things for less on 9?: The gospel according to Paul

Question 1

the New Testament book proven to be the most influential in the history of Christianity?

Answer 1

the Letter to the Romans

Question 2

the main difference between the Letter to the Romans and the other letters that Paul wrote?

Answer 2

the former is written to a congregation that Paul did not establish, in a city that he had never visited

–> unlike the other letters, he is not writing to fix a problem in one of his communities

Question 3

why is Paul writing to the Romans?

Answer 3

he is telling them he is eager to continue his apocalyptic mission at their location

he is eager to preach his gospel to them

He evidently wants them to provide support, moral and financial, for his westward mission; possibly he would like to use Rome as the base of his operation to the regions beyond

Question 4

why does Paul’s letter seem like a pitch?

Answer 4

it suggests that the Romans have only a dim knowledge of who he is

even more likely, that they have heard a great deal about him and that what they have heard has made them suspicious

When reading through Romans carefully, one gets the sense that Paul is constantly having to defend himself and to justify his views by making careful and reasoned arguments

Question 5

the earliest record of a Christian presence in Rome

Answer 5

Paul’s letter

Question 6

the themes or messages in this particular epistle (Romans)

Answer 6

1. Paul is not ashamed of the gospel
2. Paul’s gospel is God’s powerful means of salvation
3. This salvation comes to those who have faith
4. Salvation comes first to the Jew and then to the Gentile
5. The gospel reveals the righteousness of God
6. The Scriptures proclaim the gospel

Question 7

what does Paul want to emphasize about the Roman epistle’s messages?

Answer 7

that they are not something that he made up himself

–> he claimed to have received them through a revelation from God

Question 8

what is odd about the beginning of this letter?

Answer 8

Paul starts it differently

he seems to be quoting the words of an old Christian creed

Question 9

The main central theme in Romans?

Answer 9

The Gospel according to Paul

Question 10

the two major models that Paul uses for understanding the importance of Christ’s death in the letter to the Romans

Answer 10

the judicial and the participationist models

Question 11

are the judicial and the participationist models exclusive?

Answer 11

no

he sometimes combines different conceptualities in one statement

Question 12

the similarities between the judicial and the participationist models

Answer 12

Both models understand that human beings are somehow alienated from God

Both models understand that Christ’s death and resurrection somehow work to resolve that problem

Question 13

The Judicial Model

Answer 13

understanding the human problem with respect to God and the divine solution to the problem in legal or judicial terms

–> according to Paul, there appears to be a rough analogy between the act of salvation and the human judicial process

Question 14

what is the human problem in the judicial model?

Answer 14

God is a lawmaker who has made laws for people to follow

everyone has broken these laws

God is also the judge before whom people appear as lawbreakers

The penalty for breaking God’s laws is death, and everyone is found to be guilty as charge

basically, the problem is sin

Question 15

what is the solution in the judicial model?

Answer 15

Jesus is one who does not deserve the death sentence; he dies to pay the penalty for others

God shows that he is satisfied with this payment by raising Jesus from the dead

Humans can avail themselves of Christ’s payment of their debt simply by trusting that God will find it acceptable

basically, the solution is Christ’s death and resurrection

Question 16

The Participationist Model

Answer 16

the human problem is still called sin, sin is still thought to lead to death

Christ’s death and resurrection still work to resolve the problem

sin, death, and Jesus’ death and resurrection all mean something different from what they mean under the judicial model

Question 17

which model is harder to understand between the participitionist and judicial?

Answer 17

participitionist model

Question 18

what is sin according to the participitionist model?

Answer 18

a cosmic power

an evil force that compels people to live in alienation from God

The power of sin is related to another power, the power of death

–> death is not simply something that happens when a person stops breathing. It is a cosmic force that is intent on enslaving people; when it succeeds, it totally removes a person from the realm of God

Question 19

the human problem in the participitionist model?

Answer 19

people are enslaved to the demonic power of sin and are unable to break free from their bondage

Question 20

the solution in the participitionist model?

Answer 20

it has to come from God himself, and it takes the form of Jesus’ death and resurrection

solution must be liberaration

Paul came to believe that Christ’s death had conquered the power of sin

Question 21

according to the participitionist model, what happened when people got baptized?

Answer 21

they actually experienced a union with Christ and participated in the victory brought at his death

–> not raised tho, so didn’t fully vanquish death

Question 22

main similarities between the two models

Answer 22

In both of them, the problem is “sin”

In both models, the solution is provided by Christ’s death and resurrection

In both models a person has to appropriate the benefits of Christ’s death

Question 23

main differences between the two models

Answer 23

in the Judicial model, sin is an act of disobedience that a person commits, whereas in the Participitionist model, it is a cosmic force that works to enslave people

in the Judicial model, Christ’s death pays the penalty for human disobedience, while in the Participitionist model, it breaks the cosmic power of sin

in the Judicial model, appropriating the benefits of Christ’s death requires faith, that is, a trusting acceptance of the payment. On the other hand, in the Participitionist model, it occurs through baptism, a ritual participation in the victory

the two models still go hand in hand tho

Question 24

The Human Dilemma: All Stand Condemned before God

Answer 24

all people, Jews and Gentiles, have sinned against God in various ways

they are all under the power of sin

Question 25

The Divine Solution: Salvation through Christ’s Death

Answer 25

Jews and Gentiles are on equal footing, all are made right with God through faith in the death of Jesus

–> it is a fulfillment of the jewish scriptures

Question 26

If God’s act of salvation truly comes equally to Jew and Gentile alike, with no distinction, hasn’t God gone back on his promises to Israel?

Answer 26

On the contrary, for Paul, God’s decision to save Gentiles and Jews by faith is a fulfillment of his promises and is consistent with how he has always worked, as is evident from the Jewish Scriptures themselves

God has always chosen people not on the basis of their actions (“works”) but on the basis of his own will

Question 27

Did Paul ever make it to Rome

Answer 27

yes, but as a prisoner

he got arrested while in Jerusalem