Points to Ponder in Romans 1-6

To accompany your Come Follow Me study for August 7-13

In addition to reading the indicated chapters, you may wish to:

Read the applicable portions of the New Testament Institute Student Manual at:

See the following videos:

Come Follow Me (August 7-13) |Amazing Grace| Romans 1-6 at Come Follow Me (August 7-13) |Amazing Grace| Romans 1-6 – YouTube

Overview: Romans 1-4 at Overview: Romans 1-4 – YouTube

Overview: Romans 5-16 at Overview: Romans 5-16 – YouTube

If you would like a Kahoot game related to this material which you could use for personal study or use with your family or your class, click here: https://create.kahoot.it/share/romans-1-6/46faf2bc-a23e-451b-8bab-d9309a4cb904. (To use it with a group, after clicking on this link, you will need to log into Kahoot, creating a free account if you have not done so previously, then click on the blue “Start” button.)

For each of the following statements, be prepared to indicate whether you essentially agree or disagree, and why. Relevant passages (or maybe irrelevant ones!) are listed for each statement.

1. Paul suggests that the name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints embodies an aspiration more than an assertion of our present condition. (1:7)

2. The purpose of church meetings is not only to edify the members but also to comfort the leaders. (1:12)

3. If we go out of our way to make sure our friends know we are Latter‑day Saints, they are more likely to think we are strange than praiseworthy. (Romans 1:16)

4. When he quoted Habakkuk 2:4 as saying “The just shall live by faith,” Paul basically meant that if we have enough faith, God will protect us from danger until our mortal lives are completed. (1:17)

5. Paul taught that though we don’t typically see God Himself, we can know of His existence, power, and goodness by looking at the things He has made, both on earth and in the heavens. (1:20)

6. Though as Latter‑day Saints we are expected to live a very strict code of sexual morality ourselves, we have no mandate to try to impose our own standards on others in the community who do not share our faith. “Live and let” live would be an appropriate rule in this case. (Romans 1:24‑32)

7. Paul believed that homosexuals should be executed. (Romans 1:22-32)

8. Paul seems to have been inconsistent in his teachings about salvation by faith and salvation by works. (Romans 2:6, 13; 3:20‑31; 4:3‑5)

9. When Paul says in Romans 2:11 that “there is no respect of persons with God,” he is basically saying that God is so great, all-knowing, and all powerful that He feels no respect for weak, sinful mortals.

10. Paul taught that even those who have not been formally taught right and wrong know intuitively that certain things are good and others are evil. (Romans 2:15)

11. It really doesn’t matter whether or not we are literal descendants of Israel. (Romans 2:28-29)

12. The essential message of Romans 2:21‑29 is “practice what you preach.”

13. When Paul says, “There is none righteous, no, not one,” he is letting his pessimism show through. (Romans 3:10)

14. When everything seems to be going wrong in our lives, we should rejoice and realize that God is testing us. (Romans 5:3‑5)

15. Though the “atonement” is at the very center of Christian doctrine, the word itself appears only once in the entire King James Version of the Bible, and that is in Romans 5:11.

16. Romans 5:12‑21 in its present form is almost impossible to understand.

17. 6:3-5–This passage is good evidence that baptism ought to be done by immersion.

18. 6:7–After we die, sin has no more power over us.

Possible Answers to Points to Ponder in Romans 1-6

For each of the following statements, be prepared to indicate whether you essentially agree or disagree, and why. Relevant passages (or maybe irrelevant ones!) are listed for each statement. [My own opinions are shown in red. You are, of course, entitled to have a completely different opinion!]

1. Paul suggests that the name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints embodies an aspiration more than an assertion of our present condition. (1:7)

I agree. He says we are “called to be saints,” not that we are necessarily already saintly.

2. The purpose of church meetings is not only to edify the members but also to comfort the leaders. (1:12)

Agree. That seems to be what Paul in saying. In the Lord’s church we are all “leaders,” teachers, or ministers at one time or another, just as we are also in other settings led, taught, and ministered to by others.

3. If we go out of our way to make sure our friends know we are Latter‑day Saints, they are more likely to think we are strange than praiseworthy. (Romans 1:16)

I disagree. Romans 1:16 doesn’t precisely address this question, of course. It does say that Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, suggesting that we should not be, either. My experience is that most people admire those who have strong convictions and live accordingly. But we have been encouraged to include mention of gospel topics and church activity in “normal and natural” ways, not by standing on soap boxes or being overbearing, which would surely do more to cause others to think we were strange than worthy of emulation.

Disagree. Paul rather meant that our faith in Christ is the key to our eternal life.

5. Paul taught that though we don’t typically see God Himself, we can know of His existence, power, and goodness by looking at the things He has made, both on earth and in the heavens. (1:20)

Agree. Though less clear in the King James Version, that seems to be exactly what Paul means. The New Living Translation renders this verse as: “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So, they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

Partly disagree. Though we indeed cannot “impose our own standards” on others, we can indeed be an example and raise our voice that there is greater happiness in moral purity and righteous marriage than in promiscuity and indulgence, whether heterosexual or homosexual. Paul is quite clear in his condemnation not only of those who commit such sins but in those who “have pleasure in [or tolerate or glorify] them that do them.”

7. Paul believed that homosexuals should be executed. (Romans 1:22-32)

This is somewhat of a trick question. Paul would certainly have agreed with our current leaders’ drawing a distinction between those who simply feel same-sex attraction but obey the law of chastity anyway and those who engage in homosexual activities. Under the law of Moses, death was indeed the prescribed penalty for the latter, and Paul gives no indication that he disagreed with that.

8. Paul seems to have been inconsistent in his teachings about salvation by faith and salvation by works. (Romans 2:6, 13; 3:20‑31; 4:3‑5)

Disagree. Paul has often been misunderstood, but he was not inconsistent. Paul emphasizes that the ritual acts prescribed by the law of Moses did not in and of themselves produce salvation. Nor could man “earn” salvation by accumulating good works. Salvation is a free gift from God, through Jesus Christ, given to those who turn their hearts over to Him and endeavor to follow Him, which leads to the kind of good deeds (or “works”) which Jesus Himself exemplified. But it is the faith and desire which qualify one for that salvation, not the value of the “works” themselves.

Disagree. Paul is just saying that God is impartial, showing no favoritism either to Jews or to Gentiles.

10. Paul taught that even those who have not been formally taught right and wrong know intuitively that certain things are good and others are evil. (Romans 2:15)

Agree.

11. It really doesn’t matter whether or not we are literal descendants of Israel. (Romans 2:28-29)

Agree. It is important that we become Israelites in the adoptive sense, which adoption is extended to all who accept the gospel, but as such we will have no advantage over nor inferiority to those equally righteous literal Israelites.

12. The essential message of Romans 2:21‑29 is “practice what you preach.”

Completely agree.

13. When Paul says, “There is none righteous, no, not one,” he is letting his pessimism show through. (Romans 3:10)

Disagree. Paul is simply telling the truth here, rejoicing that Christ’s atonement makes it possible for any of us imperfect mortals to be forgiven and saved. That is the height of optimism, not pessimism.

14. When everything seems to be going wrong in our lives, we should rejoice and realize that God is testing us. (Romans 5:3‑5)

Partly disagree. Paul indeed said we should be happy for tribulations, inasmuch as they lead to patience, experience, and hope. But problems can also come from our own disobedience and foolishness. If everything seems to be going wrong for us, it may be time to carefully examine our lives to make sure we are indeed being blessed with a divine exercise and not just suffering needlessly for mistakes we have made.

15. Though the “atonement” is at the very center of Christian doctrine, the word itself appears only once in the entire King James Version of the Bible, and that is in Romans 5:11.

Disagree. It is true that the word appears only once in the New Testament, compared to multiple times in the Book of Mormon. But it does appear 69 times in the Old Testament, generally in connection with rituals designed to point the Israelites forward to the great atonement to be offered by the Son of God. And, of course, the doctrine of the atonement is clearly taught throughout the New Testament, just not employing the word itself to do so.

16. Romans 5:12‑21 in its present form is almost impossible to understand.

Disagree. Admittedly, the King James Version of the scriptures can sometimes seem intimidating. When that happens, you may want to consult a modern language translation. You may get a whole new appreciation for Paul and the simplicity of his teachings if you read the same passage, for example, in the New Living Translation. (Romans 5:12-21 NLT – Adam and Christ Contrasted – When Adam – Bible Gateway)

Also, I found it fun to invite ChatGPT to “Summarize Romans 5:12-21 in simple language.” Here are the results, compliments of artificial intelligence: “The author says that through one man, Adam, sin came into the world and spread to all people. As a result, death came into the world, because all people are sinners. But, the author says, there is also hope. Through another man, Jesus, God has given people the gift of righteousness. This means that through faith in Jesus, people can be made right with God and have eternal life. The author says that just as sin spread to all people through one man, so the gift of righteousness has been given to all people through Jesus.”

17. 6:3-5–This passage is good evidence that baptism ought to be done by immersion.

Agree. It is hard to be “buried” with a few drops of water!

18. 6:7–After we die, sin has no more power over us.

Disagree. It is true that when the righteous die, Satan has no more power to tempt them. But the deceased wicked will find themselves quite enslaved and tormented by their sinful mortal life. Significantly, Joseph Smith changed this verse in his inspired revision to read: “For he that is dead to sin is freed from sin.”