THE BOOK OF ROMANS 11. "Can we be sure of the Gospel 3? (Rejection, Grafting and Grace)"

Chapter ten closes with an image of God holding out to people arms of welcoming grace but people choose to walk on by and reject His ways. Paul is particularly grieved that amongst those who reject the Good News of Jesus Christ are his own people the Hebrews. He begins chapter eleven, by focusing in once more on his own, asking the question as to whether God had now rejected the people He had once called His own.

Romans 11:1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.  2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?  3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life."  4 But what is the divine reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."  5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.  6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

Has God rejected His people? ‘Well, for starters’ says Paul ‘I happen to be one of those Hebrews and God certainly hasn’t rejected me. I’m an Israelite. I’m of the tribe of Benjamin. I’m one of those physical descendants of Abraham by the flesh. And I’m one of those who know themselves chosen by God, so for a start there’s at least one of us!’

He could have gone on to speak of every single one of the apostles. They were all physically of the Jewish people, as was Jesus himself. So to suggest that every Hebrew or Israelite had been rejected just didn’t make sense.

And Paul knows his scriptures. To reinforce such a claim he speaks about Elijah. The story in brief was this. Elijah has a dramatic encounter that puts the prophets of Baal to shame. But Queen Jezebel is not impressed and vows to take his life. Elijah is overcome with fear and runs and hides in a cave complaining to God that he was all alone and nobody else in all the land ever listened.

When God replies God points out that there were some 7000 people in Israel who like Elijah had not bowed down and worshiped the false god Baal. Elijah’s perspective had become out of focus. His own fear and depression was keeping him from seeing the larger picture. And as he speaks about the ‘Big Picture’ Paul is clear that one huge word dominated that picture, the word “GRACE”.

He insists that just as in the days of Elijah there may only be a remnant of the people who were remaining faithful, nevertheless a remnant was a remnant and in salvation history a remnant was often the dominant future determining force! Mustard seed faith moved mountains. So often the actions of the faithful few undid those of the faithless majority, the lone voice became the one that stood the test of time.

He points out that it is all a matter of grace. That the remnant held on because they were convinced that God had a purpose and that they were the ones who were in the center of that purpose, not because of any good or merit in themselves, but simply because God had chosen them for such a time as that which they faced. As verse 5 explains, “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.”  Or as the Message Bible reads; “It's the same today. There's a fiercely loyal minority still—not many, perhaps, but probably more than you think.”

The thrust behind this whole passage is Paul’s insistence that God is working out God’s purposes in the world. He calls us to look beyond the immediate crisis and see there is more to things than meets the eye. God was in control, as God always had been and always would be. Even in the rises and falls of Israel, their faithful and faithlessness, God was working at something, bringing something into being, working towards the salvation, not just of the Jews but also the Gentiles. And some people amongst the chosen ones got it, and some missed it.

 7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,  8 as it is written, "God gave them a sluggish spirit, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day."  9 And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them;  10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and keep their backs forever bent."  11 So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumbling1 salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel2 jealous.  12 Now if their stumbling1 means riches for the world, and if their defeat means riches for Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!  

The image that is placed before us regarding the unfaithful majority of Israel comes from Psalm 69, 22-23, a Psalm in which David is pictured as pleading with God for deliverance. The remnant is represented by David; the unfaithful crowd by the enemy. David, using the image of a banquet complains that they, the unfaithful, have given him poison for food and only vinegar to drink to quench his thirst.

Meanwhile they sat around their richly laden tables oblivious to the commands of God, deaf to the cries of those in need around them and blind to the fate of those who were God’s servants seeking to get them back on the right track for their lives. It is with a sense of sadness and with a desire to see justice done that David cries out to God, the words Paul quotes in Romans 11:9-10, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them;  let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and keep their backs forever bent.”

The Greek word describing their darkened eyes is ‘poroun’, from the verb ‘porosis’ which in medical terms meant a callus. It is used particularly to describe the callus which forms around a fracture when a bone is broken. When a callus grows on part of our body that part loses feeling and becomes insensitive.

What Paul is telling is that just as a callus could grow on the body, it could also grow on the heart and that such is what had become of the mass of his own people, the Hebrews. They had become, as he says in verse 7 ‘hardened’. They had a sluggish spirit, ears that wouldn’t listen, eyes that refused to look.

So was that it? Were they out for the count? Would they be forever rejected? Verse 11 ‘have they stumbled so as to fall?’ and never again get up again? Paul invites us again to see things from a larger perspective. Throughout the history of Israel God had used a remnant to call the majority back into relationship with God.  That was still happening. The rejection by the Jews had forced the reluctant disciples to go to the Gentiles.

We know from the book of Acts how the early Church struggled with that thought. Peter had his vision on a roof-top of a sheet filled with clean and unclean animals that changed forever the way he saw the Gentiles. One of the reasons for Paul’s initial hostility towards the followers of Jesus was because he felt that they deserved to be wiped from the face of the earth because of the way their religion broke down walls of separation that he felt were unchangeable; unchangeable that is till he was struck blind on the road to Damascus and commissioned by God as an apostle to the Gentiles.

Rejection by the Jews had opened a door to the Gentiles. As he puts it in verse 12 “Now if their stumbling means riches for the world, and if their defeat means riches for Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!” Paul looks forward to a future time when his own people would have a change of heart, such as he himself had experienced. When that day came it would be the homecoming of all homecomings!  All barriers between Jew and Gentile would finally be done away with. And all of this through Jesus Christ.

Paul carries on exploring that theme in verses 13-15

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry  14 in order to make my own people1 jealous, and thus save some of them.  15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead!  

Hear how Eugene Petersen captures the sense of these verses in the Message Bible

“But I don't want to go on about them. It's you, the outsiders, that I'm concerned with now. Because my personal assignment is focused on the so-called outsiders, I make as much of this as I can  when I'm among my Israelite kin, the so-called insiders, hoping they'll realize what they're missing and want to get in on what God is doing. If their falling out initiated this worldwide coming together, their recovery is going to set off something even better: mass homecoming! If the first thing the Jews did, even though it was wrong for them, turned out for your good, just think what's going to happen when they get it right! “

Until nearly the end of this chapter Paul continues to teach that God had not rejected the Jewish people. Many had rejected God, but not all. There had always been and still were a faithful remnant amongst them. That remnant were defined by their faith. The true believer was one who did not live by their works, but by placing their wholehearted trust in the mercy and grace of God.  God always had worked on that basis and nothing had changed. Salvation was by grace, through faith.

Paul cautions Gentile believers not to get ahead of themselves. The story of salvation hadn’t started with them anymore than the Gospel had begun with the coming of Jesus.  As we recall at Christmas time Jesus was the One who was heralded by prophets and welcomed by angels in the fullness of time. There could be no New Covenant without there having first been an Old one!  

The Gentiles were inheritors of promises given to those who came before them. It was, as we have seen, a great sadness to Paul that many of his own people rejected those promises, but even that rejection was something God was using for the salvation of the entire world. To illustrate this point to the Gentile believers Paul uses the imagery of a vine and its branches.

16 If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy.  17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree,  18 do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.  19 You will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."  20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe.  21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.

Maybe the key verse in this section is the second half of verse 18; “remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.” If branches had to be broken off in order to graft new branches in, then the new branch should recognize that the reason for the old branch being taken out was because it was dead wood. If the new branch becomes become dead wood they should surely expect no different action to be taken by the one doing the pruning.

It was an awesome thing to be grafted in, an action that could not be achieved through ones own efforts but so entirely dependent on the gardener. To be grafted onto such a rich plant was just such a privilege. And comfort could be found in the thought that the sap that ran through that old plant was now running through the new branches, bringing life and vitality.

I can’t read this passage in Romans without thinking of the words of Jesus in John’s gospel;

John 15:4-8  “ Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.  5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.  6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.  7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

One of the things that fascinates me about Paul is trying to understand what he knew of the gospel stories themselves. He never explicitly refers to Matthew, Mark, Luke or John in the way we do. He never speaks of a canon of Scripture or a New Testament in the way that we today understand those terms. Yet gospel stories and the teaching of Christ so underscore what Paul teaches that you really can’t understand Paul without some acquaintance with the gospels. These passages in John and Romans about the vine and the branches complement each other so well.

Both passages give us the image of God being the one who tends the vine and grafts who He will and cuts away who He will. Both judgment and mercy are rooted in the salvation work of God. Images of kindness and severity are those which Paul now moves on to consider as he talks about the possibility of branches being grafted back into vine and again cautions the reader not to think them selves wiser than they were. The purposes of God remained shrouded in mystery. But that should not cause despair, rather called all the more for trust that God is in control!

22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.  23 And even those of Israel,1 if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.  24 For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.  25 So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters,1 I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.  26 And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob."  27 "And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins."  

These verses again call us to trust God that God knows what is going on in our world, that God is working it all out and that one day there will come a time when all will be will for both Jew and Gentile. The overarching theme of chapters 9 thru 11 has been the question, “Can we trust the Gospel? Can we be sure that putting our trust in Jesus Christ is the best option amongst the many we could pursue?”

In Chapters One through Three Paul has told us who needs the gospel, we all do! Jews and Gentiles alike. In Three through Four he’s explained how the gospel comes to us, through faith in Jesus Christ. In Chapter Five he has told us the results of the gospel, that it brings to our lives forgiveness and peace, In Chapters Six through Eight he has spoken of the nitty-gritty of Christian living, that it is something achieved through reliance upon the power of the Holy Spirit. Then in these latter chapters Nine through Eleven, he has been giving us the bigger picture, calling us to see how God has always worked through those God calls to be His own, even when people have been unfaithful… God has turned it to good purpose. A reminder of our structure....

28 As regards the gospel they are enemies of God for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved, for the sake of their ancestors;  29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.  30 Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience,  31 so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now1 receive mercy.  32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.  

Again Paul is stressing that what may appear to be the worst thing can turn out to be a better thing. It was a terrible thing that the chosen people should reject the One God had sent, but God wasn’t giving up on them. Actually their disobedience had opened up a whole doorway of opportunity for grace to impact the lives of Gentiles. Pails hope is that as his own people see the effect of the Gospel upon the Gentiles, they will realize just how much they had underestimated the love of God and will desire to follow a higher way for them selves.

‘But you know what?” he seems to say, (going back to his very first chapter… and in the Adrian version) “You know what? Jews, Gentiles, we’re all in the same boat. We’re all up the creek without a paddle. We’re all held captive by ways of life that are keeping us from being what God wants us to be. Verse 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. But look… here is the Good News… here is the great mystery… despite who we are and what we do God won’t give up on us. It’s mercy, upon mercy, upon mercy, upon mercy that he showers down upon us! It makes no sense! I can’t explain it. But I believe it with all my heart. Our God is an awesome God!”

So Paul’s closing paragraph is one of exuberant praise to the God he can’t fathom, One whose grace and mercy had overwhelmed all that he ever had been or would become.

The Message puts it likes this:

[33] Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out.
[34] Is there anyone around who can explain God?
    Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do?
[35] Anyone who has done him such a huge favor
    that God has to ask his advice?
[36] Everything comes from him;
    Everything happens through him;
    Everything ends up in him.
    Always glory! Always praise!
        Yes. Yes. Yes.

To close please read this passage along with me; Romans 11:33-36

33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!  34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"  35 "Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?"  36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

THE BOOK OF ROMANS 12 "Chapter 12. How should we Live a) In relation to other believers?"

 We’re looking at the Book of Romans, Paul’s great work addressed to the center of the known world’s power and influence, Rome. His purpose is to outline the core elements of Christian teaching.

He does so in a systematic fashion, beginning by asking the question “Who needs the gospel?” The early church was dealing with tensions between those believers that had come from a Jewish background and those that came from amongst the Jews and Paul is anxious to say that in terms of need, it didn’t matter what your roots were, everybody needed the gospel message.

He then outlines how the gospel message was to be received. It was a matter of faith being placed in the grace of God, and belief that God had decisively acted in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to Himself. He uses the term ‘Justification’ to describe the process of being ‘put right’ with God. He gives examples from the Old Testament that reveal that God’s way of putting people right with himself hadn’t changed… it had always been on the basis of faith.

In Chapter 5 he suggest what the results of receiving the gospel should be, talking firstly about peace, secondly about the sense of forgiveness in Christ that sets a person free. Through chapters 6-8 he explains whilst it is God who takes the initiative, we are to cooperate with God in the work of salvation by allowing God’s Spirit to change us from within. Without God’s action, through the Spirit, he sees no hope for change, but by God’s Spirit, he expects to see lives being changed.

In chapters 9-11 he asks the question ‘Can we be sure?” He returns to the matter of his own nation, the Jewish people and the role they had played in salvation history. He points out that though they were often unfaithful, God’s plans could not be thwarted, and God always had the last word. God had not rejected His people, the troubles in the world were ‘growing pains’ and he encourages us to look beyond present sufferings and trust that God is always in control.

Which just about brings us up to speed to approach chapter 12! For the rest of the book of Roman Paul starts to say, “Look, I’ve told you what the gospel is, in the light of that knowledge, how then should we live our lives?”. Chapter 12 touches particularly on how we should live in relationship with other believers. (Chapter 13 considers relationships with the state. Chapter 14 bids us think about love.) But for now we are in Chapter 12.

Romans 12:1-21  I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters,1 by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual2 worship.  2 Do not be conformed to this world,1 but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect.2

One of the buzz words in church circles these days is the word ‘transformation’. It is a biblical word that has merit. Paul here places ‘transformation’ in a particular context.  He suggests that transformation begins by changing the way that we think so that in every situation it is the will of God that takes first priority. That in every circumstance we consider what God desires in terms of what is good, acceptable and perfect.

The only way for that to take place Paul suggests is that we unreservedly offer our lives for God to use as God sees best. He uses here dramatic phrases to describe what that looks like. Our lives are to be ‘a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God’. That he tells is what constitutes true and spiritual worship.  
Eugene Petersen in the Message Bible transliterates the first verse so well; “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.”

Such an attitude is not the way our world usually thinks things need to be done. In fact the world we live in is as equally persuasive as was the world that Paul lived in suggesting that to really get somewhere loyalties other than loyalty to God should be pursued.

Fame and fortune were as equally attractive to the peoples of Rome as they are to people today. There were numerous philosophies and paths to follow that claimed to be able to lead a person to success. There were political and religious viewpoints in abundance that one could embrace.   And whether you were at the bottom of the pile or head of the food-chain there was always on offer opportunities to better your situation. For some that meant a scheme to be released from slavery, for others schemes to obtain another territory!

Every time we turn on our TV sets we are bombarded with messages.  Every product on sale claims to be able to make our life better. Every politician would have us believe that electing them will result in a better life for all of us. Every preacher would have us believe that they proclaim the true God and offer the true path towards contentment.

“Do not be conformed to this world’, refuse to let this world squeeze you into its way of thinking and doing, suggests Paul. He knew what he was talking about. He had been one of the movers and shakers. He’d been to the best schools, had been on intimate terms with many of the ‘in-crowd’. As we read in the book of Acts his case and claims intrigued those high up in government and government service.

But such did not impress him in the least compared to the knowledge of God and the life he had found in the service of Jesus Christ. All the world’s philosophy and wealth seemed empty and powerless in comparison to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Such was a belief that both empowered him and humbled him. He recognized it all as a work of the Grace of God that had transformed his own life and continued to transform others.

 3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

We are cautioned here not to have a sense of misplaced pride, not to have too great an opinion of ourselves or place too high a value on our own judgments, abilities and capabilities, not consider ourselves to be something that others knew we were not! As Matthew Henry, the great commentator of old writes; “There is such a thing as a knowledge that puffs up, which reaches after forbidden fruit. We must take heed of this, and labor after that knowledge which tends to the rectifying of the heart and the reforming of life.”

Paul is convinced that all that we have and all that we are is by the grace of God. That whatever blessings we have received, they have come not as a right, but as a gift. Even our faith is something given to us and enabled by the love of God. We should certainly be thankful for the grace God freely gives us, but never feel that somehow we earned it or deserved it.

And the best way to show thankfulness was to use the gifts we have been given in the service of the gospel. Jesus spoke about how if we have a light to shine, only a fool would put it underneath a bucket and expect it to light up the world. He told a parable about an unfaithful servant who was judged by His Master because he buried the talents he had freely been given.

Now when Paul is suggesting that we don’t think of ourselves more highly than we should, he is not saying that we take on that kind of whining humility that says, “Well, I can’t do anything, I don’t have anything” but rather fully embrace through faith what God is gifting our lives with and use those things for the service of others and the work of Christ’s Kingdom.

Bear in mind Paul is writing to a church community. Sometimes people say “Do I have to go to Church to be a Christian?” Paul simply would not understand the question. As he understood it faith was all about being a community. If a person did not want to use their gifts and talents in service of the faith community, if they wanted their life in God to somehow be separate from everybody else’s life in God, Paul would be absolutely convinced that they really had not yet got a handle on the truth, nor even remotely understood the gospel.

Why do I say that? Because one of Paul’s favorite images of the church was that the believing community was the body of Christ. That when God saved a person it was for the purpose of bringing them into the body, grafting them into the vine, that people were saved for service and the place where that service was to be refined and expressed was within the context of a church community.

 He laughed at the concept of lone ranger Christianity and in a passage in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 ridicules those who behave like they were a little eye out there on their own that says to the rest of the body “Oh, I don’t want to be part of the same person as you are!”

One of the reasons why he suggests we are not to think too highly of ourselves is that he knows human nature. He knows that we are sinners who fall short of the glory of God. He knows how we can argue over anything and everything and pursue any course other than the obvious!  The church is like God’s workshop. God places us in relationship with others so that the friction can shape us and transform us.

Another image that Paul uses is that we are ‘living stones’. If ever you have walked along a shore line you don’t see jagged stones. You see that the stones are smooth and rounded because they have been shaped by the friction they have experienced in being close to one another as the waves have moved them towards the shore. As God moves God’s people forward in mission there is always friction, but if they remain faithful, they come though such times in better shape and lose some of their jagged edges!
 
However, Paul’s not using the stone imagery, but the body imagery here, so let us get back on track:

 4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function,  5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.  6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith;  7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching;  8 the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

There is no room in church communities for folk who claim to be able to do everything. In fact, when you get folk in church who try to be everything and do everything it can really mess things up.  Not only do they end up stretched beyond their own abilities, but they end up preventing others from using their God given gifts, and in the process prevent them from growing in the grace of God as they should. “Doitalls’ and ‘Beitalls’ prevent community growth just as much as those who refuse to ever be involved.

We are all different and we all have different areas where God is calling us to exercise the gifts God freely given us. Or as Paul puts it: 6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us”. He then talks about some of those gifts. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list. He is giving examples and suggesting how to use those gifts in a God-glorifying way. Again, I like the way ‘The Message’ transliterates this passage;

“If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.”

As I said near the start of this study this chapter is all about how we should live in relation to other believers; in the context of being a church community. Paul has given us specific examples of areas of service. He now further elaborates upon the sort of attitude we should have underlying all that we seek to do for the kingdom of God.

 9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;  10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.  11 Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.1  12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.  13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.  

Paul uses the word ‘love’ twice. Let love be the real deal. The kind of love that won’t tolerate evil but makes us stick to pursuing what is best.  The kind of live that is expressed through genuine concern and the RSV uses a lovely phrase when it talks about practicing ‘mutual affection’.

‘Outdo one another in showing honor’, the Greek word used here for honor is  ‘proegeomai’ (prohge,omai) meaning ‘to go before and show the way’. In other words, if you see somebody else going through a hard time, don’t get down on them, try and find a way to help them through it.  A way of expressing the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you.’

Paul encourages us. “Don’t give up”, don’t ‘lag in zeal’. Be ardent; a Greek word zeo (ze,w) meaning ‘BE HOT’ (It is used of water or of boiling anger, love or zeal, for what is good or bad)., To add a couple more words beginning in “H”; don’t just be Hot, be Happy and be Hopeful. And when the going gets tough, as surely it will for suffering is part and parcel of the deal life throws our way, when the going gets tough let your tough side get going.

How so? Well above all things, urges Paul, be ‘proskartereo’ (proskartere,w) in prayer. ‘Proskartereo’ is a Greek word with a number of meanings. What is he telling us about prayer? “To adhere to, to be devoted or constant to, to be steadfastly attentive unto, to give unremitting care to, to continue all the time with, to persevere and not to give up, to show one's self courageous in prayer”.  To put it plainly; “Pray like your whole life depended upon it”.  

Spiritual life is life that takes us beyond the natural. Spiritual life is a life that dares to suggest that the way of the world is messed up and that there is a higher way and a better way to live. The greatest sermon ever preached, the manifesto of the kingdom of God, is that of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew Chapter 5. Amongst the things that Jesus proclaims we read;

Matthew 5:43-48  43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.'  44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you  45 in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same?  47 "And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

There are echoes of this passage and others of that mountain top sermon in the last part of the 12th chapter of Romans as we read;-

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.  15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly;1 do not claim to be wiser than you are.  17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.  18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.  19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God;1 for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."  20 No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads."  21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Paul sums up the whole chapter with allusions to the Sermon on the Mount, and to the gospel events themselves, namely Jesus’ death and resurrection. Yes, there is evil “out there” in the world. But God’s people are to meet evil in same way that God met evil: with overcoming love.

When God came to defeat evil, it was not achieved by using an even greater evil, but by using the opposite; the surprising and initially counterintuitive weapons of the Cross and the Resurrection. To be consumed with vengeful thoughts, or to be led into putting such thoughts into practice, is to keep evil in circulation, whereas the way to overthrow evil, rather than perpetuating it, is to take its force and turn it around for good.

That is the sort of thing only God can do, and it is God who calls us to be part of the process and offers to grace our life with His Holy Spirit that we may be empowered for the process. Yes… it is quite beyond us. But that is Paul’s point throughout this whole letter to the Roman Church. What we can not do for ourselves God has done in Jesus Christ. It is a matter of grace. It is a matter of love. And for us it is a call to put our faith and trust in God.

THE BOOK OF ROMANS 13 "Chapter 13. How should we live in relation to the state and the world?"

We are continuing our study on the Book of Romans, Paul’s great outline of the basics of Christian belief. He has told us that we all need the gospel and that we can all find the gospel through placing our faith in the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, that by the Grace of God we can find salvation.

He has spoken of how we need to live with the Holy Spirit as the dynamo of our lives. He has given us examples from the history of his own people, the Jews, and spoken about the God who has always been and always will be in control.

In chapter 12 Paul began to speak about the way Christian faith should affect the way we live our lives. In that chapter he mostly focuses on relationships within the believing community of the Church. In chapter 13 he moves on to consider relationships with the world outside of the church. Let’s look at the first few verses.

Romans 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God.  2 Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.  

At the time of the Revolutionary war in the United States there were those sympathetic to the English who used this text as a biblical basis to suggest that America should have remained under the government of a divinely appointed King. Verse 2 clearly says; “Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” For some of them it was a theological dilemma rather than a social one. They could see reasons why self-government was preferable, but feared that resisting “what God has appointed” would lead to the nation being under the judgment of God.

Of course as a British Citizen myself it is tempting to say, “And that’s why you are in such a mess today” Only joking! Because I also realize that some of those who led the revolution were Presbyterians of a Scottish background who felt that the English King should never have been allowed to take the throne in the first place. And having moved from the land of Wales, where every beautiful castle that marks the landscape was a symbol of English dominance over the Welsh, the idea of the ‘Divine right of Kings’ loses some of its romance!

I note that this same verse (“Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”) was also used in Nazi Germany to gain support for Adolf Hitler’s megalomaniac ambitions. A group within the Protestant church, known for nationalistic reasons as the ‘German Christians’, claimed that it was every German citizens national and Christian duty to support the one God had chosen to lead them, namely Hitler.

There were those who protested. One of the Confessions in our Presbyterian (USA) ‘Book of Confessions’ is “The Declaration of Barmen”, a document composed mostly by Karl Barth that seeks to put into words the protests of the ‘Confessing Church’ that vehemently opposed the idea that Christians owed allegiance to any power other than Jesus Christ.

Parts 8:11-8:12 of the Declaration reads: “Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God which we have to hear and which we have to trust and obey in life and in death. We reject the false doctrine, as though the church could and would have to acknowledge as a source of its proclamation, apart from and besides this one Word of God, still other events and powers, figures and truths, as God’s revelation.”

From these historical examples it seems that there are times when to resist an authority or government is the correct thing to do. When a government or authority is plainly acting against God’s will then to claim that it is an agent of God’s justice appears nonsense. That seems to be how Eugene Petersen in ‘The Message’ transliteration interprets these first two verses.

“Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible.”

The point Paul seems to be making is that in as far as authorities uphold good order and act as agents of justice then the right thing to do is obey them and live under their laws.  That stress continues in verses 3 thru 5;

3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval;  4 for it is God's servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority1 does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer.  5 Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience.

Now I did I have a crazy pastor friend one time, (my wife Yvonne will back me up on this one and I stress that he was not a Presbyterian), but he genuinely believed that because Jesus had set Him free he no longer had to worry about speed limits.  God would be his co-pilot and angels would guard him from speed cops just as long as he was speeding on his way to do God’s work.

Whilst there was a kind of logic to his argument, we also observed that if he had organized his life better, and set his alarm clock a little earlier, then he wouldn’t have needed to be breaking speed limits. We also noticed that the law of the land was highly unsympathetic to his arguments, which made him less than appreciative of their vigilance. “They should be out catching criminals not harassing servants of God”.

However should his house be broken into, or there be a traffic accident or somebody come into church creating a public disturbance he was quite happy for ‘the law’ to intervene! But what about when the law seemed wrong?

In the lives of the disciples we do see a level of civil disobedience. Many of the earliest apostles, including Paul, are instructed by the authorities not to preach the gospel. Paul won’t give up on that one and ends up in chains because of it.

In the early church many were martyred for their faith because they refused to acknowledge the emperor as being a god. In some countries today it is illegal to convert to Christianity from another religion. But Christians continue to preach the gospel in those places and people continue to respond by breaking that law, often at great personal cost.

But again, that’s not Paul’s point here. He is stressing that just because people were part of God’s Kingdom that didn’t exclude them from lawfully participating in the life of the lands in which they lived. Those who ruled over them occupied their positions by the grace of God. They should be supported, prayed for, and encouraged to do a good job!

Without such government, history shows us, anarchy usually takes control. When there are no lawfully appointed authorities than vigilantes and groups bent on evil often take over and violence and intimidation and corruption become growth industries.

Peter takes a similar line to Paul as he urges his readers in 1 Peter 2:13-16 For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme,  14 or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.  15 For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish.  16 As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil.”

Every election year we should remind ourselves that we have something that the people of Paul’s day didn’t have. Namely… an election. Democracy as we know it is a relatively new thing. We may grumble and complain about the antics of those seeking to be elected to office… we may even question their motives… but at least we have the freedom to make choices and decisions over how we want those in authority to govern us. And we should certainly pray for our elected representatives, especially if we totally disagree with them.

Aside from speeding tickets another area of government capable of evoking much grumbling is taxes. What does Paul have to say about taxes? Read 6-7

6 For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, busy with this very thing.  7 Pay to all what is due them -- taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Paul is offering here teaching similar to that of Jesus when Jesus was faced with a question by the Sadducees in Marks Gospel

Mark 12:14-17  14 And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?  15 Should we pay them, or should we not?" But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it."  16 And they brought one. Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" They answered, "The emperor's."  17 Jesus said to them, "Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's."

The countries in which the gospel was first preached were mostly under Roman law.  The gospel story we read every Christmas begins with Mary and Joseph having to travel to the town of Bethlehem to pay their taxes. Taxation was levied throughout all the provinces.

The folks living in Rome were subject to city taxes over and above those levied against all citizens. Then, as now, to be near the center of power could be financially costly. The price of renting an apartment in West Virginia is nothing compared to that of trying to rent one in Washington D.C. or downtown New York.  Likewise living in Rome could be expensive. Some felt too expensive! But Paul re-iterates the command of Jesus, give to the “emperor the things that are the emperor's” and he will not be drawn into the debate about whether or not this or that tax was just or unjust.

What he does do is enlarge the argument to talk about having respect and honor for those in public leadership. You may recall that he had been in a very public position before being a Christian. Before his Damascus Road experience he had supervised the seeking out of the followers of Jesus and held the coats when Stephen was martyred. He knew something of the pressures of public office and in his dealings with both Roman and Jewish officials was very much aware of the cut and thrust that has always been a feature of the political world.

He knew that without offering respect and honor to those in public office, you wouldn’t make much of an impression. Such knowledge he used often to his advantage as we can read in the Book of Acts. But it was more than that. He was also convinced that people in public office were in such positions only by the grace of God. That didn’t mean they always honored God by their decisions or even acknowledged the existence of God… but nevertheless God remained in control and they couldn’t even take their next breath if were not for the God who gave them life, let alone occupy a position of leadership.

As Jesus did so many tines when faced with legal questions Paul wants to take things further and say, “It’s not about obeying this or not doing that… it’s about the intentions of our hearts”.  It all eventually came around to love.  Let’s read 8 - 10

 8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.  9 The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

Such teaching is completely in line with that of other biblical writers such as the second letter of John:  2 John 1:6 “And this is love, that we walk according to his (God’s) commandments”

Paul speaks of the 10 Commandments. I’ve heard people today suggesting that they are just a list of things we shouldn’t do, almost complaining… “They are so negative. Don’t do this. Don’t do that” You wonder sometimes if they would prefer the alternative; “Do commit adultery, Do murder, Do steal things, Do spend your whole life going after things you shouldn’t have”… but I guess there are people who live like that!

‘Listen’ says Paul… ‘The Big 10? It’s all about love’. Jesus had spoken of the commandments in exactly the same way. They could be summed up as ‘Love God’ and ‘Love your Neighbor’. That was the bottom line. If a person concentrated on those things then issues of taxation and government and respect and honor all fell into place.

And like many a great leader Paul is aware that time is never on our side. Procrastination over the matters he writes of was not a good idea! See how he finishes the chapter 13:11-14

11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;  12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;  13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.  14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

The earliest church appears to have had an expectation of Jesus returning real soon. But as time went by that view became modified. One thing though that was not modified was the conviction that Christ would come and the Kingdom would be established… be it in a day or a thousand years …however long the period…. the fact remained they were one day nearer to that time. Time always grew shorter. And they should be ready.

There was not time for pursuing the things that were presumably some of the habits held by those who were now the ‘saints’ in Rome before they were converted to Jesus Christ.

Revelry described the tendency of folk to gather together in gangs and how as the night went on things could get out of hand. Whilst wine featured prominently in the diet of Romans, drunkenness, particularly public drunkenness was seen as unacceptable, not only by Christians, but by the general consensus of opinion.

Debauchery was the practice of giving in to desires whenever they struck with who ever and how ever the person who lacked self control so chose. Licentiousness was then going on and bragging about all the things that were done. Quarreling and Jealousy grew out of a spirit that could never be content with what it had but always wanted more, particularly if it saw someone else with something they didn’t have.

Such things were those that the folk in Rome needed to put behind them and as Paul says; “Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” It was time to be awake, to be in the light, to show others by their conduct and respect that the Way of Jesus Christ was the best way to live.

Eugene Petersen in the Message Bible, with his gift for phrases and capturing the meaning of scripture concludes Chapter 13 in this way;

“The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about (God’s business)”

Paul’s Practical tips for Christian Living will continue in Chapter 14!

THE BOOK OF ROMANS 14 "Chapter 14 – 15:13 How should we live in relation to those that differ?"

We have reached Chapters 14 and 15 in the book of Romans, Paul’s outline of what he felt was most important about faith in Jesus Christ. Behind all that Paul writes is his conviction that Jesus died on the Cross and God raised Jesus from the dead; that a person finds salvation, not through what they can do through their works but in trusting in what God had worked in Christ. Salvation was through grace by faith.

Christian life was therefore a matter of being molded by God’s Holy Spirit rather than the ways of the world. Such a life was open to all for God’s gifts were freely given, to both Jews and Gentiles.  Such belief touched on every area of a person’s life and in Chapters 12 thru 15 Paul is giving practical illustrations of what living a Holy Spirit directed life looked like in practical ways.

He has spoken about relationships in the church and relationships with the state. Now he talks about getting along with those who are Christians but whose convictions differ from ours. The early Church was made up of people from widely different backgrounds. A particular division was between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians. Each group had a particular history which shaped the way they thought about things such as ‘what they should eat’ and ‘when they should worship’.

When one reads a book like Romans one thing that strikes you is how some things haven’t changed over the centuries. Christians still disagree over everything from eating and drinking to working and worshiping.  What is acceptable to some upsets others.  What some think is a given for others becomes a negotiable.

How do we handle that? Well the first thing that Paul suggests we all need to do is recognize that we are all at different stages of our spiritual journey, that for some it’s all new and strange, for others it’s as old as the hills. Some have a strong faith and deep convictions that are as solid as a rock, others are weak and easily defeated in their spiritual life. So our first verse;

Romans 14:1 Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions.  

Eugene Petersen in the Message transliterates this first verse;

“Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.”

From this very first verse we see a number of principles to help Christians get along.

•    Firstly, we need to recognize that believers in Jesus Christ can have different opinions on things that are not essentials of the faith. About some things Paul was unwavering. But beyond that it became not a matter of salvation but of personal opinion.  And the church was a community based on belief in Jesus Christ not a talk shop or a chat show. Therefore all who believed in Jesus Christ were to be made welcome to the table.

•    Secondly, quarreling was not a faith building exercise. ‘Jumping all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with’ did not create authentic Christian community. If you observe people at an airport they all have a lot of baggage. Some have caseloads, others just a rucksack full. If you look inside their baggage each would have a different story to tell. Likewise when people come to church they are carrying different types of baggage. Telling them ‘they shouldn’t pack so much’ or saying ‘I don’t like that sort of baggage’ does not help them carry it or unpack it!

•    Thirdly, implicit in the idea of welcome and that of avoiding being quarrelsome is the virtue of gentleness. There’s nothing more off putting to a hurting person than being boisterously welcomed. There’s nothing more likely to drive somebody away from a church than folk with harsh tones in their voices and self-righteous words on their lips. ‘Be gentle with people’ urges Paul. People are fragile. They break easily.

He then moves on to consider two of the issues where people were not agreeing and were not being gentle with each other… the ‘eating’ issue and the ‘holy days’ issue.

2 Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables.  3 Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them.  4 Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord1 is able to make them stand.  5 Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds.

The issue of eating and the issue of holy days were two issues that Paul, as a Jew had dealt with all his life. And he had changed his mind about both of them.  There was a time when he, like his fellow apostle Peter, would never dream of touching anything the Old Testament suggested was unclean.

In Peter’s case it was because of a dream that he had a change of heart. (You may recall in the Book of Acts his dream of clean and unclean animals in a sheet and God telling him get up… Pete… and eat!). In Paul’s case it was his growing conviction that God had initiated a new covenant in Jesus Christ that had set him free from the old rules and regulations. Echoes of the words of Jesus can be heard in Paul’s instructions regarding both eating and observing special days;

Matthew 15:17-20  7 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?  18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles.  19 For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander.  20 These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile."

Luke 13:14-17  14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day."  15 But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water?  16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?"  17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

The Gentiles also had their special days and dietary problems. At various civic occasions food was blessed or offered in the name of idols. Did eating such food imply they believed in such idols? And when they could never or had never been Jews, what point was there to them of observing Jewish holy days? It just wasn’t part of their tradition!

Before dealing with these issues Paul levels the playing field by reminding the readers, be they Jews or Gentiles, that they shared certain things in common. In verse 4 he writes: “ Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall.”

•    This idea of all Christians being servants could easily be lost in arguments about right or wrong conduct. If they were ‘masters’ of each other, then fine. Make judgments about what those beneath you should do and shouldn’t do. You’re the boss. Go ahead and tell others how to live. But if you say ‘Jesus is Lord’ then that means that you are a servant not a master. And what right did a servant have to go telling a Master how He should make His servants behave?  That was up to the Master… wasn’t it?

•    The other word that leveled the playing field was the word ‘Welcome’.  Those who were in the Church were there for one reason. God had invited them. And it is not for us to say whom God may or may not choose to invite. You may recall the sting in the tale of the parable of the prodigal son concerns an elder brother who will not come to the table because his Father has welcomed the younger prodigal home. “I don’t care if you have forgiven him, I’m not sitting at table with the likes of him!”

We are all the unworthy yet welcomed people of God. We all were lost and now are found, were dead but now we are alive. And it is all because of the welcome of God. So Paul writes “3 Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them.”

Refusing to be drawn into arguments about eating and festival observing Paul feels that decisions made about such matters had to be done on the basis of personal conviction. They were not essentials of the faith but matters of personal conscience.

Now Paul was not saying that ‘anything goes and long as you feel it’s the right thing to do go ahead” As an example in the Corinthian church when he discovers some gross immorality taking place he advises that those who were the guilty parties should be driven out of the church and not be made welcome till they had seen the error of their ways. Eating and observing special days however did not come under the category of ‘gross immorality’.

What really mattered, as our passage from Matthew where Jesus talked about what made a person clean or unclean, was the intentions of the heart. Matt 15: 19 For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander.  If by eating or not eating a person was seeking to honor God then nobody should feel a need to cry ‘fol’! That’s where Paul now takes the argument;

6 Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. 7 We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves.  8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.  9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.  10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister?1 Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister?2 For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.3  11 For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to1 God."  12 So then, each of us will be accountable to God.1  13 Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another.1  

Again we are back with precepts taught by Jesus.

Matthew 7:1-5  NRS "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.  2 For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.  3 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?  4 Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' while the log is in your own eye?  5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.

‘Judging each other’ is not part of the Christians job description. Evaluating our own lives and taking responsibility for our own actions is right near the top of list. Before we start getting on somebody else’s case, we should deal with the matters that prevent us from being all that God wants us to be. I suspect for most of us, if we took that task seriously, we wouldn’t have the time or the nerve ever to offer a word of negative criticism to anybody else!

We are never commanded to pass judgment on each other. We are however commanded to love each other. And sometimes the best way love can be expressed is by not insisting on our personal rights.  Sometimes, because of love, we may choose not to do something, even though there is nothing wrong with it and our conscience is clear about it.

As an example consider Christian attitudes to alcohol. All Christians agree that alcohol can be a problem. All recognize that alcoholism is a serious sickness. All agree that going out and getting drunk just for the fun of it is not acceptable behavior for a follower of Jesus Christ. Some Christians believe the best way to proceed is to totally abstain. Other Christians believe that in moderation it is a gift to be enjoyed.

It is prudent on the abstainer not to insist that because it is their choice to abstain then any other believer who differs in that choice is not a true believer. Likewise it is prudent on the one who drinks in moderation not to reckon themselves as somehow superior in their views.

And one can see circumstances where the one who thinks it right to drink may choose not to do so. For example, if such a person were eating out with somebody who had a drink problem it would be rather unloving to go ahead and order a bottle of wine. Likewise if such a person was eating with those who chose to abstain it would be a good thing to follow their example so as not to cause any offense.

Conversely, if one who abstained found themselves in company where the others did not, it would not be the loving thing to spend the entire meal with a disapproving scowl on their face and then later complain to like minded friends what an awful witness those so called Christians had been. As Paul says in this upcoming passage; “Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual up-building.” But let us read the whole of that passage;

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 If your brother or sister1 is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died.  16 So do not let your good be spoken of as evil.  17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  18 The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. 19 Let us then 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 you to make others fall by what you eat;  21 it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister1 stumble.2  22 The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve.  23 But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

The stress in that whole section is not upon insisting on your freedoms, but rather using the freedom we have in Christ to build each others faith. What that looks like will vary from circumstance to circumstance and person to person. The intention and motive behind it all remains the same thing… love. This discussion continues over into Chapter 15, and reminds us that the way of love was the way of Christ.

Romans 15:1 We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  2 Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor.  3 For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."  4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.  5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus,  6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.  

The first part of chapter 15 re-iterates the arguments of chapter 14. ‘Recognize that believers have different opinions because we all come with a different history and we are all at a different stage of our faith journey’. ‘Don’t live to please ourselves, but to help each other along the road of discipleship’. ‘Live in harmony, welcoming each others differences and insights.’   And do all of this because that is how Jesus has welcomed us into the family of God.

Hear how the first part of that passage reads in ‘The Message’.

    “Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?"  That's exactly what Jesus did. He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. "I took on the troubles of the troubled," is the way Scripture puts it.

This section on Christian living concludes with Paul returning to his theme of the relationship between the Jewish and Gentile believers. He points out that God had worked out His purposes amongst the Jews, as that was the way the prophets had always said it would be. But it didn’t end there. His purpose of calling one nation to be His own was that all nations and all people would be His own. He points out various scriptures to back up his claims.

Maybe this is Paul’s way of saying, ‘Listen church, I know you all arrived here by differing paths. But there was a purpose from the beginning of time to get you where you are today. It didn’t start with you and it won’t finish with you. So hold fast to what you believe!’

8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might 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 confess1 you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name";  10 and again he says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people";  11 and again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him";  12 and again Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope."  13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And on those closing words we will also finish this session.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

THE BOOK OF ROMANS" 15 Chapter 15:14 - Chapter 16 Journeys and Final Greetings"

We have reached our final study in our series on Romans Hope you have enjoyed the journey! In these final chapters Paul talks about some of the journeys he hopes to make, he wants to say ‘hello’ to a few folk and also offers some final remarks.

He is coming to the end of his letter and if his plans work out the next time he will be speaking to the Christians in Rome it will be in person. It may be with that thought in mind that he writes our next passage, verses 14-17;

Romans 15:14 14 I myself feel confident about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.  15 Nevertheless on some points I have written to you rather 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.  

Note how tactful Paul has become near the end of his letter. He begins in an almost self-demeaning manner… “I know I really didn’t have to write all these things to you, because you always do the right thing and know what the right thing is to do and you are quite capable of teaching each other’. But then he throws in one of those words that can always be relied upon to indicate that something of note is coming along…he says “Nevertheless”.

Whenever any scripture writer says ‘nevertheless’ it’s time to pay attention. Paul wants the Romans to realize that what he had written was not just an item of casual correspondence, but that as a ‘chosen by grace’ man of God, he was carrying to them a message of great importance. His purpose from the start had been (verse 16) ‘to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God’.

God had given Paul a particular assignment, a task from which he refused to be side-tracked, to present to the world a gospel that needed to be heard by Jew and Gentile alike. About his calling he has no doubts. Likewise, he has no doubts that the Lord Jesus Christ who had called Him into service would equip him to carry out all he needed to do.

Thus he continues…verse 17 through 21…

17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast of my work for God.  18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, 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 as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the good news of Christ.  20 Thus I make it my ambition to proclaim the good news, not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on someone else's foundation,  21 but as it is written, "Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand."  

Whatever had been accomplished, whatever had been achieved Paul is anxious to attribute it all to the work of Jesus Christ. Verse 18…”I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished” He boasts, not of what he had done, but about what Christ had done through him. About what the power of the Holy Spirit had worked in the world.

And so much had been accomplished! Do you ever stop to think how unlikely the growth of the church was? 11 guys (there were 12 but one of them has turned traitor) and a number of anonymous ladies, with no formal education that we know of and no game plan except waiting upon God; 11 guys from this insignificant and sometimes troublesome corner of the vast Roman Empire are charged to tell the whole world that the Jesus they had seen crucified had been raised from the dead and that through these events the world was going to be changed.

And if that wasn’t enough, who also comes onboard to join the team? A one-time anti-Christian fanatic once known as Saul, now called Paul, whose claim to apostleship is that the risen Jesus spoke to him on a highway between two towns that it was time to stop persecuting the faith and instead take the faith to the people. Not just any people, but people whom for most of his life he had avoided contact with… the Gentile people!

The Book of Acts tells not only of Paul’s conversion but his remarkable escapades and unlikely victories. As the book of Acts unfolds you start realizing that Paul was the man for the task, but … what a task! Arrests, shipwrecks, gaining the ear of governors and Kings, and then in this letter to the Romans we have been studying, it is Paul who outlines what the faith looks like in a letter to a Church that has been birthed at the center of the known world; Rome.

To fully appreciate the words of verses 18 and 19 you have to remember the story of the growth of the church that lies behind them.“ I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, 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 as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the good news of Christ.

Paul really didn’t need to spend time making his claims to be an authentic apostle of God. The testimonies to his work were the many churches that had come into existence through his preaching and work of evangelism. But he’s always had a desire to go to Rome. Maybe he sensed that if the gospel were to reach the entire world then it had to penetrate the city that was at epicenter of the world’s power.

He apologizes to the Roman church that he had not been able yet to make a visit to them. He had long planned to make the trip but there were other things that needed to be done.

22 This is the reason that I have so often been hindered from coming to you.  23 But now, with no further place for me in these regions, I desire, as I have for many years, to come to you  24 when I go to Spain. For I do hope to see you on my journey and to be sent on by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a little while.

Paul’s plan as he writes Romans is to travel to Spain and visit with the church in Rome on the way. Spain was at the very Western end of Europe, the limit of what was considered the civilized world. As far as we know Paul never made it to Spain. I find it comforting to observe that even the plans of God’s greatest apostles some times don’t happen.

There’s almost a little picture of our spiritual journeys in his statement and what subsequently happens to Paul. Paul does make it to Rome. But not the way he thought he would. God intervenes and changes Paul’s plans. In our own we life we can have everything mapped out. ‘I’m going to do this and end up there.’ But then God intervenes and you kind of end up where you thought you were going, but not always in the way you expected!

One of Paul’s plans though that does come to pass is to go to Jerusalem. He knows that he has both friends and enemies in Jerusalem. To his friends he wants to bring an offering. The Jerusalem church appears to have been passing through a lean time and they were hurting and in need. A collection in the churches at Macedonia and Achaia had been initiated and Paul is anxious to deliver the help that was necessary.

 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem in a ministry to the saints;  26 for Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to share their resources with the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.  27 They were pleased to do this, 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 things.  28 So, when I have completed this, and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will set out by way of you to Spain;  29 and 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 and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in earnest prayer to God on my behalf,  31 that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my ministry to 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 The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.  

As Paul travels to Jerusalem he invites the Roman Christians to pray for him. He knows that when he arrives he’s going to face some strong opposition from the Jewish authorities. To them he was a turn coat and a traitor. He was by their standards ‘unclean’ because of his association with Gentiles.

Paul was also anxious about the reception he would receive from the church in Jerusalem. Whilst the debate about how tied to Judaism the Christian faith should be was simmering in Rome, in Jerusalem it was a fiery, hot button issue and there were those who wouldn’t like what Paul had to say.

The collection from the churches in Macedonia and Achaia indicates that the church was beginning to recognize itself as being more than a local body of believers, but rather a united force that had a responsibility to care across traditional boundaries. Paul also feels that the Gentile church had a particular responsibility towards Jerusalem… as it had all started right there amongst the Jewish believers.

Chapter 16 begins with greetings from a whole host of folk, some of them we know a little of, some are just names.

NRS Romans 16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae,  2 so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.  3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus,  4 and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.  5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ.  6 Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you.  7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.  8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.  9 Greet Urbanus, our co-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 relative 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; and greet his mother-- a mother to me also.  14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters 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.  

The first person to get a mention is Phoebe.  As today there continues to be debate about the role of women in the Church it is of note that she is described as a deacon, the same office held by the first martyr of the Church Stephen. That women played an active role in early church life is beyond any doubt!

Prisca and Aquila are mentioned in Acts 18 as being tent-makers who gave Paul a place to stay when he visited Corinth. When Paul went onto Ephesus they went with him. Their home became both a meeting place and a mission base for evangelistic activities. We catch up with them later again in Rome, where again they have a house where the gospel is welcome.  There is actually still a church in Rome called ‘The Church of St. Prisca on the Aventine’.

About others in the list we know very little. There are speculations about some, but as most of their names were common throughout the empire it is difficult to accurately identify any of them. Maybe the message of this passage is that our faith is the product of numerous saints, many anonymous, many forgotten but whose names and lives are all known by God.

In verse 17-20 Paul makes one final loving appeal.

17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep an eye on those who cause dissensions and offenses, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned; avoid them.  18 For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded.  19 For while your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I want you to be wise in what is good and guileless in what is evil.  20 The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  

Any public organization attracts those who will see an opportunity to influence others for their own purposes. Those purposes may have little to do with the gospel, but a whole lot to do with their own needs and desires. Some of them can be charmers, ‘smooth talkers’ as Paul describes them. His advice? Avoid them.

Paul wishes them the very thing that had revolutionized his whole existence. Captured in One Word? GRACE!  ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.’  
 
And so final words… a few more greetings (including one from Paul’s secretary Tertius and one from the city treasurer, Erastus and a couple from Paul’s relatives) and a final benediction.

21 Timothy, my co-worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.  22 I Tertius, the writer of 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.  24   25 Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages  26 but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith--  27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.  

About the final benediction, Biblical Scholar N.T. Wright writes in the New Interpreters Bible;

“It should not surprise us that the letter ends … with an invocation of the one true and wise God, made known in and through Jesus the Messiah; or that Paul would draw together so many threads of his argument in this way. The ideal reader of Romans, in fact, is one who is prepared to heed a summons to love this one God with mind and heart alike, and who is ready to let that love transform his or her life at every level. If the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob really is the creator, the God of the whole world, and if this God raised Jesus from the dead and thereby announced that he was and is the Messiah, the world’s true Lord, then worship is the ultimately appropriate response.”

Paul ends his letter by giving glory to God. I suggest we end our journey through Romans in similar fashion. A prayer!

“Lord, we thank You for the genius of Your servant Paul and this wonderful book that offers us reasons to believe, encourages us in our faith and outlines the Good News of Your redeeming love. To Your name Lord God, our Father and Creator of all, be glory, honor and praise for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit who continues to transform our lives and our world. Amen.”

 

Dare to Dream 1

Dare To Dream – 1

Watch Video HERE

Mike Slaughter is pastor emeritus at Ginghamsburg Church, a large Methodist congregation in Ohio with worldwide influence. (Ginghamsburg.org)

In this book “Dare To Dream” he writes of dreams and visions that God offers us as guidance for our life. He speaks of our lives needing a “BHAG” … a “Big Hairy Audacious God-Purpose” and encourages us to find our own.

The first Session speaks of Jacob (Genesis 28:1-17)

Also referenced in the book is the work of the Holy Spirit in John 14:16-19a: “ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans-- I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me.”

Mention is made of “Thin Places” a Celtic term for those moments and places in our lives where we connect with God.

 Book can be purchased HERE on Amazon.Com

Homework

Identify 3 people you admire.

What are the greatest qualities they exemplify?

What steps have they taken to nurture those qualities?

Why are these qualities important to you? How would your life be different if you lived into those qualities more?

Dare To Dream 2

Session 2 "Discovering Your Birthright"

Video can be watched HERE

A major theme in the video is  contrasting 'identity' with 'birthright'. We all have different ways of defining our personal identity. For example... by profession, some by religion, some by family.

Mike Slaughter defines identity in this way... "We are children of God living under the kingship of Jesus Christ"

As Christians that's who we are.

What about birthright?

Bible Study and Discussion

Read Genesis 28:18 “The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it.”

Mike Slaughter suggests that what Jacob saw at the top of the ladder (or staircase) was God. Slaughter urges us to ask ourselves what (or who) is at the top of our ladder, since he believes that our life dreams will be limited by the ceiling of our life pictures. As we picture our own personal ladder. is God at the top, or is something else—such as a job, a vocational ambition, or even another person?

What limitations are our life pictures placing on us?

 Genesis 28:20-22 “Then Jacob made this vow: "If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father's home, then the LORD will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me."

What characteristics.... negative or positive do we see in Jacob here?

Do we ever make conditions?

Are we faithful in worship and tithing?

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

 • God comes into our lives through the Spirit, which serves as the ladder that connects us and leads us in all things to come.

• How do we develop an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit?

Our discussion group came up with practices such as...

Worship

Prayer

Spiritual disciplines (i.e. walking the labyrinth)

Scripture Reading

Meditation

1 Corinthians 2:9-15 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. 12 And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths. 14 But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.

Galatians 2:1-2 Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. 2 I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. (Gal 2:1-2 NLT)

Homework : Building Your Life Mission Statement: Part 2

In Genesis 28:18, Jacob got up early in the morning, took the stone that he had put near his head, and set it up as a pillar to serve as a memorial stone. Mike Slaughter share his personal Mission Statement in the video. He recommends addressing three questions to begin the process of developing our own life mission statement:

• Where do you see the greatest need around you in your neighborhood, your community, or your world?

• How can you meet that need?

• What gifts do you bring to further that mission?