Romans (Written)

Wednesday, 8 January 2014

Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,… Romans 15:5

Verses 5 and 6 are as much a spontaneous prayer of petition as they are a request for harmony directed to those in Rome. The substance of everything he has penned since the beginning of the previous chapter has dealt with agreement between believers resulting from unity over “disputable matters.” Only through such unity will there be a likeminded attitude. And so, in order to promote this after his detailed discourse, he invokes God to be the One to bestow this divine favor.

“Now” – Based on these topics of discussion and in hopes of fellowship within the covenant community.

“May the God of patience and comfort” – God’s patience is seen throughout the Bible. He is longsuffering with those who are going astray as he calls them back to Himself. A beautiful example of this is His sending of the prophets to Israel for even hundreds of years, asking them to be of one mind with Him. Instead of utterly destroying them as they turned away, he would send enemies to afflict His people in hopes that they would turn back to Him in faith. Only when there was no remedy would He send them into exile. But even exile had the intent of bringing them to repentance and fellowship once again. Through enemy attack, pestilence, famine, and exile, the God of patience and comfort was always there, maintaining covenant faithfulness to His wayward people.

“Grant you to be like-minded toward one another” – Paul’s petition was that the same patience and comfort displayed by God towards His people would now be displayed between believers. God had set the example, taking many ages to complete His oracles to and through Israel. The prophecies continuously told of the coming Messiah and the prophets continuously re-directed the people in the interim. God asks us to have the same attitude. We are to keep telling of the great deeds of Christ who is the fulfillment of all that was previously written and we are to work to re-direct wayward believers to proper doctrine while overlooking the “disputable matters” which only divert our attention away from a fraternal bond of fellowship.

“According to Christ Jesus” – Christ Jesus sought harmony between his followers and prayed to the Father for this (John 17:11). And this is what Paul now continues to proclaim. As he said in the previous chapter, “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Rather than argumentation over disputable matters, there should be peace, harmony, and fellowship. These are the things which lead to godliness. In the book of Ephesians, Paul will summarize it this way –

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3

Life application: Life is short enough without wasting time on bickering and disputes. And our Christian life is far too precious to be spoiled by them as well. Let Christ and His perfect doctrine be your deepest desire, your highest joy, and your constant aim.

Lord Jesus, when I’m worn out from the trials of the day, at the times that I fret over some argument or dispute with another person, when money is tight and I wonder how my many bills will get paid – at times like these I still have a peace inside of me which comes from the sure knowledge that You are there with me through such things. I honestly don’t know where I’d be without Your wondrous hand of grace upon me. Thank You, Lord for always being there with me. Amen.

Tuesday, 7 January 2014

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4

Paul just quoted the 69th Psalm. Now as a way of showing that the Old Testament still has value and is to be relied on and consulted, he begins with “for.” This ties us to the quote and is a way for him to remind us that we should rely on the wisdom found there in order to understand the work of Christ more fully.

In fact, the Old Testament Scriptures were the only Scriptures at Paul’s time and they are what he and the other apostles relied on to understand and explain the work of Jesus. Nothing has changed since the completion of the New Testament either. The Old Testament is not to be discarded in our pursuit of spiritual knowledge.

The quote from the 69th Psalm was speaking, in a large way, about the patient endurance of Christ during His ministry. In reading that, Paul’s mind may have suddenly thought something like, “And isn’t that what we are to find for ourselves as we search the Scriptures?” And so he equates our journey through them as a journey of spiritual understanding, particularly in how it relates to our relationship with Christ.

And so he notes that “whatever things were written before were written for our learning.” These Old Testament Scriptures which took hundreds and hundreds of years to come forth, didn’t lose their relevance when Christ came. Instead, they became relevant in an entirely new way. For us, they now, “through the patience and comfort” found in them might provide us hope.

Keeping this verse in context with the train of thought that he has been pursuing, this “patience and comfort” then is directly tied to our conduct among the brethren concerning “doubtful matters.” Paul isn’t suddenly jumping out of his previous discourse. Instead, he is tying this psalm and the application he has derived from it directly to the concept of the fraternal bonds of Christian fellowship. This will be evident from the coming two verses.

Life application: The Bible reveals a harmony between the New Testament and the Old . The two testaments contrast and yet they confirm each other. There is the law and there is grace. They contrast and yet they confirm the whole counsel of God. In order to understand the fullness of God’s intent for us, we need to study and apply the entirety of Scripture to our lives.

I look up and see the stars filling the night sky and a I wonder how I fit into Your great plan. I feel small and insignificant… surely you have more important matters to consider than me. But then, I remember, Jesus came for me – even for me. I don’t understand how I could be important in this universe full of other important things, but I know it is true. Jesus died for me too. Thank You for caring that much about me, O God. Amen.

Monday, 6 January 2014

For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”  Romans 15:3

To give us an explicit example of how we should act in “disputable matters” Paul refers to the example of Christ Himself. He has just shown that we should “bear with the scruples of the weak” and not attempt to merely please ourselves. In essence, “Is our temporary gratification worth bringing discord between saved believers?” Rather, we should be willing to let these things rest and to instead serve for the sake of Christ and not self.

In substantiation of this, He cites the 9th verse of the 69th Psalm –

“Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.”

John 2:17 refers directly to this same verse and applies it to the time when Jesus cleared the temple. He was interested in the honor of God, not pleasing Himself. And this is seen throughout the rest of His ministry. When He was tired, He still served others. When He was hungry, He never failed to make sure others were fed. When He faced the agony of the cross, He asked that His Father’s will, not His, would be done.

And throughout it all, He received reproach and contempt. If He was doing the will of the Father, then the contempt was directed ultimately toward the Father, but it instead fell on Him. This then is our example. If our actions and conduct are correct and in line with Scripture and yet someone finds fault in them, then ultimately they are finding fault in the One who authored Scripture. But in order to glorify the Lord, we should let the reproaches of those who reproach Christ fall on us.

By doing this, Christ was able to change hearts and minds. And that is exactly what we are asked to do. Through our willingness to not argue over these disputable matters, we will ultimately be able to change the weaker brother to understand what is right and acceptable. Paul will show us this in the coming verses. Our actions are to be with the intent and purpose of bringing the body to a place of harmony, agreement, and of being of one mind, even in disputable matters.

In Hebrews 10, we read the following –

“Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.'” Hebrews 10:5-7

Christ Jesus came in a body of flesh to do the will of God. And it was this will of God that was His driving purpose and sole aim. Where “sacrifice and offering” (things mandated under the law) failed to please God, Christ was able to be pleasing. And this is what is expected of us. We can exercise our liberties in Christ and yet not be pleasing to God because of how it affects others.

Life application: Christ is our example. If we can continuously remember this in every thing we do, then we can know how to properly conduct our affairs. Jesus never sacrificed doctrine in order to accommodate others. Nor did He excuse a violation of the law in others. However, He worked within the framework of the law to show us the heart of His Father. This is what we are asked to do within the framework of our Christian liberties.

Lord Jesus, when it seems like the battle is lost, that is when You shine through all the more gloriously. When it seems like there is no hope, I suddenly find safety. And when it looks like only disaster is in my path, You always show something better is ahead. I see that time and again and it proves to me that my trust in You is never futile. Help me to keep my faith in such low times because I know it will be greatly rewarded. Amen.

Sunday, 5 January 2014

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. Romans 15:2

To edify means to build up. Paul just introduced chapter 15 with a statement that the strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak; not to please themselves. Bearing with the weak is to tolerate their weakness, not find fault in it. Rather than following a course which picks away at their already weak foundation, we are admonished to work with them. And so, speaking to the body of believers, he asks that “each of us please his neighbor for his good.”

A neighbor can be defined in the broader sense of our fellow man, and we should strive for the good toward all men it is true, but based on the context, he is asking us to evaluate our conduct towards our neighbors in Christ. It is to them that we should endeavor to be pleasing in a way which will lead to edification.

The idea is to build up the body, promoting harmony within the faith and to bear the burdens of the weaker without finding fault. The world at large is watching and evaluating Christ based on His servants. It’s true that some profess Christ who aren’t really in Christ, but to weed them out is where right belief and right practice are to be defined. We can’t do this if we don’t know our instruction manual. But by knowing the word and defining the parameters, we can then endeavor to bear with those who are weak within those confines.

Life application: Doctrine does matter. Once we have right doctrine, then we need to accommodate those whose practices are weak within that context. By doing so, we will build up, not tear down, our fellow believers.

Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle! Thank You Lord that I am ready to face the day. You have prepared for me the armor of God to defend against the enemy and you have covered my feet with the gospel of peace. I am ready to face this day. Thank You for the chance to serve You. Amen.

Saturday, 4 January 2014

We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Romans 15:1

Chapter 15 begins with a note admonishing those who are strong in the faith – “We then who are strong…” This obviously includes Paul himself and he is speaking out in plea to those who are like him. Being strong in the faith is described in the previous chapter and he now brings the thought of those words into a request for harmony within the church.

Those who understand their freedoms and who aren’t challenged by the “disputable matters” that arise should “bear with the scruples of the weak.” Matters of diet and days of observance are not to be treated as if they were to be the end of fellowship and a source of division. Rather, the stronger in the faith have the onus on them to accept those who practice differently or who fail to see the complete freedom found in the finished work of Jesus. Instead of lording their knowledge and freedom over the weak, they are to bear with their habits and not merely please themselves. This is the heart of love which he writes about elsewhere, such as 1 Corinthians 13.

And as a case demonstration of this, Paul writes these words to the Corinthians in his first letter to them –

“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:19-22

Throughout Acts, Paul is shown to be empathetic to those who were lesser informed or who were weaker in the faith. However, he also stood against heresy and those who would put confusion into the minds of believers. He had a balanced approach to his handling of such matters. When someone was not following the faith in a proper manner because of a lack of knowledge, he stooped down to their level and worked within their state to edify them and also instruct them. However, when someone wasn’t following the faith in a proper manner but who should have known better, he challenged them openly (see Galatians 2:11-16 where he confronts Peter head on).

This is the proper way to conduct affairs and this is what Paul appeals to today

Life application: Determine the situation concerning a challenge to right doctrine and act accordingly. If the person is ignorant of a matter, handle them as you would your own child – with love and instruction. If the person is aware of what is right and acts contrary to the truth, handle them as a trouble-maker, with bold determination to not let them harm others’ faith.

Lord, what does it profit me to have all the knowledge in the world and to not have love? Help me to use Your word as an implement of instruction to those who are lacking knowledge, as a guide to those who have lost their way, and as shining light to those who grope in darkness. I know it has the power to open eyes, minds, and hearts. Give me the wisdom to use it sensibly. Amen.