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Romans 10:14–21: Hearing, Preaching, and Israel’s Response Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison continue “Pondering the Bible” in Romans 10:14–21 (RSV), aiming to finish chapter 10. They unpack Paul’s chain of questions about calling, believing, hearing, preaching, and being sent, suggesting it reads more clearly in reverse: God sends a preacher, people hear, believe, then call on Jesus. They discuss why this passage is controversial, since Paul quotes Isaiah, Psalms, and Deuteronomy throughout and sometimes not word-for-word, raising debate about context and accuracy. Paul argues Israel has heard and had both general revelation (creation) and specific revelation (Scripture), yet many still reject the gospel, while Gentiles accept it. Using William Barclay’s outline, they frame the section as four questions with four answers emphasizing Israel’s responsibility for unbelief. 

00:00 Welcome and Setup 
00:35 Reading Romans 
10 02:14 Why So Confusing 
02:26 Chain of Questions 
09:34 Isaiah and Faith 
12:43 Have They Heard 
16:30 Israel and Gentiles 19:52 Hands Held Out 
22:03 Barclay Simplifies 
25:27 Final Thoughts 
26:16 Closing Sign Off

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Romans 10:1–13 — Zeal Without Knowledge and Salvation by Faith Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison discuss Romans 10:1–13 (RSV) in season 18, episode 22, focusing on Paul’s anguish that many Jews reject Christ despite serious religious zeal. They contrast rigorous Sabbath rules and man-made traditions with “God’s righteousness,” arguing that Israel sought self-established righteousness rather than submitting to God. They unpack “Christ is the end of the law” as both fulfillment and the end of the Mosaic covenant as a means of salvation, replaced by the covenant of grace. Quoting Leviticus and Deuteronomy, they emphasize humans cannot perfectly keep the law, so salvation comes through confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in the resurrection, which Paul treats as justification. They explain Paul’s Isaiah reference and conclude that salvation is for anyone—Jew or Greek—who calls on the Lord.
 00:00 Welcome and Setup
 00:34 Romans 10 Reading
 02:27 Paul’s Heart for Israel
 04:06 Zeal Without Knowledge
 05:18 Sabbath Rules Example
 08:13 Cafeteria Faith Today
 09:56 Christ Ends the Law
 13:40 Law vs Faith Explained
 17:46 Confess and Believe
 20:40 Isaiah and Assyria Story
 25:32 Everyone Can Be Saved
 27:04 Wrap Up and Joke

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Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison continue Romans in season 18, episode 21, finishing Romans 9:14–33 from the Revised Standard Version. They discuss Paul’s “therefore/what shall we say” style of arguing against a fictitious objector and explore whether God is unjust in choosing whom to show mercy and whom to harden, using Moses, Pharaoh, and the potter-and-clay image. Rocky notes these passages support Calvinistic predestination but finds “how dare you question God” unsatisfying, explaining his move to Methodist/Arminian free-will theology while still stressing God’s mystery and goodness and the legitimacy of asking questions. They cover Paul’s Old Testament citations (Hosea and Isaiah) with historical context about Israel’s division and Assyria’s conquest, and conclude with Paul’s main point: Gentiles attain righteousness by faith, while Israel stumbles by pursuing law-based works; salvation comes down to faith in Christ.

00:00 Welcome and Heatwave
 00:44 Romans 9 Reading
 03:48 Is God Unjust
 05:38 Mercy and Pharaoh
 09:13 Potter and Clay
 15:01 Wrath and Calling
 17:22 Hosea and Isaiah Context
 23:28 Faith Not Works Finale
 26:29 Closing Thoughts
 27:53 Sign Off

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Romans 9:1–13 (RSV). Paul’s Sorrow for Israel and God’s Election Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison open Season 18, Episode 20 of “Pondering the Bible,” noting Rocky’s recovery from recent throat surgery, then begin Romans 9:1–13 (RSV). They discuss Paul’s “great sorrow” over Israelites who faithfully follow Jewish law and worship yet do not believe in Jesus, emphasizing salvation by faith rather than DNA. Rocky explains Paul’s use of “conscience” as a morally driven, Spirit-validated witness and highlights Paul’s willingness to be “anathema” for his people, comparing it to Moses’ plea in Exodus 32. They note Paul’s listing of Israel’s privileges, his strong statement that Jesus is both Jewish and God, and his argument that God’s promises are for the Church (believers), not ethnic lineage, contrasting this with dispensationalism. They close by examining Isaac, Jacob, and Esau as examples of God’s elective purpose and acknowledging the Calvinism debate. 

00:00 Welcome and Check In
 00:43 Reading Romans 9
 02:46 Paul's Anguish for Israel
 04:09 Conscience and the Spirit
 07:56 Willing to Be Accursed
 11:31 Israel's Privileges and Christ
 15:15 Promises Beyond DNA
 17:59 Dispensationalism Detour
 22:48 Isaac Jacob and God's Choice
 24:31 Election and Calvinism
 26:22 Wrap Up and Dad Joke

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Romans 8:31–39: Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison continue Season 18 of Pondering the Bible by finishing Romans 8:31–39 (RSV). They explain Paul’s “therefore” conclusion to the prior discussion of sin’s effects, suffering, and God bringing good out of hardship, clarifying that “If God is for us” doesn’t mean Christians always win. They connect verse 32 to Christ’s crucifixion as proof God will follow through on salvation. Using courtroom imagery, they discuss judgment, emphasizing Jesus as judge, prosecutor, and intercessor, citing Hebrews 9:27 and 7:25, and encourage believers not to fear judgment. They note Christians may suffer—even death—especially under Nero, warn against asceticism, and conclude that nothing in creation can separate believers from God’s love. They announce a two-week break for Rocky’s throat surgery and resume with Romans 9:1–13.
 00:00 Welcome and Setup
 00:40 Romans 8 Reading
 02:06 God Is For Us
 05:04 God Gave His Son
 06:52 The Courtroom Trial
 12:08 Suffering and Faith
 17:47 More Than Conquerors
 20:55 Wrap Up and Next Time

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Romans 8:18–30: Suffering, Creation’s Groaning, the Spirit’s Help, and Predestination Ken Corkins and pastor Rock Ellison record season 18, episode 18 of Pondering the Bible after Vacation Bible School and continue their study of Romans, reading and discussing Romans 8:18–30 (RSV). They explain Paul’s teaching that present suffering is not comparable to future glory, using childbirth as an illustration, and connect human struggle with sin to the promise of renewed bodies. They discuss how the fall affected all creation, which now “groans” for renewal, citing Revelation’s new heaven and new earth and supporting the idea with 2 Peter 3:13 and Jeremiah 12. They clarify hope as patience in what is unseen, and explain the Spirit’s intercession in prayer, rejecting claims that speaking in tongues is required for salvation. They interpret Romans 8:28 as God bringing good from suffering for those called to His purpose, then address foreknowledge and predestination, contrasting Calvinism and Arminianism and arguing the terms imply God’s prior knowledge rather than coercion. They plan to finish Romans 8:31–39 next week.
 00:00 Welcome and Setup
 00:34 Romans 8 Reading
 02:57 Suffering and Glory
 06:05 Creation Awaits Renewal
 09:36 Groaning for Redemption
 12:15 Saved by Hope
 15:05 Spirit Helps Our Prayers
 19:45 All Things for Good
 23:04 Predestination Debate
 29:08 Wrap Up and Next Week

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Romans 8:1–17: No Condemnation, Life in the Spirit, and Adoption as God’s Children Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison discuss Romans 8:1–17 (RSV) on “Pondering the Bible,” focusing on Paul’s shift from despair in Romans 7 to assurance that there is “no condemnation” for those in Christ, especially in the end-time judgment. They explain that believers are judged by what Jesus has done, not by the law weakened by the flesh, and emphasize the role of the indwelling Holy Spirit as evidence of belonging to Christ. They interpret “living by the Spirit” as being troubled by sin and pursuing sanctification, and they discuss verses 9–11 as pointing to the Trinity. Using an ancient slavery-and-redemption analogy, they describe Jesus as redeemer and conclude with believers’ adoption as God’s children and heirs with Christ; they recommend the NLT for clarity and note a week off for Vacation Bible School before finishing Romans 8. 

00:00 Welcome and Setup
 00:21 Romans 8 Reading
 03:22 No Condemnation Explained
 06:04 Judged by Different Rules
 08:45 Flesh vs Spirit Mindset
 09:18 Do You Have the Spirit
 13:02 Trinity in You
 16:04 Debtors and Redeemer
 20:05 Adoption and Heirs
 23:03 Wrap Up and Next Week

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Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison continue “Pondering the Bible” (Season 18, Episode 16) by finishing Romans 7:7–25 from the Revised Standard Version. They discuss Paul’s teaching that the law is holy and reveals sin—especially the internal sin of coveting—while sin exploits commandments as a “base of operations,” making forbidden things more tempting. Using Prohibition and a basketball-rules illustration, they explain that God’s rules are meant to prevent self-inflicted harm, not punish, and that ignorance doesn’t remove consequences. Paul’s anguish highlights the ongoing war between a believer’s mind that delights in God’s law and a flesh still captive to sin; sanctification is the lifelong process of aligning mind and behavior. They close with Paul’s cry for deliverance from the “body of death,” gratitude for Jesus, and anticipation of Romans 8’s “no condemnation.”
 00:00 Welcome Back and Setup
 01:09 Reading Romans Seven
 04:03 Law Reveals Sin
 08:22 Rules and Consequences
 14:15 Carnal Nature and Original Sin
 16:39 The Inner War Explained
 22:25 Anguish and Two Laws
 25:31 Body of Death and No Condemnation
 30:30 Takeaways and Next Episode

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Romans 7:1–6 — Dead to the Law, Alive in the Spirit Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison host “Pondering the Bible” (Season 18, Episode 15), continuing their study of Romans by covering chapter 7:1–6 (RSV). They discuss Paul addressing the Jew–Gentile conflict in the Roman church: Jews emphasize strict adherence to the law while Gentiles claim the Spirit makes the law unnecessary. Using Paul’s marriage-and-death analogy, they explain that the law binds only while “alive,” and believers “die to the law” through Christ’s crucifixion so they can belong to the risen Christ and bear fruit for God. They note the law exposes sin and can even arouse sinful desire, while the Holy Spirit leads positively into good behavior without discarding Scripture. They also explore how the same action can be sin in one situation but not another, then announce a break next week and a return in two weeks to finish Romans 7. 

00:00 Welcome and Setup
 00:35 Romans Seven Reading
 01:49 Jews and Gentiles Clash
 03:16 Law Ends at Death
 06:10 Marriage Law Example
 08:23 Intent Versus Rules
 10:24 Died With Christ
 14:06 Law Sparks Temptation
 15:34 New Life in Spirit
 18:13 Situational Sin Example
 20:14 Next Episode and Closing

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Romans 6:15–23: Slaves to Sin or Slaves to Righteousness Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison discuss Romans 6:15–23, continuing Paul’s argument about law versus grace and revisiting the rejection of antinomianism. They explain Paul’s slavery metaphor: people are born slaves to sin through original sin and cannot choose freedom on their own, but hearing and accepting Jesus’ teachings introduces the only real alternative—becoming slaves to righteousness/Christ. Rocky contrasts obedience of the heart and mind with the body’s actions, clarifies that “members” refers to the body, and emphasizes sanctification as a step-by-step lifelong process rather than instant perfection, warning against shame and discouragement. They highlight the two outcomes Paul presents: sin earns wages leading to spiritual death, while God offers the free gift of eternal life in Christ, noting that refusing to choose is still a choice.

 00:00 Welcome and Catch Up
 00:54 Recap and Passage Setup
 02:34 Reading Romans 6
 04:09 Grace Not License
 04:58 Slaves to Sin or Christ
 06:14 Teachings of Jesus Choice
 09:13 Sanctification Takes Time
 15:26 Sin Ends in Death
 16:59 Gift of Eternal Life
 21:17 Final Reflections and Outro

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Music performed by the Ponder GMC worship team.

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