Discussion question: v8 says Christ became a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God and to confirm His promises. What does it mean that Christ became a servant? Why is this important for the Christian life?
Leader: for your review:
Matt 15:24
Matt 10:5,6
Discussion question: Why did Jesus come to earth? Why did the creator of all things leave His dwelling place?
Discussion question: Why does Paul pray in v13 for God to fill us with belief so that we may abound in hope? Why is hope so important to the Christian?
Discussion question: What are the points that Paul has written about boldly in v15?
Discussion question: What does the passage from v14-21 reveal about Paul’s heart and what was important to him?
Leader: for your review:
Looking over Paul’s missionary life here would help a lot in this study. You can see the path he traced out was very planned with Jerusalem being the East-most point and Illyricum being the West-most point. Try and picture Paul in Illyricum looking out over the Mediterranean Sea, knowing that Rome and then Spain were so close and making plans to go there. It is interesting to study how Paul made plans and spoke of them as if they would definitely take place, yet he knew that it was only up to God to decide where he would go. But even in light of this, he did not just sit around waiting, he was active, he was planning, he was always thinking ahead.
Discussion question: What prevented Paul from going to see the church at Rome (v22)?
Leader: for your review:
1 Thess 2:18
Discussion question: It is interesting to see/think about Satan’s role/power on Earth, how can we be aware of the times when he is actively trying to keep us from accomplishing something?
Discussion question: Why was it important for Paul to go to Spain in v24?
Discussion question: In Acts 23:11, Paul has a promise from God that he will go to Rome. Obviously Paul trusted that that would occur, but he also seems confident that he would go to Spain. What can we learn about making plans from this?
Leader: for your review:
Paul was a dreamer, his eyes always in the clouds yet his thoughts always on his work. The plans he made were well thought out, “how can I efficiently spread the Word?” He went to the major cities of his day and planted churches that could be a means to go on to the next closest major city. Never cheapening the gospel or using it for means other than saving souls and sharing Christ, but also never going about his missions without a plan in place. The cities he chose to visit were typically large, intellectual centers, high traffic areas, and well-connected. Spain was, during Paul’s time, rapidly becoming a new center for intellectual thought, Lucan, Quintilian, and Seneca were all Spaniards. But it was also as far as Western Civilization reached. Jesus said that we are his witnesses to the remotest parts of the earth. Imagine what kind of lure Spain would have had to someone who wanted to see the name of Christ spread to all the ends of the earth. But we know that Paul did not think anything would happen apart from the will of God (Romans 1:10).
Discussion question: What can we learn about Paul from his prayer request in vv30-32? What can we learn about how God wants us to pray to Him?
Leader: for your review:
It is necessary
It is important enough that Paul uses the word “urge” to encourage us to do it
It is the result of knowing God’s love for us since we are urged to do it because of the love of the Spirit, the love that the Spirit has filled us with
It is a struggle and something we have to strive to do. This striving meaning we are to do it repeatedly, with a sense of the urgency of it, it is a battle
It is good to ask for prayers for yourself
Some prayers will be answered no
Paul prays for the furtherance of the gospel as the root of all things
Thoughts on Romans 