Thinking Through the Bible: The Class Lectures

"Paul's epistle to the Romans is the fullest exposition of the gospel plan of salvation found anywhere in the word of God.... Romans, therefore, must be valued as a precious treasure by every disciple of Jesus Christ...." -- from L. A. Mott's introduction to Thinking Through Romans. As Mott meticulously follows the train of thought of the Apostle Paul in describing how a righteous judge finds a way to declare sinful people "Not guilty," how Paul sets forth the path of life that is fitting for those who have died to sin, and declares that disciples are "more than conquerors," inseparable by any force from the love of Christ. Along the way, Mott shows the incompatibility of traditional Calvinistic doctrine with Paul's teaching, making a powerful argument in defense of the New Testament doctrine of human free will, of the opportunity for all -- not just the "elect" -- to be saved, and of the rightful place of water baptism in a salvation that is "by grace ... through faith -- not by works..." (Ephesians 2:8-9). This is a recording of 13 lectures on Romans taught by L. A. Mott, Jr., to a group of Bible class teachers of the Central Church of Christ in Ocala, Florida in the early 1980s. L. A. Mott, Jr., was a serious student of the Scriptures for more than 60 years prior to his death in 2016. Through lectures and writings, he shared the fruit of his study among churches of Christ throughout the U.S. and internationally. Two principles from Second Timothy 3:16–17 undergirded his ministry: unshakeable belief in the sufficiency of Scripture and the value of all Scripture.