Paul’s mangum opus, the book of Romans, has enriched and bewildered Christians for two millennia. During the fall of 2018, we’re spending our Wednesdays (at 10:30am and 6:45) studying this masterful book.

If you want to study at home, Matthew has prepared a few resources for you to use and enjoy.

First, challenge your knowledge of Romans by working through this Romans “Pre-Test.” The questions come directly from the mentioned scriptures using the English Standard Version.

Second, set aside some time to read the book of Romans in its entirety, in one setting. For the average reader, this will take 1 hour. If you’re a terrible reader, it still will take less time than watching the movie Titanic. You can do it! In reading or listening to the book in one sitting, you’ll hear it most like the first century audience would have heard it. Themes and questions will appear to you that you have not noticed before. This type of reading is one of the greatest ways to study scripture.

Third, work through each week’s study questions. Each section begins with a short introductory comment followed by some prompts for prayer. Bible study has no greater partner than prayer, so don’t skip this step!

There will be instructions as to what to read (generally one chapter) along with some ideas of things to mark or highlight. The study questions are mostly factual, text-based questions. They will walk you through the text and help you take in some big ideas. They are followed by research questions that prompt you to interact with some of the more difficult concepts in the material. They will also prompt you to apply the material.

We encourage you to take part in this Bible study with a group of friends. Bible study is intended to be done in community. The accountability and insights provided by friends is invaluable when you study scripture.

Fourth, do something with what you learn. Don’t make Bible study an opportunity to amass more trivia or win some argument. Allow God’s word to have its transformative effect on your life.