There were two challenges when I was asked to prepare these studies. First, chapters 9, 10 and 11 of Romans are widely acknowledged to be difficult; and second, I had to cover a whole chapter in each study.
To prevent the studies becoming too long, I tried to limit myself to 12 questions in each study (but of course most questions contain a number of questions linked together). But one result of this is that the leader needs to keep moving through the passage.
Anyway, I gave it my best shot.
A. Romans chapter 8: God’s Spirit in God’s children
Starting
So far in his letter, Paul has been giving the young church in Rome a summary of the gospel. It consists of bad news and good news.
In pairs, tell each other any good news/bad news jokes you can think of! But then spend more time reminding one another of the bad news for humanity and then the good news of Jesus. Then share with the whole group.
Praying
Someone in the group prays that God will bless our time in this chapter.
Talking
Read verses 1-17: The work of God’s Spirit
1. Let’s look at verses 1-4. Why is verse 1 true? What has God done to save us? How should these first four verses of the chapter make us feel?
2. Now let’s look at verses 5-11. Paul is comparing Christians with people who have not come to know Jesus. Let’s make a list of some of the differences. What is true of everyone who belongs to Jesus? Why should this astonish us?
3. Verses 12-13. The flesh (verse 12) is our fallen sinful nature which attracts us to sin. How, according to Paul, can we experience real life as Christians? What help does God offer us in the battle against sin? How do we think we could experience his help more?
4. Let’s look at verses 14-17. In pairs, let’s make a list of what the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives; then share with the group. What do we think is the best thing in this paragraph? If we don’t feel like we’re God’s children, what can we do about it?
Read verses 18-30: The glory of God’s children
5. Verses 18-21. Paul is contrasting what we suffer as Christians with the glory we will experience one day. What makes the suffering bearable? What is God’s ambition for the whole of creation? Can we explain this in a way a 6 year-old would understand?
6. In pairs, imagine a situation where someone has no hope; then share with the group. Now let’s look at verses 22-25. Because we trust in Jesus we are forgiven and have the Holy Spirit living inside us. But what have we still got to look forward to? Are we good at remembering the hope we have? Why? or Why not?
7. Verses 26 and 27. How does the Holy Spirit help us in our weakness? What might we do to experience his help more?
8. Let’s look at verses 28-30. Does verse 28 mean that Christians only experience nice things? If not, what does Paul mean? What is God’s ultimate purpose for all his children? How does this make us feel? Why does Paul write glorified at the end of verse 30 as if it’s already happened?
Read verses 31-39: The wonder of God’s love
9. Paul asks some questions here and then answers them. Let’s do this in pairs. Each pair looks at one question and tries to put what Paul is saying into their own words. Here are the verses for the pairs: v31; v32; v33; v34. What does each verse tell us about what God has done for us? Then share in the group.
10. The last question is in verse 35. Why is the question important? According to Paul, what are some of the things which can make us feel separated from God’s love? What do we think it means that we are more than conquerors (37)?
11. Where does Paul say the love of God can be found? What do we think he means? Why can nothing separate us from God’s love? How should this make us feel?
12. Everyone has two minutes to glance through the whole of Romans 8 and choose their favourite verse. Then anyone who wants to can read their verse and say why it’s their favourite.
Praying
In our first time of prayer, let’s pray with open Bibles about what we have been learning from Romans chapter 8. You might start with everyone reading verses 38 and 39 aloud together.
Before our second time of prayer, let’s share what we would like prayer for, and include prayer topics for the life of the church family. Then pray together.
B. Romans chapter 9: The Tragedy of Israel’s Fall
Starting
In pairs, share some of the disappointments you experienced when you were younger. How did that situation make you feel? Did anything help you to deal with it? Then share with the group.
Praying
Someone in the group prays that God will speak to us as we read this chapter together.
Talking
+ Read verses 1-5: The tragedy of Israel
1. What is there here that shows how much Paul loves his own people, the Jews? How does it make him feel that so many don’t believe in Jesus?
2. Paul gives us a list of Israel’s privileges. In pairs, count them and decide which you think is the most important, and see how Paul describes Jesus. Then share with the group.
In the rest of chapter 9 Paul gives us the answers to three questions. Don’t get stuck anywhere: it’s best to keep moving through the passage!
+ Question One: Is God unfaithful? (Read verses 6-13)
3. In verse 6 Paul says the answer is No. What do we think he means by the second half of verse 6 (verse 7 may help!)?
4. Verses 7-9. Can anyone remember God’s promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3 will help!)? How does Paul show us that these promises were not meant for every literal descendant of Abraham?
5. How does Paul prove in verses 10-13 that God has a special love for some people? (Verse 13 doesn’t mean that God hated Esau; it’s just a Hebrew way of saying that God had a special love for Jacob.) What is shocking about this?
+ Question Two: Is God unjust? (Read verses 14-18)
6. In verse 14 Paul says that the answer is No. We often think that being accepted by God depends on good things we do: how does verse 16 put us right?
7. In verse 15 Paul gives us an example of God showing mercy. But he also tells us about God judging someone. What example does he use? When God decides who to judge and who to show mercy to, what is he demonstrating about himself?
8. God only hardened Pharaoh’s heart after Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Verse 18 is Paul’s way of saying that God is completely just in having mercy on some people and judging others. Do we agree with Paul?
+ Question Three: Is God unfair? (Read verses 19-29)
9. Let’s look at verses 19-21. How does Paul make it clear that we have no right to point the finger at God? What attitude is he saying we ought to have?
10. In verse 22 Paul explains that before God judges sinners he has always been patient and given them time to turn to him. Verses 23 and 24 tell us two things God is doing in human history: what are they, and how are they linked? How does this make us feel?
11. In pairs, look at the four Old Testament quotations in verses 25-29 and pick the one which is most likely to get you worshipping God. Then share with the group.
Read verses 30-33: The biggest question of all
12. Paul says that many in Israel have not reached salvation. What reason does he give for this?
13. All of us need righteousness in order to be accepted by God. What are the two ways of getting righteousness? Why does one way work, while the other way doesn’t?
14. Paul ends the chapter with a quotation from the book of Isaiah. Who is the rock? How should we respond to him?
Praying
In our first time of prayer, let’s pray with open Bibles. Let’s admit to God that there are all kinds of things in chapter 9 of Romans that we don’t understand! But let’s thank him for what we do understand: he is saving people, both Jews and Gentiles (v24); he is completely in control; he is working out his purposes in the world.
In our second time of prayer, let’s pray for one another’s needs and pray for the church family and for our world.
C. Romans chapter 10: Why Israel wouldn’t believe in Jesus
Starting
In pairs, can we explain what wishful thinking is? And can we think of some silly examples? Have we ever been guilty of wishful thinking? How does it feel when someone shows us we’ve been completely wrong about something? Then share with the group.
Praying
Someone in the group prays that God will speak to us all this evening.
Talking
Read verses 1-4: What Israel doesn’t know
1. How does Paul show how much he loves his own people, the Jews? What is he really sad about? Does Paul think that being passionate about one’s religion is all that matters?
2. In verse 3 Paul says that in his day many Jewish people were ignorant about the righteousness of God. What do we think he means, and what huge mistake were they making? In what way were they indulging in wishful thinking?
3. In pairs, let’s look at verses 1-4 again. What phrase does Paul use to explain how someone can become righteous in God’s sight? Then share with the group.
Read verses 5-13: How anyone can be saved
4. Let’s look more closely at verses 5 and 6. What two expressions is Paul contrasting with each other? Why is this important? Why do we think we can’t get righteous in God’s sight by obeying his law perfectly?
5. Verses 6 and 7 say we don’t need to go looking for Jesus, because the apostles have brought us a message anyone can hear or read. What does their message say (see verses 8 and 9)? Does this sound like it’s too good to be true?
6. Justified (v10) means that we are saved and put right with God. How can anyone experience this? Why do we think it’s important to say that we are believers in Jesus, and not just to believe in secret?
7. In verses 11-13 Paul quotes twice from the Old Testament. They are both about God, but Paul refers them to Jesus. Why are these quotations good news? And who are they good news for?
Read verses 14 and 15: What everyone needs
8. Paul has talked about everyone being invited to call on the name of the Lord (we saw that in verse 13). What needs to happen if people are to get the chance to call on Jesus?
9. There’s a chain of events here. Let’s work backwards, starting with people being sent to share the Jesus message in verse 15. What happens after they’ve been sent (Remember we’re working backwards here!)? Can we find all five stages?
10. Who do we think the people are whom God is sending to share the good news of Jesus? How does this make us feel? And if the quotation at the end of verse 15 isn’t about God complimenting our feet, what does it mean?!?
Read verses 16-21: Why Israel didn’t believe
11. Paul tells us that the reason many people in Israel didn’t believe in Jesus isn’t that they didn’t hear the message (see verse 18) or understand it (see verses 19 and 20). How does God describe Gentiles who have come to faith in Jesus in verses 19 and 20?
12. At the beginning of the chapter we saw how much Paul loved the people of Israel. How does verse 21 show us how much God loves the Jewish people? What’s the main reason people don’t believe in Jesus? Looking at verse 21, how could we describe God?
13. Let’s all take a minute to look at the whole chapter again. Once again, there may be things here we’ve found hard to get our heads round. In pairs, tell one another something you’ve understood from this evening’s passage. Then share with the group.
Praying
In our first time of prayer, let’s pray with open Bibles. Let’s thank God for sending Jesus; and for making us righteous in his sight because we trust in Jesus. And let’s pray for some of the people we know who God is sending us to with the good news of Jesus.
In our second time of prayer, let’s pray for one another’s needs, and for the church family as we try to share the good news in our city and across the world.
D. Romans chapter 11: The Future of Israel
Starting
In pairs:
Either: Sometimes we do the wrong thing because we guessed wrong about what was going to happen. Can we think of an example of this in our own lives?
Or: Can we remember a time (maybe when we were children) when we were incredibly excited because we thought someone was going to give us an amazing present?
Then share in the group.
Praying
Someone prays that God will speak to us all through this wonderful chapter.
Talking
Read verses 1-10: Israel in the present
1. Let’s start with verse 1. Paul asks Did God reject his people? What’s his answer? And why is he so sure that the Jewish people as a whole have not been rejected by God? So in what way is Paul himself the answer to the question?
2. Paul uses the story of Elijah in verses 2-4 to prove that God doesn’t reject his people. Why do we think he might love verse 4? And when he looks around now in the present, what does Paul see (verses 5-6; someone might like to read out Acts 21:17-20 as well)? What do we think Paul means by a remnant?
3. Let’s look at verses 7-10. Some Jews (who Paul calls a remnant) have received salvation. But what has happened to the others (verse 7)? Why do we think it’s important to Paul to show in verses 8-10 that this was prophesied in the Old Testament?
Read verses 11-24: Israel in the future
4. Paul asks at the beginning of this section if it’s always going to be true that most Jewish people will reject Jesus: let’s read the first half of verse 11. What’s his answer?
5. Paul backs up his answer by talking about a chain of blessing – twice! In pairs, let’s read verses 11b-12: can we see the chain? Then share with the group. Now second, read in pairs verses 13-16: can we see the chain again? Then, in the whole group, let’s try to say verse 15 in our own words. How do we think Paul is feeling as he writes these words?
6. In verse 17 Paul uses the picture of an olive tree, which stands for God’s people. The beginning of the verse is about many Jews no longer really belonging to God’s people because they wouldn’t believe in Jesus; the second half of the verse is about Gentile believers in Jesus now being part of God’s people.
7. Verses 18-22. So how should Gentile Christians not react to this situation? And what should our attitude be? And what hope does Paul have in verses 23 and 24 for the future of Israel?
Read verses 25-32: Israel at the end of history
8. In verses 25 and 26 Paul is talking about the end of the chain of blessing he wrote about earlier (in verses 11-12 and verses 13-16). Most Jews have rejected Jesus; many Gentiles are turning to Jesus. So what will happen next?
9. There are different understandings among Christians as to what Paul means by the words all Israel will be saved (v26a). It probably means that near the end of human history many, many Jews will recognise Jesus as their Messiah and put their trust in him. If someone reads verses 30 and 31, that will become clearer.
10. How do we think Paul is feeling as he writes these words? We may not understand everything here, but how is this chapter making us feel about the future God has planned for the world? What effect should this have on the way we live?
Read verses 33-36: Paul’s (and our) reaction
11. Paul is thinking now about everything he’s written in this letter about the love of God in sending Jesus to be the Saviour of Jews and Gentiles. In pairs, talk about how Paul feels about God; then share in the group.
12. Why is worship the right response to everything God has done in Jesus, and to the future God has planned for the whole world – Jews and Gentiles?
Praying
In our first time of prayer, let’s keep our Bibles open. Let’s thank God for Jesus and the cross, and for his love for Jews and for Gentiles alike. You might start your time of prayer by everyone reading verses 33-36 together.
In our second time of prayer, let’s pray for our individual needs, for the Above Bar Church family reaching out to others with the good news of Jesus, and for the world.