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Romans 4:13–25: Abraham’s Faith, God’s Promise, and Resurrection Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison continue Season 18, Episode 10 of “Pondering the Bible,” finishing Romans 4:13–25 (RSV) on salvation by grace through faith using Abraham as Paul’s key example. They explain that God’s promise to Abraham came long before the law, so it could not be earned by law-keeping; they contrast conditional promises with God’s one-sided promise in Genesis to bless Abraham and make him a blessing to all nations, including Gentiles. They discuss Paul’s link between Abraham’s “against hope” belief—despite Abraham and Sarah being reproductively “dead” and the command to sacrifice Isaac—and faith in God who raises the dead. Rocky connects this to Christian belief in Jesus’ resurrection and to personal hardship strengthening faith, concluding that Jesus’ death and resurrection bring justification for sinners.
 00:00 Welcome and Setup
 00:44 Reading Romans Passage
 02:41 Abraham Faith Recap
 03:47 Promise Not Law
 04:23 Grace Promise Explained
 06:47 Who Inherits the World
 09:49 Faith and Resurrection
 14:53 Hardship Strengthens Faith
 18:27 Reckoned as Righteousness
 21:09 Chapter Four Wrap Up
 22:47 Closing and Farewell

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Music performed by the Ponder GMC worship team.

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Recorded, edited and mixed by Snikrock 

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Romans 4:1–12—Abraham, David, and Salvation by Faith Apart from Works
 Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison continue their Romans study (Season 18, Episode 9) by beginning Romans 4:1–12 in the RSV, where Paul answers objections to justification by faith by using Abraham and David as biblical proof. They explain that Genesis says Abraham “believed God” and righteousness was “reckoned” to him, meaning salvation is a gift of grace rather than earned wages, and Psalm 32 shows this reckoning involves sins not being counted against a person. Paul also argues the blessing applies to uncircumcised as well as circumcised because Abraham was counted righteous before circumcision, which later served as a sign or seal. Abraham’s faith preceded his works, and this supports welcoming Gentile believers and promoting unity in the Roman church.
 00:00 Welcome and Setup
 00:17 Romans Four Reading
 02:28 Faith Not Works
 03:34 Why Abraham Matters
 05:58 Credited Righteousness
 09:27 Gift Not Wages
 11:35 David on Forgiveness
 14:52 Circumcision and Gentiles
 18:51 Faith Produces Works
 21:44 Unity and Closing

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Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison discuss Romans 3:21–31 (RSV) as Paul’s conclusion that everyone—Jew and Gentile—sins and cannot save themselves by obeying the law. They explain key terms Paul uses: saving faith in Jesus as the perfect God-man and sacrifice, justification as being declared not guilty and made sinless by God’s response to faith, grace as an undeserved gift, redemption as being bought back from slavery to sin, and expiation as Jesus’ suffering and death that makes amends for sin. They highlight God’s divine forbearance in delaying deserved punishment to give people time to believe, exclude boasting based on works, affirm one God who saves all through faith, and note Paul will next show in Romans 4 how Abraham was saved by faith.

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Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison discuss Romans 3:9–20 (RSV) in Season 18, episode seven. Rocky reviews Paul’s argument from Romans 2–3 that being a Jew is about obedience, not DNA, though Jews have the privilege of specific revelation in Scripture. They explain Paul’s claim that both Jews and Greeks are “under the power of sin,” likening it to a soldier or slave under authority. Rocky describes Paul’s “string of pearls” compilation from Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and Isaiah (quoted from the Greek Septuagint) as a grouped list of sins against God, sins of speech, and sins against others, concluding with “no fear of God.” Verses 19–20 emphasize that the law holds everyone accountable and cannot justify; it reveals sin and leaves all condemned, setting up the “but” in verse 21 next week.

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Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison continue their Romans study switching from the NLT to the Revised Standard Version for its academic clarity. Covering Romans 3:1–8, they connect Paul’s argument from chapter 2 about who is truly a Jew—those who do God’s will—and ask what advantage being Jewish has. Paul’s main answer is that Jews were entrusted with the “oracles of God,” meaning God’s written words (debated as the whole Old Testament versus the Ten Commandments), and the hosts note “entrusted” implies responsibility to share it. They discuss how God’s fairness implies judgment applies to Jews and Gentiles alike, meaning some Jews may not be saved and some Gentiles may be. They then explain Paul’s attack on the heresy of antinomianism: the claim that doing more evil makes God look more forgiving, which Paul rejects. 

Ken notes a one-week break before the next episode.

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Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison resume Season 18,  noting upcoming travel breaks, and finish Romans chapter 2 by reading verses 17–29 from the Revised Standard Version to capture Paul’s deliberate word choices. They discuss Paul’s harsh critique of Jewish Christians who rely on the law and circumcision as marks of superiority while failing their responsibility to teach Gentiles, citing Isaiah 42 and 52 to show Israel was meant to be a light to the nations and that God’s name is blasphemed when they fail. They explain Paul’s diatribe against hypocrisy and his argument that outward circumcision is meaningless without obedience, using a wedding ring analogy, and conclude that true Jewishness and “circumcision” are inward matters of the heart, ending with Paul’s pun linking “praise” to Judah/Jew. Next episode covers Romans 3:1–8.

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In this episode of 'Pondering the Bible,' co-hosts Ken Corkins and Pastor Rocky Ellison delve into the second chapter of Romans, focusing on verses 1 through 16. They discuss how Paul addresses both Jewish and Gentile Christians, emphasizing that God's judgment is impartial and based on one's behavior rather than lineage or knowledge of the law. They also clarify the difference between judgment of behavior and judgment for salvation, highlighting key scriptural passages. The episode concludes by stressing the importance of unity in the church and the need to love and support all members of the Christian community.

Schedule update: Due to Ash Wednesday, episode 5 will be delayed one week

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In this episode of 'Pondering the Bible,' co-hosts Ken Corkins and Pastor Rocky Ellison delve into Romans 1:18-32, discussing God's anger and the consequences He allows for those who reject Him. They explore different translations, the concept of God's wrath versus His justice, and the natural revelation of God in creation. They also address the consequences of idolatry, immorality, and various sins listed by Paul, emphasizing God's active choice to let people face the repercussions of their actions when they turn away from Him.

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Hosts Ken Corkins and Rocky Ellison delve into Romans 1:8-17, discussing various themes and interpretations of faith. They reflect on the importance of spiritual gifts, Paul's desire to visit the Roman Christians, and the need for unity and orthodoxy in the church. The conversation also covers different theological views on how faith is obtained and the significance of the Old Testament. Rocky emphasizes the critical nature of understanding and using one's spiritual gift for mature Christian living.

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 We’re sorry to miss you this week! Due to some scheduling conflicts, we weren’t able to get together to record. We will be back next week with a brand-new episode. 

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Music performed by the Ponder GMC worship team.

Cover Art: Joe Wagner

Recorded, edited and mixed by Snikrock