Romans 16:17-23 English Standard Version Final Instructions and Greetings 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. Again, we won't have a lot of "meat" here today because this is mostly some final instructions from Paul and some final greetings from those that were with him, including the scribe who is penning the letter for him. The main "instruction" portion is at the beginning of our text that Paul tells the church in Rome to watch out for those who are out to cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that they had been taught (I assume Paul is concerned about the group that was originally called the "circumcision party" and later the Judaizes. These Jews were preaching a different gospel that was no gospel at all (Paul tackles this false gospel as well as some others in his epistles, but specifically tackles the issues with the Judaizers in Galatians, which reads a lot like a condensed version of the book of Romans). Paul says that the church in Rome should avoid such people because they do not serve the Lord, but they serve their own appetites.
This also sounds like the warnings that he gives in Galatians and other places to watch out for the philosophers of that day and the people that made themselves out to be "super-apostles"--great orators who were simply out to fleece the flock of Christ, but they had no interest in sharing in the sufferings of Christ and they would take their money and run when things got hard--sometimes even renouncing their so-called faith to save their own skin because they never really believed it to start off with. Again, the church shouldn't be associating with these false teachers, false prophets and false apostles. Just because these Christians were spiritually mature (and everyone seemed to know that reputation) did not mean that they should intentionally test God. They should still be wise as to what is good and innocent to what is evil. I think I've used this example in the past, but the US Treasury Agents of the Secret Service that are responsible for detecting counterfeit money do not study counterfeits, they just know the real thing so well that they recognize any imperfection in size, shape, color, feel, smell, etc. That's basically what Paul is telling these Christians. They have no need in trying to do "opposition research," just be wise about what the Word of God says and stand firm on that. Many of us would do well to heed this advice today. We don't need to try to debate our opponent in a classical format where we know their arguments and they know ours so that would could argue the opposite point of view if required--we should simply stand firm on the Word of God and the gospel of Christ. Whatever doesn't line up with that is vain and worthless. Paul then says that the time is coming soon where God is going to crush Satan under the feet of the church there in Rome. My guess is this is speaking to some sort of oppression that they were wondering, "Will it ever end?." Paul seems to know that the end of that particular trial was coming soon. He then closes with his traditional closing (and opening) where he wishes these church members to experience the grace and peace that comes through Jesus Christ our Lord. We have some final greetings from those who were with Paul, and we definitely would recognize some of these names--like Timothy--and there are again names that are largely unfamiliar to us, but important to Paul in that they are giving care and shelter to him while he writes the letter. There are even some prominent city officials who are with him who have become Christians. I'm sure that must have been exciting news for the Christians in Rome. We'll wrap up the book of Romans next time with Paul's doxology--a fitting way to end this epistle. I hope you have learned to love this book as much as I have as it has transformed much of my thinking about the process of salvation, my assurance of my salvation, and how true peace and unity come only through the gospel of Jesus Christ (and that we're doing something wrong if the Church looks as divided and dysfunctional as the world). Personal Greetings 16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. This section has a lot of names that you may not be familiar with and some that you may be familiar with. For those that you can find in other places in the Bible, I encourage you to read a little bit more about them and how these people assisted Paul in his ministry. As I think I mentioned a few days ago, Paul did not work alone and had as many as 70 people helping him in various ways--some of them working with him at a local level, others at a regional level, others at an international level, and a few that worked very closely with him to make sure that he took care of himself and to attend to him when he was in prison. Sometimes we even need this last group of people when we want to pour ourselves so much into our ministry that God gives us a few people in our lives to make sure that we stay faithful to His calling, but that we also take care of ourselves so that we are prepared for whatever God calls us to next. We see first the Paul tells them to welcome Phoebe (she probably was carrying the letter to them) and that she was a member of a "sister church." Apparently she and her church had needs that Paul wanted to church in Rome to help with, and Paul let them know that this woman, probably a Gentile businesswoman, was someone who had supported Paul and many others in the past, probably making the efforts of Paul and his team possible. Now that she is in some trouble, Paul is asking for the Church to help support her. We definitely recognize the names of Priscilla and Aquilla--they helped disciple Paul after his conversion and taught him how to be a tentmaker to support himself and his ministry. They have partnered with Paul and his ministry to the Gentiles now and appear to have moved to Rome to help lead that congregation--no wonder Paul had no doubt that they had been taught right, because the same Christians who discipled him were leading that congregation. Paul then also lists some others who it seems made the trip with Aquilla nd Priscilla to help them. Paul greets Epaenetus who was the first convert of Asia (probably speaking of the Roman province called Asia which was a small part of Turkey (see the portion highlighted in red in the map below), We have no way to know who the "Mary" is that Paul mentions here because Mary was the most common female name for Jewish women at that time. Apparently there weren't as many women named Mary in the church in Rome though because it seems like Paul intended for them to know exactly who he was talking about by only using her first name.
Paul then asks the church to greet Andronicus and Junia who Paul identifies as fellow kinsmen (probably meaning they were fellow Jews, maybe even that they were also of the tribe of Benjamin) and fellow prisoners. Then Paul gives them high complements to say that they are well-known by the apostles and that they were some of the first Christians--saved even before Paul. Even with this high praise from Paul, we don't really know anything about them outside of these verses. There are many, many other names here, most of which don't appear anywhere outside this text, so I won't go through all of them. A few will show up helping Paul in other places and a couple will show up helping other apostles in their ministries as well. Suffice it to say that there were lots of people in this church that were important to Paul and it's probably fair to say that this church was central in Paul's ministry and not only financial support, but encouraging him and giving of their time and talents as they were able to actually assist in the ministry. No wonder Paul was looking forward to coming and meeting all of these friends in-person. There is a mix of people here--Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free, rich and poor, Christians that have been Christians before Paul, and those who are brand new to the faith. This is a diverse congregation if we can call it that, but they are all united in the fundamentals. For this reason, Paul encourages them to "greet each other with a holy kiss" (a sign of acceptance and fellowship) and to know that all the churches of Christ greet them--a reminder that they are but one part of the larger Body of Christ. Romans 15:22-33 English Standard Version Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. As we reach the end of Paul's letter, he talks a bit about his future plans to come and see them in-person, maybe even as a stopping-off point as he desires to visit Spain. Paul says that his reason that he's been hindered from coming to see them so far has been that he desires to keep going to areas where the gospel has never been preached, and apparently, that's not the case in Rome. From his conclusion that we'll see next time, it looks like Priscilla and Aquilla probably are leaders there in the church in Rome and that they have already "laid the foundation" so that Paul feels no need teach them anything new or different--just to encourage them that everything that they have been told was correct and that he's hearing good things about them.
Paul tells that that he's currently about to make a trip to Jerusalem to take the contributions to the Jewish believers there (who were experiencing great persecution) that had been collected by the Gentile believers in Macedonia and Achaia (western Greece)--a mixture of poor and wealthy Gentile believers, some of whom gave out o their poverty and others out of their abundance that God had blessed them with. All gave as a sign of them being thankful that their Jewish brothers sent them missionaries like Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and others and shared the gospel with them. Paul's intent was that after he had delivered these offerings to Jerusalem that he would make his way towards Spain and would stop off in Rome on his way. As we read in the book of acts, it seems like this visit to Jerusalem would correspond with his departure for Jerusalem in Acts 21, but probably before the prophecy is given to him in Acts 21:11 that he would be arrested by the Jews when he went to Jerusalem, because Paul is talking about plans to immediately leave for Spain, so it appears that he doesn't know yet that this trip will be the beginning of the end for him, or perhaps he has received that prophecy as Paul encourages the church in Rome to pray for his safety and that he would be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea. He seems to have a feeling that some kind of trouble is going to come about, but whether or not he knows exactly that he's going to be arrested and put on trial, it's not exactly clear--either way though, he was totally obedient to what God had called him to do, even if he knew that the end might be imprisonment, torture and possibly death. He obeyed and went even though everyone tried to cling to him and keep him from going, especially after they heard the prophecy that he was going to be arrested and bound by the unbelievers in Judea (in Jerusalem), but Paul would not be dissuaded from being obedient and fulfilling his mission. Paul ends this section by praying that they may be united in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the love of the Holy Spirit, and that they would all experience the peace of God. This is not the peace that the world gives, but is the kind of peace that Jesus taught His disciples about right before His death in John 17, Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. 25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here. and again when He breathed on the Ten (Thomas was not with them) after His resurrection and told them to receive the Holy Spirit: John 20:19-23 English Standard Version Jesus Appears to the Disciples 19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” We have peace because of what unites us to God--the work of Jesus Christ and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. We must be connected to the root of the True Vine (Jesus) and let the sap flow through all of us that is the Spirit giving life to each branch and making us into a single, fruitful organism. We have a few more sections in the final chapter of this letter to talk about over the next few days, but the "Amen" at the end of this chapter seems to be the end of the formal letter--everything else seems to be more "post script"--personal greetings, final greetings and instructions and Paul will end in a doxology. This letter was written not just to the church in Rome but to us to make sure that we too are united around the foundational beliefs and have all the fundamentals in common with one another. It encourages us to not be divided, but to be united around to Word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. We are to be sure of our salvation because we know it was decided and completed in the past, yet it a process that is ongoing in the present as we are transformed more and more into the image of the Son of God, and we are one day to be glorified, though we will have different kind of glory than the Son, but will share in both His glory and His inheritance as we will all be legitimate heirs by adoption. There is much to rejoice about and look forward to even in these times of trial and tribulation and God can even use these things that look so awful to accomplish His good purposes--just like He used that which appeared to be the worst day in history when Jesus was crucified for sins that He had not committed to bring about the salvation of all the Elect. No one would have imagined this to be God's plan, but it was exactly what the Father and the Son had agreed upon from the beginning and exactly the story that the Word of the Lord had spoken to the prophets of Old when Jesus told them all about Himself and His coming and His plan to provide a salvation that they would not see, but they looked forward to and received by faith. So we are all saved by grace through faith and this not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works so that no man can boast. Romans 15:14-21 English Standard Version Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul is wrapping up his letter and he begins his concluding remarks by telling the church in Rome (comprised of both Jews and Gentiles) that he is satisfied that they are the genuine article and that they are full of goodness, full of knowledge and able to instruct one another. This is always what the teacher longs for--for their pupils to become the teachers and know the subject well enough to teach it to others, and to teach it well so that the teacher does not feel a need to be there to assist with or correct the instruction because it will be without error or holes/gaps. Paul is convinced that this congregation has learned not only to be hearers of the Word and doers of the Word, but to be teachers of the Word to one another. That must have been thrilling for Paul!
One may wonder if Paul is so confident in their goodness and knowledge and ability to teach rightly, then why such a long letter to them with what seems like so much correction, reproof, and instruction? Paul says that he simply wants to remind them of the important things that they already know that are important for us to continue to teach and preach--the gospel and the common faith that we have with one another that breaks down all barriers and makes us one in Christ. We all have a common grace whether we are Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, or split by any other "class" or "group" that the world tries to divide us by. All of us have become part of one family by the work of Jesus and by Adoption. Paul specifically says that his calling and ministry is so that the Gentiles may know that they too can be saved and be pleasing and acceptable to God. Paul desires those who have been "far off" to be "brought near" by the blood of Christ. He said he has reason to be proud of his work (a work that he calls a priestly ministry), because he has been faithful to his mission and calling and God has allowed him to see the fruits of his labors like a farmer that gets to partake in part of the crop that he has worked so hard for--a future harvest, but God allows us to see some of the results of that in the here and now. (See 2 Timothy 2:1-7, I'm specifically citing verse 6 here). Even though Paul says he has reason to be proud, he immediately "corrects" himself (a literary device he uses sometimes) to say that it's really Jesus who has done everything in him, to him, and through him, so it it Christ who gets all the glory, honor and praise for the work that has been done among the Gentiles. Paul summarizes his ministry to say that it has taken him all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum (the darker shaded region in the attached image). It would seem that Paul is saying this is the furthest north and west that he has travelled in his missionary journeys to this point (most people put the date of the book of Romans around 56 AD) and we think Paul died somewhere around 63 AD (maybe as early as 61 AD, maybe as late as 65 AD). So we can say this is roughly seven years before the end of Paul's life--it seems like the Spirit is starting to reveal to Paul that both his mission and his life are coming to an end soon. However, Paul still has future plans to visit Rome and further to the west (as far west as Spain)--that's tomorrow's passage though. Some imagine that Paul intended to go throughout the entire Roman empire (everything shaded in pink in the attached image). We know that he for sure will make it to Rome (though in chains) but we aren't sure if he ever made it to other areas like Spain or the British Isles. Even if he didn't make it there himself though, Paul's work as "the apostle to the Gentiles" brought new meaning to taking the gospel to "uttermost ends of the earth"--even to places where no Jews had been to and there were no synagogues (Jews would only go but so far away from Jerusalem because they were required to make pilgrimages back to Jerusalem several times a year for special holidays that required all the Jewish people to gather together). Paul seems like he would have connected with the mission of the Starship Enterprise, "Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!" It's that last part that has me thinking of what Paul says here when Paul says, "thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation." and Paul desires for these words of Scripture to be fulfilled, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (Isaiah 52:15) However, Paul lays aside his own ambition and always goes where God directs him. Paul just seems to have a clearer vision now of what his mission and purpose is that God has called him to. Praise God that He has had a plan the Gentiles all along and that God called Paul and his companions (we read somewhere around 70 different names in Acts and Paul's various epistles of people that helped him) so that the gospel could go forth to the known world. Still, God alone gets all the glory for the work He was doing then and the work He is still doing now to draw all men unto Himself as they look to the cross of Christ. John 12:32 English Standard Version "32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Romans 15:8-13 English Standard Version Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul starts off this section by arguing that Jesus became a servant to the circumcised (obedient to the Law) so that He might fulfill all the promises given to the patriarchs. That's quite a statement! Paul also says that this happened so that the Gentiles could glorify God for His mercy, giving several Old Testament references how it has always been God's plan for the Gentiles to worship Him because of the work that Jesus would complete on their behalf.
We have much to be thankful for because Jesus did everything that we could not so that He could receive all the blessings that we could not and He could freely give those blessings to those who belong to Him. This is something that Paul says should give us hope, joy and peace as the Holy Spirit moves within us to confirm out election and salvation. Romans 15:1-7 English Standard Version The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. We are back to the idea of "strong" and "weak" when it comes to our recognition of the place of the Law in the New Covenant. Paul say we must bear with what we imagine to be the failings of the weak as we love them as Christ has loved them (and loved us). Love is sacrificial in nature and desires to please others--it is not selfish, "[Love] does not insist on its own way." (1 Corinthians 13:5). We are instead to try to please our neighbor, and act for his good in a way that will edify him (build him up). This is the example that Christ left for us!
For Jesus did not act in a way that was self-serving when He was born of a virgin and took on the form of man, born into a poor family from a town that everyone said nothing and no one good could come out of. He was not self-serving when He went through His temptation in the wilderness or His agony in the Garden, nor at the time of His betrayal and arrest, nor during the trials or His crucifixion. He did it all for the glory of God and for the purpose of redeeming the Elect. He hung on the cross as they hurled insults at him--He was naked, exposed, and shamed simply by hanging on the cross. He was in excruciating pain (we get that word from the root word for "cross"--it is pain that is "of the cross"). He not only endured all this, but He took on our sin and became sin for us and the wrath of God that was stored up for us was poured out on Him so that He cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?" Paul then switches themes to go back to the purpose of the Scriptures. They were given to us, "For our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." So we are to learn and be encouraged by them. While Jesus didn't have to learn the Scripture because He is the very Word of God in the flesh, He was encouraged by them in all that He had to suffer. He was pointing people to the Scriptures to show what He was fulfilling in front of them--that it had to be this way and that it was always God's plan for this to happen--and that there was still reason to hope as there were even more prophecies that are to be fulfilled and are just as sure to come true as the ones that were being fulfilled in their midst in those days (and prophecies are being fulfilled in our midst today). Paul then prays that God will use the Scriptures and the example of Christ to deepen the bonds of love between these Gentile and Jewish believers and that they have harmony and that they would be able to encourage and edify one another. Why does Paul pray for this? Because he desires for them to worship God together with one voice here and now--we shouldn't have to wait for heaven to do that. We should again follow the example of Christ as He always sought to glorify the Father, and the Holy Spirit will help us to always glorify the Son in our worship. Romans 14:13-23 English Standard Version Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Last time, we talked about not judging one another...especially the one who believed he was "stronger" in the faith judging the one who was "weaker" in the faith. Now, Paul is going to instead tell these Christians that they are not to be so infatuated with their "Christian liberties" that they do anything that would cause their brother or sister to stumble (force them to violate their conscience and in so doing commit sin). We are not to put additional obstacles or stumbling blocks or hurdles in front of our brothers or sisters.
Paul goes back to the example of food again as he is convinced is his own mind that nothing is any longer "clean" or "unclean" in the sense of if he eats it that it would defile him. "It is not what goes into a man that defiles Him, but what comes out of a man. 10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (Matthew 15:10-20). Jesus says here that it is our words which come out of our mouth which is evidence of what is in our heart that shows that we are unclean because evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and slander already reside there and these words prove it. The sin in our hearts is what makes us unclean. Not everyone was as convinced as Paul though, and Paul said that he would never grieve his brothers and sisters by eating something they deemed unclean. In other words, Paul is not going to bring pork barbeque to the fellowship meal where he knows that there are brothers and sisters who still follow the Kosher rules to try to make them eat it or to eat it in front of them to try make a point and show how he can eat whatever he wants because of his "rights" and "liberties." In a similar passage, but on a slightly different topic (that of meat sacrificed to idols), we'll see Paul say that he would rather not eat meat if it would keep his brother or sister from stumbling. (see 1 Corinthians 8) This is the complete opposite of the way that most of us think and talk today in America where we are so concerned with our rights and no one is going to take it away from us. We are not saying that anyone takes these rights away from us, but that we lay down our rights freely, just as Jesus laid down all of His rights when He left heaven to come to earth as a man and furthermore took on the role of a slave being fully obedient to the will of His Master (God the Father) and serving His brothers, even to the point of washing their feet. We should not be out to destroy the one whom Jesus has made a new creation. If he loved them enough to die for them, we can love them enough to not intentionally violate their conscience and try to cause them to sin. This is not just an issue of food, but any issue which is not clearly commanded one way or another in the Scripture, but for which you have a very strong opinion. On this particular issue it seems that the apostles all came to an agreement though: "19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” (Acts 15:19-21). Paul's personal feelings here didn't really matter because he agreed with this judgment of the apostles and this is the message they gave to the Gentile believers. Paul is not backing away from that here, but instead using himself as an example to say "Even though I believe I can eat anything I want to, I will give up that right in order to not violate the conscience of another." Paul summarizes this portion this way, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." He also adds that it is our service to Christ that makes us acceptable to God, not our adherence to the Law and our own works of righteousness--those are usually for the approval of men. Therefore we are to pursue that which will bring about peace and mutual edification (building each other up, not tearing each other down). Again, Paul repeats that we should never for the sake of food tear a brother or sister down or cause them to stumble. It would be better to not eat meat and not to drink wine than to cause a brother or sister to stumble (I think this is specifically back to the food sacrificed to idols issue now, since the wine would not be unclean for any other reason unless Paul is talking about people that know they can't consume wine without drinking too much and getting drunk). Paul adds that your personal faith and convictions are an issue for you and God and are not something you are meant to brag about or impose on others. You should only pass judgment on yourself in these areas of personal liberty and Paul says that you are blessed if you have a clean conscience in these areas--many people cannot say that as they struggle with these issues. It is not for us to make this struggle harder than it needs to be. Paul finishes by saying that anyone who violated their conscience is sinning and is condemned because their actions do not proceed from faith, and that which does not proceed from faith is sin. So then, how can you better make room in the body of Christ for all your brothers and sisters who have different opinions than you? My personal recommendation is that where it comes to interactions with other believers, stick to the biblical text that is clear as much as possible. This may still lead to some areas of disagreement for instance if someone points to a commandment in the Old Testament that another believes no longer applies to New Testament believers. Well-meaning Christians disagree on such things all the time, and even the apostles struggled with these issues as they took the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. Have some humility and look for what the text clearly teaches--in this case that we are to think of others more highly than we think of ourselves and to always be watching out for one another in love, because Jesus loved that person so much that He gave the ultimate sacrifice for them. Is it then too much to ask that we too be willing to sacrifice something small in order to show our love for the ones He has loved first? |
Daniel WestfallI will mostly use this space for recording my "journal" from my daily devotions as I hope to encourage others to read the Bible along with me and to leave a legacy for others. Archives
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