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

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Philippians 1:3-6. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: Paul’s message of thanksgiving -- The importance of thanking God -- Paul’s close relationship with God -- Praying at all times -- The strong partnership all Christians have, expressed in the Greek word koinonia -- How the Philippians expressed this...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Philippians 1:1-2. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: Background on the city of Philippi -- Paul in Philippi -- The variety of people who founded the church in Philippi -- The background of the writing of the epistle -- The elements of the greeting: the senders; the addresses; the greeting -- Timothy...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 16. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: The wide variety of people that Paul greets -- Phoebe -- Priscilla and Aquila, and their long partnership with Paul -- Hints about the church of Rome found in these greetings -- The church as an equalizer, bringing together into fellowship those of varied...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 15:16-33. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: The elements of Paul’s service to God -- The chiastic structure in verses 16-21 -- The distinction between the teaching about Christ, and preaching the Gospel -- The Christian sacrifice: a living sacrifice -- Paul’s desire to go to Rome -- The hindra...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 15:3-15. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: Working out the chiastic structure of this passage -- The center of the structure, giving the emphasis of the passage: The Jews and Gentiles praising God together -- The anchor of the structure in verses 5 and 6, parallel with verse 13 -- The parallel...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 14:13-15:2. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: The six-level chiastic structure of this passage -- The emphasis in the passage (the center of the chiastic structure) in verse 17: What the kingdom of God is not, and what the kingdom of God is, under the New Covenant -- How other levels of the st...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 14:1-12. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: Cross-cultural unity in Christ -- The evidence of a chiastic structure in this passage -- How to work out the chiastic structure in the passage -- The purpose of analyzing the chiastic structure: to better understand the passage -- The emphasis of the...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 14:1-12. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: Paul addresses a dispute in the Roman church -- Peter learns that the food laws are not part of the New Covenant -- One purpose for the food laws in the Old Covenant: to keep the children of Israel unified, and separated from the pagan cultures -- Thi...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 13:11-14:4. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: The imagery of light/day and darkness/night in the Bible -- The value of daylight in ancient times -- The day/night image, as it applies to the coming end-times -- The imagery of putting on and taking off attire -- The odd image of “armor of light”...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 13:8-14. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: The never-ending debt to love one another -- Who is the creditor for this debt? -- Love as the fulfillment of the law -- The two greatest commandments -- Applying the fact that these are the two greatest commandments to solving ethical dilemmas -- Exa...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 13:1-7. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: The Christian’s relationship to governing authorities: obey them, honor them, pray for them -- What it means to “submit to authorities” -- Exception to the requirement of Christians to submit to authorities -- God’s active role in establishing all auth...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 12:15-21. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: Rejoicing/mourning with enemies -- The church somewhat unique, in that it contains people of all stripes -- Not avenging / Keeping peace: following in Christ’s steps -- Do right in the eyes of everyone: Don’t be “an ugly American” -- Ways to keep pea...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 12:9-14. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: The sparse style of writing in this passage -- A translation of the passage which reflects the original style of writing -- The continuation of the parse style suggests that verses 9-14 are closely tied to verses 6-8 -- In general, litera...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 12:2-8. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: A benefit to “offering your body as a sacrifice”: ability to “test and approve” what God’s will is -- God’s “good, pleasing, and perfect” will -- How to serve God -- Who is to serve?: “… every one of you…” -- Self-reflection and “sober jud...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 12:1-2. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: A significant instruction: “… offer your bodies…” -- The “why” of the instruction: “… in view of God’s mercy…” -- To what extent: “… as a sacrifice…” -- In what manner: “… living, holy, and pleasing to God.” -- By what motivation: “… This...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 11:25-36. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Review of the three steps leading to the salvation of Israel, and Paul’s repetition of these steps -- The directness of Paul’s prophecy about the salvation of Israel in verse 26 -- A speculation about how Israel’s salvation will occur --...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 11:12-24. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Review of the three steps leading to the salvation of Israel -- The cause and effect nature of the three steps -- The benefits to the world flowing from the salvation of Israel -- What “full inclusion” means in vs. 12 -- A prophecy in Ze...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 11:11-32. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: The remnant of the children of Israel throughout history -- The three-stage process leading to the salvation of Israel -- Paul’s reiteration of the three stages, throughout this passage -- The literary device of parallelism in the Bible...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 11:1-10. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Ways in which God has not rejected “His people” -- Paul, as an example -- The preserved remnant, as an example -- The remnant, as illustrated through the history of Elijah -- Elijah on Mt. Carmel -- Elijah, fleeing from Jezebel -- The “st...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 10:14-21. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: The questions in verses 14 and 15: Are they informational questions or questions of objection? -- Review of chiastic structures -- The chiastic structure of verses 14 to 21 -- The center, thus emphasis of the structure -- How the four qu...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 10:9-13. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Verse 9 looks like a “formula” for salvation, but is it? -- Christian salvation as an event, and a process -- The event: faith in an aspect of who Christ is -- The process of learning about Christ in all His fullness -- What is meant by “...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 10:8-13. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: The accessibility of attaining righteousness through Christ -- The significance of verse 9 -- The meaning of “believing in one’s heart” -- The “heart” in the Bible -- The significance of believing that “God raised Christ from the dead” --...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 10:5-8. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: Contrasting two systems of gaining righteousness -- One way to righteousness: obey the law perfectly and completely -- The impossibility of this way to righteousness -- The impossibility of now gaining atonement via animal sacrifices -- Th...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 9:30-10:4. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.   Topics covered: The reasons that many children of Israel have rejected their Messiah -- Christ as a “stumbling stone” -- Prophecy in Isaiah of the Messiah as a “stumbling stone” -- The attempt of the early Christian church in Jerusalem to make Christianity a...

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 9:24-29. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means.    Topics covered: God’s history of “calling ‘my people’, those who are not ‘my people’” -- Rejoicing when any sinner repents, even those whom we thought never would -- Preaching Christ to everyone, even those whom we think don’t deserve to be saved -- Jona...