A Six-Week Overview Lesson Plan

The Letter to the

ROMANS

A Six-Week Overview Lesson Plan

Linda Weidenbach

December, 2011

These lessons are designed for adults, 18 years and older. The letter to the Romans is an important book for many reasons. “Although it (the book of Romans) raises hot button issues ….. it also soars eloquently in its claims concerning the grace of God.” (ArlandHultgren, Luther Seminary, Romans class, 2011). The author of this lesson plan believes that God justifies us by faith through Jesus Christ and she (the author) supports and gains strength from the tenets of the ELCA Lutheran denomination. The focus of these lessons is by no means exhaustive of what we have to learn from Paul in Romans; its major focus is to build community in Christ with a forward-looking view to a subsequent class of adults working together to find ways to engage homes, the community, and the church in projects that support the growth of faith in youth. All six sessions are one hour in length; lessons 4-6 will devote some of this time to creating an artistic reflection from the book of Paul.

Table of contents

WEEK 1ABOUT THE AUTHOR

WEEK 2INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS

WEEK 3SUFFERING AND CHRIST THE SAVIOR

WEEK 4WOMEN

WEEK 5THE JEWISH PEOPLE

WEEK 6THE CHURCH BEYOND THE CONGREGATION

WEEK 1ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Conversion of St. Paul, 1601, Caravaggio

Introductions: (15 minutes) Share with the group about your previous studies of the book of Romans and, also, in light of our subsequent class, tell us of your interest in youth ministry.

Historical Reading: (20 minutes)

The Book of Acts was written by Luke twenty to thirty years after Paul’s death and it contains much secondary source information about Paul’s life. (Our primary source of information about Paul is the Letter to the Romans.) Paul probably died in the early 60’s and Acts was written about 85. Although Paul is the disputed author of Ephesians, Colossians, 2nd Thessalonians, 1st & 2nd Timothy, Titus, there is no doubt that Paul wrote Romans, 1st & 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1st Thessalonians, and Philemon.

Look through the book of Acts and discuss evidence of 1st century believers.

Paul spent many years preparing for his ministry. Read Galatians 2: 1-2 aloud. Question: Why do you think Paul may have been concerned that he “had run my race in vain?

Regarding the disputed books of Paul, discuss justifications for the unknown authors’ use of Paul’s name.

Theological Concepts: (20 minutes)

In the book of Acts, Luke tells us how God raised Paul up. Read Acts 9:1-17 aloud. (Four readers are needed, for the parts of the narrator, Paul, the Lord, and Ananias.)Questions: Why do you think the Lord singled out Paul and Ananias on this day?In verse 2, what is meant by “the Way”? Do you agree with the use of this term for today?

In the church we tend to blend together three terms: “the Twelve,” “the apostles,” and “the disciples.” If we drew three concentric circles with God at the center, the three categories would flow outward, respectively. Question: Which of the three categories did Paul fit into? (He had to defend this identity to his opponents all his life.)

Lutheran Notes:

Martin Luther rejected Paul as the author of Hebrews. Although serious scholars today (both Catholic and Lutheran) would agree with Luther on this, the council of Trent reaffirmed Paul’s authorship.

Closing Prayer:

Holy God, we thank you for your presence in our lives. Let us feel the

presence of your Spirit as we travel together through this study of

Paul and his Letter to the Romans. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

WEEK 2INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS

Historical Concepts: (15 minutes)

Although we cannot know with chronologic certainty when Paul lived and did his work, we do know he wrote the letter to the Romans at a time when Nero was the emperor of Rome. Jews had been expelled from Rome by Emperor Claudius and now many of those who had been expelled had returned. The climate was volatile for several reasons, three of those reasons being (1)Gentiles of the Roman faithful “boasting” over Jews,(2) an incipient anti-Judaism, and (3) market tax riots in a city south of Rome. Questions: Why had Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome? Why would there be controversy even between Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians?

Theological Concepts: (15 minutes)

Read Romans 8:31-39 aloud. Christians, like everyone, will endure hardship, yet Paul says here that God is always with us and nothing can come between us and God.Question: When Christians face hardships, how does our response reflect our faith in God?

Lutheran Theological Reading: (25 minutes)

Upon reading Romans 1:17 – “The just shall live by faith” – Martin Luther wrote “…Now I felt myself born anew and in paradise. This passage was to me as the portal of heaven.” (SL, 14, 446). Questions: What is the relationship between justice and faith? Luther believed (and Lutherans believe) that we don’t earn salvation; it is a gift from our gracious God. Some people think (even subconsciously!) that we must earn our way to heaven by doing good works. Christians will naturally want to do good works as a result of growing in Christ through the Spirit and the Word.

Closing Prayer:

Holy God, we thank you for this time to meet together to study your word.

Though what we talk about happened long ago, we know that you are at

work in the world today and we know your word can speak to us today.

Guide us in our lessons that we may be edified in our witness. Amen.

WEEK 3SUFFERING AND CHRIST THE SAVIOR

Historical Concepts: (10 minutes)

Read Romans Chapter 1 aloud. This is the beginning of Paul’s apostolic letter to the Romans. Questions: Ancient letters began with the names of sender and recipient and a short greeting. They continued with an expression of Thanksgiving. How does Paul thank God in verse 8? What is Paul trying to convey about the concepts “gospel” and “righteousness of God”?

Theological Concepts: (30 minutes)

Read 2 Cor 5:19. It was God, who in Christ, reconciled the world to himself. Discuss how it is God who reconciled the world to Himself (through Christ) and not Christ who reconciled God to us.

Read the following quote from ArlandHultgren of Luther Seminary (Romans class, 2011):

I should add that the cross is an offense. It always has been. So there are persons today who wish to come up with other ways of thinking about atonement (at-one-ment). They say: In the cross we have divine child abuse, etc. But I do not see how one can speak of the redemptive work of God without bringing in the cross and the image of Christ crucified (bleeding, ugly in suffering, etc.). To resort to Lutheran thinking, God is known “under the opposite.” God is not known simply through a beautiful sunset, and God cannot be described by a “theology of glory.” So Luther and others would say: “Look to the Crucified One. There you see God for us most clearly.”

Question: Why is it important to remember Christ’s suffering?

Devotional Reading: (10 minutes)

Read Romans 8:1-8. At the cross God condemned sin. Question: What is the difference in the power sin had/has before and after the cross?

Closing Prayer:

Holy God, thank you for this time to be together and study your word.We can never thank you enough for your work on the cross. Help us tobe good disciples in spreading the newsthat we are forgiven and thatour new hope lies in using the gifts you’ve given us for your glory. Amen

WEEK 4WOMEN

Historical Reading: (30 minutes)

Question: What stories do you think of when you think of women in the Bible?

Read Romans 16:7 aloud. There is little disagreement in recent scholarship that Junia (a female) was an apostle. (Three good resources regarding this areJunia, by Eldon Epp, Linda Belleville, and The New Oxford Annotated Bible, 2010.) The name Junias, the male version of Junia, does not appear in ancient manuscripts and over 350 instances of the name Junia have been cited.

“It appears, from what we know about textual criticism, pseudonymity, and the post-Pauline tradition that after the death of Paul there was a concerted effort to silence women in the church” (Hultgren, Romans class, 2011). Read I Corinthians 14:26-35. Modern textual interpretation is in agreement that vs. 34 and 35 are an interpolation of the text, that is to say, they have been added by someone other than Paul. If the verses are an interpolation, this would say that Paul’s view concerning the role of women in the church was more open than the anonymous writer would have us know. Paul had many good things to say in regards to women:Junia and her husband, Andronicus, “were in Christ before I was,”, Phoebe was a deacon (and the first exegete of the letter to the Romans)(Read Romans 16:1-2), and Prisca and her husband, Aquila, “put their necks at risk” (Read Romans 16:3) for him, says Paul.Read I Cor. 11:5; a clear assumption is reflected regarding women leading liturgy and preaching.

Question: What is you view on the place in scripture for proven interpolations?

Closing Prayer:

Holy God, thank you for the minds you’ve given us. Help us to feel your

presence as we seek to understand the wisdom of your word. Be with us

in creating a reflection of our learning today. Amen

Sketching: (20 minutes)

This week we will begin the art project for this class. Using the materials provided, begin to sketch a reflection of something addressed in the book of Romans. (For reference, see Caravaggio’s rendition of Paul’s Conversion.) Your subject matter can be something discussed in class or something you’ve studied on your own. Be sure to bring your completed sketched back to class next week.

Next Week: Class will be extended for oil painting project completion.

WEEK 5THE JEWISH PEOPLE

Theological Concepts: (30 minutes)

Read Romans 9:1 through 11:36 aloud. Paul is ultimately speaking of the covenant God made with Israel. Until verse 11:25, it would seem that this covenant would be broken. Questions: Does Paul mean the Jewish people will be saved without becoming Christians? Why or why not? “We need to reflect on this: If God breaks his covenant with Israel, who is next? The thought is sobering.” (ArlandHultgren, Luther Seminary, Romans class, 2011, emphasis added).

Read Romans 11:17-21 and Romans 14:13 aloud. Questions: How is Paul likening the situation of disgruntled Christian Gentiles in relation to Christian and non-Christian Jews to an olive tree?Question: Now, in the 21st century, what does the analogous olive tree look like?

Closing Prayer:

Lord, we know your sacrifice was for all who have eyes to see and ears to

hear. Help us to reflect the face of your son to others, that in so doing, we

may do your work and fight against the evils of hatred and injustice.

Painting: (indetermined extended time)

With the materials provided, paint the sketch you created last week.

WEEK 6THE CHURCH BEYOND THE CONGREGATION

Present your oil paintings. (20 minutes)

Theological Concepts:(10 minutes)

The Swedish Lutheran theologian Anders Nygren astutely said, “It is not man’s (or woman’s) faith that gives the gospel its power; quite the contrary, it is the power of the gospel that makes it possible for one to believe” (Nygren’s commentary on Roman’s, page 71). Think of something from the book of Romans that you could share with the community.

Where to Now? (30 minutes)

Pair up as walking partners. Walk around the block, brainstorming ways we can reach out into the community to bring our homes, the community, and the church together in a way that will foster faith in youth. Assemble back in the classroom to share our ideas and, as a group, begin to implement a plan to move forward.

Closing Prayer

God, as we move forward with our plans to reach youth with your wisdom,

please guide us that we may have confidence that when we are in Christ, we

are “full of goodness, complete in knowledge, and competent to instruct one another” (Romans 15:14). Lest we take these words of Paul out of context, we affirm that we are ever growing in Christ. Amen