Welcome We appreciate your attendance today at the 14th Annual Minnesota Bible Lectures, an event conceived and started in 2004 under the guidance of the Elders and congregational members of the Owatonna church of Christ, in Owatonna, MN, and the South Twin Cities church of Christ in Apple Valley, MN. From the beginning the objective of the annual lectures have been to:
1. Provide an opportunity for faithful saints and guests from the upper Midwest states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and the Dakotas to gather for a day of sound doctrinal teaching, singing, and fellowship for the purpose of edifying them in the Christian faith while giving glory to God. 2. Increase the visibility and understanding of New Testament Christianity in the Twin Cities area and in Southern Minnesota. 3. Provide preachers from the upper Midwest a forum to deliver messages on assigned topics to a larger and more diverse audience and improve their public speaking skills. We express our most sincere thanks to the many of you who have consistently supported the Lectures over the years. We have been blessed in our efforts and, God willing, will be able to continue to provide this day for many years to come. We pray that this year’s topic will be especially meaningful to you and that at the end of the day you will be happy you came. May God bless our gathering today and your being here.
Table of Contents Epistle to the Romans
Chapter 11, Christopher Graber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 1
Chapter 12, Randy Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 7
Chapter 13 Jason Goss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 23
Chapter 14, Floyd Kaiser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 30
Chapter 15, Joshua Richardson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 39
Chapter 16, Johnathan Fleming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg 42
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ROMANS CHAPTER 11 by Christopher Graber Greetings brethren! It is a pleasure and privilege to stand before you today addressing Romans ch. 11. Within this chapter are some of the more difficult passages to understand, as well as some of the most encouraging truths and reminders for all of us who comprise God’s people, the true Spiritual Israel. I.
Israel’s Salvation: The Remnant and the Hardening, Rom 11:1-10 A. Paul has just finished writing about a rebellious Israel that rejects the gospel in the previous chapter (Rom 10:11–21). 1. We heard that faith/belief is the standard of acceptance and that there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, as the same Lord is Lord of all (vv. 11-12). 2. We heard that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ (v.17). 3. Yet Israel was disobedient and obstinate and rejected Christ (v. 21). B. This prompts Paul’s question and answer that begins the chapter. Rom 11:1–2a I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew… 1. The large scale rejection of Christ by the Jews is not inclusive of every single Israelite. Paul points to himself as an example. He is an Israelite that came to faith in Christ. 2. God’s people, those whom He foreknew, are the faithful (cf. Rom 8:29; Rom 9:6). 3. From the beginning Paul’s consistent argument is that God is saving everyone who is faithful, Jews and Greeks, by means of the gospel (Rom 1:16). C. Just like Paul, there is a faithful remnant of Jews that stand by faith in Christ. Rom 11:2b–7a Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.” 4 But what is the divine response to him? “I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.” 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. 7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it… 1. Paul addresses the remnant and no matter how small in number they may be, God’s elect are still His elect. 2. Paul uses the example of Elijah. After the victorious showdown at Mount Carmel in 1 Kgs 18, Elijah flees in 1 Kgs 19. This is a time where the Northern Kingdom was extremely wicked under Ahab and Jezebel. Baal worship had taken over the Northern Kingdom. Elijah is dejected at this point and feels like he is the only one left who has not strayed. But God lets Elijah know that even at this time of extreme national decay, there was still a small number, a faithful remnant of 7,000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal. 3. Just as it was in Elijah’s time, in the first century there were some Israelites who were faithful, who obeyed the gospel, and were part of a remnant. They are the ones God foreknew that were the elect of Israel. a. When Jesus walked the earth, there was some Jewish acceptance. b. When the first gospel sermon is preached in Acts 2, there was more Jewish acceptance. No matter how bad the situation is, there is a remnant. 4. Paul’s point is that, although not all of national Israel had obtained the election of grace, the faithful remnant had. D. Next we read that those who did not turn to Christ in faith were hardened. Rom 11:7b–10 …and the rest were hardened; 8 just as it is written, “GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.” 9 And David says, “LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. 10 “LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.” 1. Those who rejected Christ were hardened. a. Those rejecting are an actor in the hardening because it is by their choice they reject Christ. b. God is also an actor in the hardening as well. 1) One way He hardened was through Jesus who became a stumbling block to the Jews when He did not meet their expectations (1 Cor 1:23; Matt 23:37-38). 2) Another way He can harden is through a “deluding influence” sent because one does not possess a “love of the truth so as to be saved” (2 Thess 2:10–11).
2 2. This hardening bore itself out in persecution. When Stephen is put to death in Acts 7, the hardened Jews refused to hear the gospel, and their response was to literally cry out and cover their ears as they proceeded to execute him (cf. Acts 7:51-60). 3. This hardening of Israel is also not a new concept, as Paul refers to Old Covenant Scripture to prove his point (Deut 29:4; Isa 29:10; Ps 69:22–23). E. So what? 1. In light of the remnant… a. Never think you are right in your religion simply because you are the majority. This is a lesson throughout the Old and New Covenants. In fact, if you find yourself among the majority, there is reason to be suspicious (Matt 7:13–14; 21–22). b. Never be discouraged when you feel in the minority. In times of societal decline God has preserved a remnant, and that remnant is often larger than we think, as Elijah found out. 2. In light of hardening… a. Remember that if it can happen to Israel, it can happen to you. Determine to maintain your faith. It takes work, and if you are not careful to possess a genuine love for the truth, you can also be hardened to it. b. Also, determine as part of the community of faith to assist one another in this regard. Heb 3:12–13 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. II. The Kindness and Severity of God in His Providence, 11:11-24 A. God works even through rebellion. Rom 11:11–15 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 1. The Jews did not stumble so as to fall completely. It is not as if there is no hope for the Jews. They can still respond to Christ in faith. 2. God providentially used the Jews’ rejection of Christ. a. In their initial rejection of Christ, Christ was crucified bringing salvation to everyone. This rejection brought “riches for the world,” and the “reconciliation of the world.” This rejection brings a covenant relationship to both Jews and Gentiles. b. Further, it is the Jewish rejection that brought about a focused Gentile mission (cf. Acts 13:44–48; 18:6; 28:28). c. Truly, through God’s providential working, Israel’s unbelief was riches for the world bringing everyone, by grace through faith, into the covenant! d. On the other side of things, providentially, salvation has come to the Gentiles, in part, to make the Jews jealous provoking them to turn to Christ. e. This is why Paul magnifies his ministry. Not only is he bringing the gospel to the Gentiles, he is at the same time working toward the end that God will providentially move the Jews to jealousy when they see the Gentiles enjoying the full blessings of covenant relationship. Paul is hoping that through his ministry hearts will be softened all round and it will bring the Jews to the riches of their “fulfillment,” in covenant where their acceptance is also life from the dead. f. That’s right, though it may sound strange, when we consider God’s providential working through the Jewish rejection of Christ, God even uses the Jew’s own rejection of Christ in a chain of events to provoke the Jews, themselves, to eventually accept Christ by means of jealousy. No matter how bad man messes things up, God can still be working for good through it all! 3. The passage speaks of the “fulfillment” or “fullness” of the Jews in v. 12. This likely refers to “the elect remnant of Israel coming to its full strength in terms of their numbers throughout time…” 1 The fullness of v. 12 would be the same as the acceptance of the Jews in v. 15. B. This brings us to Paul’s main point in all of this. The Gentiles should not be arrogant! Rom 11:16–24 1. Paul is trying to remove any notion of Gentile pride in their status with God. a. We are likely dealing with a Roman church that has been primarily, if not exclusively, Gentile for some time as a result of the Edict of Claudius that removed the Jews from Rome. b. As Paul writes, Jews are returning and the Gentiles must not harbor a divisive pride that the church is an exclusive Gentile institution. c. Paul aims to demonstrate that the entry of Gentiles into the covenant did not replace the Jews altogether. God’s people are His people by virtue of their faith in Him. 2. Paul uses two illustrations to build his argument. Rom 11:16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. a. The lump of dough – 1
David Abernathy, An Exegetical Summary of Romans 9–16 (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2009), 142.
3 1) It seems “Paul is drawing on various passages in the Torah in which a portion of the first part of the grain harvest must be offered to God, and after which the rest is made acceptable to be used legitimately for ordinary purposes”2 (cf. Num 15:17–21). 2) The Gentiles need to stay humble because salvation is not just for them. The Jews have not been excluded. “…those Jews who at present have come to faith are like the ‘first fruits’, and that means that in principle the whole Jewish people have been presented to God. They cannot now be regarded as ‘unholy’ in the sense of being automatically outside God’s people, unreachable by the gospel, unable to share in faith in Jesus.” 3 The first converts were in fact Jews (cf. Acts 2)! b. The olive tree – Similarly, “Paul is saying that if the root of a tree is sound, its branches will be sound also.”4 The olive tree has been used as a symbol for Israel (cf. Jer 11:16–17). Paul carries this metaphor throughout the chapter (11:16, 17, 19, 21, 24). c. Who are/is the roots? It is not explicitly stated. Some say Christ. Some say it is the first Christians, who were Jews. Some say it goes back to Abraham and the promise made to Him, and it goes back into Judaism that brought the Savior. We know that what extends from the roots is covenant with God made possible by Christ. Paul’s focus is less on the roots identity and more on the branches and how the covenant works in relation to them. 3. Paul uses the olive tree illustration to demonstrate why the Gentiles should stay humble. a. The Gentiles should stay humble because the branches are only significant by virtue of what they are a part of by faith! Rom 11:17–20 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 1) First, the natural branches are the Jews. 2) Their rejection and subsequent breaking off the olive tree opened the door for the Gentiles, the wild olive branches. 3) Paul’s point is that it is not that God booted the Jews and there is Gentile replacement. Both branches stand by faith/belief, or fall by unbelief. 4) The Gentiles are a part of something special, but they are not special in and of themselves! They are a part of the covenant, but what makes them holy is the covenant that they stand a part of by faith. b. Paul says “Do not be conceited, but fear” because… Rom 11:21–24 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? 1) Gentile replacement has nothing to do with it! It was not replacement that caused the Jews to fall but unbelief. There is no room for boasting (cf. Rom 3:27). 2) There is plenty of room for everyone, and if God can graft the wild olive Gentiles onto the tree by faith, why would it not be possible for the natural branches to be grafted to their own olive tree? 3) The Gentile has no advantage over the Jew in this sense, so the Gentile should not be prideful about their position or else they will be cut off! 4) There is no room for conceit and cause for fear because of the kindness and severity of God. a) God provided covenant salvation in the person of Jesus that we can be a part of by grace through faith. This is kindness. b) Yet, we stand or fall by faith… those who go the path of unbelief, or flip the paradigm to a form of self-righteousness will face His severity. C. So what? 1. Here we learn that even when someone has stumbled, there can still be a return! 2. Further, you never know what God is doing providentially in certain situations. a. It can be hard sometimes to watch those we love fall away, but we can know that God still works. We can know that God can still accomplish His will, even through their rebellion. We can also know that maybe this working will even eventually bring them around to faith again just like the Jews who rebelled. 2
Abernathy, Exegetical, 149.
3
Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part 2: Chapters 9-16 (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 53.
4 Colin G. Kruse, Paul’s Letter to the Romans (ed. D. A. Carson; The Pillar New Testament Commentary; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England; Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos, 2012), 433.
4 b. So as you see loved ones that fall, do not give up on them. Be like Paul and work to save them. But know that either way, God will work to bring about His glory. Take comfort in knowing that God can work in any situation for His will. 3. Kindness and severity are important concepts for us to remember about our God. We can fall in the trap of thinking our God is nothing but grace and forgiveness. God is kind! Through the gospel He has found a way to reconcile everyone to Him by grace through faith. But along with this kindness is the severity. We must understand that God does not make exceptions with those who fall and do not return to faith. For them there is a terrifying expectation of judgment. 4. Furthermore, a rivalry between Jews and Gentiles has no place in the church. This is true about rivalry in general in the church. A divisive rivalry spirit must be resisted. 5. Lastly, a takeaway, this is a crushing blow to the Calvinistic doctrines of “unconditional election” (you stand by your faith…that’s conditional) and “perseverance of the saints,” or “once saved always saved” (you can fall/be cut off from the olive tree). III. The Mystery, Rom 11:25–36 A. All Israel will be saved. Rom 11:25-30 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” 27 “THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” 28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 1. What is “the fullness” of the Gentiles? a. It could have in view the destruction of Jerusalem. Luke 21:24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 1) What we are saying is there could be a connection between the fullness of the Gentiles and the times of the Gentiles, which would have this event in view. 2) Paul and others faced a hardened Jewish opposition around every corner. Not all opposition ceases in AD 70 by any stretch of the imagination, but the zealous Jewish persecution is crippled by the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. This would naturally open the way to more Jews coming to Christ, as the Jewish system has been literally destroyed and along with it the zealous oppositional hardened spirit. b. However, if Paul is consistent with his word usage, the fullness of the Gentiles in v. 25 would indicate the same kind of fullness for the Jews back in v. 12, as the terminology is the same. This would then refer to the Gentile mission that brings “the fullness of blessing for the Gentiles, which is parallel to and corresponds to the idea of the fullness of blessing for Israel spoken of in 11:12 and 11:15.”5 2. What is meant by “and so?” a. “And so” is an adverb of manner, “referring to what precedes, in this manner, thus, so…”6 b. The manner could be referring to the fullness of the Gentiles coming in (25), or to faith from the illustration of the olive tree (v.16–24), and really both could be in view as they are all part of the overall argument. 3. What is meant by “all Israel?” a. “All Israel” could be Spiritual Israel (Both Jews and Gentiles as the people of God). 1) In other words, the argument follows that all (spiritual) Israel is being saved by grace through faith. It could be that Paul is speaking of Israel as “all the family of Abraham—and that includes believing Gentiles as well as believing Jews (4:16).”7 The Gentiles should not be arrogant because all Israel (both Gentiles and Jews) will be saved. 2) Problems: Throughout this chapter, even in the preceding verse “Israel” has meant the people of ethnic Israel (11:2, 7, 25).8 In v. 28 when it says “they are enemies for your sake,” the antecedent would be ethnic Israel, making the insertion of spiritual Israel in v. 26 linguistically awkward. If Paul is being consistent with his language, it would be referring to the ethnic Israel.
5
Abernathy, Exegetical, 168.
6
William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 741. Some scholars have noted that this word has been taken in a temporal sense meaning “then,” speaking to a sequence of events. 7
Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part 2: Chapters 9-16 (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 60.
8 Cranfield suggests, “…it is not feasible to understand Ἰσραήλ in v. 26 in a different sense from that which it has in v. 25…” C. E. B Cranfield, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. (ICC; Edinburgh: Clark, 1975-79), 576.
5 3) Response: In fairness, though, Paul does demonstrate a redefinition of Israel at times (cf. Rom 9:6; Gal 6:16). Paul also constructs “spiritual Israel” with the olive tree imagery in ch. 11, which has both Jews (natural branches) and Gentiles (wild branches) grafted on the one tree. 9 So such a position is not out of left field. 4) Theologically there is no problem with this view, as it is true that the hardening opened the door for the Gentiles, and working through that, God brought salvation to all nationalities forming the one Israel of God that stands by their faith (11:20). b. “All Israel” could be referring specifically to ethnic Israel. 1) This makes the most linguistic sense. Paul could be arguing, it is a mystery, but through this hardening of the Jews the fullness of the Gentiles will come in, and providentially, by means of jealousy, or the receptivity that would come through the destruction of the temple, by the faith illustrated in the olive tree illustration, all Israel will be saved. Therefore, Gentiles, do not be arrogant thinking you have replaced the Jews. 2) Problem: “all” is consistently used by Paul to mean 100 percent, not merely a great number. Are 100 percent of the Jews going to be saved? Some, even among our brotherhood have argued for large scale Jewish conversion before the return of Christ, but large scale is still not all. Furthermore, even Israel understood that the true Israel was not every single Jew but the faithful Jews (cf. Elijah and the remnant in the beginning of the chapter). 10 3) However, “all” could speak to potential (cf. v 32). All (100 percent) of national Israel that turns to God by means of faith in Jesus will be saved. None will be saved any other way. In other words all Israel will be saved in the same way that all Gentiles will be saved. 4. Regardless, what is the point? a. The real point is there is room in the church for everyone, regardless of nationality, so do not be arrogant because it is the root that supports you by faith! b. Paul is coherent through the letter and is still stressing faith in the gospel bringing salvation to everyone who believes. Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. c. Whether Paul is making a point about national Israel, or Spiritual Israel, the point is that both faithful Jews and Gentiles are part of that one olive tree. Therefore there is no room for boasting. B. The mercies of God, Rom 11:30–36 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35 Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. 1. Paul brings the point home here. The Gentiles were once disobedient, but because of the Jewish disobedience they were grafted on the olive tree by faith (v.30). Now, through the mercy shown to the Gentiles and the jealousy it provokes, the Jews will also come to Jesus by faith and receive mercy (v32). 2. Everyone is equal in this sense! “God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.” All were disobedient and God providentially uses it to bring salvation to all! This is truly the wisdom of God. 3. This prompts the doxology at the end of the chapter. God can work through all the disobedience to bring salvation to everyone. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God indeed! C. So what? 1. Be in awe of what God has accomplished! Do not think that you stand by your own merits. Remember that God brought you to salvation in spite of your disobedience.
James Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle (Grand Rapids: Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998), 524–525. A slightly nuanced position would suggest “all Israel” signifies the “total national elect of Israel.” God’s foreknowledge sees all the elect faithful of Israel, and they will all be saved. 9
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6 2. Remember that such mercy shown to us prompts a response that we must humbly live out in our lives. That is where chapter 12 begins. The doctrinal section now concludes and Paul is about to get very practical in light of all of this truth. So remember the greatness of God and His mercies as we press forward. In conclusion, in this chapter we learn again that there is no room for boasting: not for Jews, and not for Gentiles (cf. Rom 3:27–30). All stand by faith. All the Jews will be severed from the olive tree or grafted on to the olive tree in the same way that all Gentiles will be, despite a partial hardening. The mercies of God are available to all!
Christopher Graber has been an evangelist for the South Twin Cities church of Christ since March of 2007. He has been married to his wife Evie for 12 years and they have five sons together: Noah (10), Javan (8), Gideon (6), Jude (3), and Elisha (1). Christopher has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with concentrations in speech and mass media from Bethel College, a Bachelor of Theology from the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver, and is currently finishing a Master of Arts in New Testament through Freed-Hardeman University’s Graduate School of Theology. Contact Christopher by email:
[email protected]
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ROMANS CHAPTER 12 by Randy Martin Remember Roman’s Purpose and Theme I. One must look at the book through a lens that accommodates that probable tension between Jew and Greek due to historical and cultural differences. II. As discussed earlier, bringing them to commonality, equality, to facilitate appropriate application is the best procedure to unity for the Roman church. III. When combining many of the key words I gave last year, I believe this is the theme of the Book of Romans. The words capitalized are key words. We KNOW all have SINNED, Both JEW and GREEK, but the GRACIOUS GIFT, apart from WORKS of LAW, is in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, Which is RIGHTEOUSNESS / JUSTIFICATION through having FAITH to BELIEVE in the GOSPEL, Therefore, we are URGED to DIE to all things FLESH, but be ALIVE in the SPIRIT to GOD.
IV. To accomplish this, the apostle has divided his epistle into two distinct sections. A. Doctrinal Emphasis: Chs. 1-11. B. Application Emphasis: Chs. 12-16 V. Key Verses. A. Ultimate Doctrine - Romans 1:16- 16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of
God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (NASB) B. Ultimate Application - Romans 12:1–2- 1I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (NASB) C. I urge you (παρακαλέω) verses – 12:1; 15:30; 16:17 1. This word means to call to one’s side. 2. After all this doctrine we now have a strong encouragement to be something.
Key Words For All of Romans Specifically Used in Chapter 12 I. Righteous (76 times) IX. A. ἐκδικέω (avenge, 1 time) – 12:19 B. ἐκδίκησις (vengeance, 1 time) – 12:19 X. II. Faith (66 times) A. πίστις (faith/faithfulness/trust, 40 times) -12:3, XI. 6 III. Christ (65 times) A. Χριστός (Christ) –12:5 XII. IV. Lord (47 times) A. Κύριος (Lord) –12:11, 19 XIII. V. Grace/Thanks/Joy (43 times) A. χάρις (grace/gracious/thanks, 24 times) –12:3, 6 XIV. B. χάρισμα (gift, 6 times) –12:6 C. χαίρω (rejoice, 4 times) – 12:12, 15 (2) XV. VI. Live/Life (41 times) A. Ζάω (living) –12:1 VII. (Spirit) (37 times) XVI. A. πνεῦμα (spirit)–12:11 VIII. Judge (37 times) A. ἀνυπόκριτος (without hypocrisy, 1 time) – 12:9
Write/Written/Scripture (33 times) A. γραφω (write, 21 times) –12:19 Man/Person (28 times) A. ἄνθρωπος (man, 27 times) –12:17, 18 Do/Make (27 times) A. ποιέω (do, make, perform, 23 times) – 12:20 Holy (24 times) A. ἅγιος (holy/saints 20 times) –12:1, 13 Brother/Sister (22 times) A. ἀδελφός (brother, 19 times) –12:1 B. φιλαδελφία (brotherly love,) – 12:10 Good/Goodness (22 times) A. ἀγαθός (good, 21 times) –12:2, 9, 21 Evil (20 times, 2 different roots) A. κακός (evil, 15 times) –12:17 (2), 21 (2) B. πονηρός (evil, 1 time) – 12:9 Hope (17 times) A. ἐλπίς (hope, noun, 13 times) –12:12
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9 Chapter 12, Our Reasonable Service is Our Living Sacrificed Bodies
I. Be Transformed and Prove What the Good & Acceptable Will of God Is. A. The reality is that all Christians are priests that are in a continual priestly service.
Romans 12:1 - 1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (NKJV)
1. This transformation can only take place if you present your own bodies as a sacrifice that is still alive. Living is a big key word of Romans. a. The terminology here is unmistakably one of a priest offering a sacrifice. b. We present ourselves, that is, we place ourselves on the altar. c. It’s the same verb used in these verses that also try to describe the transformation after baptism earlier in chapter six.
Romans 6:15–20 - 15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. 20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. (NASB)
2. This service that we are in is the same word translated service in the book of Hebrews when describing the Levitical priestly service.
Hebrews 9:6 - 6Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services (Gk. λατρεία / latreía). (NKJV) Romans 12:1 - 1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service (Gk. λατρεία / latreía). (NKJV)
a. Therefore, what we have is the God of imagery again giving us a preview of the Christian’s walk through the physical images of the Old Covenant. b. The temple is the church, the priests are the Christians, and the divine service being conducted on the inside is the holy life that Christians live. c. And as our souls are cleansed by baptism, they even had to wash in the bronze laver before they entered the temple! d. There are other verses that show we are in priestly service every day.
Philippians 2:17 - 17Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. (NKJV) 2 Corinthians 9:12 - 12For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, (NKJV) Hebrews 12:28 - 28Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; (NASB)
3. This is our reasonable / logical service from Gk. λογικός / logikós. a. The NASB has an inaccurate translation of spiritual service of worship. b. Paul could have easily used the Gk. πνευματικός / pneumatikós if he wanted spiritual versus reasonable.
1 Peter 2:5 - 5you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (NASB)
c. This truly is now the more reasonable type of service, advanced beyond the obsolete practice of the Levitical priesthood. That was just a picture. d. It’s also why in the following verses he is going to be talking about having sound judgment in our daily walk as priests. It needs to be reasonable. B. To be that living and holy sacrifice God that is well-pleasing, a specific transformation must take place in order to achieve it.
Romans 12:2 - 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (NASB)
1. Transformed is from the Gk. μεταμορφόω / metamorphóō. a. This is where we get the word metamorphosis.
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b. Illustration (ILL) – Caterpillar to Butterfly. It’s a big change, but it was required so it could take flight. 2. It requires a renewing of the mind. How does this happen? The only other verse in which the word renewing is used reveals how.
Titus 3:5 - 5He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, (NASB)
a. The renewing of the mind can only take place through the work of the Holy Spirit. b. And I’m not talking about some miraculous manipulation by the Holy Spirit upon our brains, but by the best way, that is through in my opinion is the Spirit’s greatest work, that is, the Scriptures. c. We often forget the Holy Spirit is responsible for all that we read, and it is the Holy Spirit that is teaching through the word of God. Notice this verse.
Hebrews 9:7–8 - 7but into the second only the high priest enters, once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. 8The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed, while the outer tabernacle is still standing, (NASB)
d. Therefore, the only way anybody is going to be able to walk the true Christian priestly walk, is to: 1) learn the doctrines of chs. 1-11, and 2) then listen to applications the Spirit wants implemented. e. Your excellent work ethic when it comes to personal study, attending Bible Class & Church, and, yes, coming to things like this lectureship will enable this. The amount of proof will be according to the amount of effort. 3. Then we truly prove what the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God is. a. Good is a key word. Acceptable is the same as well-pleasing we saw in vs. 1., and Perfect is the same word that can be translated as mature. b. Who do we prove this to? The world? Ourselves? I believe both. II. To Do This We Must Use the Gift God Gave to Its Proportion. A. We must first have sound judgment.
Romans 12:3 - 3For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. (NASB)
1. Sound judgment comes from letting one’s mind be renewed by the Holy Spirit. a. It is from the Gk. word σωφρονέω / sōphronéō. b. It is based on the word for wisdom, where we get sensible and in right mind. 2. This will enable one to not be thinking more highly of oneself than one ought. 3. Just as a Jew can’t think of themselves intrinsically higher than Greek, nor can one think of oneself higher due to intrinsic talents from God. One’s race or talent is not a choice, but only the amount of exercise of it. 4. In this way, in the context, the same is true when it comes to the amount of faith that we have. Faith is a key word a. We must realize, yes, we have free choice, but the amount of our faith is often dependent upon the work of God in our lives. As Paul said: 1 Corinthians 15:10 - 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. (NASB)
b. As Paul labored with his gift, so much we too show God’s ways as true. B. We will then honor every member for the gift they have.
Romans 12:4–5 - 4For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. (NASB)
1. We must glorify God as we see the various talents in the congregation, and never be jealous of anybody or look down on anybody. Does the leg mock the arm for not being as strong? No, the body has the same care for itself.
1 Corinthians 12:25–26 - 25that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. (NASB)
2. As this would help bring peace and respect between the Jewish and Gentile communities, so it will be for us. 3. Or we can ruin it with personal favoritism and prejudice. James 2:1–7 - 1My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the
11 fine clothes, and say, You sit here in a good place, and you say to the poor man, You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool, 4have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? 5Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 7Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? (NASB)
C. Instead of wasting time sinfully judging other members of the body, get busy and serve the body and kingdom by using our gift to its proportion. Priests don’t waste time in the temple, but get to their divine duties! Romans 12:6–8 - 6And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (NASB)
1. Let each exercise them accordingly is not there, yet implied. 2. But I believe the important part is the concept to the proportion of his faith. a. The word proportioned is from Gk. ἀναλογία / analogía. b. One can see our word for word and reason in there. c. There is a wise reasoned amount given to you, therefore use it. 3. Service here is the same word used for deacon, though not denoting that office. 4. Exhort is the same verb as urge in vs. 1. 5. One who gives is to give with liberality, the word really meaning simply. a. It is a singleness of purpose. We often over think giving, and find excuses to withhold something. We’ve all been burned by people. b. Don’t be dumb, but when in doubt give, do not hold back. People don’t have to be perfect to receive. Plus, it’s treasures in heaven for you! c. In fact, they can be evil. Non-Christians will act like non-Christians. We often love money too much. Don’t put Christian standards on them in order for them to earn your gift. God didn’t do that when He gave you the gift.
Luke 6:33–36 - 33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, in order to receive back the same amount. 35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (NASB)
d. Don’t give to the point of hurting someone, but give. Thank God for those special people who can give without making people earn it. Don’t judge them! 6. Leads with diligence may be takes care with speed. It seems quite contextual. Speed is a transliteration from Gk. σπουδή / spoudḗ. 7. We are to show mercy with cheerfulness. Cheerfulness is from Gk. ἱλαρότης / hilarótēs from which derives our English hilarity. III. Let Love Be Without Hypocrisy A. The entire last section revolves around this first part of vs. 9. It seems more like a title, worthy of our divine service as priests of God. Romans 12:9 - 9Let love be without hypocrisy . . . (NASB)
1. There is no let there. It is literally: The love without hypocrisy. 2. The love here is the devotion love (Gk. ἀγάπη / agape), but don’t be confused and think it doesn’t involve the heart. Other scriptures teach it does.
1 Peter 1:22 - 22Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love (Gk. φίλος / phílos) of the brethren, fervently love (Gk. ἀγάπη / agape) one another from the heart, (NASB)
3. And it must be without hypocrisy (Gk. ἀνυπόκριτος / anupókritos). a. This literally is under judging, mean to pretend, thus, acting. b. This is the ancient name for an actor. c. It was deemed as lowest of a profession, as being a prostitute. Not today! d. It becomes acting when we don’t follow the rest of this paragraph. B. I think the first part is very important to not being a hypocrite in general. What priest while in the temple would not abhor an evil offering? Romans 12:9 - 9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. (NASB)
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1. Abhor is not small matter. It is from Gk. ἀποστυγέω / apostugéō. It means to shudder with horror! a. This is the only use of it in the N.T. It is a vehement emotional hatred. b. Every emotion has been created by God and it has its proper manifestation. c. This is not a suggestion, but a command. Don’t be passive in hating! 2. We must abhor that which is evil. It is from Gk. πονηρός / ponērós. a. This is something that is evil from a moral or spiritual sense. b. And it applies not only to objects, but to people. c. You have heard love the sinner and hate the sin. It’s only partially true. d. One can simultaneously love and hate people for what they’ve become.
Luke 6:35 - 35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. (NASB) Psalm 11:5 - 5The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates. (NASB)
e. After all, isn’t that what you do with yourself? You better. You’re “evil”, too. This is the same word.
Matthew 7:11 - 11If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! (NASB)
3. And we are to cling to what is good. a. Cling carries the idea of being glued to something. b. Good is one of our key words. c. The only way to not be a hypocrite is to be glued to what is good. C. Now is a list of how we proactively must treat one another, so as not to be hypocrites while performing our divine priestly service. 1. The first part is generally treating one another like a true family.
Romans 12:10–13 - 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. (NASB)
a. Devoted is literally a friendly affection family love (Gk. φιλόστοργος / philóstorgos). b. Brotherly love is where we get the city Philadelphia. c. Give preference to one another in honor is problematic. I personally believe it means to lead in giving honor (value) to people. d. Lagging behind diligence is just one word, and it is the same word as this below. Proverbs 6:6 - 6Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, (NASB)
(1) Only a hypocrite can be a sluggard in Christianity. (2) One can’t be that if they believe it is the most important thing ever! e. Fervent in spirit has the idea of boiling, from Gk. ζέω / zéō. (1) This is the intensity we are to be as servants / slaves to the Lord. (2) Considering the value of what we are, how can we not be on fire for Him? f. Rejoicing in hope. Hope is a key word, and we rejoice in it. (1) A Christian who is always down in the dumps is a hypocrite. (2) That’s because they say serving God, and loving Him, and believing the gift of salvation is the best thing ever, yet their attitude betrays that. (3) It must be acting, because if people truly believe it then have to be happy! g. Persevering in tribulation is essential to not being a hypocrite. (1) Persevering is from Gk. ὑπομένω / hupoménō which is remaining under. (2) Tribulation is from Gk. θλίψις / thlípsis, meaning crushing. (3) Again, only hypocrites give up paradise because of earthly pressure. (4) The apostle Paul plainly states the value in this book.
Romans 8:18 - 18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (NASB)
h. Devoted to prayer is essential to not being a hypocrite. (1) Devoted is a different word than in vs. 10. (2) It is from Gk. προσκαρτερέω / proskarteréō, referencing strength! (3) People who truly believe will be strongly devoted to prayer. i. Contributing to the needs of the saints is essential to a true faith. (1) Contributing is really a form fellowshipping, from Gk. κοινωνέω / koinōnéō. (2) To not partake of this special fellowship is hypocritical since family takes care of family. j. Practicing hospitality is a mainstay of all true non-hypocritical religion. (1) Hospitality is from Gk. φιλοξενία / philoxenia, a love of strangers. (2) To not do so is hypocritical, basically saying I don’t believe in angels.
13 Hebrews 13:2 - 2Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. (NASB)
D. The last verses mostly deal with an absence of evil when treating people. That’s how priests in the temple should be thinking. 1. The first half contains basic civility through lack of negatives to build love. Romans 12:14–17 - 14Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. (NASB)
a. Bless is from Gk. εὐλογέω / eulogéō, where we get eulogy, lit., good words. b. Cursing carries the idea of not curse words, but wishing bad upon someone. c. Rejoicing and weeping with others is essential to not having hypocrisy. To do otherwise is again tantamount to saying they are not family, as does the next. d. Being not haughty in mind is the same root word used as not thinking too highly of one self in vs. 3. It’s hypocritical for a body part to loathe another. e. Therefore, you will associate with the lowly. This is somewhat problematic to translate, but it carries the idea of humility. f. Being wise in one’s own estimation is also hypocrisy. It’s again the same root as being haughty. g. Christianity is also hypocritical when paying back evil. (1) Never is really not once. (2) It’s hypocritical because that is not the Spirit of Christ, nor Christianity.
Luke 9:52–56 - 52and He sent messengers on ahead of Him. And they went, and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make arrangements for Him. 53And they did not receive Him, because He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. 54And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; 56for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village. (NASB)
(3) Also having love for people who are evil, and not participating in their evil is a big statement to the world that we are not hypocrites. h. Respect what is right in the sight of all men is not the best translation, in my opinion. (1) Respect is from Gk. προνοέω / pronoéō. It is literally pro thinking. (2) The NIV is more accurate and says be careful, in other words think! (3) Remember, we are in a reasonable / logical service. Our renewed minds by the Holy Spirit should be thinking what is right in the sight of all men! 2. The second half of that last paragraph is mostly encouraging us to be peacemakers. It would be hypocritical of people given peace by God to then not try to pass that peace on. Romans 12:18–21 - 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20“But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NASB)
a. If possible, so far as it depends on you is very short in the Gk. (1) It could be if it is in your power. Power is ultimately from Gk. δύναμαι / dúnamai, where we derive our English dynamite. (2) We must use our power to try to be at peace. Be blameless on your end! b. Never take your own revenge is not accurate. (1) NKJV is right. It’s just a simple command to not take your own revenge. (2) Revenge is from Gk. ἐκδικέω / ekdikéō. It is literally from justice. (3) It carries the idea of avenging. However, God is the avenger, not us. (4) But there are probably some times in which God does use us to do this. There is an allusion to church discipline in which the same word is used. 2 Corinthians 10:5–6 - 5We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. (NASB)
c. Leave room for the wrath of God is literally bestow a place for the wrath of God. (1) The first implies just getting out of the way, but the literal statement means we have to be proactive and make a place. Most often it is ourselves that are in the way, because we think it is our place to be. (2) Wrath is from Gk. ὀργή / orgḗ, from the verb stretch out, snatch. (3) We must leave a place for it, because we do not own it. It says Vengeance Is Mine, I will repay, and is quoted several times in the O.T. (4) If you do not own it, you need the owner’s permission to use it. That is why it is emphatic in the Gk. It says, I, I will repay.
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d. Proverbs 25:21-22 statement about giving your enemy food and drink is a strong indication of just how the opposite of vengeance should be taken. (1) This is the wisdom of God. It takes this massive amount of the opposite to stop man from fulfilling his most carnal desires in retribution. (2) Other worthless religions like Islam talk a lot about being good to your neighbor, but since it has just a few verses on defending oneself and being violent those are the ones followed! (3) The possible outcome is that you may heap burning coals upon his head. Morris poses some possible solutions.11 (a) Is this talking about making their punishment more obvious since they are acting unjustifiably unilaterally? Psalm 140:10 - 10“May burning coals fall upon them; May they be cast into the fire, Into deep pits from which they cannot rise. (NASB)
(b) Is one giving them a sense of burning shame? (c) He also finds some research about the penitent in Egypt carrying bowls of burning embers on their head as a symbol of a change of mind due to an act of love. e. The bottom line is that God wants us to not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with Good. (1) Overcome is from Gk. νικάω / nikáō. It means to conquer. It’s where we get the name of Nike shoes. (2) Christians have to get the strong message that it is truly hypocrisy to take this vengeance into their own hands instead of first taking incredible steps to try and make peace. (3) After all, isn’t this what our God has done time after time after time? Didn’t He have patience for centuries with His people? Didn’t He wait centuries until the sin of the Amorite was complete before He even let His people go into the land? And isn’t that the very core of the greatest act He has ever performed? Didn’t He first sacrifice Himself for all of creation, and then give us all our entire lives to respond to that, before He carries out any vengeance? (4) Only the most blatant hypocrite is looking to deal out vengeance first before doing all they can for peace, especially while being in the Holy Place as a holy priest who has already pledged to make his own body a living & holy sacrifice which is pleasing before the Prince of Peace. (5) Be reasonable and carry out your divine priestly service!
Randy Martin has been a preacher in Minnesota for nearly 26 years. Currently, he is at the South Twin Cities Church of Christ, and has been there 21 years, 15 as an elder. He married his high school sweetheart, Robin, and has been privileged to be with her over 34 years. They have seven children and fifteen grandchildren. His previous full time work was in starting the church in Owatonna, MN between 1990 and 1996. He is a 1990 graduate of the three-year program at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver, and has subsequently received a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry and Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Amridge University. He is privileged with writing curricula for the BVBID extension program. He has contributed Hermeneutics, 1 Corinthians, Hebrews, Pastoral Epistles and is currently working on Romans. He has taught several of these courses at the institute in Cameroon, Africa. Contact Randy at
[email protected].
(As promised last year, I will now give you the last half of my Roman’s exegetical summaries.)
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Leon Morris, The Epistle to the Romans, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1988), 455.
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ROMANS CHAPTER 13 By Jason Goss The text and context broad to narrow. I will start with a reading of the text to get it before us and then I am going to back out for a broad view of the context in which this chapter sits. [1] Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. [2] Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. [3] For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, [4] for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. [5] Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. [6] For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. [7] Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. [8] Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. [9] For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [10] Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. [11] Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. [12] The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. [13] Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. [14] But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. – Romans 13 Again, allow me to give a broad view of the context, starting with the only eternal reality which is God. God is a reality that is totally, infinitely self-sufficient and infinitely without need as he exists in the trinity. And yet, for his glory, to share his glory, God created everything that exists. He is not diminished in any way by having performed this work nor does creation add anything to him. He created sons and daughters for his glory and placed the gospel at the center of all eternity. In the very center of timelessness that extends into the past and into the future is the gospel. Romans 1: 16, 17 - The power of God for salvation breaks into the world to save men from God's own wrath. God has revealed his righteousness, making it available in Jesus Christ to cover all our sin, if we seek Him by faith. Romans 2:6- 8 ESV says, “He will render to each one according to his works:” And yet, we can be saved by faith. Those who are saved, are saved by faith, by looking to God, otherwise our works fall infinitely short of attaining to the glory of God - they are merely self-seeking actions for our own glory and will reap the wrath of God. Romans 3:23- 25 ESV says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”
24 If we had time we could restate these concepts more fully. In short, faith is the opposite of seeking one's own Glory and Honor. We are saved by looking completely away from ourselves and to any of our own ability to be righteous. We are saved by complete faith in the righteousness which God has provided. God demands a satisfaction for sins. His thirst for the payment of a just penalty must be satisfied, and he provided the payment for a debt we each owe but cannot pay. He is just and the justifier. God is on both sides of the equation, just and justifier. We can only be saved by a life of obedient faith but in this - the glorious, good news is - we can be saved. There is none righteous but we can be made righteous. This gospel stands at the center of Eternity. 2 Timothy 1:9- 10 ESV -who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, This Gospel was planned by God's purpose from eternity - before the ages began. It was always God's plan to reveal his glorious character in this way. Acts 2:22- 24 ESV says, “‘Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”’ It was the predetermined plan of God to have the men of Israel murder their own Messiah, using the Roman hands, and nails, and cross. The Bible records for us this plan of God as it unfolded. Nothing whatsoever, could deter this predetermined plan from being accomplished. We see this plan unfold first in Genesis as God works all things together for good. Men make their own choices and a totally Sovereign God works all things together to accomplish his plan. From Romans chapter 8 we can see that God has been at work from eternity past to redeem Mankind and all of creation. So, as we see the beginning of time recorded in Genesis, the beginning of history as we know it, we immediately see the path men will take as we seek our own glory. Observing the path of men and heritages. Again, take a step with me to gain a perspective. When men seek their own way, particularly when leaders seek their own way, a heritage is formed which shapes a path that generations will follow for centuries and millennia if God allows the continuance. Step with me from eternity into history. And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold - 1 Peter 1:17- 18 ESV Our forefathers have given us a futile way of life. Adam, as the father of the human race, was the first to set forth a heritage for mankind. Death entered the world when Adam sinned and we are living in a cursed world because of that act. God has prevented mankind from living forever because of Adam's sin and if we continue in the path of sin that first began with Adam we will experience eternal punishment away from the presence of God. Adam was the first to embark on a futile way of life and it has been passed on through the generations. But from God, through the gospel, and to His glory, He has redeemed us from these futile ways of seeking our own glory and honor. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23. However, these futile ways still affect us in very practical ways. We are affected by the heritage passed on to us. Walk with me from Adam a few short steps into history. Cain. son of Adam, went out from the presence of God, Genesis 4:16 ESV - Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain began a line of descendants who would follow in the heritage he began. They
25 built great cities, worked with metal, made musical instruments, raised livestock - away from the presence of the Lord. And it is recorded that Cain’s descendant Lamech was the first to take two wives. This is a natural outgrowth of being given the heritage of living away from the presence of the Lord. Lamech, like Cain, was also a murderer who boasted in song about the deaths of his victims. A heritage that begins with Cain. Seth, a son of Adam, begins a line of descendants in Genesis 5 that calls upon the name of the Lord but by chapter 6 only eight souls on the earth can be saved by God from the destruction of a global flood because the wickedness was so great. A few short years after Noah and his sons witness God destroy wicked men and save their family through the flood on the ark, Ham- a son of Noah, has begun a heritage for his sons. Ham sins by disrespecting his father, by looking at his nakedness. Interestingly, it is Ham's son Canaan who receives a curse from Noah. Noah seems to be offering a prophecy of what will become of Canaan based on what he can already see of a heritage that has just begun. Descendants of this heritage will be later marked for complete destruction when God sends Israel into the Promised Land. Time does not permit us to walk the full path of many other biblical examples. But, we have seen enough in these examples to know these heritages play out over centuries and even millennia as nations run a course set originally by its forefathers. When we receive a way of life from our forefathers it is futile. The heritage of an American. I say all these things because we too have a heritage. Take a few giant steps forward to our own tick mark on the timeline of history. Consider our personal heritages and a national heritage. I have traveled the globe, extensively, sometimes spending a couple of weeks in a country. Every place has a unique heritage. The people have a unique outlook. Worldviews are affected in particular ways because of heritages that are passed on and even reinforced. As Americans, we have a heritage. We should be aware of it. It has been formed in many ways with many facets, but I want to focus like a laser beam on just one of those. We have typically thought of ourselves as set apart among the nations. American exceptionalism. A place of Freedom unlike any other where the individual is able to achieve the soul's desire of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. We believe in hard work. We believe we can make anything happen. We resent government interference. We are autonomous. We are self-determined, self-reliant individuals, and we have Rights. There's an American poet, Walt Whitman, who traveled the country capturing the soul of America. He wrote a poem called The Prairie-Grass Dividing . THE prairie-grass dividing--its special odor breathing, I demand of it the spiritual corresponding, Demand the most copious and close companionship of men, Demand the blades to rise of words, acts, beings, Those of the open atmosphere, coarse, sunlit, fresh, nutritious, Those that go their own gait, erect, stepping with freedom and command--leading, not following, Those with a never-quell'd audacity--those with sweet and lusty flesh, clear of taint, Those that look carelessly in the faces of Presidents and Governors, as to say, Who are you? Those of earth-born passion, simple, never-constrain'd, never obedient, Those of inland America. Those of Inland America. This is the spirit that Whitman identified and celebrated. This heritage began long ago but I will crystallize it in Thomas Jefferson, since he was a driving force the American Revolution - The author of the Declaration of Independence.
26 Jefferson kept his religious views fairly quiet, mostly, but revealed himself to be a deist. He did not believe in a God who was active in the world. He believed in a God who wound the world like a clock, then set it loose. If anything was to be accomplished it would be solely upon a man to take hold of providential means and do it himself. There was no actively reigning God for Jefferson. To him, and others of his time, to John Locke who greatly influenced him - Reason was the reigning force in the world. (God has always been confounding the wise of this world by choosing ways that seem foolish to them.) And so, Jefferson, with the help of men like John Locke, reasoned his way to a rebellion against the king of England. This is a heritage in the fiber of every American. There was no divine right of authority in the view of Thomas Jefferson. They were no divinely appointed authorities. God never broke into history - not even in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus was just a great moral teacher (Jefferson discarded anything unreasonable from his New Testament, such as miracles or mention of Christ’s deity). No, in Jefferson’s view he was left to determine by the reigning god of Reason when it was proper to dissolve the merely political bands which have connected people. These thoughts, our idea of Rights, and more are in the DNA of every Inland American because of a Heritage that was begun long ago. God is active in history, despite what Jefferson thought. He reigns. God made, and executed a plan since eternity past. He did break into the world in the person of Jesus Christ. And he redeemed us from a futile way of life. When we come to Romans 13 we must come with a proper understanding. What is our Worldview - the Reality of life? Viewing through the proper lens. Let us now step into Romans 13, starting at the end of the chapter for a proper perspective. Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:11-14 ESV What has come before in the chapter, we do, knowing the time. We know the time. We understand the reality of the age and the age to come. At least we profess this understanding. All the perceived realities of this world are but sleep. They are but mere dreams. Spiritual realities are the day, the dawn of morning, the coming and final age. The world is dreaming that a proper political view is the answer, that indulging every desire of the flesh is the answer, that quarreling and fighting for what they're due - is the answer. These are activities of the night. We understand the time. Salvation from this evil world is near, and so, we make no provision for our flesh to engage in these things. You might be asking, like I was, what makes this worldview any different than other, so-called, enlightened views? There are other systems of belief which claim having found the way and an enlightened path. They may teach doing good for others to the point of One's Own Death or at the least, a total abstention from doing wrong. Are they also aware of the time? The difference is at least twofold. 1. We understand the world in light of what Paul says, speaking of God, in Romans 11:36 ESV, For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Everything is from, through, and to God. The one, Triune God of the universe is the Ultimate Reality. All things come from him, and are through him, and are to him. Paul is not merely piling up prepositions. This is how we understand the universe.
27 We put on Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the exclusive way to enlightenment. Children of light, those dressed in armor of light, those whose way is lit so that all things are truly visible as they truly are, are those who have come to God by putting on Jesus Christ. Making no provision for the flesh is otherwise futile.
2.
Paul has spent 11 chapters uncovering the depth of what this means in the most rigorous theology ever penned. This is the starting point for our understanding. This is the basis of our worldview. This is how we filter reality - and reality is the age to come seen only by faith. Paul shed some more light on this Ephesians 5:8 - 10, 13 - 17 ESV, “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. The Light of Christ reveals reality. Reality becomes visible. It is an enlightened worldview. Notice verses 10, 17 again. “and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” This worldview requires that we forsake determining our path by the futile way of life that is our heritage and learn and understand what the will of the Lord is. This is precisely the way in which Paul began his discourse on practical living in Romans 12:2 ESV, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Our minds must be transformed by deep and ever increasing awareness, knowledge, and approval of the will of God. Everything is from him, and through him, and to him. To him be the glory forever. Amen. It is with this understanding, we step back to the beginning of Romans 13. How does our Worldview affect our lives under government? A proper view of authority. With this view before our eyes, let us step back to the beginning of the chapter. [1] Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. [2] Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. Again, our understanding is that all things are from God, through God, and to God. Authority is one of those things. Every person (v2), all people in the world, are commanded to be subject to the governing authorities, and governing authorities ultimately leads to God who, as the only true sovereign authority, has instituted all other authorities. It naturally follows that resisting authority is resisting God which will bring judgment. [3] For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, [4] for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Romans 13:1-4 What about the statement Paul is making here - “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad…” It is easy enough, perhaps, to accept verses 1 & 2, but things get sticky here in the two verses. Would Paul be making these statements just a few years later when Nero becomes Caesar? Certainly, Nero was a terror to good people. Even at the time Paul writes these words, the Jewish Christians in Rome have
28 experienced some significant hardship, having been expelled from Rome. But, over the next 30 years persecution will become white-hot with intensity. Would Paul make these statements then, in those future years?
1. Paul’s Holy Spirit inspired words are from God and they are timeless. 2. Paul’s words are probably as much for the ruling authority as they are for the subject. As though
Paul might be saying, Christians are subject to God and thus they are subject to you Caesar. Christians are not to be viewed as a rebellious force and God expects the authorities not to be a terror to good people. However, to draw upon chapter 12:19, even if the ruling authority becomes a terror to good people, we ought never to avenge ourselves but rather leave it to the wrath of God. 3. Doing what is good is being in subjection. Or, put another way, doing what is good is not resisting. Paul gives no qualifications for living this way only under certain types of government. Resisting is evil and is punished by the government, as the avenger of God, with God’s wrath. This is the very same wrath which we wait upon with faith to avenge wrongs done to us. II Thess 1:4-8 “Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions, that you are enduring. 5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” Leave it to the vengeance of God. 4. Not only do we want to avoid experiencing wrath, but it is morally right to be in subjection. [5] Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. In fact, we pay our taxes (v6), so that government can carry out the work of God. Naturally, there are questions of when it is right to obey God over man but I will not take the time to go down that road. Except I will say this, there will be consequences for obeying God over the government or any other ruling authority. Biblical examples of men obeying God rather than men show those men obediently subject to accepting those consequences even if it led to jail time, lions’ dens, fiery furnaces, beheadings, or death on a cross. The obedient Christian, one who is subject to God, pays taxes, pays revenues, pays respect, and pays honor so that there is nothing left to owe in any of those categories. Again, there are no qualifications that these truths apply only to certain types of government or rulers. Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a coverup for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 1 Peter 2:13-17 Our worldview, that God is in control, that the day of spiritual reality awaits - and is dawning - a day Peter calls the day of visitation - this worldview frees us to live in subjection to every human institution (work boss, etc) and frees us to honor the emperor. Our worldview ought never to be used as a cloak for evil, dishonor, and rebellion lest we feel the wrath of God. What remains when all has been paid? [8] Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. [9] For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [10] Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:89
29 Love is all that remains. It is a debt that can never be paid and should be the full outgoing expense of our living. Paul is not haphazard in how he writes here. It is not coincidence that a discourse on government leads to a recitation of laws - Do not commit adultery, murder, steal, covet. Love leads us beyond mere subjection and duty. Love is at the core, base, ground of the interplay in this chapter between authority, law, subjection. And our realization of the coming day. Love is due to everyone - verse 8 says “owe no one anything, except to love each other”. Everyone is due love and love fulfills the law. Love is subject to governing authorities and human institutions. Love is obedient to God. Love does no wrong to a neighbor and has no fear of ruling authorities. Love is the highest motivation, going so far beyond the “shall nots”, into a state of perpetual indebtedness and payment of good toward each other. Loving others as we love ourselves is a state of indebtedness that leads to pouring out our lives even to the point of death for another. If we accept that self-preservation is a component of self-love, and we love others in that same way, then - paradoxically - we will go so far as to die in service to others because we love them like we love ourselves. Our very lives are poured out as an offering. So then, let us live by the law of love because we know the time. Let us awake from sleep and be free from futile heritages. Let us be subject to God, the government, and indebted to preaching the gospel.
Jason lives in the Washington, DC area where he has worked for the past 17 years. He has been teaching firearms marksmanship, tactics, is extensively experienced in vulnerability assessments, and has traveled the world. Recently, he has also shared in the responsibility of filling the Sunday morning pulpit at a small and new congregation in Maryland, the Howard County Church of Christ. Jason has been married for nearly 24 years and met his wife, Jenifer, in Owatonna, MN. Prior to moving to DC, Jason lived in Owatonna, where he and his wife were members of the Owatonna church of Christ. Contact Jason at
[email protected].
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ROMANS CHAPTER 14 By Floyd Kaiser Ponder this: IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE RIGHT AND STILL BE WRONG? This is important because as God’s people, we place enormous worth on being right. Our salvation comes through truth. Jesus preached, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). No doubt, we should always and courageously stand up for truth. However, is it possible to be right BY TRUTH and still be wrong? Is truth the only filter of how we treat others? Do the boundaries of our fellowship include only those who agree with us on every detail of biblical truth? Could biblical truth be divided into essential and non-essential truth? If it can be, how does one distinguish between them? Romans 14 is insightful because to the above question it answers, “Yes, it is possible to be right and wrong at once.” Verse 1 reads, Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. Here we have a concept which challenges the strong Christian as well as the weak. It teaches it is possible to take a position on a principle of truth, yet, be wrong. The wrong may not be the objective issue of truth, but the subjective attitude of intolerance and self-righteousness toward brethren with opposing views. It teaches that in the church some matters of truth are worth dying for, while some matters over which brethren divide may not, immediately, upon conversion, be essential matters and should not be factors of how we treat one another in Christ. TWO STAGES OF SALVATION DETAILED IN ROMANS Every chapter of the Bible should be studied in the context of the book of which it is a part. Romans 14 is no different. The epistle of Paul to the church at Rome reminds us that one’s salvation in Christ comes in two stages. The first stage deals with justification or the initial forgiveness of our sins. In Romans 5:1 it is written, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. When we hear the gospel (Romans 1:16, 16:25, 26), having believed (1:17, 3:22, 3:28, 4:5, 4:24, 9:30, 10:10), repented (2:4, 6:1-14, 8:5-8), confessed (10:9) and immersed, i.e. baptized (6:3, 4), we are brought into a saved relationship with our Savior. The second stage of salvation Paul called “walking in newness of life” (6:4), being “slaves of righteousness” (6:18), “sanctification” (6:19, being “according to the Spirit” (8:4) and “in the Spirit” (8:9), to name a few. For the benefit of this study, this second stage of salvation, will be referred to as “sanctification,” which means “that process by which the Holy Spirit as the agent, using the word of God as his instrument, brings us into the likeness of Jesus Christ in thought, word and deed” (Roy Lanier, Sr., Timeless Trinity for Ceaseless Centuries, p. 402). It is where the Christian begins his new life in Christ. In Romans 6:22, it is written, But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God [the first stage of salvation], you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification [the second stage], and the outcome, eternal life [the final end]. Sanctification is the new Christian’s motive for living and the criteria for making choices. Romans 12:1 through 15:13 describe aspects of this stage. CONTEXT OF ROMANS 14 It is in describing the stage of sanctification—some might call it simply “faithful” living (1 Corinthians 4:17, Ephesians 1:1, 6:21, Colossians 1:2, 7, 4:7, 9, 2 Timothy 2:2)—where we come to Romans 14. Here the
31 epistle turned to two specific points of disagreement among members of the Roman church. These disagreements were threatening the unity of their fellowship and putting souls at risk. The theme of this chapter is best summed up by verse 19, So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Clearly, what Paul had in mind was not settling the question of who is correct, but that in matters of opinion, which I will call “non-essentials,” practicing tolerance was critical. What Paul argued with chapter 14, is that it is possible to be on the right side of an issue, but at the same time, be unchristian in one’s stand upon the truth side of the issue. The most important verses of Romans 14 for sound interpretation are the first three. Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. (Romans 14:1-3) There are three concepts we must properly understand to sort out the meaning of this great chapter. PASSING JUDGMENT First, what does “passing judgment” mean? The expression, in the Greek, is a single word, defined as “distinguishing, discerning or judging” (Thayer, G1253). In Hebrews 5:14, it is used, But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. The Greek word translated “discern” in this verse is the word and is noted by Robertson’s Word Pictures to convey the sense of “deciding between.” It is never used in the New Testament to describe a judgment of God, but a man’s. Practically, it is difficult to know the exact behavior “passing judgment” in Romans 14:1 led to. Verse 3 and 10, however, give us a clue. One party was treating another party with “contempt” (NASB). This matter of treating someone with contempt is used in Luke 23:11 to describe the manner of treatment Jesus received from Herod and his soldiers while under arrest. They were treating Him with contempt and mocking Him. While no one today can know exactly how some were treating others with contempt in the Roman church, one thing is clear: There were brethren, the “strong” (15:1), snubbing brethren, the “weak” (14:1) with whom they disagreed about matters of non-essential truth or “opinions.” The snubbing might have been like what the apostle Peter did when, for a period, he withdrew himself from Gentile Christians (see Galatians 2:12). Such condescending behavior is not foreign to the 21st Century church. While I cannot estimate how much of this goes on among all members of the church, I am familiar with the experiences of some preachers. Often such judging and being treated with the companion contempt, will go like this: A new preacher will come to a congregation to be greeted with enthusiasm from most of the membership. After a time, however, certain members’ support will wane and encouragement will cease because some discover that the new preacher does not hold to the exact same opinions as they do. Sometimes this happens after a single sermon or Bible class. And, the new preacher, therefore, is viewed by some as needing to be assigned to somewhat of a lesser “preacher/member” fellowship. The preacher is not in lock-step with members’ opinions or beliefs over non-essentials. In the late 70’s, I associated with certain brethren who were in the “Crossroads Movement” within the church. This was principally connected with evangelistic efforts among university students and had its beginning in Gainesville, Florida. I carefully studied the movement and discovered, contrary to how most were describing it, it was NOT liberal, but, quite conservative and legalistic. Those dedicated to this movement were very opinionated about how new converts were to spend their time, with whom they should socialize, how they were supposed to participate in church programs and how they were to interact with any non-Christian persons in their lives, including non-Christian parents. The detailed ways persons, in the Crossroads Movement, were expected to behave were often, at best, wise, but not binding by the word of God. The Bible, while giving guidelines for faithful living, did not, for instance, order these new converts who to date or how to spend their spare time. The ones who were
32 supposed to be mature forced their opinions on all who wanted to be part of their movement and developed definite means of social pressure to force everyone to conform. Most notably, they would practice a much more enthusiastic fellowship with those who conformed to their opinions. Those less willing to conform were noticeably ostracized. This was the problem Paul addresses. It was not about eating meat or celebrating certain religious days, but how the “supposed” mature was treating those who did not agree with them in every detail of religious conduct. MEANING OF “OPINIONS” The second issue of concern from the Romans 14:1-3 is what is meant by opinions. The Greek word is mostly translated in NASB with “thoughts” (3), “what...were thinking” (2) (NASEC, G1261). It refers to human processes and thoughts rather then what is written in the Bible. It would be represented by “I am thinking” rather than “It is written.” In his commentary on Romans, Brother Lard translated this Greek word as “thoughts.” He wrote, “These thoughts are his own private opinions respecting things about which there is no command” (Moses Lard, Paul’s Letter to Romans, p. 413). Jack Cottrell wrote, It is not a question of either/or, but both/and. Some aspects of the Christian life are governed by law; some rightly fall under the heading of freedom of opinion. Paul is discussing the latter category here. The objective of Romans 14 is to promote a proper and even-handed interaction between all members of the church regardless of their individual positions on opinions (non-essentials). The matter of defining what is uncompromising doctrine and what would be classified as “opinion” is very difficult. The line between the two is not always exact. Prayer, wisdom, love and, especially, knowledge of the Word must all come together for this determination. FIRST IMMEDIATE ISSUE Again the two issues of conflict in Romans 14 are matters of diet and the special observation of certain religious days. The verses dealing with diet are the following. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him (Romans 14:3). For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men (Romans 14:15-18). Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles (Romans 14:20-21). Brother James Burton Coffman suggests that the controversy over diet was an “echo” of the JewishGentile relationship in the church which the epistle to the Romans had already addressed several times (Coffman, Commentary on Romans, p. 466). The Jews, under the Law of Moses, adhered to the foodrelated commands found therein. Certain foods were unclean simply because God said they were, such as pork (e.g. Leviticus 11:7, 45-47). Furthermore, food sacrificed to idols was avoided because eating such food was tantamount to worshipping the false god to whom it was offered (see Deuteronomy 32:3738). In the New Testament, the diet issue became a full-blown controversy between the Jew and Gentile Christian and was quite thoroughly addressed in 1 Corinthians 8. The conclusion of Paul’s dealing with the subject in 1 Corinthians was quite consistent with Romans 14. He admonished the spiritually mature not to
33 eat meat sacrificed to an idol, if it was offensive to the immature in the church and put their faith at risk. In 1 Corinthians 8:9, he wrote, But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. Paul’s emphasis here was upon the knowledge of truth as being the distinctive difference between the mature and immature brothers. He wrote, However not all men have this knowledge [that there was no god but Jehovah God]; but some [the new and relatively untaught brother], being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled (1 Corinthians 8:7). As to whom was right in this controversy, it was the ones biblically sound. As to their attitude, some were wrong, however, when they ate meat sacrificed to an idol without taking into consideration less knowledgeable brethren. In the church age, dietary restrictions found in the Law were removed. In Mark 7:19, in a parenthetical statement about Jesus’ teaching, the Holy Spirit explained, Thus He declared all foods clean (also see Acts 10:14, 15). Pork sausage and fried catfish could now be enjoyed by God’s new covenant people. The dietary restrictions are removed. The question of the correctness of attitude and conduct still remained. Paul wrote, Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble (1 Corinthians 8:13). SECOND IMMEDIATE ISSUE The second controversy in Romans 14 dealt with the religious observation of special days. About this, the following verses are recorded. One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God (Romans 14:5-6). Under the law of Moses were numerous special religious days such as the weekly Sabbaths, new moons, annual feasts and days of jubilee. These were observed by every faithful follower of Moses, including our Lord Jesus (see Matthew 26:17-19). Upon obedience to the gospel, such practices were so engrained that it took a period of teaching for Jewish new converts to be “reprogrammed” by the new covenant of Christ. It did not happen instantly as sanctification is a process and not a onetime event. TWO DIVISIONS OF LAW To understand Romans 14, one needs to accept that the system of Christianity can be divided into two divisions: those matters which cannot be compromised, the essentials believed and practiced upon conversion and those which can, at least for a time anyway, be compromised, depending upon the circumstances. When Jews were baptized and added to the church (see Acts 2:47), as is the case with any new convert, they brought with them some of their old beliefs. Some of these residue beliefs could not be fitted into the Christian faith and had to be changed. For instance, sacrifices for atonement could not continue (see Hebrews 9:12). Therefore, a Jewish convert being exposed to the gospel for the first time had to be taught that animal sacrifices were not needed. This is a basic, uncompromising truth, which the person learning the gospel had to discard. Sacrificing an animal for forgiveness was not a gray area of Christianity. However, some other beliefs and practices the Jewish Christian brought from Judaism were not as rigidly bound. This is surely what Paul had in mind when he wrote, To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some (1 Corinthians 9:22). Of course, Paul never did anything “unchristian,” such as commit immorality to reach those who were immoral, but he did engage in practices, non-essentials of Christianity which the truth allowed to be compromised to achieve a greater good. He was “weak to the weak,” the very attitude he encouraged in Romans 14.
34 Likely, the situation of Acts 21:19-26, when Paul kept a Nazirite vow in Jerusalem (see Numbers 6:13-15) would be an example of the tolerance of a practice not bound upon him as a Christian. Even though as a Christian he did not have to keep a vow, he did not refuse because it aided his greater objective of preaching the gospel among the Jews. As brother H. Leo Boles wrote, “Since the law of Moses contained some ceremonial rites, these could be observed for the sake of peace and harmony without violating a principle” (A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, p. 342). The two controversies reported in Romans 14 were only examples where Paul encouraged the spiritually strong to tolerate and even go along with the practices of a Christian “weak in faith” (14:1). WEAK AND STRONG BRETHREN Some commentaries make the main difference of Romans 14 between the “weak” (14:1) and the “strong” (15:1) to be that the strong stand upon Christian liberty and the weak does not. These Bible scholars suggest that the strong, by a deeper knowledge of the truth, are able to do more than the weak who perceived truth as much more restricting in how a person lives. In my view, this is a much too simplistic, linear definition. Paul, seems to me, to be defining the strong (or mature) as those who know the truth about an issue, but also how to live so as to not compromise the salvation of the less knowledgeable. In 1 Corinthian 8 regarding conflicting views of diet, whether to eat meat sacrificed to an idol or not, the principle distinction between the two parties is not a measure of liberty, but a measure of knowledge. In 1 Corinthians 8:4, Paul wrote, Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. The crux of the difference between the party who feels they can eat meat sacrificed to an idol and the party who thinks they cannot is knowledge, “we know that…” Later in the chapter, Paul wrote, However not all men have this knowledge (8:7). The controversy was not liberty verses freedom, but knowledge verses ignorance. ARGUMENTS FOR TOLERANCE OF NON-ESSENTIALS Both sides of opposing opinions are devotees of the same Lord. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living (Romans 14:79). Jack Cottrell wrote, “Only the owner (Lord) of a slave has the right to sit in judgment on the slave’s conduct. In the church the only Lord is Jesus Christ (10:9); all Christians are equally his slaves. He alone is our arbiter and judge; we answer only to him” (The College Press NIV Commentary: Romans, vol. 2, p. 394). Here is a fact essential to healthy fellowship in the church: There is only one Lord (see Acts 2:36, 10:36, 1 Cor. 1:2, 12:5). Going back to the context of 1 Corinthians 8 and the subject of eating meat sacrificed to idols, Paul makes a similar argument. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him (1 Corinthians 8:5-6). Romans 14:7-9 teaches the Lordship of Christ for each individual Christian as being timeless and comprehensive. It lasts from the exact time of one’s obedience to the gospel, at baptism, and encompasses one’s every choice. It is affected by neither life or death. There is never a period in a Christian’s life when lordship of the Savior is transferred to another, not even another Christian. Therefore, the mature, knowledgeable Christian does not have authority over the Lord’s slave. He can be a model (see Philippians 3:17); he certainly can teach with patience and love (see Ephesians 4:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:14) and even rebuke (see 2 Timothy 4:2), but he does not have a right to become a lord to Jesus’ slave. Paul makes clear in verse 9, that Jesus bought and paid for his Lordship by his death and resurrection.
35 Both sides of the opposing parties will be judged by God. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10-12). Verses 10-12 bear witness to the fact that when the Great Day of Judgment arrives, each person representing both sides of the conflict about non-essentials, will stand before God. The strong will stand before the same Judge as the weak. Brother Lard wrote, As each of us will have to account to God for his conduct, and be judged accordingly, it is idle to be judging and despising one another here. Our judgments are not final, nor will anyone either stand or fall by them. As they can affect no one but ourselves, we had better repress them (Lard, A Commentary on Romans, p. 421). No matter how condemning one brother might be of another, there will ultimately be only one Judge. By judging a weak, less knowledgeable brother, his faith is put at risk. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died (Romans 14:13-15). Each Christian’s set of essentials and non-essentials might be different. Essentials, such as Jesus is Lord and baptism for the remission of sins, are not going to be different between the weak and the strong. Without acceptance of such essentials into their belief system, neither one could even become a member of the church (see Acts 2:47). The weak, however, might well add some non-essentials to their list of essentials simply because they do not know better. The non-essentials in Romans 14 were not eating meat and the observation of certain religious days. If the weak violated what they perceived to be an essential, they still believed they had sinned. That self-condemnation, Paul is saying could be as destructive as real sin. Therefore, he wrote, Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died (14:15b). It is important to note that in verse 14, when a “misinformed” essential is violated, as in the case of eating meat, “TO HIM it is unclean.” The guilt for eating meat is within himself, the weak Christian, and not between himself and God. God does not reckon it as sin, but the weak does. This would be consistent with 14:22, 23. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. (23) But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin. Watch carefully. Paul stresses personal assessment rather than divine law as being the foundation of a perceived offense. He wrote, “your OWN conviction” rather than God’s law and “condemn HIMSELF” rather than God condemning him. If this is correct, the “sin” of verse 23 is a sin because of the weak one’s own uninformed knowledge of the essentials rather than God’s law. Therefore, it may not be sin as we usually define it in 1 John 4:5, sin is lawlessness. Furthermore, in Romans 5:13, we are taught, sin is not imputed when there is no law. I must wonder, “Does the violation of one’s own flawed understanding of what is acceptable constitute sin against God?” If a Christian violates his conscience about a matter which God classifies as a non-essential, what is the danger? One danger is that it could open a floodgate to other sins which do amount to lawlessness and by those true sins—not just eating meat—a person’s soul is periled.
36 The second danger is described by brother Lard, “It is a sin because it is reckless and presumptuous – reckless, in being rash and careless – presumptuous, in being performed as to God without conviction that is right” (Lard, p 429). It is the defiance of God that condemns and not the act itself. Judging the weak does not match the inherent character of the church. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles (Romans 14:16-21). For the mature, to judge the non-essential practices of the weak and to treat them with contempt when they do not conform is not consistent with the character of the kingdom. The kingdom, it teaches, features “righteousness and peace and joy.” Considering the importance of harmony in the church and all members being treated with equal respect, in 1 Corinthians 6:1-4, Paul addresses the division in the fellowship caused by the apparent practice of disagreements between brethren being taken to civil court. The utter absurdity of such misconduct is emphasized in 1 Corinthians 6:7, Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? Paul admonishes the parties of such squabbles to swallow defeat and give ground rather than continue behavior that risks souls. This is somewhat the message of Romans 14. Even when one is correct, to match the very character of the kingdom, it might be best to tolerate compromises in opinions, non-essentials. It might be better to not eat meat or to drink wine, or do anything by which your brother stumbles (14:21) than to insist upon what you know to be allowed by God’s word. It is an extraordinary request, but necessary to protect souls of brethren. CONCLUSIONS 1.
Any preacher who teaches non-essential opinions as if they are eternal life essentials will soon be dividing the church. There are numerous areas of divine wisdom which might be taught, but, if they are opinions and not clearly taught in the Bible as essentials of Christian faith, they should not be presented to be matters that test fellowship. Take, for instance, whether teaching the Bible should be a work organized under the oversight of an eldership. From, my knowledge, I believe it should be, if an eldership is present. However, today, in the church there are a growing number of evangelistic and preacher training programs being run by a board of directors, such as Bible programs of most Christian universities. I believe that such practices are not scriptural, but not necessarily essential. Some to whom I preach at Southwest have a different view of this matter, but are still my brethren. Therefore, I might teach the subject as part of a natural process of studying the Bible—I must never forsake any truth—but I will not make it a test of fellowship and treat with contempt those who disagree. A list of examples of current opinions from which one can find various positions in the church are: a. Home-schooling verses public schooling. b. Parental discipline. c. Dress for church and everyday. d. Tattoos. e. Politics. f. Finances. g. Role of grandparents. h. Tobacco use. i. Interracial marriage. j. Procedures for Lord’s Supper. k. Versions of the Bible. l. Hand clapping. m. Celebrating Christmas or Easter.
37 n. Procedures for worship. o. Recreational buildings. p. Youth ministers. 2.
Teaching truth and the wisdom of God are non-negotiable. While there might be differences in the church about opinion matters not addressed in the Bible or addressed in a fashion difficult to understand, it does not follow that teaching about such issues should be avoided. Instead of not preaching about tobacco use, for example, it would be appropriate to teach the truth about the body being the temple of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 6:19) and the possible undesirable effects of tobacco on this temple. Yet, if one leaves such teaching and continues a habit of, say, dipping snuff, neither disfellowshipping nor treating with contempt would be warranted. Continued teaching would be.
3.
What are the essentials of Christian behavior? Two reasonable guidelines seem appropriate: Whether it is in the Bible and how clearly is it taught in the Bible? Many disputed issues in the church are over matters about which the Bible is silent. We know, for instance, that Christians are commanded to assemble (see Hebrews 10:25) on, at least, the first day of the week, Sunday (see Acts 20:7). However, where to assemble and what time are considerations about which the New Testament is silent. This creates opinions that can become so fixed in our habits that we can begin to think it is somewhere in the Bible that we are supposed to meet on Sunday at 9 a.m. for Bible class, 10 for worship and 5 for evening services. To boldly declare we are people of the Bible and, yet, use only tradition as arguments for what we do, is highly contradictory. Texts like 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 are valuable for recognizing some essentials because of how clear they are stated. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Any person with average intelligence should have no problem here. Stopping homosexual behavior for a Christian is an essential and should qualify as a test of fellowship. Baptism is addressed so frequently and plainly, it would be difficult to argue it is not an essential. One rule of thumb I consider to be valid is that if one must resort to a study of Greek or Hebrew to prove a matter to be essential, it most likely is not. The Bible and God’s plan written therein should not depend upon one being a Greek scholar to understand. Paul wrote the Ephesian church about the mystery of God revealed in the New Testament, By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3:4). Anyone’s list of essentials which can only be proven by an in-depth study of Greek, should be suspect. The best tool of learning God’s will is simply the Bible itself, reliably translated into modern English. We should be able to READ and to UNDERSTAND. 4. Tolerance of differences in the church is a clear biblical concept taught in Romans 14. Everybody who comes into the church does not come with a clean slate of religious expectations. Having grown up in the Lutheran denomination, instrumental music in worship still does not seem so pagan to me, even after studying the subject and reaching the conclusion that instruments in worship is wrong. After erasing a markerboard there can remain a faint outline of what once was. None of us enters the church without some impression of what we already think Christianity should be. We are not automatons whose memory can be deleted with the push of a button. Therefore, we all bring some of our former life into the church with us. Even those raised in the church will carry into their conversion and adulthood impressions of the essentials which might seem easily defended, but are not as clearly taught in the Bible as they think. Levels of maturity and diverse backgrounds realistically create enormous diversity in the church. 5. The conclusion from what I learned from this study of Romans 14 is probably the most important for the church of our day, as well as Paul’s. SOMETIMES THE BEST COURSE THROUGH CONFLICT OF BELIEF IS TO SIMPLY “CHILL-OUT!” All-out efforts to teach the truth which makes a distinction between essentials and opinions of Christianity is important. However, after all
38 resources to these ends have been exhausted, differences will remain. No fellowship of the Lord’s church has ever accomplished a lock-step conformity in all aspects of truth. The study of the Bible, seasoned with the acceptance of some differences and with tolerance of one another, must continue. Working to seek the greatest good, the salvation of souls, must be the aim of every church leader.
Floyd Kaiser Floyd Kaiser lives in Ada, Oklahoma and is pulpit minister/counselor for the Southwest church of Christ. He received a Bachelor’s Degree from Sam Houston University in Huntsville, Texas; a Master’s of Counseling from Texas A&M at Commerce and a Preaching Degree from Bear Valley Bible Institute in Denver. He has been a Licensed Professional Counselor for 23 years in Texas and Oklahoma. He has worked full-time as youth minister, counselor or pulpit minister in the church since 1976. He has been married to Margaret for 47 years. They have three sons, one daughter-in-law and one grandson. Contact Floyd at
[email protected].
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ROMANS CHAPTER 15 By Joshua Richardson CHAPTER OUTLINE: • 1-7 Put the Brethren first, That is the ONLY way to be Unified and glorify God • 8-14 Gentiles ARE Christians in every sense of the word with all equality! According to prophesy • 15-29 Paul’s Plans, Past and Future • 30-33 Paul’s Request SERMON OUTLINE: • Prefer Your Brothers (1-7) • YES! Those Brothers, Too (8-14) • Let us Strive Together (30-33) I. PREFER YOUR BROTHERS (1-7) a. V1-2. We do this FOR the benefit of our brother i. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, (5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;” ii. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. (24) Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.” b. V3-7. Christ set this example for us i. Philippians 2:2-11 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. (3) Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (4) Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. (5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” ii. Jesus Is Not Asking Us to Do Something He Did Not Do iii. Matthew 16:24-25 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (25) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” c. V7 “as Christ received us to the glory of God” i. To what extent shall I prefer my brother? ii. Jesus set us the perfect example II. YES! THOSE BROTHERS, TOO (8-16) a. First point, ITS ALWAYS BEEN GOD’S WAY! i. It was ALWAYS God’s intention to have the church unite all men! 1. Go through verses 8-12 2. God’s plan was for all men to be in His kingdom ii. Galatians 3:26-29 “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
40 iii. Latino, African, Caucasian, Asian, Natives (Alaskan Samoans, Native Americans etc.) iv. Curious that so many in America today think of it as a white man’s religion. b. Prejudice is NOT a new thing: i. Galatians 2:11-13 “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. (12) For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. (13) And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.” ii. Look at the book of Jonah, it wasn’t that he hated sin, he hated Ninevites! c. Prejudice is condemning what God sanctifies i. Colossians 3:10-11 “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: (11) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” ii. Acts 10:15 “And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” iii. Acts 10:28 “And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” d. Paul is persuaded that the church in Rome, like Christ, can with Christ power build up the church i. Build up the church by being willing to love souls enough to act like them (not in sin but other respects) ii. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. (20) And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; (21) To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. (22) To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. (23) And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.” III. LET US STRIVE TOGETHER (30-32) a. This word “strive” is a compound word bringing two words together. One word meaning unity/unify i. Thayer Defines the other part of this word: 1. 1) to enter a contest: contend in the gymnastic games 2. 2) to contend with adversaries, fight 3. 3) metaphorically to contend, struggle, with difficulties and dangers 4. 4) to endeavour with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something ii. One of our strongest tools against Satan IS prayer! iii. Let us fight the good fight WITH prayer! iv. In Ephesians 6 where the Christian’s armor is listed, right after the Sword of the Spirit, 1. Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” 2. Ephesians 6:20 “For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” 3. When Peter and John were taken and examined after healing the lame man by the Gate Beautiful, they are commanded to not “speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” 4. Peter, John and many other Christians gather and pray a. Acts 4:29 “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,”
41 b. Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” v. We as Christians MUST realize prayer is a powerful weapon in our Christian arsenal! b. (31a) Delivered from non-believers, delivered from the world i. Remember Paul has been arrested once already just cause he showed up in this city ii. Interesting he does not pray for their obedience c. (31b) The work will be accepted by the saints i. Paul is asking for prayers that his work for God will be recognized by the brethren ii. Anyone who has raised funds to accomplish a work KNOWS what Paul is talking about d. (32) We might have fellowship with one another and be refreshed i. We need to pray for times of refreshing with our brethren ii. The closest to heaven we can ever get on this earth is when united with brethren encouraging and uplifting one another while praising the Lord CONCLUSION: • Put ALL your brothers first! • Prayer is one method God gave us to WORK together to accomplish His will! Joshua Richardson married the beautiful Brittany Newburn on July 9th 2011. They have five spectacular children: Amos (4), Joel David (4), Eden (3), Malachi (1), and baby expected to debut in May. Joshua graduated from the Memphis School of Preaching in 2008. He has been involved in mission trips to Jamaica and India, as well as several domestic campaigns. Originally from Wetumpka, AL, Joshua has preached for the church in Marion, AR (2009-2011) Hazel Park, MI (2013-2016) and currently preaches for the Lord’s church in New Richmond, WI (August 2016 to present). Contact Joshua at
[email protected].
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ROMANS CHAPTER 16 By Johnathan Fleming Concluding Salutations and Farewells (16:1-16) Verses 1-2: “I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: 2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.” 1. Phoebe’s name is the feminine form of Phoebus, which means “bright” or “pure”, a reference to the Greek god Apollo. a. Her name likely indicates that she was a convert from idolatry. b. It is believed that Phoebe was the courier of the letter to Rome. c. In these verses Paul describes her in four ways. i. Sister-sister in Christ (since she was a Gentile) ii. Servant-She served the church of Christ as all Christians should. iii. Saint-one set apart by God. iv. Succourer- from a Greek word (προστάτις) meaning "protectress." Athenian writers used the word for those who took care of strangers. 1) Apparently she was a woman of moderate wealth since Paul indicates that she aided many including Paul himself. 2) Also she seemed to have the means to travel between Corinth and Rome. 2. Some assert that Phoebe was a deaconess (as in the work in the Church, 1Ti. 3:10-13) because of the Greek word (διάκονος) which is translated “servant.” a. The word has many applications in the New Testament i. Paul used it to describe civil leaders (Rom. 13:4, 6) ii. Paul used it to describe Christ. (Rom. 15:8) iii. The office in the Lord’s church carries with it a prerequisite (among others) that a deacon be the husband of one wife, ruling his children and house well (1Ti. 3:12). b. There are no qualifications given for any office of deaconess, thus Paul is clearly using the word in a general, unofficial, sense as ALL Christians are (or should be) deacons (servants) of the congregations of which they are affiliated. Verses 3-5: “Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.” Paul had labored with Aquila and Priscilla. (Acts 18:1-3; 24-26) a. They taught Apollos the way of Christ more perfectly, when Apollos only taught the baptism of John. (Acts 18:26) b. Apparently Paul thought highly of them since he mentions the in two other epistles (1Co. 16:19; 2Ti. 4:19). c. They probably risked their lives during the great uproar at Ephesus (Acts 19:33-20:1) 2. Paul appended to their greeting, a salutation to Epaenetus ("praiseworthy [Ἐπαίνετος]), who was the first convert to Christ in Achaia, the province in which Corinth is located. a. The ASV has ‘Asia’ instead of ‘Achaia’, with Ephesus being the likely place of his conversion.” b. In either case Paul clearly had affection for him, of whom we have no other information except this brief reference. Verses 6-9: “Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us. 7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord. 9 Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.” 1. Everyone named Mary in the Bible is well spoken of. (i.e. Luke 1:30; 10:42; Mark 16:9; Acts 12:12) 2. Andronicus and Junia were Paul’s relatives, or at the very least fellow Israelites. a. “Fellowprisioners” literally translates “fellow captives in war.”
43 b. They possibly shared in one of Paul’s numerous imprisonments. (2Co. 11:23) 3. There is no more information in the Scriptures regarding Amplias, Urbane, and Stachys. a. Amplias [Ἀμπλίαν]—A Roman name meaning “large” or “extensive” (etymological origin of ample). b. Urbane [Οὐρβανὸν]— (Urban) literally “of the city” or “polite.” c. Stachys [Στάχυν]—(spike) literally “head of grain” (etymology of “stalk”?) Verses 10-12: “Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household. 11 Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. 12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.” 1. Apelles [Ἀπελλῆν]-a name meaning “called.” a. “Approved” (δόκιμος)—this is a term used of one tried and found faithful, possibly by persecution. b. Jews frequently adopted this Greek name. 2. Aristobulus [Ἀριστόβθλος]—Greek name meaning “the best counsellor.” 3. Herodion [Ἡροδίωνα]—A Greek masculine name that possibly links him to the dynasty of Herod, or a freedman from Herod’s rule. 4. Tryphena and Tryphosa a. Tryphena [Τρύφαιναν]—A feminine name meaning “luxurious” or “delicious; delicate” b. Tryphosa [Τρυφῶσαν]—A feminine name meaning “luxuriating” or “thrice shining” c. Some believe they were sisters due to their similar names. i. The word “labor” is translated from a word [κοπιάω] that means to toil to the point of exhaustion. ii. As their names mean “dainty” and “delicate” Paul emphasizes that they are far from weak when serving their Lord. 5. Persis [Περσίδα]—A feminine name which is the same as “Persia”; which means “that cuts or divides”’ a nail”; “a horseman."" a. Note that Paul says that Persis “labored” (past tense) which may indicate a woman of age or perhaps had become disabled somehow. b. She could even have been imprisoned as Paul later was when he was in Rome. (Acts 28:30) Verses 13-15: “Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them. 15 Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.” 1. Rufus [Ῥοῦφον]—possibly the son of Simon the Cyrenian, who bore the cross of Christ. (Mark 15:21) a. All Christians are Chosen in the Lord. (Mark 13:20; Eph. 1:4) b. It is believed that this was not Paul’s actual mother, but a motherly figure who treated him with great kindness, as a son. c. Every Gospel preacher cherishes such ladies in his life. 2. Asyncritus [Ἀσύγκριτον]—His name means “incomparable.” 3. Phlegon [Φλέγων]—Name means “burning” or “zealous.” 4. Hermas [Ἑρμᾶς]—means “gain” or “refuge” 5. Patrobas [Πατροβᾶς]—“that pursues the steps of his father” 6. Hermes [Ἑρμῆς]— the Greek/Roman messenger god bore this name. 7. Philologus [Φιλόλογος]—literally means “lover of the word” or “lover of learning”; modern day students of the languages of the Bible are called “philologists.” 8. Julia [Ἰουλία]—Feminine form of “Julius” meaning “downy” or “soft and tender hair”; believed to be either the wife or sister of Philologus. 9. Nereus [Νηρεύς]—“a lamp” or “new tilled land” 10. Olympas [Ὀλυμπᾶς]—“heavenly” 11. Of the twenty-four brethren listed here ten are women. William Barclay observed: “That is worth remembering, for often Paul is accused of belittling the status of women in the Church. If we really wish to see Paul’s attitude, it is a passage like this that we should read, where his appreciation of the work that women are doing in the Church shines through his words.” Verse 16: “Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.” 1. In these first sixteen verses Paul uses the word "salute" 13 times. a. Apparently this was important to him. b. A salute or greeting is indicative of fellowship. 2. Kissing was an ancient means of greeting or parting and is still used in some cultures today. a. Jesus rebuked Simon because he had not greeted him with a kiss when Jesus entered his house (Luke 7:45).
44 b. Judas betrayed Christ with a kiss (Mat. 26:49). c. Joab slew Amasa by deceiving him by feigning a kiss (2Sa. 20:9-10). 3. There are other methods of greeting mentioned in the New Testament. a. Embracing or hug (Acts 20:1). b. Handshake (Gal. 2:9) 4. Paul is not commanding that Christians kiss to salute (greet) one another; what Paul is binding is that it be holy, or appropriate. 5. “Churches of Christ” a. The churches under consideration are probably those of Corinth (since Paul probably wrote the epistle from there), Cenchrea, and others in the province of Achaia sent their salutations to the Roman congregation. b. The term “church of Christ” is not used as a proper name for the church, but to designate ownership: each of these local churches belongs to Christ. c. Together the individuals which comprise the many congregations around the world, make up the one body of Christ (his church; Mat. 16:18; Eph. 4:4-5; 1Co. 12:13). Faithfulness in Opposing Error (16:17-20) Verse 17: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” 1. It is no coincidence that immediately following such a long section regarding fellowship and unity (salutation/greeting) Paul turns to how Christians ought to deal with those who teach error. 2. Those who espouse error are to be dealt with differently than those who abide in truth. a. Faithful Christians are responsible for saluting on another while marking those who teach any other doctrine than Christ’s. b. “Mark” means to “point out”, “take note of” or “observe.” i. Unstated is the fact that attempts must first be made to correct the error that is being promoted. ii. If they do not repent, then they are to be identified as false teachers and avoided. (Titus 3:10) c. “Divisions” refers to any doctrine (teaching) that is not in harmony with that which is revealed in Christ’s word. 3. Doctrine is important a. The early church continued in the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42 [which was Christ’s doctrine, Matthew 18:18-19; John 16:12-15]) b. Paul commanded Timothy to take heed to the doctrine. (1Ti. 4:16; 2Ti. 4:2-3) c. Also Titus (Titus 1:9; 2:1, 7) d. Anyone who does not follow the doctrine of Christ does not have God. (2Jo. 1:9-11) 4. The purpose for marking and avoiding is to escape corruption and division in order that the congregation may remain pure. a. Paul prohibits the fellowship of those who promote and proclaim falsehood. b. The word translated “avoid” [ἐκκλίνιω] is the same word that Peter uses regarding how we are to treat evil “eschew” (2Pe. 3:11). i. The word means “to turn (one’s self) away, to turn way from, keep aloof from one’s society” and to shun one. ii. Christians are to distance themselves from those who profess doctrines contrary to Christ’s. iii. This would include erring congregations, individuals, and especially denominations (which by their very nature are divisive). c. Paul mentions that the effect of false teaching is two fold i. It causes divisions—where there is division the Lord’s will is not being followed, by one if not all parties. (John 17:20-21; 1Co. 1:10; Phi. 1:27; 3:16). ii. Offenses result 1) The false doctrine is an offense against God and with each new person who accepts the error a new offense against God compounds. 2) The word “offense” comes from a word (σκάνδαλον) from which our English word “scandal” has its origin. a) It refers to the trigger of a trap or “any impediment placed in the way and causing one to stumble and fall.” (Strong) b) It is the same word translated “stumblingblock” in Romans 11:9.
45 Verse 18: “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” 1. Paul reveals the truth behind the motive of those who teach error…they do not wish to serve God, but themselves. a. Behind every erroneous doctrine that is proclaimed is an agenda. b. This is no different than the ancient pagans who created their own gods to justify their sins. 2. Paul also describes the nature of falsehood. a. It looks good and sounds good and often makes people feel good. (1Jo. 2:16) b. Since false teaching cannot have Bible to support it, it has to have some compelling anecdote or story to lend it some credibility. Verse 19: “For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.” 1. Paul commends the Romans on their faithfulness. a. As the saints circulated around the Roman Empire, they carried reports of the welfare of the cause of Christ in other places. b. Rome, being what it was, would have much traffic going through it, hence the reports of the obedience of the Christians at Rome would spread. 2. It is significant to note that it is their "obedience" that has "come abroad" a. One can see the faith of another only as it is manifested in obedience to God’s word. b. This is the difference between a dead faith (faith only) and living faith (faith + obedience; Jam. 2:1426; Gal. 5:6). 3. Paul prays for wisdom (skill/expertise) in good things and simple (literally “unmixed” or “pure”) concerning that which is evil. Verse 20: “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” 1. A likely explanation for Paul’s statement is that it is in reference to the overthrow of Judaism, which occurred about twelve years after Romans was written. a. The chief opposition to the church up to this point was Jewish. b. When Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 the persecutions from the Jews were largely removed. c. There are other Passages where the coming of Christ in Judgment on Jerusalem are under consideration (Phi. 4:5; Jam. 5:8; 1Pe. 4:8). 2. Paul concludes this section with a pronouncement of grace upon them. a. His statement is a prayer that they might continue to receive the benefits of God’s grace. b. It was not an empty expression, but Paul’s sincere desire for their wellbeing, both physical but especially spiritual… Greetings from Paul’s Companions (16:21-24) Verses 21-24: “Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord. 23 Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother. 24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” 1. Paul had collected quite the crew of co-workers, which teaches us a lesson about the Lord's work, namely that it is not a solitary work. a. Paul was constantly training converts to continue in God's mission to the lost. b. This is a crucial aspect of the Great Commission (Mat. 28:18-20; Mark 16:16); that in making disciples we teach them the importance of carrying on God's message and not in order that they replace us in our evangelistic efforts, but to work with us in them. 2. Apart from Timothy and possibly Gaius, we do not have much information regarding these men. a. Timothy, of course, was Paul's son in the faith (1Ti. 1:2). b. His name [Τιμόθεος] means "honoring God" and is referred to no less than 28 times in the New Testament. 3. Lucius, Jason, Sosipater whom Paul calls kinsmen. a. Probably his kinsmen in the sense of fellow Israelites, though some have suggested they were all of the same tribe, Benjamin. b. The only other mention of the name Lucius [Λούκιος], which means "bright light", is in Acts 13:1 where we read of Paul a group of prophets who worked with the church of Antioch.
46 c. The only other Jason ("one who will heal" [Ἰάσων]) we read about is the man from Thessalonica whose household was assaulted due to their connection with Paul's preaching of the Gospel. d. Sosipater, whose name [Σωσίπατρος] means "savior of his father" is mentioned in Acts 20:4 in connection with Paul's group who traveled in to Asia Minor. 4. Tertius a. Paul apparently dictated this epistle to the Romans and Tertius (only mentioned here) was known at Rome and chooses to include his personal greetings. b. The employment of an amanuensis was not uncommon among inspired men. i. Jeremiah employed Baruch to write his words (Jer. 36:4) ii. There are hints that 1 Corinthians, Colossians, and 2Thessalonians were penned by an amanuensis since Paul indicates that he wrote the greeting by his own hand. (1Co. 16:21; Col. 4:18) iii. Paul's salutation to the Thessalonians in his second epistle suggest that it was Paul's regular habit to employ a scribe and then sign the greeting/salutation himself (2Th. 3:17) iv. Peter, it also made use of an amanuensis when he employed Silvanus to write his first epistle (1Pe. 5:12). 5. Gaius a. Gaius (meaning "lord"; [Γάϊος]) was a common Roman name and is found 5x in the New Testament. b. The first instance is of Gaius a Macedonian who was caught up on the riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:29) c. There is the Gaius associated with the Corinthian congregation whom Paul baptized. (1Co. 1:14) d. In Acts 20:4 we read of a Gaius (of Derbe) who accompanied Paul on his last journey to Jerusalem. e. The other Gaius mentioned is found mentioned in 3 John 1. i. While all of these could be the same person it must be noted that Derbe (a city in Asia Minor, northwest of Palestine) is not near the region of Macedonia (northern Greece). ii. If the Paul's host is the Corinthian Gaius, we have a likely location from which the epistle was penned. 6. Erastus (meaning "beloved" [Ἔραστος]) a. The two other instances of this name are Acts 19:22; and 2Ti. 4:20. b. It is likely that these all the same person. 7. Quartus (meaning "fourth" [Κούαρτος]), mentioned only here. a. He is designated as "a brother." b. Though we have no other information, Paul's designation of Quartus (a Roman name) as a brother should not be undervalued. c. Paul's reference to a Roman named Christian to a group of Romans (surrounded by unbelieving Romans) would likely have served as an encouragement. 8. Thus ends Paul's second salutation.
47 Paul’s Doxology (16:25-27) Verses 25-27: “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: 27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen” 1. These concluding verses constitute one of the many doxologies (words of praise) found in the New Testament. 2. Observe that the Epistle essentially ends as it has begun. a. In Chapter 1 Paul unashamedly states that the Gospel is God's power to save both Jew and Gentile. (1:16-17) b. He now praises God for the fact that God has provided the power to "stablish" through preaching of the Gospel of Christ. (16:25) c. And that it is made known to all nations (16:26b) 3. Notice also this was all done for the "obedience of faith." a. Obedience is inseparable from faith. b. It is no coincidence that the Scriptures consist of commands (among other things of course) and are at the same time the means by which one obtains faith (Rom. 10:17) 4. Paul praises God for his wisdom and we learn that His glorification is affected through Christ.
Johnathan Fleming is a native of Savannah, GA. He is a 2003 Graduate of the Memphis School of Preaching. He has worked with congregations in Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Georgia and currently works with the Lord's Church in Maplewood, MN. He and his wife Kristen live in White Bear Township, MN. He enjoys studying ancient military history and Biblical languages. Contact Johnathan at
[email protected]
THANKS FOR COMING! See you next year
