I am pleased to announce that the Bible study on Romans that Mike Bennett and I have been working on for so long can now be ordered through UCC Resources and will ship on March 1.

Romans, Part 1, Romans 1-8 and Romans, Part 2, Romans 9-16 are titles in the United Church of Christ’s LISTEN UP! Bible Study series.

Romans, Parts 1 and 2 are not ground-breaking new works of original Biblical scholarship, but rather teaching tools to be used by small groups in Bible studies. A leader’s guide is included in every workbook.

Mike and I together bring over a half-century of experience as pastors leading Bible studies in local congregations. Romans Part 1 and 2 brings our knowledge of how to make Bible study come alive.

Behind these studies we bring our own understanding of Romans from a lifetime of engagement with this important book. Mike has been influenced by two important commentaries on Romans by Professors at his alma mater Yale Divinity School, Leander Keck and David Bartlett. Mike is also a contributor to the Feasting on the Word series.

I first studied Romans with William Robinson at Andover Newton Theological School and with Krister Stendahl at Harvard Divinity School. Later I studied Romans with my Bangor Seminary colleague Burton H. Throckmorton, and even later, on an Oxford sabbatical, with N.T. Wright.

These scholarly experiences with Romans are behind what we have written in these studies. Mike and I like the fact that the LISTEN UP series is both accessible and affordable. Here is how the UCC describes this series:

What’s a LISTEN UP! Bible Study, and why is it unique?

God’s word is alive. God will always have something new to say to us. That’s why the purpose of the LISTEN UP! Bible Study series is not simply learning information about the Bible. It is hearing God speak. There is a difference. In these Bible studies, you will be encouraged to listen: listen to the Bible, listen to your own questions and responses, and listen to the honest sharing among participants in your study group. Trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit, we believe that in that mix of biblical text, personal engagement, and honest speaking and listening, God’s word may be heard, speaking words of challenge and words of comfort.

Romans: Parts 1 and 2 LISTEN UP! Bible Study

Paul’s Letter to the Romans is the first of Paul’s letters in the New Testament canon, the longest of them (16 Chapters), and, in many respects, the most significant. The Letter to the Romans is written to a congregation Paul neither founded nor knew, but was hoping to visit soon. For this reason Romans both introduces Paul and also the major themes of his mature thinking about what God has done in Jesus Christ.

In making his case to the Romans Paul addresses some of the great themes of the Christian story: sin and grace, salvation, election, and the trustworthiness of the promises of God. Paul also writes at length about what the implications of the Gospel and the new life in Jesus Christ are for Christians and their congregations.

When we study the Letter to the Romans, we encounter together the still speaking God and discern the voice of God addressing our time and context. Don’t be surprised if you deepen your faith in the process.

Romans Parts 1 and 2 each sell for $6.99 for a single copy, or can be purchased in a five-pack for $20.00. To order go to UCC Resources which can be found here.

Here we are putting the finishing touches on Romans, Part 1 and Part 2.