knowledge that there is God. This passage reminds us all people are