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 12
The transition from doctrine to practice begins as we discuss how offering our bodies as living sacrifices is our true act of worship and the key to knowing God's will.
• Being transformed by the renewal of our minds through Scripture helps align our thinking with God's
• Spiritual gifts come from the Holy Spirit but may build on natural abilities or be developed over time
• We must love sincerely, not just pretending to care about others but genuinely caring
• Christians should associate with people of low position, regardless of how they came to be there
• Leaving room for God's wrath means not taking revenge into our own hands
• We overcome evil with good, not to embarrass others but to genuinely show Christ's love
• Peace with others should be our goal "as far as it depends on us" though it's not always possible
Text us through Buzzsprout or leave comments at https://theregularguysbs.kas-m.com . We'd love to hear from you!
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.
Speaker 2:What do you think of that storm Ken?
Speaker 1:that was a pretty awesome storm we had. So, uh see, no one knows, but we actually started to record this last night and my wife my wife interrupted us twice because we had a tornado warning, and the second time she was pretty mad that I wasn't coming down.
Speaker 2:So we just stopped and we're starting again I did look at the weather map and the cone for where the potential tornado could go was like headed straight for your house yeah, um, but by the time it got right here, it was a little south of us, so it um.
Speaker 1:Now we have some good friends where the cone was right. The potential for tornado was right there, but, um, you know, it's actually a real blessing that, uh. First of all, we really needed the rain, um, and second of all, we lost power multiple times, um, um, the. If we hadn't stopped the recording, it would have been stopped for us, and so we stopped early, which I'm glad and you tried to make me feel guilty for not wanting to start back up again. Later, later that night.
Speaker 2:But the power would have gone out.
Speaker 1:No, it was after. The power was already back on for good.
Speaker 2:Oh so.
Speaker 1:I'm feeling a little phlegmy today, Steve.
Speaker 2:You sound phlegmy. Sorry, let's get going. I'm a little bit in a hurry today, steve.
Speaker 1:You sound phlegmy. Sorry, let's get going. I'm a little bit in a hurry today, but, oh, sorry, I don't want to. You know, step on your precious schedule, steve.
Speaker 2:Okay, wow, I'm in a little bit of a hurry, you know, in our first attempt to record this.
Speaker 1:yes, I mentioned that you had not mentioned your website lately, that's true, and um, we do have a website and, uh, all the episodes are there. Okay, that's not true. All the romans episodes are there, I believe. Um, any of the previous ones are not there. Um, and actually I prefer you to download from buzzsprout, but that's okay, you can do either one. But at our site, which is the regular guys, bskas-mcom and now you say, well, that's stupid. Kas-m, k-a-s-mcom. Why, that is my personal website, that is, or my personal business is called Chasm LLC, and it is, and it's spelled K-A-S-M, chasm, the word chasm, which represents the sin that separates us from God, apart from Jesus. So theregularguysbskas-mcom, and the cool thing about there is you can leave comments for us there. If there's something that you wanted to correct about a certain podcast, please feel free to do that there. I also want to mention that I did enable texting to us from Buzzsprout. Buzzsprout hosts our website and you can go directly to their site and you can text us if you would like.
Speaker 2:So, ken, do you have an option for people to like pay a monthly subscription to get the ad free version of our podcast?
Speaker 1:um no, the the junk free, the stupid free, no there is no way. That would take a lot of editing there is no way to pay us um so uh, which is actually a drain. This. This is a drain on my bank account, Steve, but that's okay. No, it's not much at all.
Speaker 2:You're so rich compared to the other 90% of the world.
Speaker 1:Well, that's true, that is true.
Speaker 2:All right, uh, we are going to start with 12. I'm going to read one through eight. If you haven't read it yet, please pause and read the chapter.
Speaker 1:Wow, good job Steve.
Speaker 2:I wanted to say something because you've been talking for like the last 30 minutes.
Speaker 1:Okay, Welcome back everybody.
Speaker 2:All right. Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will. For, by the grace given me, I say to every one of you do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members and these members do not have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us.
Speaker 2:If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith. If it is serving, then serve. If it is teaching, then teach. If it is to encourage, then give encouragement. If it is giving, then give generously. If it is to lead, do it diligently. If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Speaker 1:All right, you did a job of reading, almost a great job. You did a job of reading job you did a job of reading, steve, all right. So what do we? You're really good at that gift of encouragement I know it, I know it um, but what we'll? Read later we haven't read it yet, but I think our love, our love needs to be sincere, um, but we're. What's the very first word, steve therefore that's why I paused.
Speaker 2:I was expecting you to interrupt me and say what's it? Therefore?
Speaker 1:well, what is it therefore?
Speaker 2:I was expecting you to tell me that oh, really okay.
Speaker 1:So at the end of the previous chapter which remember there when this was written there's no chapters, there's no verses he ends with the doxology of God. How unsearchable his judgments and his paths. Beyond tracing out who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor, who has ever given to God that God should repay them For, from him and through him and for him are all things To God be the glory forever.
Speaker 1:Amen. I think probably verse 36 is really what that therefore is For from him and through him and for him. For from him and through him and for him are all things Therefore.
Speaker 2:You know, I think it's a little more inclusive, I think it's the whole thing. Okay, and here's my reasoning. Okay, later in verse two, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind and you will be able to test and approve what God's will is. So he's talking about who has known the mind of the Lord in 34, and he's encouraging us, I think, to read the Bible so that we can renew our minds and be able to test and understand what God's will is. Have discernment.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I do think a lot of it has to do with the everything's his. So you know we ought to be doing this.
Speaker 1:Okay, I agree with that. I guess you were just asking me, so you could say no, it's not. Is that why you're asking me?
Speaker 2:no, I didn't look, I just came up with that while you were reading it all right, fine that's how this works all All right, so I actually took notes we talked about.
Speaker 1:Oh really yeah.
Speaker 2:See, I thought about doing it your way and I only have like two very short notes.
Speaker 1:No, it's really a stupid way to do it. Honestly, when I say I don't take notes, it's really because I really didn't like my Bible app I was using and I actually thought about it was because you were lazy.
Speaker 1:No, I really thought about buying an actual Bible Paper. I know I actually have some in my house, but I've already taken notes in those for many years. So I thought about buying a new Bible that's made of paper. I don't know if you've heard of it. It's a material that they make from wood actually and you write on it.
Speaker 2:Oh, then it's not that Kindle paperweight thing, no, it's not the Kindle paperweight.
Speaker 1:This is actual paper. It's made from wood and glue, basically.
Speaker 2:I think there's glue in the paperweight.
Speaker 1:You use some kind of marking tool and it makes a mark on the paperweight. And you use some kind of marking tool and it makes a mark on the paper and you can write on it no. All right, anyway, we are so stupid right now.
Speaker 2:Ok, anyway if you pay us, we will be, we will take out the stupid part. Oh quit it.
Speaker 1:That's not true. We can't do it, we're stupid. That's not true. We can't do it, we're stupid. So, anyway, my point is I found a new Bible app and, look, I'm not being paid by these people at all, but I would like to share it. It's called the Life Bible and I think it's really easy to use and easy to take notes. It has really good references that you can just tap on and see the references and see what the meanings of words are and things like that. It's really nice. It's called Life Bible. Now, I don't. I'm not a huge fan of the life application study notes that are included, but you don't have to show those. Some of them are very good, but I find that the life application sometimes tries to force life application onto things that really there's really no life application. It's historical, it's good information, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's how we should live. It's not giving us a recipe for life.
Speaker 2:So you're probably wondering why I keep looking around.
Speaker 1:No one can see you looking around, but me, steve, I know but you can. I can you, steve?
Speaker 2:Do you have summer tanagers at your house?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, we do.
Speaker 2:They have to be one of the dumbest birds. They're beautiful, they're red, kind of like a cardinal, yeah, yeah, but they like to fight themselves in the window, and I have one pecking at the window right now.
Speaker 1:Summer tanagers, don't do that. Cardinals do that. I think that's a cardinal. Some cardinals are the ones that fight themselves in the window.
Speaker 2:No, really, cardinals have yellow beaks. This guy does not have a yellow beak, all right.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:Anyway, of a yellow beak. All right, all right, anyway, um gosh, okay, it's like we gotta.
Speaker 1:It's like we haven't even started. Okay, um bird trail, I guess. So I have. I have a couple of notes. Do you want me to share my notes, steve? Go for it all right. So, um you know, a lot of times we ask how do I know God's will Right?
Speaker 2:How do I know God's will? Is that?
Speaker 1:true, Don't you ask that. Sometimes we ask how do we know God's will? But verse 2 actually tells us how to make sure we know God's will.
Speaker 2:And what is that, Ken?
Speaker 1:Let me read verse 2. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will. So, what does it mean?
Speaker 2:to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Speaker 1:Well, that's a different question, isn't it? But this is what I believe. It's a daily transformation that has to be intentional for us. That has to be intentional for us, and I believe that the daily consuming of the word, praying and looking at the world and your situation through the lens of Christ rather than the lens of self, your will will align with God's will and you don't have to worry about doing the wrong thing. That's what I think.
Speaker 2:I agree with that. So, although I will say that some mornings it's harder than other mornings to do it in the right mindset you know why steve? Because I'm human because you're a filthy sinner and so am I so or, as our preacher would say, a big fat sinner a big fat sinner?
Speaker 1:well yeah, big fat sinner. Well, yeah, all three of those. Yeah, it's true. All right, I've got another note.
Speaker 2:All right, yep.
Speaker 1:So I have a note about verse six, and this is just a question. Let me read six again. This is about we all have different gifts. We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy. Well, okay, I'm not going to read it. I'm going to tell you what the gifts it mentions are. It's prophecy there is serving. There's teaching, encouraging, giving, leading and showing mercy. Those are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, or are they how we were made when we were born?
Speaker 2:I'm going to have to say yes, Ken.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you think it's the same thing.
Speaker 2:No, I'm just saying that at least one of those is true. My real answer is I don't know. Actually, there could be a third reason. I mean you could be presenting me with a false dichotomy. Is that the right term?
Speaker 1:That's a phrase people use, Steve.
Speaker 2:That neither choice you gave me may be true.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, okay, you would have to tell me what the third option would be then, steve.
Speaker 2:I think some of these can be learned.
Speaker 1:Ah, I see. So all right. So you're saying all right, so okay, I can go with that. So do you think, then, that these are things given by the Holy Spirit, that these are things given by the Holy Spirit you're born with it, or things that you need a class to learn to do?
Speaker 2:I didn't say a class.
Speaker 1:Or things you have to learn to do.
Speaker 2:I'm going to go. I think it's probably the Holy Spirit. Certainly, prophecy almost has to be right Almost.
Speaker 1:I mean it would have to be you. Just try really hard.
Speaker 2:You can't really learn prophecy. I'm going to try really hard to say what God says, without I mean, I do know people that say God has laid it on my heart to tell you blah, blah, blah. I'm like, did he, Did he really?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've had people tell me that as well, and some people I've said it like that and other people you know it's true. So, all right, let me say I think that it's all from the Holy Spirit. Now let me say this I think some of those things that God, that the way we are, that we say we were born that way, are from the Holy Spirit, and I do think that God gives us ways to expand ourselves through the Spirit and through learning, for example.
Speaker 2:So, you just said all of the above.
Speaker 1:Exactly. I think it's all of those, but I didn't even think about the learning until you said it, so I had to add that one. But it makes sense and in fact, I believe that what we are doing right now is something I was called to do by the Holy Spirit leading this podcast. Okay, now, is that teaching or leading? I don't know.
Speaker 2:I hope not teaching, because yeah, teachers have some extra rules they have to follow.
Speaker 1:But it's a little of both, maybe teaching and leading. But the thing is, am I?
Speaker 2:It's also encouraging? I don't think so.
Speaker 1:Oh, we do. We encourage people to read the Bible. Yes, we are.
Speaker 2:And it's giving because we're giving of our time.
Speaker 1:All right, shut up, All right anyway, my point is Do it cheerfully. All right, I'm sorry, shut up, have some mercy. Shut up, steve. Anyway, my point is I'm gonna ask you this, steve am I the type of person that, before leading this podcast, you would say, ah, ken's the kind of guy that would have a podcast? No, no way, right, I mean and not me not you either, and here we are, um and it, so this has nothing to do with like. Oh, we really like sharing on.
Speaker 2:I love hearing myself recorded. No, I hate it more than you guys do listening to it.
Speaker 1:That may be true. That may be true.
Speaker 2:You need to work on that mercy one.
Speaker 1:But yes, I do one, but yes I do. But my point is our, our point is, I guess, that, um, I think the holy spirit gives you all of those things and don't don't be. Uh, I in the past have mocked people for saying something because it's my personality, that it's a gift from the Holy Spirit, and I've mocked that and I have learned, just like real recently that that is foolish. God made me the way I am, so that is a gift of the Holy Spirit, so I should not mock that. So that's all I got.
Speaker 2:All right, then I think it's your turn to read.
Speaker 1:All right, you're making me read a longer section.
Speaker 2:Not really.
Speaker 1:It's about the same.
Speaker 2:Nine through 21. I mean yeah, yeah, all right, all right.
Speaker 1:Romans, chapter 12, verses nine to 21,. Which is the end. All right. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Speaker 1:Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone, if it is possible. As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written it is mine to avenge. I will repay, says the Lord. On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Speaker 2:So I just have to say I think that I do verse 16 very well. Be, willing to associate with people of low position, and I hang out with you a lot you know what, steve?
Speaker 1:I'm taller than you, so it seems like I'm hanging out with someone of lower position. You're forgetting that last part about do not be conceited oh okay, yeah, um, actually, um, actually, I think you do 16 better than me, really. I know you used to um when when you went to the church uh, more in town. I know that you used to really serve the lowly, and and then right now at church.
Speaker 1:I know that you, we don't actually go to the same campus, but I know that you serve in the Embrace ministry, which serves the disabled community. And that's and you know, of all of all the members of community who are often the most overlooked, especially even in churches, it's the disabled. And so you know, I think that's something you should keep doing and don't be conceited about, but you know, I think that's a really good thing.
Speaker 2:I think there's a lot of reasons that they get overlooked, and I think one of the biggest ones is it makes us feel uncomfortable.
Speaker 1:It does. Yeah, I know, I know it makes me feel uncomfortable. Yeah, so no, I think that's a great ministry that you do, and we need to be willing to help those around us in low standing. Um, for what, what? Whatever reason, they are in that position. Um, a lot of times, people in that position it they. They're there because of their choices they've made, and that's probably the biggest struggle I have.
Speaker 2:I have a problem with that as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know Jesus did not. You know, I mean, think about the lady at the woman at the well, she Is it the same, though I mean yes, she.
Speaker 2:Is it the same, though I mean yes, a lot, of, a lot of the homeless people today are on the street well, one because of mental illness?
Speaker 1:that's probably that's probably number one.
Speaker 2:You take those people away and what you have left are those that have chosen to go down the path of drug abuse and alcohol abuse that's I disagree and you don't think you're the second I think um the um there's.
Speaker 1:The number one is um psychological issues a lot of those psychological issues are due to drug abuse in the past, um, and they're addicted and they can't change, or it's really hard to change and you know or they have.
Speaker 1:They've caused brain damage because of it yes, and I've known people like that, actually how LSD changed them forever. But there are. There's a much bigger group than you realize that are homeless. They're not on the streets because they take advantage of the city services. Most of them are not on the streets but you know, there's people. I'd read a story just the other day of a software engineer who was laid off and couldn't get another job and was homeless for several months, and I mean right now. You know, the economy can be pretty tough and when, if you're living paycheck to paycheck, even which a lot of people do, even who make really good money- Especially in Austin.
Speaker 1:Yep, yep, all right, so anyway.
Speaker 2:Anyway, my point there was it is a lot harder to associate with those that have put themselves there by their choices.
Speaker 1:That's true, that is true, that is true. And, um, yeah, I think, though, we need to be forgiving.
Speaker 2:Um, just like Jesus was to have mercy grace and mercy Yep.
Speaker 1:All right Um, I have notes here too, Steve.
Speaker 2:I have one note, besides the one where I do well at hanging out with you.
Speaker 1:What's your other note?
Speaker 2:In 17,. It says do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. I have trouble with that right in the eyes of everyone, because there's a lot of people that think wrong is right, which means I would have to do wrong in order to be right in their eyes.
Speaker 1:Okay, but then the very next verse if it is possible, that's if it is possible, which sometimes it's not as far as it depends on you live at peace with everyone. And you know that is, and even Paul knows here, that's not possible. Did Paul always live at peace with everyone?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:No, he did not. But you know he was not instigating things. But it's not possible. But as far as it depends on us, we should try to live at peace with everyone. That's what I think, but I agree. That's yeah, be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. Now, so I have a cross-reference there to 2 Corinthians 8.21, where Paul says for we are taking pains to do what is right not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of man. So you try to do both, but when it comes, down to it.
Speaker 1:If there's a choice, the choice has to be what's right in God's eyes. All right, my note, one of my notes, the very first verse. I really like the New Living Translation of that, of verse 9.
Speaker 2:What does it say in NIV Love must be sincere, hate what is evil. Cling to what is good.
Speaker 1:Okay, in the NLT it says don't just pretend to love others, really love them. Hate what is wrong, hold tightly to what is good, and you know, I know they really just say the same thing. But I think I just really like that because I think we do that a lot. I think we pretend to love other believers, which is really we're talking about believers here for the most part, but we don't truly do it don't you think there's some that are just really hard to love?
Speaker 1:Yes, that's why. That's why Paul has to write it down.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:If it were easy, he'd go ah, that's it. That's not a problem, don't need to worry about that. All right, so that's my note there.
Speaker 2:I think he's mostly saying don't just do lip service.
Speaker 1:Yeah, be real, be real. All right, let's see. I have another note for Romans 12, 11. You know, we just at church are studying Revelation, which is weird to study at church, but we're studying, our church is studying Revelation.
Speaker 2:I'm enjoying it.
Speaker 1:It's pretty good, but anyway, we are on chapter four. I believe right Chapter four and he talks about right chapter four and he talks about um, you need to be. I wish that you were hot or cold, um, but you are.
Speaker 2:That was the end of chapter three, I think was it?
Speaker 1:I don't think so yeah, that was the oh, that's right, that was uh, yes you're right, that was that church, uh, leo, leo said laodicea, that church, laodicea, anyway, he said. But you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were either hot or cold. But you are lukewarmor to have fervor for God, and I think that's interesting, that it's here and right as we studied that at church. So never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord. So what he's saying here is just like he told the church in Laodicea be hot, stay hot for.
Speaker 2:Christ, so that was one of my notes.
Speaker 1:All right, do you have anything else to say, steve? All right, that's cool.
Speaker 2:Do you have anything else to say, Steve? I thought it was interesting that we should leave room for God's wrath rather than taking our own revenge down in verse 19.
Speaker 1:Oh, you're way down there. Okay, yes, why is that interesting?
Speaker 2:Well, just like we could do something serious enough that there isn't room for god's wrath we could kill somebody yeah because they cut us off in traffic that's happened not by me there's reports of, you know, road rage, murder all right, so all right.
Speaker 1:I have another note for 12. It says um well, you're way up yeah I'm way, I'm like, I'm like working my way down here, steve, you're like jumping to the end. But it says be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. And you know he lists three or the three things that he lists. Uh, my note is awful. Was I drunk or something? That this is does not make any sense.
Speaker 2:Do you type your notes or do you like, read to your ipad? Um, I do both, so this I don't know which one this is when I do a recording and then I come back and read it later, I'm like what the heck was I trying to say?
Speaker 1:Let's see I wrote. I'll read what I wrote. He three things, that he lists these pairs of things. They don't seem to go together to me. How do they go together? Ah, all right, never be lacking, no, no, be joyful in hope, all right, joyful in hope, that makes sense, right? You be patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. So you're talking about hope, affliction and prayer. So he lists these three things. The three things themselves don't seem to go together except they're all hard to do I guess you get.
Speaker 1:Yes, they're just faithful in prayer.
Speaker 2:Shouldn't be hard to do it shouldn't be, but some people have problems with it.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, but I was just trying to figure out, I was trying to find some link between hope. Okay, hope and affliction. I guess there is a link. When you're afflicted by, you know whatever, so afflicted means you're in affliction. That means like through a hard time, right. So be patient in that affliction and joyful in hope. So you're hoping, you have hope through that affliction.
Speaker 2:You're hoping for the coming kingdom.
Speaker 1:And faithful in prayer. That can also be related to that affliction.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:So I guess they do go together. Okay, you know, just erase all that. So I guess they do go together.
Speaker 2:okay, you know, just erase all that I said there, or just back it up what you read didn't make a lot of sense, so most people probably already erased it from their mind my note was very. This stuff, the three things, says here what else you got, Ken?
Speaker 1:All right, I may have another note down in Romans 18. It says, if it is possible, oh this is. We already talked about that, but my note is interesting here that it says as far as it depends on you. So the question here is so how much effort should we take not to offend an unbeliever?
Speaker 2:believer Is offending the same as not living in peace with someone and, to be fair, you don't always know when someone's going to take offense at something?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's what I'm saying. So how much effort do we take to make sure we don't offend? Because we will offend and I have offended many times not on purpose.
Speaker 2:Yes, you have.
Speaker 1:But you know, I mean I'm not saying I've never offended someone on purpose. I'm sure I have, because I'm not a saint, but many times when I find out I've offended somebody, it was not intentional. Um, because you know, I did not know how much you cared about, how shiny the top of your head is, how am I supposed to know that?
Speaker 2:it is pretty shiny, isn't it? It's beautiful yeah, bald is beautiful bald is hairless.
Speaker 1:Yep, that's true, uh, and I'm one to talk.
Speaker 2:Look at that uh, yeah, you don't have much the light. The light isn't shining on yours like it is mine uh, yeah, all right.
Speaker 1:Um, anyway, that's the question, and I think I don't know what the answer is to how much, what, how much effort you should take to not offend, but just try not to offend on purpose, or whatever.
Speaker 2:Yes, well, I was just thinking I'm sure we could come up with some sort of protest or whatever done by Christians. That was very offensive. In fact, I can think of one I remember back I don't remember which war it was, but they were.
Speaker 1:This one church was actually picketing at the cemetery when they were burying service members, yes, that was uh yes, that was that, to me, was totally inappropriate and wrong I don't remember if that was the uh afghanistan war or if that was the iraq war, or yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't either.
Speaker 1:But yes, that was not. That served no good purpose no um, all right. I have one more thing and I can understand. Don't repay evil for evil. Right and be careful to do what's right. Be good, right, be a good person. Don't repay evil for evil. My problem is the purpose?
Speaker 2:Is it revenge?
Speaker 1:My problem is the purpose in verse 20.
Speaker 2:On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him him.
Speaker 1:if he's thirsty, give him something to drink, and doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head it's like, you know, I think it's great to be a good person and you know feed your your enemy if he's hungry, or you know give him something to drink if he's thirsty, but not for the purpose.
Speaker 2:It's like drink, drink, drink.
Speaker 1:This is burning heaping. It's like I'm burning heaping Gosh whatever.
Speaker 2:It's like what.
Speaker 1:You heard me. It's like in doing this I will heat burning coals on your head easy for you to say it was that time. All the other times it was not all right oh my gosh, anyway I do struggle with that.
Speaker 1:It's like you know I am a big believer of. It is the heart that counts. For example, let's go to the golden rule for a second steve. The golden rule is do unto others as you would have them do unto you, right. So my wife loves bananas. I hate bananas. Should my wife give me a banana to eat because that's what she would like for me to do To her? Give her a banana.
Speaker 2:I really want to say yes, just because I know how much you hate bananas.
Speaker 1:No, but the point is, you know you, we take things literally and what matters really is the heart and the intent of something, and really here?
Speaker 2:your intent is to pour coals on their head.
Speaker 1:Well, I know that's what I'm saying, and so I struggle with this, because the heart of saying you know what? I'm going to help my neighbor to give him food and drink. I'm not going to do it so that he is embarrassed because now this person who is his enemy gave him food and water and now he hates me even more because I did this to him. I would want to do it for the intent to maybe mend the relationship right. Um, my and my wife you know, knowing that I don't like bananas would give me an apple instead of a banana if we're sticking with fruit. You see my point, though I, the heart of what you do, is critical to what you do.
Speaker 2:Well, I think you're hitting the nail on the head here, and that is the goal, is not really to heap the burning coals on his head, it's to overcome evil with good.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's where I was about to go and you did it, yes.
Speaker 2:Well, you led me there ken the whole point.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was just hitting the nail. I was hitting the, the hammer onto the nail and the nail was bending into my head. No, but the point is do not be over, do not let evil overcome you. Instead, overcome evil with good, and that is the end of chapter 12. All right.
Speaker 2:What do we have next week, Ken?
Speaker 1:We have Romans, chapter 13.
Speaker 2:How did you know that off the top of your head like that?
Speaker 1:Because, listen, what I did is I took 12. I added four and subtracted three. Wow, that gave me 13. You're brilliant, yep, yep, I know what I'm doing, all right, well, guys, I think that's the end. Next week, romans, chapter 13. Go to the website, leave some comments. Go to Buzzsprout. Text us. We'd love to hear from you. See you, bye-bye. The regular guy's Bible study is a chasm LLC production. All rights reserved.
