The Regular Guys Bible Study
The Regular Guys Bible Study podcast -- RGBS -- is a podcast for regular guys by regular guys (not theologians) studying the Bible together. It's brought to you by a couple of goofy guys who just want to study the Bible together and show you that anyone can read and study the Bible. In fact, you SHOULD read and study the Bible yourself. We're here to show you how we do it, and, hopefully, we can have some fun along the way.
The Regular Guys Bible Study
Romans 5
This episode dives into the themes of Romans Chapter 5, focusing on justification by faith, the importance of suffering, and the transformative power of grace. Through humor and personal reflection, we discuss how trials can lead to character development and enduring hope.
• Discussing the humorous aspects of a colonoscopy experience
• Explanation of justification by faith and peace with God
• Insights on how suffering leads to perseverance and character
• The contrasting roles of Adam and Jesus in the narrative of sin and salvation
• Exploring the perfect timing of Christ’s sacrifice
• Encouragement for listeners to embrace vulnerability and open dialogue about faith
• Calling listeners to engage in the conversation and share their experiences
Leave comments at: https://theregularguysbs.kas-m.com
You are listening to the Regular Guys Bible Study Podcast, the Bible study for regular guys by regular guys. We are your hosts, ken and Steve, and we are just regular guys studying the Bible together, not theologians. All right, steve, you know there's sort of a theme. I realized because I was just thinking. You know, if I were to ask Steve how you doing and you're saying Ken how you doing, I would say the same thing I've always said or I have been saying lately.
Speaker 2:What's that? I'm tired, oh, but this time you have a good reason.
Speaker 1:This time you were invaded today. I was invaded today. But the worst thing, you know, honestly, honestly. So, I had a colonoscopy today. The worst thing, the colonoscopy is nothing. I mean, it's the prep, it's the prep. And you know, I thought, oh great, my last prep is at 12 30 am. That's fine, that's okay. No, that's not fine. That means I am Diarrhea, squirt, squirt, diarrhea. I am finishing the prep until about 4 am, every 15 to 30 minutes. 15 to 30 minutes. And um, then I had to get up at 5 30 ish to get to the facility this morning. So, but it was all good. I mean, you know, as far as I know, so are you back on a regular schedule now not necessarily, but probably they found one little thing Can have it looked at.
Speaker 2:Oh, you're sure that wasn't your wee-wee.
Speaker 1:That is not appropriate, Steve. What is this? Is that what this has become? Some crude Bible study?
Speaker 2:crudeness, I thought it was regular guys Bible study.
Speaker 1:It is, and regular guys. That stands for people who poop on a regular basis because they have enough fiber in their diet. Steve.
Speaker 2:Oh, and you can't do this today. I thought that was clear.
Speaker 1:When we talk about the regular guys Bible study, we are regular guys. I poop every morning after I have my coffee, lucky.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I shouldn't be a host because I'm very bipolar when it comes to my regularness, which I'm sure everyone is glad to hear about.
Speaker 1:Yeah, hey, you know what? If you're ashamed to talk about your personal business, then maybe you need to just think about you know how important is this stuff anyway, Quit being so sensitive.
Speaker 2:You know I agree, I'm tired of being, of people being overly sensitive. You know, I agree, I'm tired of people being overly sensitive, it's just irritating.
Speaker 1:I know it, I know it All right. Well, let's get started. Steve, we are on Romans, chapter 5 today. I think we should be able to get through the whole chapter. It doesn't seem that long to me.
Speaker 1:I agree. If you have not read not you, steve I'm not talking to you, but actually yes, to you too. I haven't read as often as I should have. All right. Well, if you have not read Romans chapter 5, I strongly suggest you go read it. After all, the whole point of this is not for us to read the Bible to you and tell you what it means, right, is that right, steve?
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 1:All right, you're supposed to read this thing. We're supposed to say some stuff and you're supposed to go those dudes are idiots, that's not right, that's not what this is saying. It's saying this other thing because I can read it too. Or you say, yeah, those dudes are right, they're awesome, they're cool or you could say, oh, I never thought of that before that's right and you know what steve if people would leave comments on our website where we now share?
Speaker 1:uh, we can. You can download the podcast directly from there, uh, listen to it directly from there and you can also lead, leave comments from there. So, um, if you look at the um at the uh, what's it called? The description? If you look at the description of the podcast, it is uh that a link to that spot is there. So if you go to any uh podcast, any site that you listen to your podcast, you'll see a link to that um and you can leave comments. All right cool you ready.
Speaker 2:Have you gotten many comments?
Speaker 1:um, I have one comment and it's from my wife. Yeah, really, yeah, she listens to this. No, no, it was a pretend. It was pretend comment, not real. So you know, go comment on that and call her out. You know, I challenge you to go comment on her comment and call her out as not really listening.
Speaker 2:Do you want her to? No, I didn't think so.
Speaker 1:This is regular guys. She's not a regular guy. She's not even a guy.
Speaker 2:She's an irregular woman.
Speaker 1:She's an irregular woman. She is an irregularly shaped woman. Is that what you're saying?
Speaker 2:Steve Is she.
Speaker 1:I don't know no.
Speaker 2:All right. Well, let's get started um no, why let's get this being contrary, let's get this, let's get.
Speaker 1:Let's get this party started. Get it all right.
Speaker 2:Romans, chapter five steve go all right, therefore, would you like to explain what it's there for Ken?
Speaker 1:Oh, I guess we have to look, don't we?
Speaker 2:I forgot, well, I figured you were ready to go. I'm not ready to go.
Speaker 1:I know, but I had a colonoscopy today. Okay, it was about Hold it. Let me be a little honest here, steve. I'm always honest.
Speaker 2:I think we've been overly honest so far.
Speaker 1:I'm always honest, but I was sedated this morning. They intentionally told me not to do anything that's important today, so I did work a little. I told somebody I would not sign any agreement at work on a feature um, because I was told not to sign anything today. But, um, my head is a little bit slow right now, so, um, like I mean slower than normal, I know I'm not the brightest tack in the shed.
Speaker 2:Okay, the reason it's there is because Abraham had faith and it was counted to him as righteousness, and that can be extended to us who believe in him, who raised from the dead Jesus, our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. That's what it's there for. Yes, therefore, since we have been justified by faith, it even says it right after the.
Speaker 1:Therefore, Steve.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it does All right, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him, we have also obtained access, by faith, into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.
Speaker 2:And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us, for while we were still weak, at the right time, christ died for the ungodly, for one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that, while we were still sinners, christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. I read ESV instead of NIV.
Speaker 1:Oh, you know what I was following along in ESV, so yeah, I don't know that it's that different. It was very different. Actually, I was wondering. My brain seemed even slower listening to the ESV.
Speaker 2:That's why I wanted to go to the NIV, actually, because it's so much clearer. Well, and as I was reading, it.
Speaker 1:I was like this doesn't seem like the same thing I read this week. All right, you know what. To break it up even more, you know what I'm going to do. I'm going to reread that, but not in NIV or ESV. I'm going to read it in what I read this morning, Not this morning yesterday morning, the NLT, the New Living Translation. All right, All right. It says Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ, our Lord, has done for us.
Speaker 1:Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice too when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance, and endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment, For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with love, with his love. When we were utterly helpless. Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
Speaker 1:Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God, because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. The reason I read that is because to me that is so much clearer.
Speaker 2:Well, it's because it's not using the old-fashioned words. That is true, and I think it is clear.
Speaker 1:All right, so do you have any notes here that you would like to talk about, steve?
Speaker 2:You know, I don't.
Speaker 1:Really.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I didn't take notes this week.
Speaker 2:I know I was bad this week.
Speaker 1:Man, okay, is there anything you'd like to talk about on this first section?
Speaker 2:So the dying for a righteous person, the sum would die for a good person. I guess the sum are those that are like brothers in arms. You know, at war Some guy goes and throws himself on a grenade to save his buddies, that sort of thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, and there's people you know like parents will give a kidney for their son. I actually know someone who did that.
Speaker 2:Did they die?
Speaker 1:no, but you actually, you dare, you dare to die right, because you actually are given. God gives us two for a reason, steve um, and so you know, um, while we can function with one, when one is acting up, we struggle. So let's see. But yeah, I don't think it's really talking about war. I don't think war counts, because war is you are kind of commanded to die, okay no, but you aren't talking about this general war, you're talking about jumping on a grenade to save your buddies.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is different. Yeah, or what about the secret service agent that jumps in front of a bullet to save the president?
Speaker 1:Man, you're doing that laggy thing with your Audio again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're dropping out on me too.
Speaker 1:Really, and we're both on spectrum, right, yep, that doesn't make any sense.
Speaker 2:Maybe it doesn't work as well when it's so cold out. Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1:Do you have fiber or not?
Speaker 2:Like they would run fiber into my neighborhood. Do you know where I live, steve, that's true.
Speaker 1:I am much more in the boonies than you and I've got fiber. I don't understand that I think it's a government program. I think they got paid to do it. Um, anyway, um, uh. What were you saying? I got, I don't know well, the problem was you.
Speaker 2:You went away for a couple of seconds when you were saying it oh, I was saying secret service jumping in front of a bullet for the president yeah, that's um now.
Speaker 1:It is their job, but why would you do that? I don't really have a point here. Yeah, no point, that's. That's very maybe I should.
Speaker 2:I'll turn off my video and see if that helps all right, but then I can't see you, that's okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I kind of you know, I enjoy our banter more when I can see you but now I can make faces at you and you don't know it oh, that's true.
Speaker 1:Um, that's all right, okay, so, anyway, um, um, I did notice there was a new, and this is one thing. One thing I noticed in uh, the nlt that I didn't notice in other versions is we have another list of of list here where he says um, we can rejoice. Uh, let's see he's talking about um endurance and trials. Yeah, so, uh, for we know they help us, these trials, help us develop endurance. And then he says endurance develops strength of character, and then character strengthens our confident hope in salvation. So the trials that we go through, ultimately, as long as we allow them to produce good within us, then they produce, they strengthen our faith in salvation.
Speaker 2:Have any examples of that?
Speaker 1:Sure Sure I do.
Speaker 2:Steve, you know, I have examples. Do you want me to share. I think I've shared, like the child story.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, but that's the biggest example, right? I mean, just that struggle was so long and so difficult, but you know, we had confidence and I did. I struggled with God and I pleaded with him and said why, why, why. But you know when that kind of stuff happens and you see the reasons behind it. Like, I think, many times we don't know why we struggle and we never get to see. You know why. What good came out of my struggle, I think that's most of the time.
Speaker 1:I think that. But the truth is not all struggle will produce good for you, right? And also, you know, it says here let's see, rejoice. If you're not going, if you're not able and if you well, let me just say, if you don't even try to understand that your suffering can lead to good, then I think it might be difficult for you to ever see it.
Speaker 2:That's a good point.
Speaker 1:And you know it says you know enduring these trials, and by enduring I think it means with joy, because you know it definitely says we need to rejoice in these problems and trials.
Speaker 2:And we've got joy, joy, joy, joy down in our heart. Where Down in our heart, Steve?
Speaker 1:You just said it down in our heart. Where Down in our heart, steve? You just said it Down in our heart. Why do you keep forgetting that it's a song? Oh, okay, all right. Anyway, what was my point? I don't know my point, steve, I think you already made it Okay.
Speaker 1:The point is that trials come. You know, know that there's good coming from these things, even though they are hard and they hurt, and through it all it will develop great faith, and you saw that through Job as well. So that is not just a New Testament concept.
Speaker 2:That's true. So why do you think in verse 6 it talks about at just the right?
Speaker 1:time. I don't know. I struggle with that and I thought about looking it up and I decided not to, because I don't think there's— okay, maybe I should, but there's no way some scholar is going to know what that means.
Speaker 2:Well, I have some theories. So God's timing is always perfect and you know, he spent a few thousand years setting everything up, getting it in place for this moment for Christ to die for us, for this moment for Christ to die for us. So if he had come a hundred years earlier, the Romans wouldn't be there to crucify him. I don't know. I guess it would be different, but I'm sure there were reasons. I mean, it was through Rome that most of Christianity spread.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And I'm sure all the prophecy that got fulfilled at that time too.
Speaker 1:Yes, all right, let me. This is how I'll. This is how I think people will interpret this scripture, and I'm not Googling it, but this is how I think people will interpret it and I don't think it's a bad interpretation. But, steve, when did you accept Christ?
Speaker 2:I believe it was when I was around eight or nine years old.
Speaker 1:Oh, you weren't utterly helpless, were you? No? Okay, so I will say that a lot of us were utterly helpless. That's how we felt. We felt utterly helpless.
Speaker 2:Oh see, now we were going through some family stuff at the time, so there was some of that and I was turning to God, so maybe I was.
Speaker 1:Okay. So maybe I was okay, see, my, my friends had started bringing I was in junior high my friends had started bringing pot to school and drinking and thermoses of wild turkey that they drank in the morning before school, and you know, and I just had a a crisis of what's going on, you know, and a real struggle and and so I didn't know what to do and I I just I turned to grab a shot glass and no, I did.
Speaker 1:I did not, oh, um, so um anyway. Um, you know, actually some of those guys are really good people to to this day, to today so you're still friends with them you. You know Facebook friends, but not real friends. But you know, for me it was a real struggle and I needed to make a change and I did. I was utterly helpless and Christ came to me at just the right time. Now, I don't think that's what this means here.
Speaker 2:No, I don't either.
Speaker 1:But I do think that God puts things in Scripture with dual meaning for us, and so this could be one of those things that you know God put in there to say, look, I came at just the right time for you. So I don't know. I think that's what you would find if you looked it up. I don't really know when we were utterly helpless, I don't know what that means. When we were utterly helpless, I don't know what that means, but maybe Rome was taken over even more than normal.
Speaker 2:So which version says utterly helpless? That's the NLT.
Speaker 1:That's the NLT. What does NIV say?
Speaker 2:So ESV says for, while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. And NIV says you see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. See, I thought the right time was when Christ died. You think the right time is when we were saved by Christ.
Speaker 1:No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that I don't think that's what that means here, but I think people will interpret it that way.
Speaker 2:Well, you clearly did.
Speaker 1:No, I don't. I don't know what it means, though I don't really know, what, why paul is saying that and why that might be a a trigger for people. All right, um, let's see anything else in there that you want to discuss before we move to the next section. I've been justified by his blood, blah, blah blah.
Speaker 2:No, I think we should go on, because I think that Adam and Christ stuff is interesting. Okay, adam and Christ stuff is interesting.
Speaker 1:Okay, you know, I actually read the top section. Steve, you want to read the?
Speaker 2:second section. I read the top section.
Speaker 1:I know, but you didn't read it in the right translation.
Speaker 2:I'll bet you can't read this second section in the NIV? I bet you I can Watch me. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and in this way, death came to all people because all sinned. To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone's account, for there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
Speaker 2:But the gift is not like the trespass, for if many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, jesus Christ, overflow to the many?
Speaker 2:Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man's sin. The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through the one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, jesus Christ? Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man, the many were made sinners, so also through the disobedience of through the obedience of the one man, the many will be made righteous. The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace also increased, all the more so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:Are you going to read it in NLT now, so we can understand it?
Speaker 1:No, I thought it was fairly straightforward in NIV, it? No, I thought it was fairly straightforward in niv. Um, basically, you know, it says a lot about what I was talking about last week in chapter four.
Speaker 2:That's because you read ahead you know what?
Speaker 1:I had read, chapter four, but I think I don't have five, but I had only read it once, I believe, and and maybe it was a psychological thing that was stuck in there that I did not realize, but it definitely wasn't a conscious thing. But yeah, so basically, I can summarize this section right. If I were to summarize this section, I would say sin entered the world through one man, adam. When Adam and Eve broke the one law that God put up in the Garden of Eden right, don't eat of the tree of knowledge. Do anything else, everything else you can do, just don't eat of that tree. So Adam broke the one law. Or Adam and Eve, mankind, broke that one law. Adam and Eve, mankind, broke that one law and so, because of that, evil is in us all. Right, as inheritors of Adam's sin, we are sinners, and Jesus is. He compares Adam and Jesus to each other. Where Adam brought sin into the world, jesus came and took sin away from all who believe. That's pretty much it, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah it is I mean he says more.
Speaker 2:But he says a lot more and some of it's confusing to me because you know, in 15, it says the gift is not like the trespass. And then you go to 18, and it's like he says but they are the same because one man caused all the sin and one man saved us from that sin. So I don't really understand the point of 15 through 17. Because it says nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man's sin. But isn't that exactly what he's doing?
Speaker 1:Are you talking about Adam's sin or our sin?
Speaker 2:I'm talking about Adam's sin. Maybe he's talking about any single man after Adam, and that would make more sense, I guess.
Speaker 1:Well, let me see. I think he is talking about Adam's sin right there, for if the many died by the trespass of one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, jesus Christ, overflow to the many? Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man's sin. The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification, all right. So basically, I guess you know the one sin. He's saying there was just one sin and we are all guilty of it. But Jesus forgives many trespasses, not just the one sin. Is that what he's saying?
Speaker 2:I think so, but I struggle with him saying first that it's not the same and then he says it is the same.
Speaker 1:Well, when he says it's not the same, I think he's just saying it's much greater. Jesus did far more greater good than Adam did bad.
Speaker 2:True, because Adam's one sin led to all of us sinning and continuing to sin, and Jesus' perfectness and gift to us covers all of that sin. So I guess if you could draw it on a piece of paper, I would think Adam is like a point on a triangle that opens up into a bunch of sin, and then Jesus is at the other end of that triangle, swallowing the as it gets bigger. He just swallows it all.
Speaker 1:And how many calories are in one sin, do you think?
Speaker 2:Oh, I don't. It depends, because you know there's different sins.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's got to be getting pretty fat, I don't know. Stupid joke I apologize for that dumb joke so stupid.
Speaker 2:I think I'm going to stop listening to the podcast right now.
Speaker 1:I think I'm going to stop listening to the podcast right now. So yeah, but it still seems kind of the same, right, because I guess, adam okay, here's what I'm thinking, adam, here's why it's the same but different. Adam, through Adam, created this huge let's take your triangle analogy right, this huge triangle, this family tree of sin of sinners. Right Now, each one of those sinners, thousands of sins, yep, so so adam's sin created you know, I'm just going to use like simple numbers a billion sinners, I guess it's. I know that's not even close to being right Now, I can't help myself A hundred billion sinners, but you know, jesus's death and resurrection forgave a potential of you know that, all of them, hundred billion sins to the nth power, man. Now, I am an engineer, aren't I?
Speaker 1:um, that's a lot well, it depends on what n is. If n in is zero, it's not very many, but you know what I mean. It's an exponential amount of sin that we have created.
Speaker 2:And we could go down the whole rabbit hole of does his death cover them all?
Speaker 1:Well, you know.
Speaker 2:I think that his death could cover them all.
Speaker 1:His death definitely has the ability to cover them all. His resurrection proves is the justification of that. But it is very clear in the scripture that that forgiveness is offered to those who believe and that we will see that in later verses in Romans as well. So I don't think we need to go down that rabbit hole yet. We will get there and I think we'll see that it has a pretty clear answer.
Speaker 2:Okay, don't you? I'm good with that. Yeah, I think you're right, all right.
Speaker 1:And if it's not a clear answer, then that's something to discuss for sure, unless I'm just putting you off and hoping you'll never mention it again. But that's not true.
Speaker 2:I'm sure I will.
Speaker 1:Because, remember, there's the Roman road to salvation. So that means that all of that theology is created here. And if you, by the way, guys, if you don't know what the Roman road of salvation is and I think I mentioned this in the first podcast on Romans, but look it up Google Roman road to salvation and you'll find a bunch of Romans verses that basically just walk through what it means to be saved by the grace of God and how you get there. So which is where I was first taught it A little Baptist youth group handing out tracts, because, so you know, some people actually come to Christ through tracts, but they were these little.
Speaker 2:Moose tracts. What's that Moose tracts?
Speaker 1:The ice cream? No, who makes moose tracts? Is that Moose tracks the ice?
Speaker 2:cream. No. Who makes moose tracks? Is that Ben and Jerry's? Huh, seems like something they might do. Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Anyway, you should go look it up. I think it's a great? Um way to lead someone to christ and help them, and really it starts off just helping them understand why they need christ um, and it just uses verses from romans, which is so cool yeah all right, it's a good book. Yes, it is, and it can be tough at times too. All right, anything else in here, steve.
Speaker 2:No, and I think our connection is getting a little worse because there was a lot of breaking up in there and I think maybe you even missed some of the things I said.
Speaker 1:There was a pause in what you said and it kind kind of, I think it tries to cash up your words, and so it's like you suddenly speak very fast. So I think all the information is there. It's not necessarily the clearest, but that's all right. You did good Steve.
Speaker 2:I think we're done. Yeah, I think we, that's all right.
Speaker 1:You did good, steve, I think we're done. Yeah, I think we are All right. So, guys, we've got. I'll be out next week, so we're going to skip another week next week and then we will be back with Romans chapter 6. So that's two weeks from today, but you know, keep reading.
Speaker 2:Read the word.
Speaker 1:The regular guy's Bible study is a chasm LLC production. All rights reserved.
