DB

BIBL 104

Discussion Example

The following examples are based on the book Reading Romans with Luther by R.J. Grunewald. Even though you may not be familiar with this book, you should be able to get a general idea of what is expected from each of our discussion board assignments based on these answers as they relate to the content of this book.

A. Module 1: Week 1

Thread: How to Look at the Bible

Learning Log

“Jesus turns our inward curve out toward our neighbors. When selfishness has made us worship only what pleases us. Jesus is at work in us making us forget ourselves. Jesus gives us new sight as we see our neighbors the way He sees our neighbors” (Grunewald, p. 124).

This quote is a reminder that our actions after salvation should be directed towards others rather than singularly towards ourselves. Since we are Christ’s ambassadors, we carry His message with both our words and our actions. If we are confused as to what that looks like, we only need to familiarize ourselves with the example of Christ.

Continue with 9 other quotes and interactions from the assigned reading

B. Module 3: Week 3

Thread: Questions About The Bible

Squares, Triangles, Circles, and Hearts

Squares:

1. Because of sin, our nature (human nature) is curved in upon itself. This is what is theologically known as original sin. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah understood this and wrote, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

2. The heart is so corrupted by sin that it will fear, love, and trust anything and anyone but God. Therefore, cultural ideas like “trust your heart” or “follow your heart” should not be heeded. This kind of advice will only lead away from God.

3. “God always meets us when rock meets bottom. He promises to meet us in the place of despair” (Grunewald, p.101). Thus, it is in places of lowliness, weakness, and brokenness that we are must likely to find God. It is in these places that we will find the presence of God and not the absence of God.

4. Christians love their neighbor not out of obligation but out of a heart overflowing with the love of Jesus. This is the heart of a servant. This is also the heart of Jesus who demonstrated through his actions what being a servant looked like.

Triangles:

1. Sin is ultimately the worship of self and therefore a worship problem.

2. According to Luther, one reason that people leave the church is because sin is downplayed and good works are promoted, making people think they are already good enough or righteous enough for God’s acceptance.

3. “Christian growth is not primarily about sinning less. Christian growth is a war within us that is won by the Spirit through the Gospel…As you grow you will realize more and more how big the problem of sin is…Growth isn’t about needing the cross less, it’s about the cross doing its work daily. As we become acutely aware of what needs to be put to death our daily lives transform” (Grunewald, p. 96).

Circles:

1. How else does Paul describe the difference between the carnal and the spiritual man in his other letters and does Luther’s understanding in Romans fit with these descriptions?

2. How does Luther’s understanding of the gifts listed in Romans (Prophecy, Service, Teaching, Exhortation, Generosity, Leadership, and Mercy) fit with the other places Paul talks about gifts in his letters?

Hearts:

1. “Grace is the pronouncement of your relationship to the Father, and it has nothing to do with whether you are a well-behaved child of the Father” (Grunewald, p. 39).

C. Module 6: Week 6

Thread: How to Study the Genres of the Bible

3-2-1

3 concepts that improved, clarified, or adjusted my knowledge from this week’s reading.

There is a definite link between justification and sanctification. Grunewald expresses it this way, “Justification always effects our sanctification. In other words, the grace that saves us also changes us” (Grunewald, p. 105). This connection is rooted in Jesus Christ who is at work within us re-creating us to be people who love the people around us.

The gifts and opportunities God gives us are so that we can serve the people around us. They are not because “He” needs something. We are given them because “they” need something. Grunewald writes, “Our neighbors need our good works. Jesus doesn’t need our love and service by our neighbors do. Jesus doesn’t need our food in order to survive, but our neighbors might. Jesus doesn’t need us to protect Him and care for Him but our children do need care and protection” (Grunewald, p. 110). Thus, we are blessed to be a blessing. We have received good things so that we can share those good things with our neighbors.

The transformation in the believer is being orchestrated by Jesus and it turns our curved inward bend to an outward bend. In other words, we are being reshaped so that instead of an inward gaze at our own life we have an outward look to the needs of our neighbor. Grunewald notes, “Jesus turns our inward curves out toward our neighbors. When selfishness has made us worship only what pleases us, Jesus is at work in us making us forget ourselves. Jesus gives us new sight as we see our neighbors the way He sees our neighbors” (Grunewald, p. 124). One practical outgrowth of sanctification is that we begin to see the needs of others and the way in which God has gifted us to meet those needs.

2 ideas that are crucial from this week’s reading.

Concupiscence: This theological word is not something we hear used frequently today. However, its definition is one that describes the human condition. To that end, “Concupiscence is the desire and the lusting of the heart towards sin” (Grunewald, p. 25).

Luther’s interpretation of Deuteronomy 6:6: This is an understanding of this passage that I was not aware of nor had been previously exposed to. Luther sees the terms in this verse as more practical rather than religious. To that end, “‘between your eyes’ means all our thoughts must be directed by these words, and the phrases to write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates means that all our senses and particularly our tongue must be directed and applied according to these words” (Grunewald, p. 112).

1 way I can use what I have read.

Grunewald talks about hiding in chapter 1. More specifically, he talks about the way we have learned to hide things as it relates to social media. He writes, “We’ve become experts at hiding. We filter our lives and crop out the sadness so that everybody sees a version of us that has everything together…This is the unwritten law of social media: show the best version of your life and hide the mess” (Grunewald, p.12). With this in mind, I will focus on personal contentment rather than personal dissatisfaction as I consume information on social media. I will remind myself that what I am looking at is a highlight reel with all of the sadness cropped out.

D. Module 8: Week 8

Thread: Courageous Faith

$12 Summaries

Chapter 2: Human Condition (120 words)

Sin is the disease that has infected every human being. The proper theological term for this is “original sin.” The viciousness of original sin has altered our nature that it is “so deeply curved in upon itself” (Grunewald, p. 21). The implication of this for our human condition is that “sin is not simply something we choose to do or not do; sin is our nature. We aren’t sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners” (Grunewald, p.26). The answer to our human condition is found in the Gospel, or more correctly, the person of the Gospel. Rather than being plagued by a “me first” spirit, Jesus selflessly gives himself to rescue those under the curse of sin.

Continue with 3 other $12/120 word summaries.

Page 2 of 2

Instructions for discussion board

After reading the assigned chapters in Everyday Bible Study (Chapters 1-5), create a learning log that lists 10 quotes from the assigned reading that highlight either a concept that resonated with you or a concept that represents new learning for you. Following each of these quotes, you must provide a 3-5 sentence explanation of how the selected quote represents either what resonated with you or this new learning. For an example of this type of thread, please see the provided example.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  17 so that the servant of God[ a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Isa 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Matthew 4:1-3 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[ a] by the devil.  2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Exodos 17:1-7  The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.  2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”

Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”

3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

5 The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.  6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.  7 And he called the place Massah[ a] and Meribah[ b] because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Jeremiah 17:9-10 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Genesis 1:28-30 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.  30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

2 Peter 1:16-18 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”[ a]  18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

Hebrew 6:18-19 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.  19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,

Exodus 34:6-7 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,  7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Matthew 5:17-20 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

BIBL 104

Discussion Example

The following examples are based on the book Reading Romans with Luther by R.J. Grunewald. Even though you may not be familiar with this book, you should be able to get a general idea of what is expected from each of our discussion board assignments based on these answers as they relate to the content of this book.

A. Module 1: Week 1

Thread: How to Look at the Bible

Learning Log

“Jesus turns our inward curve out toward our neighbors. When selfishness has made us worship only what pleases us. Jesus is at work in us making us forget ourselves. Jesus gives us new sight as we see our neighbors the way He sees our neighbors” (Grunewald, p. 124).

This quote is a reminder that our actions after salvation should be directed towards others rather than singularly towards ourselves. Since we are Christ’s ambassadors, we carry His message with both our words and our actions. If we are confused as to what that looks like, we only need to familiarize ourselves with the example of Christ.

Continue with 9 other quotes and interactions from the assigned reading

B. Module 3: Week 3

Thread: Questions About The Bible

Squares, Triangles, Circles, and Hearts

Squares:

1. Because of sin, our nature (human nature) is curved in upon itself. This is what is theologically known as original sin. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah understood this and wrote, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

2. The heart is so corrupted by sin that it will fear, love, and trust anything and anyone but God. Therefore, cultural ideas like “trust your heart” or “follow your heart” should not be heeded. This kind of advice will only lead away from God.

3. “God always meets us when rock meets bottom. He promises to meet us in the place of despair” (Grunewald, p.101). Thus, it is in places of lowliness, weakness, and brokenness that we are must likely to find God. It is in these places that we will find the presence of God and not the absence of God.

4. Christians love their neighbor not out of obligation but out of a heart overflowing with the love of Jesus. This is the heart of a servant. This is also the heart of Jesus who demonstrated through his actions what being a servant looked like.

Triangles:

1. Sin is ultimately the worship of self and therefore a worship problem.

2. According to Luther, one reason that people leave the church is because sin is downplayed and good works are promoted, making people think they are already good enough or righteous enough for God’s acceptance.

3. “Christian growth is not primarily about sinning less. Christian growth is a war within us that is won by the Spirit through the Gospel…As you grow you will realize more and more how big the problem of sin is…Growth isn’t about needing the cross less, it’s about the cross doing its work daily. As we become acutely aware of what needs to be put to death our daily lives transform” (Grunewald, p. 96).

Circles:

1. How else does Paul describe the difference between the carnal and the spiritual man in his other letters and does Luther’s understanding in Romans fit with these descriptions?

2. How does Luther’s understanding of the gifts listed in Romans (Prophecy, Service, Teaching, Exhortation, Generosity, Leadership, and Mercy) fit with the other places Paul talks about gifts in his letters?

Hearts:

1. “Grace is the pronouncement of your relationship to the Father, and it has nothing to do with whether you are a well-behaved child of the Father” (Grunewald, p. 39).

C. Module 6: Week 6

Thread: How to Study the Genres of the Bible

3-2-1

3 concepts that improved, clarified, or adjusted my knowledge from this week’s reading.

There is a definite link between justification and sanctification. Grunewald expresses it this way, “Justification always effects our sanctification. In other words, the grace that saves us also changes us” (Grunewald, p. 105). This connection is rooted in Jesus Christ who is at work within us re-creating us to be people who love the people around us.

The gifts and opportunities God gives us are so that we can serve the people around us. They are not because “He” needs something. We are given them because “they” need something. Grunewald writes, “Our neighbors need our good works. Jesus doesn’t need our love and service by our neighbors do. Jesus doesn’t need our food in order to survive, but our neighbors might. Jesus doesn’t need us to protect Him and care for Him but our children do need care and protection” (Grunewald, p. 110). Thus, we are blessed to be a blessing. We have received good things so that we can share those good things with our neighbors.

The transformation in the believer is being orchestrated by Jesus and it turns our curved inward bend to an outward bend. In other words, we are being reshaped so that instead of an inward gaze at our own life we have an outward look to the needs of our neighbor. Grunewald notes, “Jesus turns our inward curves out toward our neighbors. When selfishness has made us worship only what pleases us, Jesus is at work in us making us forget ourselves. Jesus gives us new sight as we see our neighbors the way He sees our neighbors” (Grunewald, p. 124). One practical outgrowth of sanctification is that we begin to see the needs of others and the way in which God has gifted us to meet those needs.

2 ideas that are crucial from this week’s reading.

Concupiscence: This theological word is not something we hear used frequently today. However, its definition is one that describes the human condition. To that end, “Concupiscence is the desire and the lusting of the heart towards sin” (Grunewald, p. 25).

Luther’s interpretation of Deuteronomy 6:6: This is an understanding of this passage that I was not aware of nor had been previously exposed to. Luther sees the terms in this verse as more practical rather than religious. To that end, “‘between your eyes’ means all our thoughts must be directed by these words, and the phrases to write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates means that all our senses and particularly our tongue must be directed and applied according to these words” (Grunewald, p. 112).

1 way I can use what I have read.

Grunewald talks about hiding in chapter 1. More specifically, he talks about the way we have learned to hide things as it relates to social media. He writes, “We’ve become experts at hiding. We filter our lives and crop out the sadness so that everybody sees a version of us that has everything together…This is the unwritten law of social media: show the best version of your life and hide the mess” (Grunewald, p.12). With this in mind, I will focus on personal contentment rather than personal dissatisfaction as I consume information on social media. I will remind myself that what I am looking at is a highlight reel with all of the sadness cropped out.

D. Module 8: Week 8

Thread: Courageous Faith

$12 Summaries

Chapter 2: Human Condition (120 words)

Sin is the disease that has infected every human being. The proper theological term for this is “original sin.” The viciousness of original sin has altered our nature that it is “so deeply curved in upon itself” (Grunewald, p. 21). The implication of this for our human condition is that “sin is not simply something we choose to do or not do; sin is our nature. We aren’t sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners” (Grunewald, p.26). The answer to our human condition is found in the Gospel, or more correctly, the person of the Gospel. Rather than being plagued by a “me first” spirit, Jesus selflessly gives himself to rescue those under the curse of sin.

Continue with 3 other $12/120 word summaries.

Page 2 of 2