Bereans of Trinity

Paul now moves us on from consideration of how a person is saved or justified through faith. There are many other things about our life after justification. Yet in moving on, of what must we not lose sight? What does Paul have in mind when he says we now have peace? What is the broader sense of this word? What does it mean that we now stand in grace? How is it that we have come to be in such a position? Can someone cease to stand in grace? What is Paul talking about when he speaks of the glory of God in which we hope? (52 min)

IIn this lesson we continue to consider Paul's warning to the Roman Christians about the dangers of false teachers disrupting the unity of the fellowship and causing individuals to falter in their walk with Christ. What are the three tools or flags which the scriptures give us for detecting when someone is a false teacher? What do false teachers look like, according to Jesus? Is it possible for a false teacher to produce good fruit in the church? How does Paul's concern here differ from his concern in chapters fourteen and fifteen about people with different teachings? What are some characteristics of the manner in which false teachers go about their destructive work? What is one way to detect what the outcome of a teaching will be before it even begins to take root? If the Roman church was doing as well as everyone, including Paul, had heard, why was Paul so concerned? What was Paul confident that God would do if the Roman believers heeded his admonition? (59 min)

Joseph, seeing his brothers have returned with Benjamin, now puts into action his carefully measured plan. How does the house steward play into this, and what does he think of it? A dominant motif of the narrative is what Joseph knows and what his brothers don't know. What lesson can we learn from this? When the brothers are brought to Joseph's house, they are filled with dread. What is it they fear, and why are the apparently thinking so much about their donkeys? What is the unexpected word his brothers hear when finally at the threshold of their long festering dread? How is this a picture to us of our God? (48 min)

In this lesson we back away a bit from our passage in order to make sure we can see the whole forest, rather than only the trees. What is a protasis and an apodisis? How is that important in understanding this passage? What are the three ways in which Paul illustrates the difference between Christ and Adam? Many people understand that Paul teaches that Adam is a "type" of Christ. However, two chief questions remain: How is Adam a type of Christ? And why is it important that Adam is a type of Christ? Who are the two all important characters in Paul's grand panoply of human history? Who is missing from Paul's grand story, and why is that significant? How do Paul's remarks about the coming of the Law tie in to His point about Adam as a type of Christ? (58 min)

After his desperate prayer to God for protection from his brother, Esau, Jacob sets about to prepare for meeting Esau. Was Jacob acting in faith or not? Why the massive present he assembled for his brother? Why did he stress to his servants to tell Esau that he was coming right behind them? Why does the narrator seem to stress that it is night? How must Esau have responded upon this constant arrival of Jacob's present? What was important to happen before Jacob could encounter God as he does in the following passage?

The unfolding story of the birth of Jacob's sons continues. But Rachel is jealous of her sister, Leah, and Leah is jealous of her sister, Rachel. What are the results of discontentment and jealousy? What exactly is jealousy? How can we distinguish legitimate yearnings from discontentment? With whom are are really struggling when we struggle with others? What could Rachel have done for Leah? Is it reasonable to expect her to do that? What can we learn from this confusing and difficult story?

After two years of having been forgotten by the chief cupbearer, at the age of 30 Joseph's situation suddenly takes a radical turn for the better. Over the past thirteen years, what things has Joseph been learning that will serve him well in his future? What is the most important quality has God been building into Joseph's life during these difficult years? What obvious symbolism do we note in Pharaoh's dream.? Who were these "magicians" upon whom Pharaoh called for an interpretation? What was their training and skill? Why is their inability to interpret Pharaoh's dream significant? How was Joseph's ability to distinguish between the dreams of the two officials important? (59 min.)

In this lesson we are introduced to Paul's letter to the believers in Rome, or the Epistle to the Romans. We consider how we should think about this book and our ability to understand it. We learn about the importance of Romans to Christian belief. We contemplate the history of the church in Rome, and how that history has a bearing on the things Paul writes to them. We discuss the purposes of Paul's letter and the question of the theme or themes of Romans. Finally we considered the stories of four men in church and what happened in their lives as they encountered the book of Romans. In conclusion, we asked how we can ensure that our own lives are impacted by this book as we launch our study. (61 min)

Hagar, who has grown up worshipping the gods of Egypt, encounters the Living God of Abram. How will she respond when she discovers that He has always had His eye upon her?

In this lesson Rick discusses why Paul is not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God to salvation. What does Paul mean by "salvation" in this passage? Who are the beneficiaries of this remarkable power? What is it that makes the Gospel powerful? Why was verse seventeen such a troublesome verse to Martin Luther? What did Paul mean by the "righteousness of God?" How is that righteousness revealed in the Gospel? What does Paul mean by the phrase "from faith to faith?" What is the significance of Paul's quotation from the prophet Habakuk? (62 min)

In these verses Paul continues his introductory remarks, but is moving into the substance of his letter. His remark that he does not want the Romans to "be unaware" is not a throw away line. It introduces an important subject to the Romans and to Paul. Though Paul claims to have been hindered in coming to Rome, he does not explain here what hindered him. There is something far more important for the Romans to know, and that is what did not hinder him. Did Paul ever face the temptation to be ashamed of the Gospel? Why does he emphasize here that he is not ashamed? Why might someone be ashamed to take the Gospel into Rome? What was the view of both Gentiles and Jews to the preaching of the cross? What was the "scandal of the cross?" (52 min)

In this passage Paul directs our attention to the subject of how Christians relate to one another within the church. Particularly, he is concerned about what we do when we hold differing opinions. It is important to realize that Paul is addressing what we call the nonessentials. What is the difference between essentials and nonessentials? What are the specific nonessentials Paul confronts in this passage? What are some of the nonessentials over which Christians disagree today? What is the context of the conflict in the church in Rome that makes Paul's instruction necessary? Who are the "weak in faith?" Who are the "strong?" What are the strong instructed to do when a weak one seeks fellowship amongst the strong? What are two important things to recognize about a person who is "weak" in this way? How does a person who is strong in faith tend to view those who are weak? How does the person who is weak tend to view the one who is strong? What is wrong when someone who abstains in a nonessential matter judges someone who does not abstain? (58 min)

Considering the subject of our obligations to others within the civil sphere, Paul transitions into the subject of loving others. What does Paul mean by instructing us against owing anything to anyone? Is this a blanket prohibition against borrowing money? What do other scriptures have to say on the subject? What is the ongoing debt we all have? Why does Paul speak of our "fulfilling the law" through love in this passage, when earlier in Romans he has said that we have "died" to the law and are "free" from the law? How does love fulfill the law? What is the foundational principle behind all the commandments? What is wrong with the view of this passage that says we need to learn to love ourselves before we can love our neighbor? What is the given assumption in the statement that we are to love our neighbor as ourself? When is low self esteem warranted? When is it unwarranted? How is unwarranted low self esteem a form of pride? Is someone with low self esteem excused from the obligation to love others as themselves? What is the minimum measurement for how we are to love others? Is love for others merely a matter of prohibitions (do not commit adultery, do not steal, etc.)? (53 min.)

God "remembered" Rachel. What does that mean? Had He forgotten her? Rachel's son becomes central to the unfolding story about the Children of Israel. Jacob now enters into negotiations with Laban regarding his desire to return home, but does Jacob really have a home? How was Jacob's sojourn changed as a result of his encounter at Bethel. What does Jacob possess that Laban desperately wants? What exactly is the agreement that Jacob and Laban reach? What does Laban do as soon as the agreement is made? How do we respond when we are wronged or taken advantage of by others? How should we view things when that happens?

Who is this man Melchizedek and why does Abram pay a tithe to him? From what did Abram pay that tithe. and what did the King of Sodom think about that? A vasal always pays tribute to his suzerain lord. The tithe’s foundation in covenant faithfulness.

Today's lesson includes the longest speech in Genesis, Judah's passionate and eloquent plea to Joseph on his father's behalf. How are Judah's words directed by the Holy Spirit to Joseph's heart? What experiences has Judah encountered in his life that have prepared him for this important moment? Why does Judah refer to Benjamin as a "little child" and as a "lad?" What is the entirety of Judah's speech to Joseph directed at accomplishing? What remarkable character qualities do we see in this man who once sold a brother into slavery? What does this passage teach us about intercession? How is Judah a type of the true Son of Judah? (50 min.)

God gave the Table of Nations for a reason. Why is Israel not in the Table of Nations? Why did God put the nations where He did? Do we have a responsibility to these many nations? Who is this man Nimrod?

Backed into a corner by Paul's arguments concerning the Law and Circumcision, Paul's imaginary challenger attempts to show that Paul's message leads to unacceptable conclusions about God. By this point in Paul's "diatribe," who might Paul actually be envisioning as his opponent? What are the four questions presented against Paul's Gospel? What are the four things about God that Paul is accused of undermining? Does Paul believe that there is any real advantage to being Jewish? How are we today sometimes guilty of the same errors that Paul exposes in the thinking of his Jewish opponent? How does Paul successfully defend the character of God while maintaining his position regarding the Law and Circumcision? (58 min)

Perhaps the most difficult and challenging aspect of Christian duty regarding others has to do with how we are to respond to those who wrong us and to our enemies. It is this area that Paul now begins addressing in this passage. What is the goal to which Paul is moving us in these verses? What does it mean to return evil for evil? What are the two circumstances in which we are categorically prohibited from returning evil for evil? What are some of the difficult challenges we encounter in applying this verse in our daily experience? Why is it important to keep in mind that Paul is dealing here with personal wrongs? What happens when we return evil for evil? When Paul tells us to respect what is right in the sight of all men, is he contradicting what he said earlier about not being conformed to the world? Before we react when wronged, what are some of the things we need to think about? What is my responsibility as a peacemaker? (51 min)

The first “toledot” of Genesis. The difference between the first two chapters of Genesis. How the world used to be. How did we get into the human predicament? The two components in the creation of man. When God created Paradise. When God brought Adam to the Garden.