Romans 15:1-24 Bible Teaching

Welcome
Prayer
Song
Silence
Romans 15.1-24
December 5th 2021

Alright, last week we finished up chapter 14 where Paul wrote about those who are WEAK and those who are STRONG in the faith, and he interpreted those who were weak as those still inclined to live by the Law and those who were strong as those who had more freedom and liberty in their Christian walk through faith in Jesus finished work.

It is a wonderful chapter as he wrote things like:

“Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which she alloweth.”

To wear, to eat, to drink, to travel to, to engage in – where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty. This is the clarion call of all of Christianity.

Well today we continue on into the next chapter where he continues to write on the subject, and provides some “ought to’s” saying:

Romans 15:1 We then who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.
3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.
11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.
12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Alright, back to verse one where I cannot help but mention a strange little piece of trivia:

Between the last verse of chapter 14 and the first verse of chapter 15 the Arabic version of Romans, some early manuscripts (originating out of Egypt), and some of the early Greek fathers like Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact insert the last three verses of Romans 16 – (verses 25-27) between Romans 14:23 and Romans 15:1.

This is what those verses say –

“Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.”

It is really interesting that some manuscripts omit these verses altogether; some add them after Romans 14:23 only; some add them after Romans 15:33 only; some add them after Romans 14:23 and then again after 15:23; and then some leave them at the end of Romans 16.

KJV has them at the end of chapter 16 because the Textus Receptus places them there.

Take a look in your Bible. What do you find? Depending on the version you use you may discover a different presentation.

It is an interesting divergence but not a hill to die on in my opinion. Could be due to scribal error. In my opinion nothing should come between the last verse of fourteen and the first verse of fifteen as the flow is certainly natural from one to the other.

That being said, maybe for continuities sake – for flow – a well meaning scribe chopped the verses from their original home and stuck them at the end of chapter 16.

We just don’t know how it should be. In any case, last week Paul gave us a “better way to love one another” by saying that instead of arguing over whether a brother or sister has the right to eat meat, drink alcohol or waterski on Sunday we ought to all take a look in the mirror and consider how our respective “freedom in Christ” might affect those who are not as “strong” in faith as we might be and nobody should do anything to stumble another..

The chapter wrapped up with Paul telling those (who were not fully convinced in their mind as to the appropriateness of their actions) that they had better not do anything unless it was by faith, because he said:

“He that doubts is guilty if he eats because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

So, here in verse one of chapter 15 Paul continues, sort of summarizing the topic of chapter 14 by adding:

“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

Those whose minds are free from doubts and perplexities ought to “bear the infirmities of the weak (those still walking under aspects of the Law) and to NOT please themselves.”

The Greek word he uses to describe their issue is ONLY used once in the entire New Testament. In English, we have used the word “infirmities,” but in the Greek the word actually relates to a person’s “scruples of conscience.”

Remember in 1st Corinthians 13 where real love is described, and how Paul says (in part), that love “seeks not her own.”

It means does not seek to assert its own objectives or take advantage of situations or others because a person believes they are entitled to.

This is what Christ, the King, did. Just listen to the heart of the advice Paul gives in Philippians 2:

1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

So, Paul goes on in Romans 15 verse 2 and says

2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.

Back in chapter 14 Paul touched on this idea, saying at verse 19:

“Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”

(verse 3)

3 For (he writes, looking back to our King as one who could have walked with entitlement) even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

Referring to the idea of personal entitlements, Paul reminds Christians that we ought not to operate by such

“even Christ pleased not himself.”

And we see this attitude lived out perfectly throughout His ministerial life, but it is never more present than in the Garden of Gethsemane where, as man in flesh, seems to have had some reservations about taking up the cross.

As a result He asks the Father if there was any other way – to which He apparently received “no other way,” as the answer.

From there He chose to submit His will to that of the Father’s and bore our shame, or as Paul says “our reproaches (against God) then fell on Him.”

Similarly, maybe we would do well (when faced with the temptation to please ourselves or put ourselves first in a situation) to ask?

“Lord, is there any other way? (And to Add) “But not my will, but thine be done.”

Here in verse three Paul supports his teaching by quoting Psalm 69:9 which prophesied the Lord’s selflessly bearing our sins.

And by quoting the Old Testament in the previous verse Paul appears to have been moved to make a comment on the benefits of the scripture to the believers in Rome and he says:

4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime (to them, the Old Testament – to us, the old and the Apostolic Record) were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Having made use of a passage in the Psalms Paul seems to have been inspired to mention the value of scripture to seekers of God so he adds in what I believe could be seen as a parenthetical thought – (which is verse 4).

And he says that the things written aforetime are “for our instruction.” For our learning. For our growth, in the end, to “disciple us.”

Then he adds that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

In reading the things written anciently we learn of suffering and God’s desires for us in and through it by faith and hope. We are also able to see (from the lives of those who have come before us) how God always comes through on His promises.

The by-product of this scriptural exposure is we are discipled “in patience” which we learned in Romans five leads to “hope,” or “an expected end.” Paul says that this hope is had by both patience and “the comfort of the scriptures.” Consolation by the Word.

In conjunction with the Holy Spirit, the Word of God becomes a protector as Proverbs 30:5 says:

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.”

The Word of God increases our faith as Romans 10:17 says

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

It sanctifies things we may have once deemed forbidden as Paul says in 1st Timothy 4:4-5

For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Lacking hope? Read the Word.
Lacking comfort? The Word is a gift to bring it forth through the promises of God.
Lacking faith? The Word multiplies it in the heart.
Lacking love? The Word gives reasons why it’s such a vital trait to the Sons and Daughters of God.

Paul continues with his petition for peace in the Body, saying in verses five through seven:

5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Drop the empty contentions, the strife, the judgments, and unite in one mind and mouth, glorifying God, just as Christ received us let us also receive others.

Note how he appeals to the mind and like minded here

At this point Paul returns to the subject that pretty much was the focus of the first ten chapters of his letter to the church at Rome – that of the differences and the acceptability of all Jews AND Gentiles in one body.

Because we’ve covered these things at length in the past I am just going to touch on the subject in the next few verses. So first Paul speaks of the Jewish converts, saying:

8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

I have affirmed that Christ was indeed a minister to the Jew (or of the circumcision) as a means to fulfill all the promises made to them through their fathers.

Then in verses 9-12 he addresses the presence of the Gospel among the Gentiles, saying:

9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

This prophesy is found in Psalm 18:49 revealing that the benefits of the gospel were not to be confined to the Jews. Then he quotes from Deuteronomy 32:43, which says:

10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.

Then he appeals to Psalm 117:1, saying at verse 11:

11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

Finally, searching the scripture and those written in the past, he quotes from Isaiah 11:10, saying:

12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

And then he wraps up out text for the day with a remarkable line, saying:

13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The God who inspires, or produces the Christian hope. I like that title – “the God of Hope,” – and Paul prays that He would fill them “with all joy and peace.”

It’s good advice because if people were filled with joy and peace they would not be inclined to divide and war with each other.

“That ye may abound in hope (in your expectations) “through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

And we are introduced to the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the only place where the power of the Holy Spirit line is used in scripture. The Holy Spirit AND power is used a couple times but the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT here is described as the source of believers to have hope.

Sometimes people will wonder (or ask) “How can I tell if I am in God’s will?” Or even, “how can I discern if I have been born-again?”

Verse 13 seems to intimate that as believers (filled with the Holy Spirit) we ought to be filled with joy and peace and abounding in an expectation of a wonderful end.

Filled with peace (that is not of THIS world) and at time full of joyful expectation.

Faith, Love, Hope – great barometers to reveal our heart and maybe even our walk.

So let’s read on beginning at verse 14 where Paul now writes:

14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,
16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost

17 I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.
18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,
19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:
21 But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.

22 For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.
23 But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you;
24 Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.

Verse 14 takes us in another direction, and I must admit that it seems at this point that Paul starts to ebb toward the conclusion of his letter . . . and here he seems to address some housekeeping – mixed in with encouragement. And so he says:

14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

Here Paul shows his confidence in the believers at Rome, saying that he is full of confidence (“persuaded” in the King James)

That is an interesting attitude to have toward a people for a man who had never been at Rome nor met the believers there but I think any true believer and follower of Jesus Christ could say the same thing about any who truly believe.

I mean, if there was a gathering of believers, true believers in say, North Korea, I think that we, like Paul, would be fully confident in their ability to get along, right? This is what Paul writes to the believers at Rome, “I am fully confident that . . . “

“they are truly full of goodness filled with all knowledge and able to admonish each other.”

He’s made it plain over the past two weeks how they better not judge and attack each other (whether a brother or sister is strong or weak in the faith) but now he is confident that they are filled with “GOODNESS and KNOWLEDGE and in this state are able to “admonish one another.”

That word “admonish” is an important one. In the Greek its “noustheteo,” which is a compound of “mind” (nous) and “warn” (theteo).

We might say it means “mind-warn,” . . . Paul had confidence that the believers at Rome were able to “mind-warn” each other.

If I am going to be warned about something, I want to be “mind-warned” too. It is hard to be “emotion-warned,” or “tradition-warned” or worst of all “action-warned” by others but if and when a brother or sister in Christ comes to us and, having their “mind renewed by the Holy Spirit through the washing of the Word” and are able to articulate their understanding through a contextual and exegetical understanding of the word, this is something worth listening to, eh?

That’s the best meaning of the word “admonish,” to “mind-warn,” and Paul was convinced or persuaded that they were able to do this effectively with one another. (verse 15-16)

15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,
16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

“Notwithstanding (or however,) brethren,” he adds, “I have written boldly to you, in part and as a means to set things straight, in my call from Jesus Christ to the Gentiles so that they might be acceptable to God in and through their sanctification of the Holy Spirit.”

And it is here, at this point, that Paul resorts to a somewhat difficult parallel that requires some explanation.

Let’s begin with a translation difference here. Where Paul writes the line “that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the gentiles” the word “minister” that he uses from the Greek is not the usual diakonos (from where we get deacon meaning “table servant” or one who runs errands) but instead used the term “leitourgon,” which literally refers to the functions of someone in an official capacity, like a Temple priest or even a person involved in civic affairs.

When we studied Romans 13 (remember, that chapter where Paul wrote about supporting those governing officials placed over believers), and he wrote, speaking of government officials (in verse 6)

“For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers “. . . this is another example where the Greek word leitourgon is used.

So why does Paul, in speaking of his calling to the Gentiles, refer to himself as the rarely used “leitourgon“ (translated minister and used only five times in the New Testament) and not as a diakonos “minister” (used ninty nine times?)

First of all (and like we said) the word is generally applied to people and their administration of affairs of state or public offices (as in Romans 13:6) or more to the point, in the temple as priests.

Referring to these priests and the animal sacrifices that they would make, Hebrews 10:11 says:

“And every priest standeth daily ministering (liturgeon) and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.”

So what Paul seems to be saying here is he is called as a liturgeon to the gentiles (not to run errands for them – “dikonos” – but to insure that they offer up what would benefit the church just as the offerings of the Levitical priest would benefit the nation of Israel).

And just as the office of a Levitical priest was to offer sacrifice which was acceptable in benefiting the nation, so was Paul a minister in offering up what would benefit the church.

So, the question remains, what is the sacrifice Paul is offering as minister of the Gentile nation? He appears to be speaking of the sacrifices offered up by the Gentiles themselves.

The Jewish sacrifices were abolished. The Messiah had fulfilled their design and there was to be no further literal sacrifice.

Now “the offerings” of the Gentiles were to be as acceptable to God and living.

God made no distinction between the two and in speaking of these offerings, Paul used figurative language drawn from the Jewish rites.

This did not mean that the offerings of the Gentiles were literal sacrifices to expiate sins like the animal sacrifices were of old nor did he mean that there was to be an “order” of men who were to be called priests under the New Testament.

Paul is merely saying that in his call to the Gentiles he is acting SIMILARLY to how the Levitical priests acted among the Jews – except He, as the apostle to the Gentiles, is offering them (and their living works of sacrifice) up to God in a similar fashion.

This is why Paul says:

16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Get it?

I believe Paul is referring to the offerings which the Gentiles (who were converted to Christianity) made of their own lives as they now dedicated their all to Him as the Jews had done for centuries before.

In other words, Paul borrows from the language of the Jews representing himself (figuratively) as a priest (or minister) presenting the offering (the gentiles to whom he has been called) to God.

And just as the offerings the Jews made to God were purified through a bunch of different methods (salted, oiled, washed, or by frankincense) the sanctification of the Gentiles would be by and through the Holy Spirit, which is why Paul now says:

16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

Paul continues:

17 I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.

“I have a cause to rejoice, as God has made me a minister to the Gentiles, to boast even (which in this case means to shout praises of thanksgiving) because through Christ (notice, he does not glory in His own strength) but because through Jesus Christ he has been successful in bringing those things which pertain to God to the Gentiles! (verse 18 and 19 he adds)

18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,
19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

Admittedly, the King James translation is so difficult to understand here that I am actually going to quote . . . (yes, this is a momentous occasion) the NIV for clarification.

In these passages, Paul merely says:

17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.
18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—
19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

Paul is always deferring all attention and glory and honor to the Lord and these passages are no exception. And he means this so strongly he says he is not even gonna mention anything “except what Christ has done through him in bringing Gentiles to obeying God.”

And as a result of Christ in Him, the Gospel has gone from Jerusalem all the way around Illyricum, which was on the outer part of Macedonia and the furthest point he traveled to reach other for the Lord.

At this point Paul begins to transition from the heavy topics and theologies of the earlier parts of the letter and begins to wrap this communication up with some kind of administrative details and insights into how he approached ministry. And he says, (at verse 20)

20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:

“I have tried to preach the Gospel,” he says, “where it was not yet heard, lest he should build on another man’s foundation.”

In the Greek Paul uses a word translated “strived” that means earnestly sought after.

Where others may have been called to “edify” existing churches Paul regarded his office and call to make Jesus known in places where it was not before known.
I get this desire

As a means to support his work among the Gentiles Paul quotes Isaiah 52:15 (which he paraphrases here, by the way) saying

21 But as it is written, “To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.

And then he ties all his original labors among the Gentiles into why it has taken him so long to visit the believers at Rome.

22 For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.

“I have been so entirely occupied in this leading purpose of my life that I have not been able to come to you,” he says.

In reading this I began to wonder who it was who established the Christian church at Rome in the first place.

Speaking of tradition, the Catholic church of course says it was Peter, the first pope, who came and established the church in Rome but most scholars think he would not have taken the time to go there with all that was going on in Jerusalem with the Jews to whom he was called.

St. Irenaeus of Lyon claimed in 180 AD that both Peter and Paul together founded the church in Rome and it was a much later tradition (354 AD to be exact) that claims Peter did the founding.

In reality it’s unlikely that either Apostle founded it so in all probability it was started by one of the people (a converted Jew) who converted to Christianity in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10).

Paul goes on to detail his future travel plans saying:

23 But now having no more place in these parts (in other words, since all the places between me and you have been established in the Gospel), and having a great desire these many years to come unto you;
24 Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.

In other words, I plan on visiting you when I visit Spain.

Ancient Spain included all of present Spain and Portugal and was under Roman rule.

This passage is interesting because it illustrates how focused Paul was on his mission (to preach where Christ has not been preached) and I find it remarkable that in this letter he openly admits that going to Spain (where the Gospel had not yet gone) was a bigger priority to him than first going to Rome.

We will continue next week!

Questions/Comments/Prayer