Romans 16 - The Revelation of the Mystery

        Previously in Romans, Paul finished up his discussion on Christian liberty. Believers who are strong are to bear with the weaknesses of other believers, and put their needs ahead of their own. This is to follow in Jesus’ example who went to the cross for you and me. We serve a God of hope who wants to fill us with joy and peace by believing, that we may also abound in hope through the Holy Spirit. In closing his letter, Paul expressed his desire and plan to come see them on his way to Spain, but his desire was not fulfilled in the way he had expected. In chapter 16, he will finish his closing by giving several greetings.

He begins by commending Phoebe who was a sister in the Lord and a servant of the church in Cenchrea. She was headed to Rome, and was probably entrusted with delivering this epistle to them. The word for servant is translated as deacon in other passages, but probably is not referring to the office of deacon since Paul addresses the qualifications for deacons and their wives in 1 Timothy 3:8-12. Also, when the apostles chose the first deacons, they chose seven men (see Acts 6:3-4). However, she was a willing servant to the Church, and apparently had been of great help to Paul and many others. The fact she was being entrusted to take Paul’s letter to Rome demonstrates she was thought highly of by the Church. Paul instructed them to receive her in the Lord in a worthy manner as other saints, and to assist her in whatever business she had need of.

Next, he tells the Church to greet Priscilla and Aquila, his fellow-workers in Christ Jesus. Paul had met Priscilla and Aquila on his second missionary journey when he arrived in Corinth. They had come to Corinth because Claudius Caesar had commanded all Jews to leave Rome. He, being of the same trade as them,  worked with them in  tent-making (Acts 18:1-3). As a side-note, Paul did not view himself above hard work as an apostle and minister of the Gospel. Ministry itself is hard work, but he also had a trade that he used to provide for himself at times on his missionary journeys. As a former Jewish rabbi, it would have been standard practice for him to have a trade. He probably did not do this all the time, but he did use it as a fallback on occasion to avoid being a financial burden to others and the accusation that he was preaching for gain. Some pastors enter into the ministry with the notion that the Church should provide all their needs, and this is certainly nice when it works out that way. However, sometimes this is not possible, especially in rural communities. Most pastors I know have to work, at least a little bit, in order to provide for their families because either their churches are just too small, or, in some instances, people do not want to give.

Prescilla and Aquila were a husband-and-wife team who ministered with Paul in Corinth, who left Corinth when Paul did, and stayed in Ephesus for a time. Apparently, they were back in Rome at the time of this epistle. They are mentioned several times by both Luke and Paul in the New Testament, some listing Aquila first, and others listing Priscilla first. Some like to read more into this, even going as far as to say that Priscilla was the leader of their home church. However, there is no Biblical precedence for this view, and would contradict Paul’s instruction to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:12-14. Other contemporary documents show that a person’s first mention indicates his/her social prominence or conversational initiative rather than a role reversal. Paul may have been doing it as a way to demonstrate the equal spiritual standing of men and women who are believers (Galatians 3:28). Another possibility is that some believe Priscilla was a Gentile, and Paul may have addressed her first since he was writing to a gentile audience. He credits them with risking their necks for him, possibly referring to his legal troubles in Corinth (Acts 18:12-17) or the riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:21-41).

They also had churches that met in their home in both Ephesus and in Rome, so they were working together to encourage believers to grow in their walks with the Lord. The early church regularly met in homes, and did so until the mid-third century. As believers we are told to be in the habit of assembling together, but the Scriptures do not say where. That means it is up to us to meet in the place that suits us best, and homes can be a very practical place for this, especially in times of persecution. However, these home churches had elder leadership (Acts 14:23 and Titus 1:5). From these passages and others, we can see that there was more than one elder appointed in a city. This could be that any given gathering had more than one elder present, or that as the number of believers grew, there would have been several home meetings taking place, each of them needing at least one elder. In summary, this was a powerful husband-and-wife team who were devoted to advancing the Kingdom, and were willing to lay their lives on the line for Paul. These are the type of people you want in your corner, especially in the ministry.

Paul gives greetings to several more individuals, and he has something good to say about many of them. He was good at building up others, even the Corinthians whom he had to severely correct. They were greetings to ordinary people like you and me who loved the Lord and served Him with the gifts He gave them. Out of the persons listed here, seven of them mentioned by name were women. Everywhere the Gospel has gone it has promoted women as one in Christ and heirs of the promise of God, the same as the men. Some of them, Andronicus and Junia, were Paul’s countrymen and fellow prisoners, and were apostles. This was not of the original 12, but of others listed such as Silas, Barnabas, and others. Some like to interpret Junia to be a woman apostle since the name can be masculine or feminine, but this, again, would not be in keeping with Paul’s instruction in his other epistles. Some of the individuals listed are recognized for laboring for the Lord, and some of them are recognized for laboring much. Out of the 24 persons listed, 13 of them appear in inscriptions or documents connected with the emperor’s palace in Rome, so Paul could have been greeting servants of Caesar’s who became Christians. He tells them to greet one another with a holy kiss, a common way of greeting someone in that culture. Different cultures have different forms of greeting one another, but the idea is it should be a warm friendly greeting that shows we are genuinely glad to see them. And, “the Churches of Christ greet you.”

As a matter of importance, he urges them to note (mark) those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine they had already learned. These are those who do not adhere to sound doctrine, those things that make Christianity true Christianity. This is much of what Paul taught in the book of Romans, the first five chapters in particular. A believer can be wrong about things in subsequent chapters of the book, but it can be detrimental to their Christian walk. For example, if a believer does not understand the truths found in chapters 6-8, they will be saved, but walking in defeat as it relates to their sin. A person does not have to have a correct view on God’s plan for Israel in order to be a Christian, but so often, this descends into antisemitism and an out-right hatred of the Jew. When you see professing believers spew out hatred for the Jewish people (or any people group for that matter), you do have to wonder.

These individuals who do not adhere to essential doctrines are not true believers, but are serving their own bellies (desires). We are not to give place to these individuals because they use smooth words and flattery to deceive those who are immature in the faith. They are seeking to draw a following, and it causes confusion and division in the Church. When we encounter these types of individuals, Paul says we are to avoid them. He also wrote to Titus, “Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.” (Titus 3:10-11)

He was glad for them that their reputation for obedience to good doctrine was known to all, but he wanted them to be wise (skilled) in what is good and simple (innocent) concerning evil. We do not have to be an expert on sin to preach against it; we just need to be an expert on what is right. He reminded them that the God of peace would crush Satan under their feet shortly. We have to endure his wrath for a time, but we overcome through our faith in Jesus. The Scriptures state, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. “(Rev 12:11) A time is coming, however, when we will have to deal with the devil no more. After the 1,000-year reign of Christ, there will be one more Satanic Rebellion, and then the devil will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone forever.

Paul ends by saying, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. He then includes greetings from others with him in Corinth such as Timothy, Paul’s close associate and “true son in the faith”; Tertius, Paul’s professional secretary who wrote the letter; Gaius, Paul’s host while staying in Corinth; and Erastus, the treasurer of the city of Corinth, a godly man in a secular profession. They gave the same valediction, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

In typical Paul fashion, he does not end with his original closing, but goes on to give a benediction: “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.” God is able to make us stable, strengthen us, and make us to stand firm, and He does this through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel, the good news that was kept a mystery (hidden) since the world began, is now revealed, and was foretold by the prophetic Scriptures to all nations. This was according to the commandment of God, in order that mankind may place their faith in Jesus Christ. It is our faith in Christ that has delivered us from the guilt, punishment, and power of sin, and has made us more than conquerors in Him. It is through our faith that we are children of God and loved by Him with a love from which we cannot be separated. It is through our faith in the Lord that we receive His promises just as Israel will receive His promises by that same faith. It is through faith that we yield our bodies as a living sacrifice, operate in spiritual gifts, and love one another. It is through faith that we serve a God of Hope, and are recipients of His joy and peace. This is the Gospel, folks! As Paul began the epistle, we should not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, because it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. It is in the Gospel that the righteousness of God is revealed, and it is through faith, from beginning to end. We are not just saved by faith, but we live by faith. Lastly, Guzek writes, “If there is anything that the Book of Romans explains from beginning to end, it is the greatness and glory of this plan of God that Paul preached as a gospel – as good news. It’s entirely fitting that Paul concludes this letter praising the God of such a gospel. The good news Paul preached presented the God who chose to glorify Himself through the person and work of Jesus Christ, and who will glorify Himself that way forever. Amen!”

 

The Bible and Immigration

         Illegal immigration has been a hot topic for several years in our nation, and has ramped up significantly under the last two administrations. Under the Biden administration, there was a large influx of illegal aliens, and now the Trump administration is seeking to deport as many as possible, giving particular focus to those with criminal records (although not exclusively). So, what does the Bible say about foreigners and how we are to treat them? That is what I would like to take a look at in this post.

To gain a good understanding of this, we need to go back to the Old Testament. The children of Israel went down into Egypt during a seven-year famine to be taken care of by their brother, Joseph, who was second in command to Pharaoh. After Joseph died, another Pharaoh rose to power, and began oppressing the Jewish people under cruel bondage. After 430 years, the Lord brought them up out of Egypt to lead them into the promised land. While in the wilderness, the Lord had some things to say about foreigners. He said, “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” (Ex 22:21) “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” (Ex 23:9) “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Lev 19:33-34) And, “You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the Lord your God.” (Lev 24:22) As we can see, we are not to wrong or oppress strangers (foreigners), but we are to treat them as one of us and love them as ourselves. However, once here, they are subject to the same laws and punishments for crimes as we are.

Having borders is nothing new, for nations have had borders for millennia. In fact, the Scriptures teach that sovereign nations are God’s way of restraining evil, and that their borders are actually appointed by God (see Genesis 11:1-9 Acts 17:26-27). Furthermore, The Bible tells us God has ordained human government for the good of mankind, and tells us to submit to that government (Romans 13:1-7). Sovereign nations need secure borders so they can control who enters and exits the country. The issue of boarders is far bigger than the migrant worker. We need the migrant worker, and in the case of North Central Washington, farming would be impossible without them. Secure borders is  about controlling the inflow of persons such as Islamic terrorists, foreign operatives of enemy nations such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), human traffickers, and other violent criminals. As we can see then, there is both a Biblical and a practical purpose for nations having defined borders, as well as defending those borders.

Our founding fathers wanted foreigners to immigrate to our country. They understood that America was indebted to emigration for its settlement and prosperity, and they wanted to share it with others. George Washington wrote, “The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations and Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment.” However, they wanted whoever immigrated here to live here for a while, to ensure they assimilated into our culture and shared our values before they were naturalized as citizens. Alexander Hamilton wrote, “Some reasonable term ought to be allowed to enable aliens to get rid of foreign and acquire American attachments; to learn the principles and imbibe the spirit of our government; and to admit of at least a probability of their feeling a real interest in our affairs. A residence of at least five years ought to be required.” The spirit of our government is a constitutional republic that is embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” And, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” The founders viewed our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to be from God, and it was government’s job to secure those rights. Incidentally, Christianity and the Bible were influential in forming our constitution and many of our laws. In summary, immigration has been desired from the beginning of our country, but along with it has come the expectation that immigrants will adopt the American way of life, Christianity being a major part of this.

So, in light of this, how should we view the current immigration challenges? From both a Scriptural and a practical stand-point, we need secure borders in order to keep out bad actors and preserve the American way of life. At the same time, we want people to immigrate here legally who want to assimilate into our culture and be productive members of society as many have already done. Unfortunately, there needs to be some vetting process to ensure those bad actors are not allowed in. Once here, we should treat them well and love them as our own selves. After being a resident for a time, then they can go through the naturalization process and be afforded all the rights and privileges of U.S. Citizens. I know there are different visas with varying expirations, but five years seems like a reasonable time frame.

As it relates to illegal immigrants, if they are here without a criminal record, I do not believe it is worth rounding all of them up and deporting them. First of all, our own government has compounded the problem by flip-flopping back and forth on its stance on illegal immigration. Immigrants are told to come here in the masses during one administration, and deported during another. Furthermore, there have been immigrants who have tried to do the right thing, but, due to all the red tape and legal costs, were not able to extend their visas or go through the naturalization process. It’s almost as though the system is set up to reward those who do not care, while making it difficult on those who do. Sadly, immigrants have, to a large extent, been pawns in the hands of politicians, in particular the radical Left. If you are an immigrant reading this, the radical left wants you here, but not for your benefit. They want you here and trapped on all their government programs. They want you trapped so they can control you, starting with your vote. Ultimately, what they want is a Socialist or Marxist utopia, which will be terrible for you and the rest of us Americans. If you don’t believe me, ask the Venezuelans. They were dancing in the streets when our special forces captured Nicolas Meduro. The only ones who will benefit will be them, and that will be short-lived.

The second reason I do not believe we should deport illegals without a criminal record is they may have escaped a terrible existence in their former country. In Deuteronomy it states, “You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you. He may dwell with you in your midst, in the place which he chooses within one of your gates, where it seems best to him; you shall not oppress him.” (Deut 23:15-16) Sending them back to their former country would only subject them to the same or worse. If they are here and are otherwise law-abiding persons and willing to assimilate into American society, I believe it would be best to let them remain here. However, they should seek to go through the asylum process if that applies. If that does not apply, they should seek to become a legal resident or go through the naturalization process because it is the right thing to do in accordance with the Scriptures and the law of the land. As I stated previously, I do not believe it is the best use of our governments time and resources to round up illegals who are productive members of society, nor do I advocate turning anyone in for being here illegally. However, if they do none of these afore mentioned solutions, and are apprehended, they cannot be too upset, for they are here illegally. Should we be separating children from their parents or guardians? No, not unless their parents have a criminal record, in which case it would be no different than any U.S. citizen who is separated from their family for a criminal offense.

If illegal immigrants are here with a criminal record, they should not be automatically deported, but should be tried and punished for their crimes first. If they are murderers, rapists, or human traffickers, it should be a capital offense. This is simply biblical justice. In addition, there is no point in filling our prisons with those types of criminals and be a burden to the American taxpayer. Also, no matter where you stand on the issue, it does not justify violent protests, including assaulting immigration officers. Many of these individuals are being stirred up by paid agitators, but nonetheless, it is not the way to solve our differences.

There is a way to approach this challenge (and any other) in a peaceful and constructive manner: Jesus said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Mat 22:37-39) “Love does no harm to a neighbor,” and is the fulfilment of God’s law. If we would love God with all our being and each other as ourselves, all these issues would work themselves out. We could come up with a straight-forward and easy method for bringing immigrants into our country, assimilating them into our culture, showing compassion on those less well-off than we are, and do this while still respecting the rule of law. Hopefully this has been insightful and thought-provoking, and can help us navigate these particular challenges our nation is going through.

 

Additional Links

 

THE REAL TRUTH OF ISLAM: William Federer

DIVIDE and CONQUER is WORKING: Is Minneapolis Just the Beginning?

Homan Announces Drawdown of 700 Federal Agents in Minnesota

5-year-old detained by ICE when father fled now ordered released  

    

 

Romans 15 - The God of Hope

Last time in Romans, we talked about Christian liberty. There are things in Christianity (the nonessentials) that we are free to do, but should not if it offends or stumbles other believers. Love will not unnecessarily offend or cause others to stumble. The kingdom of God is not in meat or drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. If we have faith to exercise a freedom, then have it to ourselves before God. If we have doubts, then we should not partake, since whatever is not of faith is sin. In chapter 15, Paul will finish up his discussion on Christian liberty, and then begin penning the closing to his epistle.

He states that those who are strong ought to bear with others’ weaknesses. As we saw in chapter 14, those who are weak in the faith are those believers who make extra rules above what God has already prescribed for us, either because they sincerely believe the Lord wants them to keep those rules, or they are vulnerable to temptation in that particular area. Those who are strong should support those weak brothers and sisters. Rather than pleasing ourselves with our freedoms, we should seek to please others by building them up. Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Phil 2:3-4)

Jesus is our example, who did not come to please Himself, but bore the reproaches of men that were really against the Father who sent Him. This was a prophecy of Jesus given in Psalm 69:9, who endured their reproaches in hopes of saving some. Paul continues in Philippians, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil 2:5-8)

Paul reminds us that the Old Testament Scriptures are there for our learning as well, that through patience (perseverance) and comfort of the Scriptures, we might have hope. If Jesus persevered through life’s challenges and overcame, then we too will overcome through our faith in Him (1 John 5:4). He prayed that the God of patience and comfort would grant them to be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus. The context here is still Christian liberty, and just as God is patient with us in our weaknesses, we ought to be patient with one another so we can with one mind and mouth glorify God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. He began chapter 14 telling them to receive those that are weak in the faith, and he ends by telling them to receive one another just as Christ has received us to the glory of God. Whether we are the legalist Christian or the free one, we are to receive one another. We are not told to erase our differences, but to rise above them.

Jesus Christ has become a minister to the circumcision (the Jews) according to the Scriptures, and this is in fulfilment of the prophesies given to their ancestors. It is also that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. Paul then quotes from several OT passages that God intended for the Gentiles to praise Him: “as it is written: ‘For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name.’ And again he says: ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!’ And again: ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!’ And again, Isaiah says: ‘There shall be a root of Jesse; and He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope.’”

Again, Paul prays, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Not only are we to have hope, but we believe in and serve the God of hope. He will not allow us to go through any circumstance without providing us the hope of seeing us through. He gives us all joy and peace in (by) believing. We have all probably gone through situations where we didn’t feel like we had joy and peace, but we need to remember we receive it by faith. This is faith in the person of Jesus Christ generally, but faith specifically that He wants to give these things to us. Because of this, we can abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

He reassures them that he did not believe they were drastically falling short in these areas, but was confident they were full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish each other. However, he wrote to them more boldly on some points as a reminder. Sometimes we need to be reminded of things. It’s not that we don’t know or don’t want to do the right thing necessarily, but we just have forgotten for whatever reason. Life has a way of distracting us, and we need that reminder from time to time.

Paul viewed his calling of being an apostle to the Gentiles as an act of the grace of God. He wanted the offering of the Gentiles to God to be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, so his reminders were to prepare them for that offering. He had reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things that pertained to God as it related to the Gentiles, and would not glory in what God had done through others. The Lord had worked through him to make the Gentiles obedient to the faith through mighty signs and wonders by the Spirit of God. The Lord confirmed his ministry through signs and wonders through the power of the Holy Spirit, and this was in fulfilment of Jesus’ words, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” This was not to happen as the primary draw to Christianity, but in confirmation of the Word being preached. “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into Heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.” (Mark 16:17-20)

Through the power of the Spirit, Paul had preached the Gospel from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum (South Eastern Europe). He did not want to preach the Gospel where others had already done so because he did not want to build on another man’s foundation. There is nothing wrong with building upon the foundation of someone else, but he probably thought there was too much work that needed to be done. He viewed his ministry as a fulfilment of an Old Testament prophecy, “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; and those who have not heard shall understand.”

It was because of Paul’s traveling around preaching the Gospel that he had been hindered from coming to Rome, but he planned to come see them on his way to Spain. He wanted to enjoy their company for a time, and hoped they would further assist him in his missionary endeavors in going to Spain. However, before doing so, he was going to Jerusalem to bring an offering from those in Macedonia and Achaia for the poor believers in Jerusalem. The Gentiles had been partakers of spiritual things from the Jews, so it was only fitting that the Gentiles should help the Jews with material needs. Once he had delivered this offering, then he planned to go through Rome on his way to Spain, and would come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

Paul begged them through the Lord Jesus Christ and love of the Spirit that they would strive with him in prayer that he would be delivered from those in Judea that did not believe, and that his offering would be acceptable to the Church there. His desire was to come to them with joy by the will of God and be refreshed. Paul’s prayers were not answered in the way he had hoped, because the Lord had a different plan. He did make it to Jerusalem, but he was arrested by the Jews and then turned over to the Romans. Through his various trials and traveling to Rome, he was able to witness to soldiers and centurions, governors, primitive islanders, and eventually Caesar himself. As far as missionary endeavors go, he accomplished far more than he probably had planned on. When the Lord does not answer our prayers as we want Him to, He has a plan that is bigger and better than we could ever come up with. He ends by saying, “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” In the final chapter, Paul         will conclude his epistle to the Romans.