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.
No comments:
Post a Comment