Episode #134 – Romans 9 with Dr. Mike Bird
Episode Summary:
Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley are back to discuss the book of Romans! They are joined by Dr. Mike Bird to take a look at Romans 9 and the study of Paul.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
Before we jump into Romans 9: How did we get here? What’s the flow and argument of the letter so far?
How does the audience of this letter shape the way we read Romans 9?
What is the argument of chapter 9?
Romans 9:6-7 appears to be distinguishing between two kinds of Israel? Is that correct?
Is Paul trying to make the argument that the promises of God to Israel are not for all of ethnic Israel and are only for the children of the promise?
What are people's working assumptions of Israel in the Bible?
Is there a more pressing question for Paul? Is God faithful (V. 6)?
The most incendiary section of this chapter to modern readers is Romans 9:13-18. How does Paul build the tension in his argument? How does he relieve it?
Why would you encourage someone to read Romans 9?
If you just had to steer people away from the biggest misunderstanding, in your view, of Romans 9: How would you caution them?
Study of Paul: What do you see right now as some of the most interesting questions that are being asked in Pauline scholarship?
Complementarianism: Why do you care about the issue of women in the church?
Helpful Definitions:
Israel: The name for the sacred people in the Jewish sacred history.
Ethnic Israel: Those who are genetically, biologically, or familially part of the people of God.
Israel according to the promise: A subtype within ethnic Israel. The ones God has used for his various purposes and who his plans have centered on.
Guest Bio:
Dr. Mike Bird is the academic dean and a lecturer in theology at Ridley College in Australia. He describes himself as a “biblical theologian” who seeks to bring together biblical studies and systematic theology. He is the author of 30 books including but not limited to: The Story of God Commentary on Romans, An Anomalous Jew: Paul among Jews, Greeks and Romans, Introducing Paul: The Man, His Mission and His Message, and the New Testament in its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians (which he co-authored with NT Wright). You can also find him on Twitter @mbird12.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Romans 9, Romans 8:37-39, Roman 10-11, Romans 16
“Some Christians See a ‘Road Map’ to End Times” by Darrell Brock
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