Summary: Romans 8: 28-39, Romans 12: 1-21

We began class by reading and making notes on Romans 8:28-39 using the following template.


Read Romans 8: 28- 39: As you read, make notes in the following columns
Thoughts, surprises, and insights

Questions

One question raised had to do with the verses around Romans 8:29 that refer to the notion of predestination, the notion that before all time God has chosen those to whom he will show mercy. We observed that John Calvin had made predestination one of the central issues in his theology and that some modern denominations continue to give attention to this theme. This is one of the areas that divide Methodism and churches that are strongly influenced by Calvin’s thought. Methodists usually argue that these verses are counter to the thrust of the rest of the New Testament including Paul’s life mission of inviting all to receive the gospel and verses such as John 3:16. Barclay in his writing interprets the verse this way: God predestines every man and woman to be conformed to the image of the son, to be called, justified, and glorified but allows men and women to choose other destinies.


In Chapter 12, Paul moves abstract conversation to very practical conversation. What does it look like on the ground to be a Christian. What does it look like on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday? Paul’s first statement would be a shocker to the Gentile members of the church at Rome. “Present your body to Christ as a living sacrifice.” In the popular philosophies of the day in the Greek world, this would have been nonsense. Our physical bodies had nothing to do with religion … religion was a thing of the spirit and it occurred in rarefied times and special places. Two consequences
• Hedonism and debauchery
• Aestheticism … punish and deprive the body
Paul says, Real worship is offering day to day life to God … and this involves the body …

Read Romans 12: 1 – 21 mindful of these questions


Read Romans 12: 1 - 21: As you read, think about the questions in the left column
Questions:
1. What does it mean to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice.”
2. What does Paul mean “Do not be conformed to this age?”
• Examples
• Have you ever experienced “renewing of the mind.”
3. Are you more likely to overestimate or underestimate your spiritual gifts? Of the six gifts Paul lists in verses 6 - 8, which is your strongest gift.
4. Look at characteristics of a Christian found in verses 9-21.
• Which is hardest for you?
• Which is easiest for you?
5. Suppose you were giving advice to a friend about how to acquire one of the Christian character traits that was hard for him or her. What would you suggest?

Surprises?
Insights?
Questions?

Your thoughts:
We did not get too far in our discussion of these questions and may return to them later.