Romans 15
MorRomans 15:1-12
III. . LIFE. THOSE WITHIN. Romans 14:1-23 - Romans 15:1-13 i. AS . Romans 14:1-12 a. THE MATTER OF DIET. MUTUAL . Romans 141-4 b. THE MATTER OF DAYS. MUTUAL . Romans 14:5-9 c. THE ONE THRONE. . Romans 14:10-12 ii. AS . Romans 14:13-23 a. THE OF SELF-. Romans 14:13-18 A Brother’s Stumbling-block. b. THE PURPOSE OF . Romans 14:19-21 A Brother’s Edification. c. THE ONE TEST. FAITH. Romans 14:22-23 iii. AS . Romans 15:1-13 a. GENERAL. Romans 15:1-6
- The Duty. “Ought.” Romans 15:1-2
- The Example. “Christ.” Romans 15:3-4
- The Power. “The God of Comfort” Romans 15:5-6 b. . Romans 15:7-13
- The Duty. “Receive ye.” Romans 15:7 a
- The Example. “Christ.” Romans 15:7-12
- The Power. “The God of Hope.” Romans 15:13
III. . LIFE. THOSE WITHIN The last section, dealing with the evidences of submission to the will of God, is occupied with a discussion of some of the difficulties which may arise within the circle of the Christian Church. It is not necessary to suppose that the apostle had in mind actually existing trouble, as he had not yet reached Rome, and in all probability knew nothing of the details of Church life there. His experiences at Corinth, where he was writing, had however revealed the kind of question likely to arise, and the burden of his teaching is that of the necessity for sympathy among those who are within; and he enjoined its exercise; as toleration; for purposes of edification; and in hospitality.
It is interesting to notice how in this matter there is evident the selecting wisdom of the inspiring Spirit, for the subjects dealt with, in slightly different form, still arise, and are met by the teaching of this section.
i. AS There were those in the mind of the apostle who, in all probability through the problem of the animals sacrificed to idols, had taken up the position of vegetarians. Others claimed their right to eat meat, realizing that their personal relation to Christ set them entirely free from the judgment of popular opinion or custom. The apostle had a word of injunction for each of these. He described the vegetarian as “weak in faith,” and charged him not to judge the man who eats all things. But neither is the man eating meat to despise the one who does not eat. These injunctions reveal attitudes continuing to this hour.
Of course, the peculiar difficulty of meat sacrificed to idols does not exist; but the Christian man abstaining from meat, in all sincerity and with perfect justification, does too often judge and condemn his brother; and the non-abstaining is ever prone to despise the abstainer. Both attitudes are wrong.
The apostle laid down a supreme principle which we ought ever to remember in its application both to our personal life and to our relation to our brethren. Every man stands or falls to his own Master. That means first of all, that we cannot be too careful to submit our whole course of life, and every action, to Him for judgment; it means also that we cannot too carefully guard against passing our judgment upon our brethren in matters of personal conscience and conduct.
The principle is again discussed with regard to the observance of days. The court of appeal is that of the mind, loyal to Christ. If the subject of the observance of a day has indeed been submitted to Him, and the one so submitting has a personal conviction resulting therefrom, by that conviction he is to abide and act, without reference to the opinion of others. The centre now is not self, but Christ.
At first it may appear as though such action, judged by the differing lines of conduct pursued, would suggest confusion and disorder. More careful consideration, however, will show that the Lord deals with each case separately, according to His own infinite wisdom, and understanding thereof. One man may be helped and another hindered by eating meat, or by observing a day. Christ’s will for each is determined by the good of each. How unwise we are therefore when we attempt to frame rules for ourselves, or for others, and then proceed to judge by such rules.
The importance of the principle is revealed in the fact that the final statement of the apostle in this application sets even such matters of conviction and conduct in relation to the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Lord passed through death into life that He might be the acting Lord of every person who believes in Him. Our fellowship in the value and virtue of His death and resurrection, cancels for ever the change which men call death, so that whether we live or die we are the Lord’s; and therefore the one law of life for us is His will, and the one method of understanding that will is that of direct dealing with Him in freedom from the fear of outside opinion or criticism.
Oh the glorious liberty of bondage to Christ! It is freedom from all fear of anxiety arising as to the issue of choices made by self. It is freedom, moreover, from the ceaseless fear of being misunderstood.
The final deduction from the discussion as to our attitude toward each other is that the tribunal before which we are to appear is the judgment-seat of God. The apostle illustrated by quotation from Isaiah, and the sense in which he used the passage is discovered by emphasizing the expressions, “to Me,” and “to God.”
“As I live, saith the Lord, to Me every knee shall bow. And every tongue shall confess to God.’' Fealty is to be rendered to God, and that is expressed by the bowing of the knee; the issue is that the praise of the result of this government be rendered to Him, for the word “confess” here carries the thought of the offering of praise.
The logical sequence of this is that when I pass judgment on my brother, I am usurping the very throne of God. He alone knows all the facts, and He alone therefore is able to pass a judgment; and this right He reserves to Himself. For any man to attempt to pass a judgment on his brother is to evince his folly, and to arrogate to himself a function which belongs to God alone.
ii. AS The teaching here is in direct continuation of that already given. The apostle gives the other side of it, and creates the true balance. There is a matter on which we may exercise judgment. It is that we do not put a stumbling-block in our brother’s way. The sphere of judgment open to us, is not our brother’s life and action, but our own. The test by which we are to judge our life and action, is not our own welfare, but that of our brother.
This statement of the standard of personal judgment the apostle immediately followed by showing that the highest and noblest form of freedom is the abandonment of a right, if need be, in the interest of a weak brother. He affirmed his conviction concerning the cleanness of all things to those who count them clean. This persuasion was new, and resulted wholly from his relation to the Lord Jesus. In the old days of his Pharisaism he would have made no such admission. Now, however, while personally convinced of his right to eat, he was governed by the new law of love, and was prepared not to eat, what he had a perfect right to eat, if the eating caused a stumbling-block in the way of his brother’s progress.
That is the true Christian principle of abstention from anything which in itself may be lawful. I am not required to give up anything lawful, simply out of deference to the opinion of others; but if the lawful thing is indeed likely to cause my brother’s destruction, then, because of the supremacy of love, I am to give that up. I am not, however, to exercise myself in compelling some one else to give up the same thing. As the apostle showed, these things are not essential things; but “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” will often be realized by love’s attention to non-essentials for the sake of the weak. The true motive is carefully insisted on, that of serving Christ, and so being well-pleasing to God, and thus approved of men.
What a remarkable contrast there is between the true Christian’s use of the power of judgment and that of the worldly-wise! These pass judgment upon others from the standpoint of personal preferences and convictions. The true Christian passes judgment upon his, own conduct, from the standpoint of the wellbeing of his brethren. The one is self-centered, dogmatic, ignorant, and often unjust. The other is love-centered, self-denying, intelligent, and always merciful.
There has been no greater hindrance to the cause of temperance in the matter of strong drink, than the intemperance and dogmatism of some of its advocates. Let this whole section be remembered, and its spirit realized, and it will be equally difficult for any man to insist on his right to take merely as a beverage that which is destroying so many; and for those who in the true spirit of love have foregone that right for the sake of others, to judge and despise those who do not follow their example.
The apostle then summed up the whole question by appealing for such conduct as makes for peace and mutual edification. It is to be remembered that it is evil for a Christian man to exercise a right of liberty if by so doing he harm his brother. Nevertheless the apostle zealously and carefully guarded the individual believer against the interferences of human opinion, driving us ever back upon God.
As in dealing with the necessity for toleration, he had insisted upon the fact that there is one Throne; so now in showing that sympathy expresses itself in the desire for the edification of others, he insisted upon it that there is one test, and that is faith. Abstention is ever to be based upon the ground of faith before God concerning what will be harmful, and therefore not upon the opinion of any outside person as to that matter. That man is pronounced happy who “judgeth not himself in that which he approveth.” There is no room in the thinking of Paul for the priest who attempts to interpret the will of God, nor for the self-satisfied person who imagines that he - or she - possesses all knowledge concerning what Christian men and women ought to do. Each individual is ever driven to personal dealing with God for the settlement of all such matters.
This, however, by no means issues in anything approaching looseness of moral conduct, for the apostle made it clear in this connection that perhaps the most searching and severe test of conduct is that of faith. “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” That is to affirm two things: first that a person devoted to the Lordship of Jesus sins, when acting from any other motive than that of confidence in and obedience to Him. To give up meat merely because some one else thought I should do so; to refuse to observe a day because some one considers that I ought not to do so; without referring these matters to the arbitrament of the Lord, would in each case be sin.
And yet again, and therefore; to continue in any action about which I am in doubt is sin. To continue to eat meat unless I have submitted the question to Him; to observe a day without knowing His will; is again, in either case, sin. Unless I am perfectly clear that what I do I can approve on the principle of my loyalty to Him, then it is sinful to do it, no matter how specious the arguments adduced to defend its harmlessness.
How many individual questions of conduct on which we are anxious to obtain outside opinion, would be settled if this principle were always remembered and obeyed!
iii. AS As the apostle approached another matter, in which mutual forbearance is necessary, he repeated the general argument of the preceding paragraph. The strong should bear the infirmities of the weak, and not please self. Each is to please his neighbour for the purpose of edification.
The most powerful argument for this line of conduct is the example of Christ. He pleased not Himself. Thus the action of Christ is at once the example of the Christian, and the interpretation of the sense in which he is to please his neighbour. The example of Christ from first to last is that of One Who gave up His rights in order that He might save men. Instead of pleasing Himself, He devoted Himself to please His neighbours. This He did, however, by pleasing God, and setting Himself to bring men to that same level of life. He did not please His neighbours by accommodating His conduct to false ideals of life, but by setting Himself, in spite of opposition and misunderstanding, to bring them to the true ideal.
After emphasizing his declaration regarding Christ by an Old Testament quotation, the apostle parenthetically gave his conception of the value of these Scriptures. They were written for our learning. This is most certainly to recognize their Divine origin. No one would be prepared to say that the purpose of human authors was the instruction of those who would live hundreds of years afterwards, in order that they might have hope. Men write for their own day and generation. God, inspiring these writers to do so, had ever in mind the unborn children of faith, and so prepared for their strengthening and encouragement.
If God prepared these writings for us, how utterly unwise to neglect them, or to treat them merely as part of the world’s literature, interesting principally for that reason. In all their pages are to be found God’s instructions for our profit and hope.
The injunction to receive one another was almost certainly addressed to Jews and Gentiles. All through the Epistle there have been evidences of the possibility of difference between these two sections in the Church. Throughout his writing the apostle defended the Gentile against the self-satisfied national pride of the Jew; and the Jew against the probable contempt of the Gentile.
This was his final injunction on the subject, and he emphasized it by declaring upon the authority of the Jewish Scripture the twofold application of the work of Christ. He was indeed a Minister of the circumcision, and came to confirm the promises made to the fathers. These promises, however, included blessing to the Gentiles. It was for the proving of this that he grouped these passages. Very remarkable are his quotations, and yet perfectly unstrained and natural. No honest-minded Jew could read them without seeing that in the bringing in of the Gentiles, there was indeed a fulfillment of the purpose of God through the chosen people.
How full of beauty was the habit Paul had of closing an argument with a benediction! “The God of hope.’’ What a wonderful title, suggesting that God is the reason of all the hope that brightens the way; and that, because He is Himself full of hope. The Christian should be the greatest optimist, because of the optimism of God. Not upon the appearance of an hour, or the happenings of a century, is our hope fixed; but upon Him, Who seeing the end from the beginning, and understanding both the beginning and the end, is nevertheless the God of hope. The process by which this hope of God is ours is clearly indicated. The root of all is our believing. Never once did this fact pass out of the consciousness of the apostle, nor must it pass out of ours. The issue of faith is joy and peace; the first the present consciousness of trust, and the second the undisturbed condition of that consciousness, in view of all opposing forces or possible contingencies.
And yet again, the sphere and power of all is “the power of the Holy Spirit.” The realization of this blessing in fullness from God, will correct all differences and make very real the unity of all believers.
Romans 15:13-33
. Romans 15:14-33 - Romans 16:1-27 I. MATTERS. Romans 15:14-33 - Romans 16:1-23 i. HIS MISSION TO THE . Romans 15:14-21 a. THE DIVINE . Romans 15:14-17 b. THE THROUGH CHRIST. Romans 15:18-19 c. THE CO- WITH OTHERS. Romans 15:20-21 ii. HIS . Romans 15:22-29 a. TOWARD ROME. b. TO SPAIN. c. THROUGH . iii. HIS REQUEST FOR THEIR PRAYERS. Romans 15:30-33 a. FROM. b. . c. THAT I MAY COME. iv. PHOEBE. Romans 16:1-2 a. A . b. TO BE . v. TO SAINTS. Romans 16:3-16 vi. FINAL WARNING. Romans 16:17-20 a. MARK THEM. b. TURN AWAY FROM THEM. c. THEIR . Method. Smooth and fair Speech. Nature. They serve their Belly. d. THE DESIRE AND . vii. FROM SAINTS. Romans 16:21-23 II. CLOSING . Romans 16:25-27
The concluding section of the letter to the Romans, like the introductory section, is full of personal allusion and revelation; but here again the glory of the theme filling the mind of the writer is clearly manifest.
While at the beginning the supreme consciousness revealed, was that of his responsibility with that of all saints, in view of their possession of the great Gospel, and in view also of the world’s need; at the close the supreme revelation is that of the fellowship of all saints in their common relationship to Christ, and in the fulfillment of responsibility. This last section of the letter consists of personal matters; and a closing doxology.
I. MATTERS i. HIS MISSION TO THE There are incidental revelations of Paul’s methods and ideals of Christian service in this section, which are most valuable. While telling those to whom he wrote that his reason for writing was that there had been committed to him the ministry of the Gentiles, he spoke of that ministry so far as it had been already accomplished. While he was careful to guard against any merely personal boastfulness, yet with unaffected modesty he did not hesitate to glory in the triumph of the Gospel. In speaking of his appointment the apostle used language which indicates a phase of priestly office, too often lost sight of, when he declared that he had ministered the Gospel so that there had been an “offering up of the Gentiles.“As a priest he had stood often in the presence of God, pleading the cause of man; but he also knew what it was to go back into the presence of God, bringing with him the sacrifice of souls, won through the Gospel. Too often the priests of the Lord stand empty handed in the holy place in this respect.
In this connection it is interesting to notice his conception of the line of victory. “Christ wrought through me.’’ How glorious a commentary upon the true position of the Christian worker! Christ is the true and actual Worker, and the servant is an instrument of Christ, through whom He accomplishes His purposes. Such a conception leaves no room for boastfulness, and yet therein there is room for great confidence and positive glorying in the supreme Worker, and the accomplished work. This work is ever realized in the power of signs and wonders, and in the power of the Holy Spirit; the evidences and energy, of the working Christ.
Finally in connection with his statement concerning his work, he declared that he had ever proceeded upon the principle of preaching the Gospel not “upon another man’s foundation,’’ but to those who were without the tidings, and who had not heard. How excellent a thing it will be for the whole Church when in all aggressive enterprise she proceeds upon this principle. How much of time, of energy, of money have been lost through forgetfulness of it!
ii. HIS Having been often hindered through these very necessities and labours of the Gospel, he was at last setting his face toward Rome. And yet Rome itself was not the final goal. His eyes were looking to the regions beyond, and his intention was to reach Spain; and yet even before he could come to Rome, he had an immediate duty to fulfill, that of carrying to Jerusalem the contribution from Macedonia and Achaia.
He was confident that when he came to Rome he would do so in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
Did he ever reach Spain? We do not know. Certain it is that he went to Rome, although by unexpected ways; and it is equally certain that as he expected, he arrived there in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
iii. HIS REQUEST FOR THEIR PRAYERS Very touching and beautiful is the request of Paul for the prayers of the Christians in Rome, showing as it does, how this intrepid minister of the evangel was sensitively conscious of the perilous pathway, and craved sympathy in its highest possible activity, that of fellowship in prayer. Sometimes amid the stress and strain of the ministry of the Word, glorious toil as it is, one wonders how far those deriving help and benefit therefrom are conscious of how hungry the spirits of God’s messengers are for such loving and powerful sympathy. The kindly word of spiritual appreciation is valuable, but the servant of the Lord would gladly forego that altogether, if instead there could be a larger measure of striving together in prayer on the part of the people of God.
It is impossible to read Paul’ s history as revealed in his writings, without being conscious that Jerusalem had ever been suspicious of him, and he had been compelled resolutely to maintain his apostolic right and authority.
He was very definite in his request as he suggested that they should pray first that he “might be delivered from them that are disobedient in Judaea.” He was evidently conscious that his going up to Jerusalem would be the occasion of strife, and even of persecution; and he desired prayer that he might be delivered from such opposition. Secondly, that his ministration, that contribution he was taking from the churches of Asia, might be acceptable. He foresaw that the very pride of Jewish prejudice might make difficulty, and that this would harm the work nearest his heart, the preaching of the Gospel among the Gentiles; and this also he therefore committed to God, and sought their fellowship in prayer concerning it.
Finally he asked that they would pray that he might come to them in joy through the will of God, and together with them find rest.
The question which suggests itself as one reads of this apostolic request is as to whether the prayers were answered. Most assuredly they were. The story of the Acts of the Apostles shows that he was graciously received by the Church, and thus the second subject of prayer was answered. Also he was delivered from the terrible hatred and plotting of the disobedient in Judaea, and thus the first request was answered. Moreover, he reached Rome, and yet how different was the mode of the answer surely from what the apostle had expected! How often the way of answer to prayer differs from our expectations!
What matters it, if it be “through the will of God”? That was the qualifying petition which was finally answered. If we really mean it when we pray, that petition will always be answered. It is such confidence which lends power to the closing benediction, “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
iv. PHOEBE In a brief special paragraph the apostle commended Phoebe to the church at Rome; describing her as a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae. His appeal to them was not that they should receive her upon the ground of her personal worth, although he did declare that she had been a succourer of many and of himself. She was to be received in the Lord, and worthily of the saints; that is to say, their hospitality was to be in keeping with all that they were, as children of God.
It has been surmised, and with great probability, that she carried the apostle’s letter to the church in Rome.
v. TO SAINTS
The section of salutation is most interesting. The large number of persons named, twenty-six in all, is not remarkable when it is remembered that the letter was sent to Rome, which was at that time the centre of the world, to which men were constantly going for various reasons from all parts of the empire.
Two-thirds of these names are Greek, and are in all probability names of persons whom the apostle had actually known in his work in Asia. His old friends Prisca and Aquila were evidently back in Rome again.
The chief interest of this passage centers in the apostle’s incidentally revealed consciousness of the inter-relationships of the saints as being dependent upon their common relationship to Christ. The phrases which indicate this are scattered through the paragraph, “In the Lord. … In Christ Jesus . . . unto Christ … in Christ … in the Lord . . . in the Lord … in the Lord … in the Lord.” When these phrases are examined in their contextual relationship it will be seen how all the facts of life and service are conditioned in that relationship to Christ. Phoebe was to be received in the Lord. Prisca and Aquila were fellow-workers in Christ Jesus. Epaenetus was the first-fruits of Asia unto Christ.
His kinsmen Andronicus and Junias were in Christ before him. Ampliatus was beloved in the Lord. Urbanus was a fellowworker in Christ. Apelles was approved in Christ. The dividing line of the household of Narcissus was that some were in the Lord. Tryphaena and Tryphosa laboured in the Lord.
Persis laboured much in the Lord. Rufus was chosen of the Lord.
Thus the impulse of love, the bond of service, the principle of fellowship, all resulted from union with Christ. The very sphere of life was evidently the Lord Himself, in Whose life we are all being saved, having been reconciled through His death. The atmosphere of love was that of Christ. All the toil was the activity of Christ through His people.
What a glorious picture of the unity of the Church is here afforded! The only realization of that unity possible at any time must come by individual abiding in close relationship with the Lord.
vi. FINAL WARNING The very consciousness of unity in Christ, which had been so evident in the salutations sent to the saints in Rome, caused the apostle to write his final word of solemn warning. Evidently he had been made acquainted with the fact that false teachers were already exerting an influence in Rome, and attempting to draw believers away from the doctrine which had been learned. The reference is certainly to such, rather than to such as caused division through personal ambition or quarrels, for he referred to their smooth and fair speech. What was the exact form of the heresy, we have no means of knowing; but there seems to be a hint in his express desire that the believers in Rome should be kept wise unto good, and simple toward evil. Dr. Moule thinks that the trouble was the beginning of the Gnostic heresy, which practically declared that, matter being inherently evil, the body must be allowed to give full vent to its unbridled passions, because the spirit of man was not related to the body, but its prisoner merely.
To something of this kind the apostle evidently referred when he wrote the scathing sentence concerning these teachers; that they “serve . . . their own belly.” Such teaching was certainly not according to the doctrine, and the apostle urged the saints to turn away from those who taught such heresy. There can never be harmony between Christian men and those who are excusers of sin under any pretence. The conflict with Satan is recognized, but the gracious promise made at the beginning is repeated with new emphasis in the light of the evangel of the Cross, “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.”
Fitting and beautiful is the benediction at this point, reminding all who were confronting that conflict, of the channel through which the promise of ultimate victory has been made possible of fulfillment in the experience of man; “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
vii. FROM SAINTS Again the apostle returned to salutations; but now they were from some of those associated with him at Corinth to those at Rome. Timothy his beloved son in the faith, whom he was doubtless even then instructing for the great work of the ministry. Three of his own kinsmen, according to the flesh. It is interesting to note that three of Paul’s blood relations were in Rome; - Andronicus, Junias, and Herodion; and three were at Corinth, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater. Of these two, as he declared, were in Christ before he was. May it not be possible that the others were his children in faith, very personal and very precious results, not merely of his own preaching, but of that strong passion which made him write that he could wish that he himself were anathema from Christ?
Then Tertius, his amanuensis, to whom the apostle had dictated the great letter, added his personal salutation. How beautiful is this revelation of fellowship in service! He who had written the words as Paul dictated them was also a fellow-worker, interested in, and loving these believers in the great city, and therefore he added his greeting. Gains too, his host, was interested, and sent his message of love. A man of note, Erastus, the treasurer of the city, and Quartus, of whom we only know that he was “the brother.”
How tender and beautiful are these salutations to and from the saints, as revealing the bond existing between all those united to Christ.