Pryor: Romans Part 1 of 20

Summary: (details)
Tape 1 is a short introduction to this provisional study of Paul's letter to the Romans. Come back next year for the next session.

• It's a letter, not a theological treatise. Romans is not a linear treatment.
  
• Paul is not a Greco-Roman philosopher, he's a Jewish rabbi. There is a spiral effect going on in the argument.
  
• Verses 1:3,4 and 1:15-17 are critical to understanding the letter. Verses 1:3,4 are the content of the gospel of God, focus on God. Verses 1:16,17 summarize the effect of the gospel.
  
• Romans is not about us. It's about God, the gospel of God.
  
• Classical Protestant reading makes it personal, otherwordly.
  
• For Paul, it's always personal but never private.

More detailed notes here.

Thoughts:
Whenever I think of Romans, I think of the Roman road (the classic HowTo on becoming a Christian drawing on verses from Romans) and many other key verses. This study is going to be deep and broad and looks like we'll be covering a lot of ground.