Romans 16:17-27 Dear RTB’ers, Sorry for this late post, but I’ve been quite ill from yesterday afternoon, through the night and all morning today. Classic flu symptoms; I’ll spare you the details! COVID test was negative, so all will be well. …according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages …
Author Archives: Fred
October 14 / Romans 16:1-16
Romans 16:1-16 Dear RTB’ers, Paul sends greetings and love by name to a couple dozen people in today’s reading. Most of them are quick mentions; only Phoebe and Prisca and Aquila have a couple of comment verses from Paul. We’ve seen Prisca and Aquila before. You may recall that Paul met them in Corinth in …
October 13 / Romans 15:14-33
Romans 15:14-33 Dear RTB’ers, Paul’s hopes (expectation, even?) went unanswered (reminder, Paul is writing to believers in Rome): I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain… (v. 24a) and When therefore I have completed this [collection] I will leave for Spain by way of you. (v. 28) Did Paul ever make …
October 12 / Romans 15:1-13
Romans 15:1-13 Dear RTB’ers, Paul continues to continue to argue his point to the Jews, that the Gentiles are heirs also to the faith of Abraham: For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised … in order that the Gentiles might glorify God… (vv. 8-9). He offers four Old Testament quotations …
October 11 / Romans 14
Romans 14 Dear RTB’ers, Today’s passage is all about disagreement and the judgment that results from our differing opinions. One of my main faults (that I see in myself) is that I am excessively judgmental. I was worse in the past and I feel that the Lord has corrected that in me to a great …
October 10 / Romans 13
Romans 13 Dear RTB’ers, Another election is upon us, less than four weeks away, and Paul’s words in today’s first seven verses should be in every Christian’s mind and in every heart as we honor Paul’s words: For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (v. …
October 9 / Romans 12
Romans 12 Dear RTB’ers, Yesterday’s last verse seemed like the ending to a letter: For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. (v. 11:36) However, we begin Chapter 12 with a “…therefore…”, so Paul must have picked up his “pen” again, offering a number of …
October 8 / Romans 11:25-36
Romans 11:25-36 Dear RTB’ers, Lest you be wise in your own sight… (v. 25a) These few words spoke to me immediately – don’t be wise in your own eyes! Paul’s words are timeless. In this epistle his audience is Gentiles in Rome, but we hear him loud and clear today and forever. Right now Carol …
October 7 / Romans 11:11-24
Romans 11:11-24 Dear RTB’ers, I’ve always enjoyed this section of Romans – the grafting in of the Gentiles into the Jewish root, and some of the original branches (Jews) breaking off from the root and then being grafted back in. Each of these types of grafting (in this text) is successful because God can do …
October 6 / Romans 11:1-10
Romans 11:1-10 Dear RTB’ers, What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened… (v. 7) I am thinking of Paul’s “elect”, as to who they were. Paul is writing Romans around 55 A.D., some twenty years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Paul had met a …