St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, 2:15-3:20

Discussion

Verse 2:15-16, Written on Their Hearts, Law and Conscience

• Paul says the law is written on our hearts. What is the relationship of law and conscience?
• Is conscience alone enough?

Verse 2:17-24, Chosen to be a Light

• The missionary theme of through history: Gen. 12:3; 22:17-18; Deut. 4:5-8; Isa. 42:6; Luke 2:29-32; Rev 7:9, 14:6

Verse 2:25-29, The identification with the covenant

• What is a covenant?
• Gen. 17:9-14, Why were Jewish Christians so often insisting that new converts must be circumcised? Think of it as the identifying mark of one belonging to the covenant = it was such an identifying mark that it was often referred to in itself as being the covenant. It was not optional.
• Deut. 10:16 - Circumcision of the heart should not have been a new concept to Jewish Christians. It was very much what Jesus taught as well: Matt. 23:23.
• Do Christians then not have a covenant identification? See Col. 2:11,12.
• Does either covenant identification guarantee eternal security? Paul goes on in Chapter 3 to respond to that question in more detail.

Verse 3:1-20, The law (i.e., circumcision)

• Does identification by circumcision yield righteousness in itself?
• Does history reveal that circumcision made the Jews righteous in their actions?
• To whom does the law speak and what is it's purpose?