Scripture Studies in the New Testament - A Verse-by-Verse Bible Study

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 9:17-23. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.   Topics covered: Overview (once again) of chapters 9 through 11 -- The difficulty of verse 18 exceeds that of verse 15, because it deals with God hardening (rather than having mercy) -- God exercises His sovereignty based on carrying out His purposes -- God exe...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 9:10-18. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: The example of the Jacob and Esau -- The difficult verses in this passage -- The references to “Jacob” and “Esau” as the nations that they became -- The purposes behind God’s elective choices -- Role of early Jewish Christians hindering t...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 9:1-9. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: The importance of teaching both “God’s sovereignty” and “human responsibility” -- Summary of chapters 9 through 11 -- Paul’s concern for the children of Israel -- Paul’s love for the children of Israel -- The blessings of God, poured out ov...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study introduces Romans 9. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Summary of Romans to this point -- Overview of Romans 9 to 11 -- A difficult concept: Reconciling “God’s sovereignty” with “human responsibility” -- The Bible presents these concepts as compatible -- “God’s sovereignty” in chapter 9 -- “Hum...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 8:31-39. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.   Topics covered: The value of the question/answer format -- Proofs of God’s love for us -- The surety of justification for those in Christ -- Christ in the judgment seat, with the ability to condemn or save -- Why those in Christ will not be condemned -- The di...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study is the second of two studies that cover Romans 8:29-30. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: God’s involvement in His creation -- The link between foreknowledge and predestination -- The difficulty of reconciling election with free will -- A strategy for making peace with these concepts: Let God b...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study is the first of two studies that cover Romans 8:29-30. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Our salvation from God’s point of view -- A difficult concept: reconciling God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, with respect to salvation -- The testimony of the Bible: these concepts are not contrad...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 8:28. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Romans 8:28 as a transition verse -- The original Greek phrase ordering -- The four phrases in the verse -- “All things work together for good” -- The scope of this phrase -- “And we know that” -- Do we “know” it? -- Why we should know it --...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study is the second of two studies that cover Romans 8:24-28. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: The importance and significance of hope -- Patient endurance -- The three parties involved in prayer -- “We do not know what we ought to pray for” -- The Holy Spirit’s intercession in prayer -- Principles...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study is the second of two studies that cover Romans 8:18-23. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Suffering as part of the Christian life -- Endurance through hope -- The subjection of the Creation to “frustration” -- The groaning of the Christian -- The groaning of the Creation -- The positive side to...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study is the first of two studies that cover Romans 8:18-23. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Suffering inevitable in this world, even for Christians -- The suffering, even, of the Creation -- The correspondence between the physical health of the world, and the spiritual health of people -- The univ...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 8:10-17. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: The work of the Holy Spirit -- The two aspects of “death” and “life” -- The Christian view of death -- The obligation of the Christian to live by the Spirit -- Various meanings of the phrase “putting to death the misdeeds of the body” --...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 8:4-11. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: What “living by the flesh” means -- The difficulty of not “living by the flesh” -- The progression in verses 4 through 8, as reflected in the NASB translation -- Paul’s use of the word “walk” -- The high stakes of “living by the Spirit” vs...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 8:2-4. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.   Topics covered: The meaning of the literary phrases ”the law of the Spirit of life”, and “the law of sin and death.” -- God intervening, because of our weaknesses -- Before Christ, everyone “under the law” -- How we are all under the law, before Christ -- The me...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 8:1. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Introduction to chapter 8 -- The contrast between the end of chapter 7 and the beginning of chapter 8 -- What does the word “Therefore” refer to? -- The word “now” in verse 1, and what it suggests -- Romans 5 as a possible lead-in to Romans 8...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 7:12-25. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: The horridness of sin -- Paul’s struggles with sin -- The Christian’s struggle with sin -- The battle within us -- “This body of death” -- Hope for the Christian -- The missing Holy Spirit in chapters 6 and 7 -- Introduction to chapter 8....

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 7:9-13. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: What moment in life in verse 9 referring to? -- Paul’s attitude before he was a Christian -- The moment when Paul recognized he was spiritually dead -- The moment in life, described in verse 9, that everyone on earth experiences: The true...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 7:1-6. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Assuming the Bible says what it means, and means what it says -- Paul’s switch to use the first person -- Multiple levels of meaning in this passage -- How the Law and sin are related -- The Law educates us about sin -- The uniqueness of th...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 7:1-6. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Themes of chapters 7 and 8 -- “… under law…” and “… under grace…” -- Paul’s style of writing -- Paul’s analogy about living under law -- The mechanism by which we are released from the law: death -- The death and new life of Christians -- T...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 6:18-23. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Uses of analogies in the Bible -- The consequences of being a slave to sin -- The slog of sanctification -- Plea for zeal for righteousness -- The Christian’s modified view of the past -- Shame, and its value -- Holiness -- Silence about...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 6:17. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Serving from the heart -- Obeying “the form of teaching to which you were entrusted” -- A fact: we are all “entrusted” with differing levels of teaching about Christ -- The ramifications of that -- This begs the question: What is the fate of...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 6:11-16. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Change of language beginning with verse 11: giving instructions/commands -- The ruler of this world -- Our choice in verse 13 -- The military connotation of verse 13 -- Offering each part of ourselves -- “… not under law, but under grace…...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 6:3-11. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: The symbolism of baptism: A death, and a resurrection -- Being united with Christ -- The obstacles to dying to sin -- The slow process of dying to sin -- Mortification, and vivification -- Crucifying the old self -- Freedom from slavery to...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 6:1-4. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: The sin of taking advantage of God's grace -- The salvation that begins in this life: Salvation from sin in this world -- The transforming nature of salvation: A new life -- Breaking free from sin's control -- Sanctification -- The Holy Spi...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 5:13-21. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Review of verses 13 to 21 -- Finishing the sentence of verse 12 -- A purpose of the law -- The written law and the natural law -- Adam as a pattern of Christ -- The basis of the pattern -- Christ’s undoing of Adam’s work -- The vast scope...