Romans 6:15-7:6 Dear RTB’ers, John’s comment on death yesterday stays with us today. There are at least nine references to death and dying in today’s passage. Paul paints a good picture of marriage and life and death. We are bound to our spouses by law as long as they are alive. But if they die, …
Category Archives: RTB 2024 – Search the Scriptures, Part 1
September 28 / Romans 6:1-14
Romans 6:1-14 Dear RTB’ers, The message that I see in today’s passage is from death to life – Jesus died and rose from the dead; likewise, we who are dead to sin can live a new life: …just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk …
September 27 / Romans 5:12-21
Romans 5:12-21 Dear RTB’ers, Thirteen times we see the word “one” in today’s reading – one man, one who…, one trespass, one act, one man’s sin, one man’s disobedience, one man’s obedience. Always the “one” is referring to either Adam or Jesus or their activities. And those one activities by both men have been passed …
September 26 / Romans 5:1-11
Romans 5:1-11 Dear RTB’ers, Another sentence with faith and grace together: Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand… (v. 2). That pairing is probably much more common than I had realized. Another oft-quoted verse, regularly used in sharing our faith: …but God shows His love for …
September 25 / Romans 4:16-25
Romans 4:16-25 Dear RTB’ers, More history and theology today, with Paul (seemingly, to me) repeating his few main points. A different item popped out to me, however – the words “faith” and “grace” in the same sentence: That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to …
September 24 / Romans 4:1-15
Romans 4:1-15 Dear RTB’ers, Paul makes a strong case that Abraham was found righteous by faith while he was still uncircumcised. That is, Abraham did nothing (works) to earn God’s granting righteousness to him, only that he believed. Then Paul makes the case for Abraham being the father of both the Jews (the circumcised) and …
September 23 / Romans 3:21-31
Romans 3:21-31 Dear RTB’ers, Summarizing yesterday’s reading (and my post), one of the more oft-quoted verses in all of Scripture, especially in the context of sharing one’s faith: …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… (v. 23, formally known as Romans 3:23), one of the first memory verses for believers …
September 22 / Romans 3:1-20
Romans 3:1-20 Dear RTB’ers, None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. (vv. 10-12) Paul, the universalist? In this case, yes. Everybody, all, the entirety of humanity – you and me included. No, …
September 21 / Romans 2:17-29
Romans 2:17-29 Dear RTB’ers, For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter… Romans 2:28-29a Paul is talking to Jews in today’s …
September 20 / Romans 2:1-16
Romans 2:1-16 Dear RTB’ers, We pick up today on the heels of yesterday’s last verse, reflecting back to all the evil practices mentioned in Romans 1:28b-31: …although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who …