Adult Mentor: Adult Bible Study: Failure, Restoration, and Salvation

By R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation

The Adult Mentor is a topical Christian quarterly study guide is for the adult learner and is designed to increase Christian faith and biblical understanding using a variety of learning methods. It is a practical resource for every day Christian living.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
• Release date: Aug 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781681678887

Book preview

Lesson 1

None Is Righteous

LEARNING SESSION

The theme of the Book of Romans, The Righteousness of God, is contained in Romans 1:16-17. The theme of Romans is thoroughly theocentric: it revolves around the Person of God and His righteousness. God provides righteousness to all people—Jews and Gentiles, all of whom need righteousness—solely on the basis of faith. Our need for righteousness is established in Romans 3:9-20.

EXPOSITION:

I. The Righteousness of God

How does one introduce oneself to people whom he or she has never seen? Or how does one succinctly state the purpose and message of a literary and theological masterpiece, such as the letter to the Romans? Paul does so in the eloquent, insightful words of the theme of Romans. The apostle here makes several significant assertions about his understanding of the Gospel and about God’s provisions for our salvation.

Paul senses a personal obligation to preach the Good News to all people. That gives rise to an eagerness to preach in Rome (v. 15). Paul will not shrink back; he is not ashamed of the Good News about Jesus. The basis of that is intrinsic to the nature of the Gospel itself. The Gospel is dynamic; it is powerful. In fact, it is essentially the power of God Himself. The apostle had seen that in his own life, especially in his salvation experience, and he continued to see the life-changing effect in others (Acts 9:1-19).

LESSON SCRIPTURES:

ROMANS 1:16–20; 3:9–20

DISCUSSION POINTS:

I. The Righteousness of God.

II. The Wrath of God Against the Gentiles.

III. The Wrath of God Against the Jews.

KEY VERSE:

There is none righteous, no, not one. (Romans 3:10, KJV)

Secondly, the Gospel is universal. The message is intended for and extended to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. The message is for the salvation of everyone who believes—for the Jew first and then for the Gentiles. The universal character of the Gospel is inextricably connected with the universal need for salvation among humanity. This is so because God’s wrath is at work against the Gentiles (Romans 1:18–32) and against the Jews (Romans 2:1—3:20). His wrath is at work due to the absolute unrighteousness of all classes of people. The Gospel reveals the righteousness of God, which is offended by the unrighteousness of human beings. So, Paul, and other faithful proclaimers, of the Gospel, will declare the opportunity, as well as the need, for salvation. There will be an emphasis on the wrath, as well as on the righteousness, of God.

Paul cites Habakkuk 2:4 as the Old Testament scriptural support for his contention that it is faith alone that leads to righteousness and acceptance with God. What does he mean by the expression the righteousness is revealed from faith to faith? Some understand this phrase to mean that it is faith from start to finish or a way that starts from faith and ends in faith. Others suggest Paul meant that it is from the faithfulness of God to our faith—a faith God evokes in us.

Perhaps it is best to understand that Paul meant the revelation, reception, and retention of righteousness are thoroughly matters of one’s faith in God. That means one does not attain righteousness on the basis of one’s own efforts or merits. Our standing with God cannot be earned by us. We only achieve it through grace by placing our faith in Him, and thus we find authentic life.

THEOLOGICAL CONCEPTS:

• God is good, gracious and righteous

• Humanity has failed to keep God’s Law and to honor Him with righteous living

• Human has come under the judgment and wrath of God for its failure

II. The Wrath of God Against the Gentiles

This passage belongs to a longer literary unit that includes Romans 1:18—4:25. Here Paul establishes the need for salvation among all people. All people need the saving righteousness of God because His wrath is being revealed to all people. Though it is often a future event in the New Testament (Romans 2:5, 8, 16; 1 Thessalonians 1:10), it is a present tense reality in this text.

Paul argues that Gentiles have a need for God’s righteousness, due to their unrighteousness, just as the Jews had need (Romans 1:18-32) despite having the Torah (Law), which also contained the covenant for the Jews, who were God’s chosen people. The Jews also were under the wrath of God and in need of the righteousness through faith (Romans 3:9-20), because the Law lacked mercy. God’s righteousness and wrath are not opposites; they are not mutually exclusive. They simultaneously co-exist as components of the holiness and love of God (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 11:7; Proverbs 21:12; Romans 3:24-25).

God’s wrath, according to Paul, is being revealed against all ungodliness and wickedness. The former term connotes a lack of reverence toward God (2 Timothy 2:16). Wickedness or unrighteousness suggests a lack of proper conduct toward people, or injustice, which naturally follows from irreverence toward God. The ungodliness of people manifests itself in two ways, the first of which is contained in our lesson text. A religious ignorance, resulting from humanity’s suppression of the truth of God made possible in the cosmos, is the subject of Romans 1:18-23. Ungodliness also manifests itself in idolatry, as noted in Romans 1:23.

The crux of Paul’s discussion in 1:18-20 is that in the cosmos, the created order, God has plainly revealed Himself to humanity. The invisible qualities of God’s power and nature are made clearly visible in the creation. There is intentionality and purpose in creation. The purposes of creation, according to Paul, are