Oh Behalf of Others... - Romans 15:1-13

By Pastor Rich Paradis

As we begin another chapter of Romans, we do so knowing that the theme of “living sacrifice” continues to run through each of the instructive sections of the last 5 chapters of this incredible letter. Most recently, we have discussed the idea of deference to others in non-salvific matters as an important distinction between the one living for him or herself and the one that is ultimately living for Christ and the Kingdom’s sake. The discussion is one of priorities. Who or what will be the priorities of our lives? That discussion continues today. Let’s see what it says for us today.

 

I.                    The Example of Christ In His Own Self-Denial    Romans 15:1-6

a.       Chapter 15 starts off in a very similar way as does chapter 14. In chapter 14, Paul encourages, even urges, his readers to accept the one who is weak (undecided in relation to his or her conviction on a matter). Verse 1 says that the one who desires to be a “living sacrifice” ought to bear the weakness of another brother instead of merely pleasing oneself. Paul himself is placing himself amongst the “strong” in this appeal. In a similar way to Galatians 6:2 which encourages us to “bear the burden” of a brother, the stronger is told that he “ought” to do the same toward a weaker brother or sister. There is a tone of obligation in his appeal.

b.      This “bearing” is not some mere resignation or condescension toward this brother, but something that is done as a parent cares for a child. We do sometimes lose patience with our children, but we should at no time only do what is necessary because it is our “duty” or some “burden” that has been placed on us. The motivation for this bearing is love, not burden or merely duty. To do it for any other reason than love is to miss the point altogether and this will ultimately lead to “pleasing ourselves” only.

c.       That thought takes us into Verse 2 which offers a contrast that is noteworthy in the person who is a “living sacrifice” versus the one that merely lives to please himself. Who are we to please? Our neighbor. This is anyone within the reach of our life, whether a Christian or not. For who’s good? His good, not ours. For what? His building up, not ours.

d.      In Verse 3 we are given the ultimate example of One who had others in mind. He had the plan of His Father in mind, as well as our good as He not only offered what He had but also Himself for our salvation. There is no sacrificial living that even rivals that of our Savior. We might somehow compare ourselves with another believer and come our looking thoughtful or benevolent. But we can never compare ourselves to the One who sacrificed all for those that would both love Him and those that would shake their fists in rebellion toward Him. Psalm 69:9 is quoted at the end of the verse, further making the point. He would continue to love and stick by His Father even in the face of ridicule and reproach toward Him.

e.       At this point in the discussion, Paul reminds us of something that he will also share in 2 Timothy 3:16. Verse 4 tells us that the Old Testament scriptures were written for our instruction. Sometimes we think that only the New Testament has instruction for us in the modern day. But Paul says that there is meaningful instruction to be found in that which was written even before the writing of our New Testament. There is an eschatological tone to this verse as well as Paul reminds his readers (and us) that the Scriptures will afford us both perseverance and encouragement until our hope is finally realized in the future.

f.        Paul offers an interesting and theologically rich as he closes out the first paragraph of this chapter. Verses 5-6 begin with the source of the Scripture, as well as our perseverance and encouragement; God Himself. He continues with a call to unity, which ultimately brings both glory to God and a single mindedness and passion, whether we are the “stronger” or the “weaker” brother or sister.

 

II.                 The Example of Christ Toward the Jew and the Gentile    Romans 15:7-13

a.       Like a really good teacher, Paul summarizes the first 6 verses with Verse 7. In light, or because of the information just stated, accept one another so that God might be glorified and recognized among both the saved and the unsaved for the difference that only He can make in a life that is given fully to His plans and His leading. This “acceptance” is not merely some begrudging acceptance, like accepting the fact that you are slower and less in shape than you once were. Acceptance here is “to receive, to grant one access to your heart”. That can only be done from a platform of love.

b.      Before concluding the passage with a discussion of the connection / acceptance modeled in Christ toward the Gentiles, let’s take a quick look at the idea of Christ as a servant. That word is the same word that we get our word “deacon” from. It has the idea of a servant, one who executes that orders of another, one who serves a king. That is Christ to a tee! He is the ultimate servant.           Verses 8-12 discuss the relationship between the Jew and the Gentile. Christ was sent to do His earthly ministry to the Jews, the circumcision as an answer / confirmation to the promises given to the ancient Jewish fathers. But even as He was sent first to the Jews, He always had a plan for the Gentile to hear and respond to the Gospel. In the next verses, Paul puts together, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, a progression of thought that brings out the connection for both the original readers and for us.

                                                               i.      The first (Vs. 9) is from 2 Samuel 22:50 / Psalm 18:49. It pictures David rejoicing among the Gentiles. The second (Vs. 10) has Moses rejoicing with his people. The third (Vs.11) is the Gentiles praising the Lord. The fourth (Vs. 12) has Isaiah predicting that the Gentiles will live under the rule of “the root of Jesse” and that they would have their hope in Him.

                                                             ii.      In Christ, there is a connection spiritually between the Jew and the Gentile. To not accept one another or to live with only your purposes and plans in mind is to miss all that Christ had accomplished at Calvary and in the Resurrection.

c.       In Verse 13, we have a beautiful benedictory prayer to all that has been said. Look at the wonderful list of benefits that come in trusting Him. Hope, joy, peace, and the power of the Holy Spirit in you! What a wonderful application to this section…!!!! The strong has reached toward the weak as Christ reached toward us with His life. What an example for us to follow as we interface with others.

Some Concluding Appeals - Romans 15:14-33

By Pastor Rich Paradis

Paul now continues his discussion related to the offering of oneself as a “living sacrifice” by discussing his own ministry and what it has entailed up to now. He will also share what he hopes it will look like moving into the future. Paul, as he has shared his own theology and its practical outworking, is now going to share from his own testimony of God’s work in and around him. Remember, Paul has never met those that he is writing to so he does not know them nor do they know him personally.

 

 

I.                   Paul’s Ministry To This Point    Romans 15:14-21

a.       As Paul opens this paragraph, he takes a few sentences to acknowledge the Jewish believer reading this letter. There has been evidence that the previous discussion regarding the stronger / weaker brother had definite application to a group of Jewish believers in this group as it related to dietary restriction and observance of days discussion in chapter 14.

b.      While Paul has offered some correction and teaching to these readers, he will now offer a few words of commendation  in Verse 14 to their potential in following his teaching regarding the Gentiles around them. These are not empty words that are hoping for a response. He is “convinced” of these truths about them and their character. There are three characteristics of these readers that he will remind them of as a challenge to going forward in the right spirit. As opposed to the things that Paul wrote to other churches (i.e. Corinthians and Galatians) about their lack of such characteristics, this list should have been a compliment to his readers.

                                                              i.      Full of goodness – This goodness is a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22) and was evidence of their walking in the Spirit, especially in a place known for its immoral behavior and sin.

                                                            ii.      Filled with all knowledge – They are knowledgeable in the things of the Lord. One might wonder why he would write such a systematic letter to people with this level of knowledge. The answer will come in the next verse.

                                                          iii.      Able to admonish one another – This group of believers had shown themselves to be able to correct and counsel one another toward godliness and Kingdom living.

c.       Paul continues, in Verses 15-16, to share the “why” of this writing. Paul has written this letter with both its corrections and its encouragements because of what has been revealed to him in his own life. Remember Paul’s own conversion in Acts 9 and its revealing of God’s grace to him. He is now sharing that same recognition and reception of this grace with those that are in the cultural capital of the world at that point. Acts 9:15 states the calling of Paul to be a minister of the gospel to the Gentiles, the non-Jew. He not only sees this ministry as a calling, but as an opportunity to involve himself in the sacrificial work of the priest of the Old Testament. The Gentiles would be an offering that he would present by way of his ministry that would be solely for the glory of God. Note the empowering of the entire Triune Godhead in Verse 16 in Paul’s ministry. What a privilege to preach for this audience!!

d.      With that in mind, Paul continues in Verse 17-19 to discuss the source of his boasting: the gospel of Jesus Christ. Any good thing that Paul would bring to the Gentiles would be a direct result of that which had happened to Paul himself. Any of what Paul would say or do would be in response to the difference that Jesus Christ had made in his own life. Paul’s ministry from Jerusalem to Illyricum (a reference to the scope and distance of his ministry reach at that point) would, through signs and wonders as demonstrated regularly in the book of Acts, result in the gospel being preached in the entire region under discussion by the power of the Holy Spirit. Some have estimated the distance that Paul travelled at this point in history to deliver the gospel at over 14,000 miles!

e.       With this incredible ministry in focus and the completion of it documented here, Paul now continues in Verse 20-21 to discuss his plans for the future. Paul’s own call to preaching the gospel did not end at the places where the gospel had been heard. It was to reach to pioneer places around the world. His desire was not to build on the work of another man, but to build on the work of Christ in his own heart to the places where His name was yet unknown. One of Paul’s favorite places to quote is the book of Isaiah, and he does that here by quoting Isaiah 52:15 which notes the call to take the message to those that have never heard, which will be demonstrated by the great Servant himself.

 

II.                Paul’s Ministry Going Forward    Romans 15:22-33

a.       Paul offers the entirety of the previous section as his reason for not visiting them in the past in Verses 22-23. He has been about the work of sharing the good news of Christ in the entire region of the eastern Mediterranean, but now his work is done. This does not mean that he has personally shared the gospel with every person of the region, but it does mean that he has taken the gospel to the cultural and influential centers of the region with the hope that the lives that are changed there under his preaching will translate into missionaries to the neighboring smaller towns and rural areas.

b.      His hope is that he will finally satisfy his longing to see them on his way to Spain. Verses 24-25 has Paul sharing that his visit to Rome at that point will be to both secure their help and to enjoy their company for a while. The help that he will hope to secure is encouragement in travel, finances for the effort, and possibly even a few team members to travel with him and participate in the work.

c.       But there is work to do first! Verses 26-29 tell us of  his first priority: getting an offering from the Gentile believers in Macedonia and Achaia to the poor believers in Jerusalem. These Gentile believers were not only pleased to make this offering, they had a feeling of indebtedness to these Jewish believers. Why? The gospel had been shared with them by Jewish believers so they felt a sense of gratitude and indebtedness to those that had brought the good news to them. They “needed” to share in the care of these hurting Jewish believers as a response to all that they done for them. As soon as this offering and its explanation is delivered by Paul, he will take off toward them on his way to Spain full of blessing from the Lord.

d.      In the meantime, Paul commissions his readers to be in intercessory prayer for him. Verses 30-33 offer the details of these prayers. Again, note the entire Triune Godhead empowering this prayer effort! Both Paul and these believers will have a common source of empowerment in all that will possibly be ahead, God Himself!

e.       There is a problem that Paul and those around him know of. There are disobedient ones in Jerusalem that would love to not only stop the delivery of this much-needed offering, but also capture Paul and hinder him from further ministry. Acts 20:22-23 gives evidence to this situation. Strangely we know that he is ultimately captured and will be transported to Rome but not in the way that he had hoped. Whether he ever gets to Spain is unknown, but he will visit Rome not as a travelling missionary but as a prisoner!! But for now, we hear Paul offering peace toward his readers until he gets there.

 

III.             An Application For All Of Us

a.       What a wonderful example of commitment to the work of the gospel!

b.      Are there people in your spiritual journey that you are “indebted” to? How could you bless them and encourage them to continue the work?

c.       Are you aware of believers that are in need? How could you bless them with both your gifts of help and your prayers?

 

Ministry is About People - Romans 16:1-16

By Pastor Rich Paradis

 

As we continue in this letter, we move toward it conclusion, and will now be asked to consider a long list of folks that Paul has on his heart. We will most likely be struck by the fact that a lot of the names on this list are hard to say and even harder to necessarily recognize! Who are these folks? While a few of them will be recognizable to us, all of them were not only recognizable but also important to Paul. He is teaching us a valuable lesson here as he offers this list at the end of one of the most theological letters of all of his writing: People are important to gospel ministry!

I.                   Some Introductory Thoughts

a.       In a time where many of the personal parts of life seem to be gone, (i.e. knowing your neighbors, engaging those that you come in contact with, etc.) there is a wonderful opportunity for us to discuss the priority of people in gospel ministry. I recently read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s little book “Wait ‘Til Next Year”. It was an interesting story of her own life growing up in the greater New York City area and it was filled with folks that she had lived life with and had affected her life in many ways.

b.      In a similar way, Paul will take some time at the end of a very theologically reasoned letter to demonstrate that part of being a theologian, church planter, missionary and Christian is to know and love other believers.

c.       Paul would appear from the letter itself to be all of the things listed above, but he would also appear to be a “people person” in all of the best ways. He was not a name-dropper, he was a “fellow worker”. He was not a “user of people”, he was a friend and lover of people. And the list will continue as the chapter unfolds.

d.      Do you love people? As we concluded chapter 15, I challenged us to think through those in our spiritual journeys that we were indebted to. The Gentiles of Macedonia and Achaia were indebted and grateful to the Jewish believers that had ministered the gospel to them. With this in mind, they were sending an offering by way of Paul to those that were hurting in Jerusalem. Paul would deliver this offering to them personally before his desired departure for Rome and ultimately Spain.

e.       Theology and people don’t have to, and shouldn’t be placed, at opposite ends of the relational scale. People are who Jesus came to die for! People will be the ones that will spend eternity in heaven with Him!! People can and do make a big difference to those that are committed to being “living sacrifices” and “offering oneself as an offering of worship to God”.

 

II.                A Few People We Do Recognize    Romans 16:1-4

a.       As the chapter opens, we are introduced to the one who delivered the letter to the Roman churches to them, Phoebe. Verse 1 gives a bit more information on her as we find out that she was a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea. This seaport town is about 6-8 miles east of Corinth, the place of writing of this letter by Paul.

b.      The word “servant” is interesting in this verse and has led to some ongoing discussion in the church. The word is “diakonos”, from which we get our word “deacon”. Do we have a woman deacon or do we have a woman who is servant who ministers to those that are hurting around and in the church? We don’t know, but we are given some clue that this woman was evidently recognized by the church in this servant role as she is introduced as a “servant of the church”. But without question, Paul is not recognizing her position in the church as much as he is recognizing her helping spirit in and around the church. She has been a helper of many according to Verse 2, even to Paul himself. The appeal of Paul is to help her in any way that she may have need because she has been a helper to so many others.

c.       Next on the list is Prisca (Priscilla) and Aquila. Verse 3 introduces them as “fellow workers in Christ Jesus”. Acts 18:2 shares with us the occasion of their meeting Paul. The Jews had been ordered out of Rome by the Emperor Claudius, so they made their way to Corinth and Paul connected with them during his 2^nd Missionary journey. They were tentmakers and Paul had been taught this same skill as a youth, as was the custom of the day to teach your sons a manual trade whether rich or poor. But they are not being recognized for merely working together in the tent making trade. They are being recognized by Paul for the work that they did together for the gospel.

d.      We read in the next verse of these two fellow believers and workers “risking their own neck”. For what we are not sure, nor does the text tell us, but Verse 4 says that whatever this act or series of acts was it benefitted many and was well known. Both Paul himself and all of the Gentile churches both knew about it and appreciated it.

 

III.             A Bunch of People That We Don’t Recognize (But Paul Does!)    Romans 16:5-15

a.       As the list goes on, there are now a number of people listed that we know either very little about, or nothing beyond the fact that Paul noted them as important to his ministry.

b.      It is interesting to note a few things about this list though.

                                                              i.      It is extremely diversified. There are males, females, slaves, freedmen, Jews, Gentiles, well-to-do, and well thought of included. I think we are getting an interesting view of the church at Rome as we hear this list unfold.

                                                            ii.      There is a predominant mention of women in it. A third of those mentioned are women. All of the ones described as “hard-working” are women.

                                                          iii.      House churches are mentioned at least once, and perhaps either 3 or 5 times depending on your thoughts on Verses 10-11 and 14-15. These houses churches don’t seem to be segregated to Jewish and Gentile factions, probably some of the reason for the “stronger and weaker” brother conversations already.

                                                          iv.      Paul is speaking in very intimate terms with them. He is very honest, affirming and positive in his recognitions. Words like beloved, hard-working, kinsmen, approved, choice man, and brethren are wonderful terms that any of us would love to be known by another for.

c.       Without taking the time to look at each of these folks, again we have demonstrated for us the scope of Paul’s relationships. He is a man that loves the Lord and loves people!

 

IV.             A Practice That We Don’t Continue (Or Do We?) Today    Romans 16:16

a.       As Paul closes this paragraph, he shares a term that strikes terror in many of us. That term, in Verse 16, is that of a holy kiss. What does  this mean? Are we supposed to be doing that too? Let’s look…

b.      The first word is “holy”. It means “containing nothing objectionable or debatable, the kiss spoken of here would have been of the purest love”.

c.       The second word is “kiss”. It means “the kiss with which, as a sign of fraternal affection, Christians were accustomed to welcome or dismiss their companions in the faith”.

d.      This “holy kiss” was a sign of affection, contemporary with the times and the culture that demonstrated the connection that was had with both the Lord and one another.

e.       Should we do that today? Of course we should! Why? Because people are an important part of gospel ministry!!

 

V.                An Application For All Of Us

a.       Who are those folks that you have served alongside of “in Christ” that have made a big difference?

b.      Would anyone list you on their list of “commendations”?

c.       Are you careful to recognize those that matter to you spiritually? If not, how could you improve that part of your ministry going forward?

d.      Do you take time and effort to receive and offer signs of affection that reflect both holiness and love for those that you care for?

e.       What difference could the reading of Paul’s list make for a believer? A non-believer?

A Reminder about Work

by

Charles Ligon

 

Many workplace believers still view their work as drudgery, a necessary evil, and only a place to earn a paycheck. They see it as mundane with very little significance relative to their spiritual lives. But is that true? Does work have any eternal significance and shouldn’t we consider what the Bible says about work? After all, people spend one-third of their lives at work. I have written on this subject in the past and I believe it warrants an occasional re-visit. Why? If we are not careful, our perspective about work and how God intends for us to view it can get twisted. So, what does the Bible say?

 

From the very beginning work was part of God’s creative plan – He did not create man to be idle but to work to support himself and his family. We know that God worked to create the world and He placed Adam in the garden to work also. The Lord God took man and put him in the garden to work it and to keep it (Genesis 2:15). So, from the beginning work was a good and positive part of daily activity even before fall. The Bible also says that not working is not an option. In Thessalonians 3:10-12, Paul writes “if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their own work quietly and to earn their own living”. The Bible commends hard work and condemns laziness. Christians are called to work hard regardless of what their work might be.

 

So then, what’s our motivation? Can we work enthusiastically if we are doing something we don’t enjoy or is seemingly a pointless task? Paul says to remember who you work for. “Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive an inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”  (Colossian 3:23-24). Even in menial jobs we dislike – it is Christ we are serving. We are called to work hard at everything because our reward is in Heaven, not on Earth. So, your Workplace challenge is to keep a right perspective about your work and to remember who you ultimately serve. Whatever your work, do it for Him and for His Glory.