From Tom Degeneffe

The class discussion last Sunday (ch. 14) was so challenging and informative! I only wish that we had the time to delve into all of the application questions that this chapter raises! What really strikes me as being crucial in applying this teaching is the discernment necessary to determine whether a particular issue falls into the category of liberty / opinion, thus the instructions of this chapter apply ... or ... does it come under the instruction of I Corinthians 1:10; II Thess. 3:14-15; II John 9 etc. and is thus a fellowship issue. Kirk brought up the probability that the believers in Rome were meeting in several small house churches, yet the Spirit addressed them as a united body and this chapter instructs them to receive each other without passing judgement on differences of opinion. This principle must have some relevance in our culture, where many localized groups of believers meet together for worship and are engaged in the discovery of God's word and how it applies to them, coming to differing conclusions in many matters. What an intense level of mature, loving discernment is necessary to determine how to respond to this situation without compromising truth, yet not allowing division with those who are also accepted by the Father.

From Wes Seymour

(**Edited note: So sorry it took me so long to publish this post. Wes sent this to me when we were studying Chapter 13, and life just got in the way of a timely post. Sorry!!)

really bummed i had to miss the discussion in class last week (Chapter 13), the beginning of this chapter has been a big point of interest to me for a long time. in college i read a book on the differences of major religions, and the "human" reasoning or explanations behind them. when the author came to Christianity, he claimed that the real reason the word of christ spread so quickly throughout the region was because the leaders of the roman government at the time secretly wanted and encouraged it to. not because they were believers in christ, but mainly for the content and instructions in the first half of this chapter. to obey all laws of the government, that they were actually placed into power by god himself to enforce his will, to pay taxes, and not rebel against them. that their reward is in the life after this one ... to even embrace suffering and even persecution! that always made alot of sense to me.

on another note i love vs 8 "let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another." wow that one is totally getting highlighted!

From Joel McWaters

Romans 11
How often times do you look at the modern world and think "Am I really in that much of a minority? Are there so few?" I get very frustrated sometimes at the individuals in our country that want freedom in all aspects of life, for all people... except when it comes to me having my faith. It's not enough for them to not believe, but they also want to make it wrong for me to believe what I believe. And yet, it isn't as bad as what Elijah had to endure. How much has changed in the 2500+ years since Elijah? How often to we hear of someone "worshipping in their own way?" I think of Esther. She was the queen chosen by the king, to the kings pleasure, and yet she took her life into her hands approaching the King when he had not asked for her.

From Wes Seymour

i have such mixed feelings and opinions on the topic of god "hardening" people and their hearts, and what that really means. question 3 asks if god hardens righteous people. my first thought has always been that this has something to do with god manipulating the mind or choice a person has, but does that mean god has taken away the individuals free will at that point? at first i really didnt like the idea of that perspective, but maybe he has. maybe he actually did descend a spirit upon pharoah or the Israelites during the example with elijah. a spirit that didnt allow them to see, or hear, or feel god. maybe at that point god no longer gave them a choice, he had just had enough. there are examples of him striking people dead for only one lie. why couldnt he just make the decision that this person no longer gets a choice, im done with them.

does god harden righteous people? this chapter (11) gives an example where he reserved a group of 7000 that must have been pretty righteous to be chosen, but he hardened king saul a few times i think. and he was a righteous man. for a while anyway.

From Wes Seymour

vs 26 and 27 are interesting. sometimes i find myself praying without words ... because i just don't have the words in my mind to use. but i feel like god knows what is on my mind or heart. these two verses are just really neat to me.

From Mark Kercheville

Hi, Romans class. As you read and study this week on Ch. 7, ask yourself the question, "Is Paul in vss. 14-25 speaking of the man before he is in Christ and how he struggles to keep the law perfectly, or is he speaking about the Christian who does have the justification by faith and still struggles with sin?" Maybe any who would like could blog about this with one another during the week while I'm gone to Outdoor Ed. Have a great week in the Lord, everyone. :)

Mark

From Wes Seymour

is living in sin, or being a slave to sin, a "state of mind" ?? or is it by the works we do? or a compilation of both?

does that end when we make the conscious decision to be baptized? ... and after that, when we sin through-out our christian lives are we living in christ with just a few blips in the road here and there? ... and if we decide to turn our backs to Christ again and go back to living in sin is it as simple as that? ... just as simple as repentance to go back to living with Christ?