EXPOSITION: Chapter 9:1-29 9:1-5—Introduction: The Tension Between God’s Promises and Israel’s Plight 1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of … [Read more...]
Covenant Relationship
This teaching stream explores how God relates to humankind through Covenant.
It explores the historical continuity of God’s covenant with mankind, expressed through various administrations (e.g. Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, Messianic), beginning in Adam and culminating in Christ. Covenant is thus the core motif of the Bible. It serves as the Constitution of God's Government for the world in time-space history.
Read: Covenant Relationship
Romans: Re-Creation by the Spirit—Paradise Restored, Part 5d
EXPOSITION: Chapter 8:1-39 Romans 8: The Climax of the Covenant As explained in the Introduction to this section (Chs. 5-8), this chapter reiterates and consummates Ch. 5. In the meantime, Chs. 6 and 7 have addressed the hurdles of sin and the law to the universal reign of grace introduced in Ch. 5 but now fully explicated in Ch. 8. The four chapters form a chiastic ring … [Read more...]
Romans: Justification by Faith Alone Verified from the OT, Part 4c
EXPOSITION: Chapter 4:1-25 The Problem of Gospel Myopia Gospel Clarity With his progressively prosecuted argument from 1:18 to its brilliant climax in the passage 3:21-31, the question must be asked as to why Paul continues with another chapter. Surely it is a case of overkill! Not at all, the apostle now goes for the jugular—the chapter is pure polemics and highly … [Read more...]
Romans: The Universality of Judgement & Justification, Part 4b
EXPOSITION: Chapter 3:1-31 In v. 1-8 the apostle continues to address the Jews, although, he now rhetorically poses the potential conclusions (v. 1, 3, 5, 7, 8) from the previous passage (2:17-29), asserting that they are fallacious (v. 2, 4, 6, 9). He has so radically redefined the Jew that it begs the question of: 1) their advantage above the Gentiles; 2) the value of … [Read more...]
Romans: The Jews & the Judgement of God, Part 4a
EXPOSITION: Chapter 2:1-29 2:1-5—The Jews & the Judgement of God Keeping in mind the direction of Paul's argument throughout the larger passage (1:18-3:20) – that is, to establish the universality of sin and judgement without exception – from 2:1 he focuses on the Jew, confronting their attitude of exceptionalism. Allied with this was their abstraction of the law from … [Read more...]

