Christians enjoy Bible study to grow in their relationship with God and to understand the scriptures. Many theologians consider the book of Romans to be one of the key books in the New Testament, as it outlines the plan of salvation clearly and thoroughly. Also compared to the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament, students of God's Word can grasp the concepts in the book of Romans through Bible study lessons.
According to Bible history, the apostle Paul wrote much of the New Testament, including the book of Romans. His personal letter to the church at Rome, written around 57 or 58 A.D., encourages the church in righteousness with God and in God's overwhelming love for Christians individually and the church as a whole. Although Paul spent time in prison in Rome, he did not start the church at Rome. However, at the beginning of the epistle, he commended the Christians there for their faith.
Types of Lessons
A wide variety of Bible study lessons on the book of Romans offer much thought-provoking materials. While some studies address Romans from a denominational perspective, such as Baptist or Catholic, other studies look at the original meanings of the Greek words, using such tools as a Strong's Concordance or Vine's Dictionary. Teachers can use online lessons, historical commentaries or books by contemporary authors, according to their personal or church preference.
How to Study
No study of Romans would be complete without several readings of all 16 chapters of the book. From there, different study methods help the learner view the book from a variety of perspectives to gain the most knowledge. However, to truly understand the book, the historical background and context of the book must be studied and taken into consideration. From there, the Bible student can break down chapters, themes, phrases and word studies, as he digs deeper into the book.
Chapter Seven Quandary
The book's seventh chapter has resulted in much confusion for many readers of the Bible. Paul discusses a struggle within himself that seems paradoxical and difficult to understand. However, the passage becomes surprisingly clear when you break down the meanings of the words in the original Greek language. Greek thought separates man into three parts -- body, soul and spirit. The spirit is the part which knows God, and the body is comprised of the flesh and basic desires. The soul is made up of the mind, will and emotions. The Greek word for flesh, "sarx," has been translated as "fleshly nature" which confuses many people. The struggle to do right mostly occurs in the soul. The flesh never wants to do right; the spirit, which knows God, always wants to do right. The battle occurs in the thoughts, with emotions and even in the basic discipline of making correct choices. The soul, as it were, casts the deciding vote in the battle of decisions between right and wrong.
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