This free course is a detailed verse-by-verse study of Romans chapters 1–8 with David Bercot. The course approaches Paul’s letter through the eyes of early Christians who lived before Augustine’s later interpretation became influential. It repeatedly returns to several core questions in Romans: why all mankind needs salvation, why the Mosaic Law cannot justify, how Jews and Gentiles stand equally before God, and how salvation by grace through faith is joined to a faithful walk in Christ.
The early lessons explain the course’s method and Paul’s overall argument. The middle lessons examine judgment, faith, Abraham, justification, grace, the fall of man, baptism, and the end of the Mosaic Law. The final lessons focus on Romans 8: life in the Spirit, adoption as God’s children, hope, suffering, predestination according to foreknowledge, and the unconquerable love for Christ.
Throughout, the course compares common modern readings of Romans with early Christian interpretations and with the wider witness of Scripture.
This opening lesson explains the course’s unusual approach: reading Romans through early Christians who lived before Augustine’s influence. It also introduces six major points in Paul’s argument, including universal guilt, grace through faith, Jew and Gentile equality, and the need to walk faithfully with Christ.
- Why offer another commentary on Romans?
- How does this course differ from many modern Protestant readings?
- What are the six key points of Paul’s argument?
This lesson continues the introduction by explaining why later interpretations associated with Augustine and Luther became influential. It also describes the course’s reliance on primary sources and asks students to test early Christian readings by context and the whole of Scripture.
- Why did later interpretations of Romans become so influential?
- What is meant by dialectic tension in theology?
- How should students evaluate early Christian interpretations?
The lesson title places this study at the opening of Romans, where Paul introduces himself and addresses believers in Rome. The supplied transcript sample for this lesson appears to discuss Romans 2, so the editor should verify the transcript alignment.
- How does Paul begin his letter to the Romans?
- What does the opening of Romans prepare readers to consider?
The title points to Paul’s early statements about faith, the gospel, and Jews and Gentiles. The supplied transcript sample discusses Romans 2:17–29 and Paul’s Jewish opponent, so the lesson source should be reviewed for alignment.
- How does Romans connect the gospel with both Jews and Gentiles?
- Why is the power of the gospel central to Paul’s opening argument?
The title identifies this lesson with Romans 1:18–32, a passage on God’s wrath and human morality. The supplied transcript sample repeats material on Romans 2:17–29, so the editor should confirm the correct transcript before publication.
- What does Romans 1 teach about God’s wrath?
- How does Paul begin describing human guilt?
This lesson presents Romans 2 as essential for understanding Paul’s larger argument. It discusses unrighteous judgment, God’s patience, repentance, and the coming day when God will reveal His righteous judgment.
- Why does the course call Romans 2 a key to the book?
- What does Paul say about judging others?
- How does God’s patience lead people toward repentance?
This lesson examines Paul’s statement that God will render to each person according to his works. It distinguishes initial salvation by grace through faith from the future judgment, where faithful obedience and godly fruit are treated as necessary in the Christian life.
- What does Romans 2:6–9 say about judgment according to works?
- How does the course distinguish initial and final salvation?
- How did early Christians connect grace, obedience, and judgment?
This lesson focuses on God’s impartiality toward Jews and Gentiles. It discusses natural law, the Mosaic Law, conscience, and the way human actions and thoughts will be revealed in the judgment.
- What does Paul mean when he says there is no partiality with God?
- How are Gentiles accountable without the Mosaic Law?
- What role does conscience play in judgment?
This lesson identifies Paul’s fictional opponent as an unbelieving Jew who rests in the law while failing to keep it. It emphasizes hypocrisy, circumcision, and Paul’s claim that true Jewish identity is inward and spiritual rather than merely outward.
- Who is Paul addressing in Romans 2:17–29?
- Why does Paul criticize boasting in the law?
- What is true circumcision according to Paul?
This lesson develops the distinction between Israel according to the flesh and the Israel of God. It explains how believing Jews and believing Gentiles together form one people in Christ, with circumcision of the heart as the true circumcision.
- What are the two Israels discussed in the lesson?
- How can believing Gentiles be included in the Israel of God?
- What is circumcision of the heart?
This lesson begins Romans 3 by addressing Jewish objections to Paul’s claim that outward Jewish privileges do not secure righteousness. It explains Paul’s dialogue with his opponent and rejects the charge that the message of grace encourages sin.
- What advantage did the Jews have?
- Was God unfair in extending grace to the Gentiles?
- Does forgiveness through faith promote sin?
This lesson explains Paul’s conclusion that Jews and Gentiles are both under sin and both need salvation. It also clarifies that Paul’s statements about no one being righteous do not deny that humans can do good in a relative sense or that God requires perseverance in good works.
- Are Jews better than Gentiles before God?
- What does Paul mean when he says none are righteous?
- How does the law give knowledge of sin?
This lesson turns to the initial phase of salvation: righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ apart from the Mosaic Law. It also explains grace as favor, goodwill, or gift, while emphasizing that forgiveness is not a license to continue in sin.
- What is the righteousness of God apart from the law?
- How is salvation through faith witnessed by the law and prophets?
- What does grace mean in this lesson’s discussion?
This lesson concludes Romans 3 by explaining that God justifies those who believe in Jesus and excludes boasting. It emphasizes that Paul is speaking of justification by faith apart from the works of the Mosaic Law, not a rejection of faithful obedience to Christ.
- What does it mean that God is just and the justifier?
- Why is boasting excluded?
- What are the works of the law in Romans 3?
This lesson begins Romans 4 by showing how Paul uses Abraham to explain justification by faith. It argues that Abraham’s righteousness was not grounded in circumcision or the Mosaic Law, making him a pattern for both Jews and Gentiles.
- Why does Paul bring Abraham into the argument?
- What are the works Paul is opposing in this passage?
- How does Abraham’s example relate to Gentile believers?
This lesson studies Abraham’s faith being counted as righteousness and David’s blessing of forgiven sin. It explains that God gives a righteous standing by forgiving past sins, while still requiring a faithful and obedient walk afterward.
- Why was Abraham’s faith counted as righteousness?
- What does Paul mean by righteousness apart from works?
- How did early Christians understand imputed righteousness?
This lesson explains that Abraham was justified before circumcision, so Gentiles do not need circumcision to be declared righteous. It also presents Abraham’s trust in God’s promise and Christ’s death and resurrection as central to justification.
- Was Abraham justified before or after circumcision?
- How is Abraham the father of believing Gentiles?
- What does Christ’s resurrection have to do with justification?
This lesson begins Romans 5 with the believer’s relationship with God, peace, hope, tribulation, and the love of God poured out through the Holy Spirit. It also introduces the chapter’s wider discussion of Adam, Christ, and the fall.
- How does Romans 5 describe the believer’s relationship with God?
- What role do tribulation and hope play?
- How does the Holy Spirit relate to the love of God?
The lesson title identifies Romans 5:6–11 as the focus, especially Christ’s death for the ungodly and reconciliation through His blood. The supplied transcript sample includes extended material from Romans 5:13–21, so the lesson alignment should be checked.
- What has Christ done for the ungodly?
- How does Paul describe reconciliation with God?
The lesson title focuses on Romans 5:12 and the effects of Adam’s sin. The supplied transcript sample discusses Romans 5:6–11 and reconciliation, so an editor should verify whether the transcript is paired with the correct lesson.
- What does Romans 5:12 say about sin and death entering the world?
- How did early Christians understand the fall before Augustine?
This lesson studies Paul’s contrast between Adam and Christ. It explains that Paul states sin entered through Adam and death passed to all because all sinned, while Christ brings grace and the promise of eternal life.
- What does Paul say about Adam, sin, and death?
- How does Christ’s work contrast with Adam’s transgression?
- How did doctrines of the fall develop after the earliest Christian writings?
This lesson begins Romans 6 by rejecting the idea that grace permits Christians to continue in sin. It connects baptism with dying to sin, being buried with Christ, and rising to newness of life.
- Should Christians continue in sin so grace may abound?
- What does baptism signify in Romans 6?
- What does it mean to live in newness of life?
The lesson title places this study in Romans 6:8–15, where Paul warns believers not to let sin reign. The supplied transcript sample discusses Romans 13:8–10 on love fulfilling the law, so the source pairing needs review.
- What does it mean not to let sin rule?
- How does being under grace relate to resisting sin?
The title identifies Romans 6:16–23, where Paul contrasts slavery to sin with slavery to obedience and life in Christ. The supplied transcript sample discusses Romans 12:9–16, so the transcript should be checked.
- What does Paul mean by slavery to sin or obedience?
- How does serving Christ lead to life?
This lesson explains Paul’s marriage analogy for the Mosaic Law. It argues that Christians have become dead to the law and now belong to Christ, serving in newness of the Spirit rather than oldness of the letter.
- How is the law like a husband in Paul’s illustration?
- In what sense have Christians died to the law?
- What does it mean to serve in newness of the Spirit?
The title points to Romans 7:7–14 and Paul’s teaching that the law made sin known without itself being evil. The supplied transcript sample appears to repeat Romans 5 material, so the editor should verify the lesson transcript.
- Is the law sinful according to Paul?
- How did the law make people aware of sin?
The title identifies Paul’s portrayal of a person struggling with sin in Romans 7:14–25. The supplied transcript sample discusses Romans 10:17–21, so the transcript alignment should be reviewed before using detailed claims.
- Who is the struggling person in Romans 7?
- How does Romans 7 prepare for Romans 8?
This lesson introduces Romans 8 as Paul’s description of life in the Spirit. It explains that those in Christ are not condemned as they walk according to the Spirit, and it contrasts the law’s inability with Christ’s forgiveness and the Spirit’s enabling power.
- What does Romans 8 mean by no condemnation?
- How do those in Christ walk differently?
- Why is the Spirit necessary for holy living?
This lesson contrasts the carnal mind with the spiritual mind. It teaches that believers must put to death the deeds of the body through the Spirit, because life according to the flesh leads to death.
- What does it mean to be carnally minded?
- How does the Spirit help believers put sin to death?
- Why does Paul warn Christians about living after the flesh?
This lesson explains adoption as children of God for those led by the Spirit. It also discusses crying Abba, Father, the witness of the Spirit, suffering with Christ, and the future glory that outweighs present affliction.
- Who are the sons of God in Romans 8?
- What does it mean to cry Abba, Father?
- How does Paul compare present suffering with future glory?
This lesson examines creation’s groaning and its expectation of the revealing of the sons of God. It presents early Christian interpretations of creation’s bondage and connects the passage with resurrection, redemption of the body, and the firstfruits of the Spirit.
- What is the creation that groans in Romans 8?
- What is the redemption of the body?
- What are the firstfruits of the Spirit?
This lesson discusses hope as confident expectation, patient waiting, and the unseen future of salvation. It also explains the Spirit’s intercession for the saints and the early Christian reading of those called according to their purpose.
- What does it mean to be saved by hope?
- How does the Spirit intercede for believers?
- Who are those called according to their purpose?
This lesson presents the pre-Augustinian Christian view that predestination is based on God’s foreknowledge. It emphasizes that God’s foreknowledge does not remove human free will and that believers are predestined to be conformed to Christ’s image.
- What is the order of foreknowledge and predestination in Romans 8?
- How did early Christians understand free will and foreknowledge?
- What does it mean to be conformed to the image of the Son?
This lesson explains that Paul is not denying the presence of enemies, but teaching that no enemy can finally defeat God’s faithful people. It also discusses the Father’s gift of His Son, God’s justifying verdict, and Christ’s continuing intercession.
- What does Paul mean by If God is for us, who can be against us?
- How does the gift of the Son assure believers of God’s care?
- How does Christ intercede for believers?
This final lesson explains Romans 8:35–39 as early Christians commonly understood it: nothing external can separate faithful believers from their love for Christ. It rejects the idea that the passage gives permission to continue in sin and instead emphasizes steadfast love amid suffering.
- Does Romans 8:35–39 mean sin can never separate a believer from Christ?
- How did early Christians understand the love of Christ in this passage?
- How can believers endure tribulation, persecution, and danger?
