Exercise for the Addition of Chapters and Verse Numbers

  In session 11 we discussed the fact that the Bible’s original manuscripts did not include chapters and verses. These were later additions meant to help readers navigate our way through the Bible more efficiently.

Visit biblehub.com and read Romans 1–2 using your preferred Bible translation. Before you begin, click on the gear/cogwheel icon and deselect all page options included in that list. Doing so will enable you to read the text with no chapters, verses, or section headings. As you read, pay attention to your reading experience. Now, using three different translations (CSB, ESV, NIV, for instance), read Romans 1–2 again, this time with verse numbers and headings selected. Again, pay attention to your reading experience. Did you notice any differences in your experience? If so, what were they? Which did you prefer? Why?

While the chapters and verses in our modern Bibles are not inspired aspects of the text, they are nonetheless helpful for us. Take a moment to give thanks for people like Stephen Langton and Robert Estienne, whom God has used to preserve his Word for us. And, if you’re up for a new challenge, try reading a version of the Bible that doesn’t have numbered verses. Most major English translations now have “Reader’s Bibles” in which numbered verses have been removed. Give it a try and see what you think.

Spiritual Gifts

Romans 12 begins by asking the question, ''Since He owed us nothing and has given us great mercy, how should we respond? '' The answer is a life of self-sacrificing worship spent in serving the Lord and other believers, refusing revenge and overcoming evil with good.

God asks us to serve each other in the church. He has equipped us to do this by giving each believer specific spiritual gifts through His Holy Spirit who comes to live with us. God has supernaturally enabled us to be able to give to each other exactly what is needed. But we must do it. All together, the church is Christ's body, with each person serving a specific function that keeps the body going. Our first job is to find our function and to do it, through God's power, for the good of everyone else.

https://bible-studys.org/

Read Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11, 28. 

Here’s a list of the spiritual gifts we find in the Bible.

Romans 12:6–8:

• Prophecy

• Service

• Teaching

• Exhorting

• Giving

• Leading

• Mercy

1 Corinthians 12:4–11:

• Wisdom

• Knowledge

• Faith

• Healing

• Miracles

• Prophecy

• Distinguishing Between Spirits

• Tongues

• Interpretation of Tongues

1 Corinthians 12:28:

• Helping

• Administrating (Note: Some Bible versions translate this word as “leading” or “guidance.”)

 Inventory to determine your gifts:

 Spiritual Gifts Inventory: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/spiritual-gifts-inventory/en

Spiritual Gifts Download: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/spiritual-gifts-inventory-download

Praying Romans 10

 Father,

I was among those who were not looking for you (Rom 10:20).

I was not asking for you (Rom 10:20).

I belonged to the kingdom of darkness (Col 1:13).

I was your enemy (Rom 5:10).

Yet your message of good news has gone out to the whole earth,

And your words to the ends of the world (Ps 19:4).

And though I lacked understanding, you revealed yourself to me (Rom 10:20).

By your grace, you have planted faith in me (Eph 2:8).

You have established belief in my heart and drawn a confession from my mouth:

Jesus is Lord; he is risen from the dead (Rom 10:9).

Make my life to align with this confession.

 

As you have planted faith in me, so also plant and grow gratitude,

For every good and perfect gift comes from you and you alone (Jer 1:17).

You are great, Oh God, and greatly to be praised (Ps 145:3).

May the whole of my life be lived in gratitude for the grace you’ve given in the person and work of your Son.

Amen.

 "The Christian is like a man who has the right tune in his head but cannot remember all the words. That is not to say that Christians are perfect, but that they live according to the Spirit. The present tense of the Greek peripatein, "to walk" or live, suggesting continued action, forward progress, a pattern of behavior under the Spirits leading."

Pause and Reflect: Lectio Divina

We can sometimes breeze through familiar or difficult passages of Scripture, speeding over the words instead of letting the truth of Scripture sink into our minds and hearts. Lectio Divina, or prayerful reading, is a historical Christian practice that has helped generations of Christians to pause and reflect on God’s Word.

Below are the four steps of Lectio Divina, which will help you pray and think deeply about Romans 9:22–24. Carve out some time this week to go through this exercise. Take your time with each step. This isn’t something to rush through, so make sure you have plenty of time before you start.

1. Lectio (read): Remove all distractions and quiet your mind before God. Now read Romans 9:22–24 three times slowly. If you can, read it out loud to yourself. Let the message hit you. After reading it three times, find something that stands out to you. Re-read it a couple more times and place emphasis on different words as you read.

2. Meditatio (meditate): Think about the words or phrases that stood out to you the most. What do they mean? What do they say about God? What do they say about you? How do they illuminate the main idea of Romans 9?

3. Oratio (pray): Pray through your words or phrases. Ask God to show you what he’s saying through this verse. Take the verse and turn it into a prayer. For example, you could pray, “Thank you, God, that you have made me an object of mercy and not an object of wrath,” or, “Help me, oh God, to share your mercy with others.”

4. Contemplatio (contemplate): Now that you’ve read, thought, and prayed through Romans 9:22–24, finish your time in silence. Ask God to speak to you. Pray he’d show you one practical thing you could apply to your life from this passage. Then listen. Write down what he says and then do it.

The Beauty of Questions and Catechisms

As Paul shows in Romans 8:31–39, asking good questions can play an important part in the practice of our faith. Questions cause us to be curious and go deeper into the truths of our theology.

There are several well-known catechisms that Christians have used for centuries—the Westminster Shorter Catechism and the Heidelberg Catechism are great examples—and a more contemporary option that has grown popular is the New City Catechism.

 The following is an excerpt from the Westminster Shorter Catechism:

 Question 1: What is the chief end of man?

Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. 

Question 2: What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?

Answer: The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. 

Question 3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?

A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man.

 The Westminster Shorter Catechism consists of 107 total questions and answers, which walk people through the major doctrines and beliefs of the Christian faith. 

 Whether we know it or not, we are all being catechized—discipled—by something all the time. We must consider who or what is discipling us, and what kind of person is it forming us to be. With Christian catechism, we can be sure that we’re being discipled in the faith and formed into the image of Christ. Consider today how you might integrate the New City Catechism (or some other option) into your regular routine. Whether you use a formal catechism or not, how could you be intentional about asking and answering thoughtful questions as a discipleship practice?

Romans Part Two

 I'm really excited about Part 2 of the study of Romans. To present this study, I've combined the video series from Right Now Media by J.D. Greear and the book from the Smart Guide to the Bible Series, The Book of Romans by Gib Martin and Larry Richards.

In combining these two sources, I came to two sessions that would require 24-26 pages of reading. I  determined that those two sessions should be split and was searching Right Now Media for a couple background videos on Rome when I found a great selection! It's called Paul in Rome. David Nasser does a wonderful job of giving some historical perspective and comparison of ancient Rome and the United States. 

I'm so looking forward to sharing and learning with Sisters as we complete this study.

The Result of Bunny Trails

My current round of bunny trails began with a link that my friend Kathy shared with me of Calvin Robinson who was speaking at The Oxford Union. In the video, Robinson discusses the biblical sexual ethic of the Church of England. https://youtu.be/o13A6UU6IPY

Of course after watching the video of Robinson's debate, I had to read more about him. He is a British conservative political commentator, writer, and broadcaster. Since last year he has also been a deacon in the Free Church of England. I also wondered about The Oxford Union, so I looked it up and found that is a prestigious debating society that has a reputation for bringing international guests and speakers to Oxford.

Next I listened to a sermon on the radio and was drawn in by the speaker. The lilt of his native Irish tongue and witty humor caught my attention immediately, but it was soon apparent that this was a man whose Biblical wisdom and love for God were more a part of what him such a good speaker. I was compelled to find out more about him and find more of his sermons. Of course there was a bit of a problem, I didn't know his name. Luckily it didn't take too long to discover the man was Phillip De Courcy. He is the senior pastor of Kindred Community Church in Anaheim Hills, California and teacher on the daily media program, Know The Truth. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland to Christian parents. In this message from the book of Proverbs, he speaks about teaching your children about the birds and the bees. https://www.ktt.org/broadcasts/makes-good-sense/041023

Even though this particular sermon is not relevant to me at this stage of life, I really wanted to hear more from De Courcy. I will listen to this series of his sermons.. as soon as I stop chasing bunny trails. Armed and Dangerous focuses on the Apostle Paul’s instruction to believers engaged in spiritual warfare – including identifying the enemy, and an in-depth view of the equipment necessary to engage in battle successfully. https://www.ktt.org/broadcasts/armed-dangerous

The next stop on my bunny trail began on Sunday during Rev. Herlong's sermon, titled “Too Good to Be True?” I was delighted to learn that he is so interested in Apologetics too. When he mentioned Robert Jastrow along with Lee Strobel, I knew I would be looking up Jastrow too.

Robert Jastrow was an American astronomer and planetary physicist. He led a major space science institution and helped to bring space down to earth for millions of Americans. In his book God and the Astronomers Jastrow describes the astronomical discoveries of recent years as well as their theological implications. https://bigthink.com/the-well/astrophysics-christian/

Whew! I'm exhausted.