- Paul was writing around AD 56-57 in Corinth, in the home of Gaius, dictated to Tertius (Rom. 16:22).1. As a greeting, the Apostle Paul sets out right from the beginning of the letter certain essential elements concerning the gospel with which he is charged in vv. 1-6:
- It appears that because of the expulsion of Jews by Emperor Claudius, the church in Rome (already in existence and yet to be visited by Paul) was made up of a large number of Gentile Christians.
- Paul, while writing primarily to the Gentile Christians, did have the minority Jewish Christians in mind as well.
- While the theme of Justification by Faith is obvious, the themes of equality in Christ between Gentiles and Jews, and spirit and flesh are no less prominent.
a. In presenting himself as an apostle, how does he describe his relationship with Christ and his calling in v. 1? (It is important to know that the original word for servant is indeed “slave”).
b. In vv. 2-4, how does Paul emphasize the centrality of Jesus concerning the gospel for which he is set apart?
c. Do you get a sense that the recipients of this letter are mainly Gentiles from vv. 5-6?
d. How does the way Paul that addresses the Christians in Rome, v. 7, speak to you?
a. Do you recognize some of the names of people with whom Paul has been closely associated?3. It appears that Paul has yet to set foot in Rome.
b. What sense does the reading of the last chapter give you in terms of the possible reason(s) for the writing of this letter by Paul?
a. Why does he desire to visit Rome?4. Have you prayed for other churches? Why or why not?
b. Why does Paul even pray for them, many of whom he has never met?
今天我們開始研讀羅馬書。請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
羅馬書一般被視為一封滿有神學思想的書信。當我們每天分小段來思想時，相信會發掘出不少與我們日常生活有切身幫助的靈糧。在研讀時我們需要留意保羅寫這封書和每一段落的原因和主旨。
你可以找到不少好的解經書內有詳盡的引言。在此，我單單取材自F.F. Bruce的著作，有以下的分享：
- 保羅大概是在主後56-57年在哥林多的該猶家中寫這書信的，並由德丟代筆；
- 因為較早時該撒Claudia（革老丟）把猶太人逐出羅馬，現在留在羅馬教會的，似乎大多數是外邦的基督徒(但部份像百基拉和亞居拉已重回羅馬)；
- 但保羅寫書的內容明顯的也針對猶太基督徒；
- 因信稱義的主題在這書信固然是很突出，但外邦人與猶太人在基督裡是沒有分別的，以及肉體與聖靈之爭，也是明顯的重點。
(1) 保羅在書信的開始，藉著問候把受托的福音要點說明(第1-6節)：：
a. 在確定自己的使徒身份時，保羅怎樣論到自己與基督和福音的關係？(註：「僕人」按原文是奴僕；「特派」有被分別出來之意思)
b. 第2-4節：保羅如何刻畫耶穌是他被分別出來去傳講的福音之中心？
c. 第5-6節：你是否可以從字裡行間看出收信人主要是外邦或是猶太基督徒？
d. 第7節：保羅對羅馬信徒的形容，你有何感受？
(2) 保羅論到他聽到羅馬信徒的信心。請翻閱羅馬書最後一章：
a. 你是否認得部份在信末問候的人的姓名？
b. 從這一章的內容，你可否猜想到保羅寫信的因由？
(3) 看來在寫這書信時，保羅似乎尚未到過羅馬：
a. 為何他希望到羅馬？
b. 為何他會特別為這教會禱告？
(4) 你有否為別的教會禱告？為什麼？
(5) 我們可以怎樣學效保羅看自己是普世教會的一份子？
(6) 今日對你主要的提醒是什麼？你可以怎樣應用在你的生命中？
“Let us walk honestly as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness…But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.” (Rom. 13:13-14)Augustine did not need any further reading. Hardly had he finished this passage before a ray of divine light broke upon him, and all the darkness of doubt vanished. He was thirty-two years old at the time.
“What the church and the world owe to this influx of light which illuminated Augustine’s mind as he read these words of Paul is something beyond our power to compute.” (Bruce, Romans, 56)
羅馬書的重要性可以從歷代以來怎樣影響先賢的生命看得到。奧古士丁是其中一個例子。
主後386年的夏天，在北非Numidia出生的奧古士丁已在意大利米蘭當了修辭學教授兩年了，但他仍為自己活在不道德的生活中而掙扎。那一天，他在花園的一角坐下哭泣，最後伏在地上，向神求助。立刻他彷彿聽到由鄰居傳來的聲音，不斷說：「Tolle,lege!」(拿起來讀吧！) 一股他不明白的力量催促著他去尋求友人Alype的幫助。就在那時他面前放著一本書，奧古士丁把它打開，就讀到這些話：「行事為人要端正，好像行在白晝。不可荒宴醉酒，不可好色邪蕩，不可爭競嫉妒；總要披戴主耶穌基督，不要為肉體安排，去放縱私慾」(羅13:13-14) 。
奧古士丁不用再讀下去，因為在還沒有讀完這些話，他心裡的陰翳、懷疑，全被天上來的一度亮光所掃除。當時，他是32歲。
「當奧古士丁讀到保羅那些話語，心靈被亮光照臨所帶來對教會和世界的影響(或教會與世界所欠他的債)是無人能估計的。」(Bruce, Romans, 56)
a. How might God, being the only source of righteousness, be something to be shameful of?4. What is meant by “The righteous shall live by faith”? How does it explain Paul’s emphasis on “from first to last”?
b. Why might faith, being the only path, be something to be shameful of?
請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
(1) 你有否覺得第16節有點特別？(舉例說：一個新郎大概不會說他不以新娘為恥的！) 為何保羅竟說他不以福音為恥？
(2) 第16節按原文是以「因此」來連接上文的。保羅這句話與上文有什麼關係？
(3) 保羅在此指出救恩的重點：(i)是神的義(其源頭) ；(ii) 本於信，也以致於信(其途徑) 。對於那些看重人的智慧的(希利尼人)
a. 義的惟一源頭是神為何會是羞恥的信念？
b. 信是惟一稱義的途徑和義的惟一源頭是神為何會是羞恥的事？
(4) 「義人必因信得生」是什麼意思？與保羅所言的「本於信，以致於信」有什麼關係？
(5) 你同意藉著所造之物人是可以曉得神的永能的嗎？為什麼？
(6) 至於祂的神性呢？
(7) 第21-23針對拜偶像的人的話是否也適用於今天不相信神，但卻不拜有形的偶像者？為什麼？
(8) 今日對你主要的提醒是什麼？你可以怎樣應用在你的生命中？
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — His eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (1:20)
“He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men…” (3:11a)It reminds me that as God made Adam, He breathed into his nostril the breath of life, and the man became a living being (Gen. 2:7). Yes, God does not go to His warehouse to pump something into our nostril, but He shares His own breath with us. This is why we are a living being and our spirit is eternal. Of course, as eternal spirits, we have a choice to spend eternity with God our Creator, or in eternal separation from Him in hell.
保羅在羅馬書的開始就說出一句強而有力的話：「自從造天地以來，神的永能和神性是明明可知的，雖是眼不能見，但藉著所造之物就可以曉得，叫人無可推諉。」(1:20)
最近我有機會觀看有關這龐大宇宙的影像。首先作出我們所處這地球與太陽的距離量度，再與眾星球、我們這銀河系和更遠的千萬銀河系的距離量度，最後到了今日人能量度的宇宙邊際，原來是要需時930億的光年才能到達。我立時感到自己的渺小和神創造的偉大，也不禁同意保羅的所言：神的永能確是能藉著祂所造之物，叫人曉得的。
但神的神性又如何呢？是否藉著所造之物同樣能叫人曉得呢？這就使我想起傳道書的一句話：「神造萬物，各按其時成為美好，又將永生（原文是永遠）安置在世人心裡。」(3:11)
是的，神創造亞當時，不是到祂的倉庫去拿氣息來輸進人的身體中，乃是將生氣(親自) 吹進人的鼻孔，使他成為「有靈」的活人(創2:7) 。傳道書告訴我們，這靈是永遠的。當然人就要選擇他的靈究竟是永遠的與創造的神同在(這是永生) ，還是永遠與祂隔絕(這就是永死了) 。
傳道書在此把神的創造與永生一起並論，提醒我們神如此美麗的創造是要喚醒人的心靈，不單要曉得神的永能，也要曉得祂的神性。雖然人的心靈因罪被蒙蔽，但若我們是誠實的話，看到神所創造的宇宙之大，和人的渺小，我們的心靈是應該知道祂神性的要求，像保羅所言，「是無可推諉」的。
a. Being filled with: wickedness, evil, greed and depravity
b. Being full of: envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice
c. Who they are: gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful
d. What they are: senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthlessObviously, not all pagans are like the above.
請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
(1) 我們知道這是一個極度色情的世代。1:25(主要的英譯本) 就指出世人不信神的真理，而誤信了「謊言/a lie」。這是什麼的謊言，以致世人墮入第24-25節所形容的放縱呢？
(2) 保羅在這小段之前，論到這世界怎樣拒絕神，第26-27節是聖經清楚講論「同性戀」的其中一段。你明白為什麼神不容許這些行為嗎？
(3) 一位基督徒領袖在接受電視訪問時，以 Eco-system (地球環境系統) 作例，解釋一些片面的、短暫的以利當頭的行為(如不負責任的筏木) ，至終嚴重破壞了整個地球來喻同性戀。你意下如何？
(4) 按聖經這裡所言，「同性戀」已帶來什麼立刻的後果？
(5) 第28-32節再論到整個敵神的世界。雖然世人不承認這創天造地的神，並不等如他們沒有自己的神。其實他們為自己造了什麼神去敬拜呢？
(6) 第28節指出的後果是什麼？
(7) 他們所行，並不是出於無知。你同意嗎？(參第19-20節)
(8) 第29-31節列舉世人四方面的種種罪：
a. 裝滿了: 各樣不義，邪惡，貪婪，惡毒；
b. 滿心是: 嫉妒，兇殺，爭競，詭詐，毒恨；
c. 積極的罪包括：讒毀的，背後說人的，怨恨神的，侮慢人的，狂傲的，自誇的，捏造惡事的，違背父母的；
d. 負面的罪包括：無知的，背約的，無親情的，不憐憫人的。
當然，以上不是每一個人全都會犯的罪，但卻是普世的寫照，你同意嗎？為什麼？
(9) 那些是你信主之前的寫照？
(10) 今日對你主要的提醒是什麼？你可以怎樣應用在你的生命中？
Refrain
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
1
You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all
2
Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising again I bless Your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down You pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all
今天，讓我們思想Dennis Jernigan (DJ)這首詩歌的歌詞。DJ為他同性戀的生活痛苦掙扎了多年，終於靠著神的恩典得到釋放。可上網頁www.dennisjernigan.com讀到他個人的見證。
祢是我依靠的力量
祢是我尋求的寶藏
祢是我的一切
祢好比貴重的珠寶
我怎能放棄祢不要
祢是我的一切
耶穌神羔羊配得大讚美
耶穌神羔羊配得大讚美
擔當我罪債和羞辱
死裡復活我蒙救贖
祢是我的一切
當我失腳祢扶起我
當我饑渴祢充滿我
耶穌神羔羊配得大讚美
耶穌神羔羊配得大讚美
- Paul refutes fiercely righteousness by works in the rest of his letter (see his quotations from the Psalms in chapter three). Here, he is laying out the common Jewish belief in gaining eternal life through good deeds (and of course, no one is able to maintain good deeds).1. Perhaps, Paul senses (or rather knows) that his hearers include self-righteous Christians (especially Jewish Christians) who would totally agree with his indictment of the willful sins of the gentile world. They might even enthusiastically join in with an “amen”, though secretly they do exactly what the world does. Based on the list of evils listed in the last chapter, examine yourself in light of:
- Paul begins to refute from here onwards the erroneous Jewish belief that Jews will be treated differently (i.e. more favorably) by God. Thus, some commentators believe that the singular 2nd person “you” of v. 1 refers to self-righteous Jews. (In my opinion, it more likely refers to Jewish Christians who still hold a sense of superiority over Gentile Christians in the church at Rome; it might also include Gentile nominal Christians whose lifestyle proves their faith to be false.)
a. greed: In what way do you also exhibit greed in your life? (e.g. purchase of lottery ticket)2. The last chapter highlights the sin of homosexual behavior. Which do you think is a more horrible sin — someone who continues to live a homosexual lifestyle or a Christian who secretly continues to commit adultery?
b. strife: Do you still harbor a grudge against anyone whom you do not forgive?
c. gossip: Have you recently passed along rumors with a less-than-pure motive?
d. boastfulness: Do you conveniently make known some things which you are proud? (e.g. your children’s achievement)
e. heartlessness: Have you ignored the plight of some needy person because of inconvenience or busyness?
請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
在思想這段的經文之前，容許我先指出：
- 保羅講論「神的義」(1:17)這重要的基要福音真道之後，並不是突然的談到這敵神世代所犯的眾多極可怕的罪，乃是要藉此指出(a) 神的審判是公義的，和(b) 猶太人與外邦人都被圈在這審判中，兩者並無分別。
- 在這小段保羅似乎是同意猶太人靠「行律法稱義」的觀念 (2:13)，其實他至終是要顯出這觀念的不可行。
- 從這裡開始他指出猶太人自以為在神面前比外邦人有更優越的地位是錯誤的。故此，部份解經家認為2:1的「你」是指自義的猶太人。（因這信明顯是寫給信徒的，我認為這「你」是指信了耶穌的猶太人，當然也包括了任何自義的基督徒了。)
(1) 保羅似乎料到有不少接觸到這書信的人，讀到保羅責備那世代種種敗壞時會從心裡暗暗叫好，但在私底裡卻行在這些罪中。讓我們用一點時間作反省，問自己有否犯以下的：
a. 貪婪：有否羨慕別人所擁有的，或想以購買彩票來致富呢？
b. 毒恨：有否仍懷恨別人，不肯饒恕呢？
c. 背後說人：不久之前有否懷著不良的動機去傳言呢？
d. 自誇的：有否在有意無意之中把值得自豪的事情(像兒女的成就) 向人誇口？
e. 無親情(或譯無人情/heartless) ：你最近有否因要趕路或覺得不便而不幫助有需要的人呢？
(2) 上一章清楚的指摘同性戀的罪，但你以為那個是更大的惡：是未信主而過著同性戀生活的人？還是信了主卻活在淫亂中的基督徒？
(3) 按2:4所言，刻意犯罪的信徒怎樣干犯神呢？
(4) 一個不悔改的心會帶來什麼後果？
(5) 作為猶太人是否會在審判的日子受到神的優待？
(6) 第7-8節把兩類人作出比較。他們的分別是在於所行的，還是在於所追求的呢？
(7) 第9-10節就指出兩種不同的結局；兩者應屬末日的報應。但保羅似乎更在指出兩者之相同的地方。他這些話是針對什麼人而說呢？
(8) 這裡所提的「律法」當然是指猶太人所堅守的摩西的律法。按原則來說，猶太人本可怎樣稱義？
(9) 保羅指出外邦人是沒有摩西的律法的，但按同一個原則，他們其實也怎樣可以稱義的呢？
(10) 但按雅各書2:10所指出，以上稱義的原則可行嗎？
(11) 按雅各所言，外邦人是否也可以完全守著他們「心中的律法」？
(12) 既是這樣，沒有機會聽福音的人是否可以靠「良心」稱義？
(13) 今日對你主要的提醒是什麼？你可以怎樣應用在你的生命中？
“in Thy righteousness deliver me!”and Romans 1:17,
“The just shall live by faith.”He wondered how God’s righteousness could deliver him. Was it not meant to condemn the sinner and not to save him?
“He then could feel the mighty rhythm of Pauline thought, wherein his sinfulness was ever present, yet God’s justification, likewise, was ever present. Inwardly he felt the ancient, pure strength so well known to Pauline Christians. It was now no longer a battle with God to force God’s recognition of his good deeds, for God was on his side. He saw, as it were, in one great vision, all the tremendous movement in the human race, from its sin in Adam to its redemption in Christ. He, Martin Luther, could stand steadfast by faith in Christ and know that the tremendous pressure of his sin was offset by the endless mercy made possible in Christ.
“This was his hour of his freedom, the hour of his great ‘illumination’. From this day forth there was a new note in his message. All his teachings began, centered, and ended in the history of redemption.”
(Heroes of Faith, Martin Luther, 66-67)Martin Luther’s conviction of “justification by faith” eventually led to the great Reformation to which all Protestants are indebted.
我們先前讀到羅馬書對奧古士丁的影響，他給歷代信徒帶來極豐富的靈筵。今日讓我們思想另一位因奧古士丁和羅馬書以致生命受到極大改變的先賢，他就是馬丁路德。
在1512-13年間，馬丁路德是奧古士丁會修士，在德國Wittenberg大學任聖經神學教授。他為著自己的罪和希望在神面前得悅納而掙扎。他既相信神是完全的公義，也深知自己是完全的敗壞和有罪，故此他覺得沒有人可以在神眼中得稱為義。他特別思想到詩篇31:1「憑祢的公義搭救我」和羅馬書1:17的「義人必因信得生」的話。他不明白神的義怎樣能拯救他！神的義豈不是要定人的罪，怎會拯救他呢？
就在此時，他記得上司對他的忠告：要像保羅一樣，注目仰望十字架。他思考：是否憑相信基督在十字架上所成就的歷史的工作，神的義就可以從基督的身上傳到他的身上，成為拯救的義，而非定罪的義呢！
「他就感到如保羅所言的能力。雖然他的罪仍常存，但神的義照樣也常存。在他裡面他經歷到這古舊、純潔的力量，就像其他依從保羅的基督徒一樣。現在他不用靠自己的善行、努力去爭取神的喜悅，因為神已站在他那一邊。就在那時他在異象中看到人類由亞當開始的掙扎到基督的救贖(為止) 。他—馬丁路德—可以因信站穩在基督裡，知道罪的重擔已可以在基督裡的憐憫被一筆勾銷了。
這是他得釋放的時刻，也是蒙光照的時刻。從那時起，他的信息有了新的音符。他所有的教導是以救贖的歷史作開始、中心和結束。」
(Heroes of Faith, Martin Luther, 66-67)
馬丁路德「因信稱義」的堅持，給我們帶來了「宗教改革」，是我們當感恩的。
a. How true is their understanding?4. Paul points out that their problem is not of understanding, but of not doing what they preach or believe in. List the examples given by Paul in vv. 21-24. Examine yourself accordingly.
b. Is it true of us as Christians today, as far as the Bible is concerned?
請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
或許我們可以稱這段的主題為「什麼是真猶太人？」：
(1) 按聖經的歷史而言，什麼使猶太人在神面前與世上其他的邦國、民族有別？
(2) 為何保羅認為猶太人靠律法來作他們與神關係的根據是錯的？
(3) 第18-20節：保羅列舉了他們之以律法誇口的原因。請逐一的思考：
a. 個中有理之處；
b. 是否也適合用來形容我們今天與聖經的關係？
(4) 保羅其實不是否定律法這些的價值和功用，而是要指出他們沒有「言行一致」(2:21-24)。讓我們亦按保羅所指出的逐一的省察自己。
(5) 割禮對猶太人為何如此重要？(參創17: 13-14)
(6) 那麼對信了耶穌的猶太人而言，割禮可仍有什麼益處？(2:25)
(7) 保羅在第25-27節的話是否就廢掉了割禮的益處？為什麼？
(8) 按保羅而言，什麼才是真猶太人？
(9) 什麼是「心裡的割禮」？是怎樣得到的？
(10) 相信保羅在哥林多寫完這書信後，終於到了耶路撒冷，並且立刻被使徒雅各等質問他對割禮的教導。(見徒21:21) 按今日所讀的這段經文，你以為使徒們所質疑的屬實嗎？
(11) 今日對你主要的提醒是什麼？你可以怎樣應用在你的生命中？
1. Eternal Life: Jesus says in John 5:39 to the Jews, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.” Indeed, it is through the reading of Scriptures that we can come to know Christ. Apart from Scriptures, our faith will be groundless.Therefore, Paul is not disputing the high value they place on the Scriptures, but he is identifying their disobedience. They are not practicing what they preach. As a result, the Scriptures are of no value to them. In fact, the Scriptures have become a liability to them.
2. Knowing God’s will and right from wrong: Although the Scriptures are not meant to be used as Urim and Thummim, it does contain all that is necessary for living a godly life (2 Pet. 1:3).
3. Guide for the blind and light in the dark: The Book of Isaiah is full of promises that the Lord will lead the blind and turn their darkness into light, referring to the coming of the Messiah (e.g. Isa. 42:16).
4. Instructor of the foolish and teacher of infants: The Book of Proverbs, in particular, is full of instructions to the simpletons and the Jews, and wisely categorized such teachings as part of the genre of “Wisdom Literature”.
5. The embodiment of knowledge and truth: Such an understanding by the Jews is absolutely correct in that the Scriptures are the only standards of truth and that in their biblical understanding of “knowledge”, they are not referring to abstract truth only, but experiential truth (e.g. Gen. 4:1).
在羅馬書2:17-20保羅指出熱衷律法的猶太人(包括信主的猶太人) 的錯誤，像主耶穌一樣，他同時亦說明神在聖經裡的話語本有的益處：
(1) 內有永生：主耶穌在約翰福音5:39告訴猶太人說：「你們查考聖經（或作：應當查考聖經），因你們以為內中有永生。」是的，我們藉著研讀聖經才能認識耶穌基督，因信祂而得永生。如果我們不是根據聖經的教訓的話，我們的信心是沒有根據的。
(2) 叫人曉得神的旨意、能分別是非：聖經雖然並非 “烏陵和土明” ，但內中確已記載了一切關乎生命和虔敬的事(彼得後書1:3) 。
(3) 給瞎子領路、作黑暗中的光：在這黑暗的世代，除了聖經，那裡來亮光呢？眾多的學說和宗教是人的創作和猜想，正是瞎子領路。聖經真是惟一的出路。
(4) 是蠢笨人的師傅、小孩的先生：箴言就稱不敬畏神的人為愚人。人要得真智慧，惟有從聖經中尋。故此，猶太人稱如箴言之類的書卷為「智慧文學」是對的。
(5) 是知識和真理的模範：猶太人對聖經這個認識是絕對正確的。神的話語不但是惟一真理的模範，真正的知識，更是如創世記4:1所顯示的，是經歷性的認識。神的真理乃是要我們藉經歷去得真知識。
保羅在此並非排除聖經的益處，乃是要指出他們沒有自己去遵守。他們是言行不一致的。故此，聖經對他們毫無益處，反成禍害。
這正是我自己基督徒生命多年的寫照。我是用心的研讀聖經，視聖經為極之寶貴的。但我看重了知識的發掘，不知不覺中，也以聖經的知識來論斷別人。這種錯誤的態度，就如巴刻(J.I. Packer) 所說，是個「看台式的觀眾」，只知站在看台批評上路的人衣服污垢，自己卻不動身上路。這樣讀經是最危險不過的。
a. Why is being entrusted with the very words of God so special?2. The Jews have obviously failed in their trust. Was God wrong in the first place? How did their failure prove God’s faithfulness?
b. What about you? Do you enjoy the same privilege today?
a. First, Paul quotes from Psalm 14:1-3 in vv. 10-13: This is contrary to some of the beliefs that men are good by nature. How will you answer them?6. Since Jews and Gentiles are alike, Paul now applies what he quotes from the Scripture as applicable to all:
b. Paul then quotes from Psalm 5:9; 140:3; 10:7; 36:1 and Isaiah 59:7-8. While the first quotation from Psalm 14 is a universal truth, what about these quotations?
c. Based on v. 9, does Paul use the latter quotations to prove that no one does good or that both Gentiles and Jews are alike in their sins?
a. From the quotations above, can anyone claim that he or she has no sin?7. What is the ultimate purpose of the law?
b. Can anyone claim that they are not accountable to God?
請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
(1) 為何被交託神的聖言是第一(至大) 的好處？
(2) 今天這好處是否猶太人所獨有？
(3) 猶太人固然在所託的因他們的不信而失信，這是否說神作了錯誤的交託決定？按保羅所言，為何他們的不信反而怎樣顯出神的義呢？
(4) 保羅怎樣反駁那些認為我們的不義對神有助的呢？
(5) 神是否需要藉著我們的不義才能顯出祂的公義？
(6) 既指出猶太人靠律法和割禮是徒然的，保羅就提醒我們，猶太人和外邦人都在罪惡之下(3:9) ：
a. 按保羅所引用的詩篇14:1-3 (即2:10-13)，你可以怎樣回答那些認為「人性本善」的人？
b. 保羅繼而引用詩篇5:9；140:3；10:7；36:1及以賽亞書59:7-8 (即3:13-18) 來形容世人的罪。都貼切嗎？為什麼？他的重點是什麼？
(7) 猶太人與外邦人既一同被律法圈在罪裡：
a. 按以上所引用的經文，你以為人能說自己是無罪的嗎？
b. 人還能稱自己不用向神負責嗎？
(8) 在總結這小段時，保羅告訴我們什麼是律法真正的功用呢？
(9) 今日對你主要的提醒是什麼？你可以怎樣應用在你的生命中？
“Three days later (May 24, 1738), John awoke and opened his Bible…This morning it popped open to II Peter 1:4: ‘…He has given us His every great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.’And according to F.F. Bruce, “That critical moment in John Wesley’s life provided the spark which kindled the ‘inextinguishable’ blaze of the eighteen-century Evangelical Revival.”
“’If only that were to come true for me’, John thought.
“That evening he was supposed to go to a society meeting in Aldersgate. He did not want to go. He was very depressed. No one sought faith harder than he did, yet he was denied faith.
“But he trudged to the meeting in Nettleton Court. There was that same William Holland, this time reading from Luther’s Preface to Romans. John listened lifelessly. Holland reached the portion describing the change God works in the heart through faith in Christ. The heart, John reflected analytically, is Paul’s euphemism for thought and feeling inside a person. It is neither righteous nor evil, but the inner place where the Spirit must dwell, if at all.
“Suddenly, an inexplicable warmth swelled inside John’s chest! His heart seemed to buoy him off the floor. His mind soared. He realized he did trust Christ alone for salvation. Christ had died for him, John Wesley. Christ’s blood had washed away John Wesley’s sins. Christ alone had saved John Wesley from death…
“As the meeting was drawing to a close, he stood up and spoke with joy, ‘Friends, this evening I have felt the internal witness the Spirit. On his deathbed, my father told me this must happen. The Moravians told me this must happen. And by God’s grace it had happened inside me this very evening’” (Heroes of Faith, John Wesley, 103-4).
讀過了羅馬書對奧古士丁和馬丁路德生命重大的影響，今天就讓我們繼續看看，羅馬書透過馬丁路德怎樣改變另外一位屬靈巨人，他就是約翰衛斯理：
「三日後(即1738年5月24日) 約翰衛斯理睡覺醒來，打開聖經翻到彼得後書1:4 “他已將又寶貴又極大的應許賜給我們，叫我們既脫離世上從情慾來的敗壞，就得與神的性情有分。” 他就想：“如果真的實現在我身上就好了。”
原本在那天晚上他要到Aldersgate參加聚會的，但他不想去，因為他很不開心，他比任何人更熱切在尋找信心的答案，卻仍尋不著。
終於他勉強的去參加Nettleton Court的聚會。何蘭偉廉先生照舊在那裡。那晚他讀馬丁路德所著的“羅馬書序言” ，約翰衛斯理無精打釆的在聽。當何蘭讀到那一段有關神藉著人對基督的信在人心中作工時，他就在分析：保羅說的人心是否就是人的思想和感受的婉詞(euphemism)呢？這是與義或罪惡無關，而是聖靈若要住在我們生命中，必然的地方。
(想到這裡) ，突然之間，一段暖流湧進他的胸懷。他的心像要把他提起，他的思想向上提升。他知道自己確是單信靠基督得救恩的。基督已為他—約翰衛斯理—而死。基督的寶血已洗淨了約翰衛斯理的罪。惟獨基督把約翰衛斯理從死亡中拯救出來……
聚會結束時，他站起來，喜樂的說：“朋友，今天晚上我感受到聖靈的內證。那是我父親在臨死之前告訴我必要發生的。是Moravians(德國的信徒) 告訴我必要發生的。靠著神的恩典，今天晚上真的在我裡面經歷到。”」
(Heroes of Faith, John Wesley, 103-4)
「約翰衛斯理生命中這重要的時刻，燃點起那不能熄滅的18世紀復興運動！」
(F.F. Bruce)