Bible Study 6/7

Proverbs 10:1-16

At this point in the book, the text changes from long exhortations to seek wisdom and avoid folly and adultery to one verse snippets of wisdom. The ones in the first part of chapter 10 mostly focus on either the benefits that come from living wisely or an exhortation to work hard.

v12 - "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses." cross reference 1 Peter 4:8

Romans 8:1-11

The past 2 chapters have been exploring the question "If righteousness comes through faith, what is the purpose of the law? What is the believer's relationship to it?" The answer to that question has been that it's purpose is to show sin to be what it is. The law is perfect and good and holy, but in a way it aggravates sin, and the sinful nature seizes its opportunity to stir up rebellion against the clearly spelled out law. Even the believer, who delights in the law of God, still struggles with the flesh's rebellion against the law.

Verses 3 and 4 sum up the solution to this problem. The righteous requirement of the law has been fulfilled in Christ, and we share in that through the Spirit. A mind "set on the flesh" in this passage is that of a nonbeliever, and "set on the Spirit" is a believer. It is also good to point out that in 9-11, the Spirit is referred to in a very Trinitarian way (the Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead [the Father]).