Rom. 15:30-33 - Strive with Me

30 Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,
31 that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints;
32 so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company.
33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Pray for Me. Pray With Me.

V. 30 - “strive together with me in your prayers to God for me“ - Not asking for prayer telegrams. He asking for a dedicated commitment of prayer. Founded in the power of Jesus, and fueled by the Holy Spirit - prayer that lifts Paul and encourages him.

V. 31 - “I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea” - Ironic isn’t it - the Christian church (Side note: don’t know if synagogues were ever called ‘churches’, nor if any pagan religion has groups of believers called churches) was started in Jerusalem, and the epicenter of hatred against the church of a Jesus Christ was also Jerusalem. Paul knew he was going to the worst possible place for him to be. The Jewish high priests and leaders must have felt betrayed, that Paul was a traitor. They must have felt scorned, and they were seeking revenge.

“my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints” - Paul, risking his life to bring alms to the believers in Jerusalem - how could that not be acceptable?

V. 32 - “I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest“ - Just get through this one task, then he could come to Rome. He would be refreshed by their faith and joy in Christ. What a blessing they would be to him. Paul has been on the road for about 25 years, preaching the gospel, building up the faithful, and dodging ‘bullets’.

V. 33 - “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” - I suspect this verse should have been included in chapter 16 (see note 1). This blessing fits nicely with the greetings and acknowledgements making up most of chapter 16.

Note 1: Chapter numbers/divisions were identified in the 1200s AD. Verse numbers came about 1555 AD.

End of Chapter Romans 15:1-33 (NASB)

Rom. 15:22-29 - Paul’s journey

22 For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you;
23 but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you
24 whenever I go to Spain--for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while--
25 but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints.
26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
27 Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.
28 Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.
29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

I Am Finally Getting to Come to You!

V. 22 - “For this reason” - Paul was ‘driven’ to spread the gospel to places and people who had not heard. He wanted to revisit Philippi, but was compelled to go to other places.

V. 23 - “with no further place for me in these regions” - Paul believes the gospel message has been shared, through his ministry and of others, throughout the area. He is looking for new places to evangelize (See below). Paul was a traveling evangelist. Sometimes he stayed in one place for a while to build up the believers so the local church would be strong, and he used that church as a hub to spread the gospel throughout a region.

“I have had for many years a longing to come to you” - He’s been constantly on the move, but still wants to come see them and find out first hand how they are growing in Christ. Paul had not been to Rome, nor started a church there. Perhaps the church was started by people converted around the day of Pentecost, when so many believers were joined to the body of Christ. I am sure Paul wanted to come to Rome to see this church in the center of the Roman empire. He knew the influence of this church would be massive, since it could spread from the capital of the empire to the outer edges - basically the whole known western civilization.

Some commentaries say that Paul was not writing a systematic theology treatise, yet they recognize the foundational principles of our faith are found here in this letter.

V. 24 - “whenever I go to Spain” - His next adventure for Christ. Rome was to be a stop-over on his way to Spain. There is no record in Acts or Paul’s letters of him being directed to go to Spain. Paul was told by the Lord to go to Rome (Acts 24:11). (See note 1)

“to see you... to be helped on my way... to enjoy your company” - As he passes through Rome on the way to Spain, he wants to visit with them, spend some time with them, and get some help from them to be able to complete his missionary journey. I think Paul is very interested in this church since it was started without apostolic imprimatur. And perhaps that is why Paul wrote this detailed instructive letter - in order to build them up in the faith.

V. 25-26 - “I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints” - But first Paul wants to go to Jerusalem, carrying gifts from churches to Jerusalem. The believers in Jerusalem were suffering, either from natural causes (famine, etc.), or from persecution. In any case, churches in Macedonia, Galatia, and Eur-Asia were sending help via Paul and his fellow workers. (Achaia is the part of Greece which has Corinth, Athens and Sparta.)

V. 27 - “they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them” - The far flung churches, hundreds of miles from Jerusalem, are pleased to help the brethren in Jerusalem.

How are the Gentile churches indebted to the Jerusalem churches? The Jerusalem church sent apostles and missionaries to spread the Good News! To make it personal: we are thankful and grateful that some people who don’t know us or know anything about us will care enough to about us to send a messenger with the Gospel. We gain eternal life because someone care enough to send a messenger!

“the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things” - They have shared the Good News of eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ.

“indebted to minister to them also in material things” - In return for the generosity in sharing Jesus with the Gentiles, the Gentiles will share some of their wealth and physical goods.

V. 28 - “I have finished this... I will go on by way of you to Spain.” - After the offerings are delivered to Jerusalem, and the church there knows the Gentile churches care about them, he will stop in Rome as he passes through. We know from the account in Acts that Paul never got beyond Rome. In fact his trip to Rome was not exactly voluntary.

V. 29 - “I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.” - Even though Paul’s trip to Rome was not what, nor the way, he had planned.

*** Note 1: This letter was written in Corinth. Paul was there about three months. (On Paul’s third missionary journey - re-visiting some of the cities of the second missionary journey - see: Acts 20:1-2) He had not yet been instructed by the Lord about going to Rome. On the way from Greece to Jerusalem, to take some offerings to the church there, Paul tells the Roman soldiers and governors that he, Paul, was a Roman citizen. This simple statement, “I am a Roman citizen,” changed the demeanor of the governors and Roman commanders. All of a sudden, he was no longer someone they could beat and imprison as they wished. There was immediate deference to Paul as a Roman citizen. The Roman commander provided 270 soldiers to escort Paul to safety, on his way to Rome.
*** 

 

Rom. 15:17-21 - Paul’s ministry

17 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. 
18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,
19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
20 And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation;
21 but as it is written, "THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND."

Aspiring to Preach the Gospel

V. 17 - “I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God” - It is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.
Not boasting about his education, or his zeal, or the superiority of Jewish worship, sacrifices, tabernacles or temples, but that salvation is in Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone. It is He who saves us, and not we ourselves. (See: 2 Cor 3:5, 4:7)

V. 18 - “For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me” This reminds me of the verse in Jeremiah, “The LORD says, ‘Wise people should not boast that they are wise. Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. Rich people should not boast that they are rich. If people want to boast, they should boast about this: They should boast that they understand and know me. They should boast that they know and understand that I, the LORD, act out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth and that I desire people to do these things,’ says the LORD.” (Jer 9:23-24)
Paul is boasting, “Christ did this!”

“the obedience of the Gentiles” - The result was Gentiles came to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus called them. They responded. The obedience was not pertaining to rules and rituals, but to accepting and believing. See: John 6:28-29: “Therefore they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’ “

V. 19 - ‘In the power of the Holy Spirit” - Not by Paul’s power, but by Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, with manifestations and signs which reinforced the actions of the Lord, and seen by others, accepted as proof their lives were changed.

“Jerusalem... as far as Illyicum” - (Illyricum - an area east of the Adriatic Sea, the sea east of the Italian ‘boot’ between the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea.) Paul’s ministry did not start in Jerusalem. He first spread the Gospel in Damascus. He travelled to Jerusalem to meet with the Church leaders there. (Acts 9:20-25) He and Barnabas went to Tarsus and Antioch (Acts 11:19-26). It was there that believers were first called "Christians!" They returned to Jerusalem to make the case for evangelism to the Gentiles, and were sent out with blessings from the leaders of the Jerusalem church. (Acts 15:1-35)

V. 20 - “I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named” - Paul was always seeking new territories in which to preach Jesus Christ. He was not here on earth to pirate believers from other evangelists. His goal was to witness to those who had never heard of Jesus. He wanted to reach as many people as possible.

V. 21 - “but as it is written” - A quote from Isa 52:15, which is a Messianic prophecy stating that finally, as mankind is totally amazed at what they hear and see, they will begin to understand what God has done for them. Many nations will hear, Gentiles and Jews, will hear the Gospel. People will be gobsmacked. Their jaws will drop, and then snap closed, silenced in total awe of what has happened.
They have never heard of anything so amazing as Christ’s resurrection.
They have been astounded beyond understanding that God would die for our sin.
And then understanding will dawn. They will see! They will understand! To God be the glory!

***

 

Rom. 15:13-16 - Paul’s ministry

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14 And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.
15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God,
16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

We Have Hope, Joy, and Peace by the Power of the Holy Spirit

V. 13 - This verse is a bridge between the discussion of Christian community and the windup of the letter.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” - Paul’s prayer for them. God gives us hope for eternal life and eternity with Him. We have the joy of knowing Jesus and the peace with God and the peace of God. (See: Phil 4:7, 9; Col 1:20-23)

“You will abound in hope” - The hope is not generated by our efforts, but is a gift of God through the Holy Spirit. Paul is praying the believers will not have ‘just a little bit’, but they will be overflowing with hope. We can face each day with no diminution of hope.

“by the power of the Holy Spirit.” - One of the big difference between Judaism and Christianity is that Christians have the Holy Spirit. When you read through the Old Testament, you will see that the Holy Spirit is given in only a limited number of instances. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit for all who believe in Him. “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:7) And, “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,” (John 15:26) Jesus asks the Father to give us the Holy Spirit; “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;” (John 14:16) The Holy Spirit will lead us, guide us, teach us what we need to know to live as Christians. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:26)

V. 14 - “you yourselves are full of goodness... all knowledge” - Paul sees that his prayer for them is being fulfilled even as he writes this letter to them. They should be filled with hope, joy, and peace by the power of the Holy Spirit (vs. 13), and he sees it happening.

“Admonish one another” - Not knowledge for knowledge’s sake, nor goodness for that warm, fuzzy feeling, nor peace - but all of these are so that they can help each other grow in Christ. Our faith in Christ is very personal - your faith cannot save your neighbor. It can only save you! At the same time, Christianity is not a solitary faith. Can you imagine getting to heaven, look around and say, “Hey! What are all these people doing here? I thought it was just me!” You know better. Christianity is a community of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The community is to come together and worship Him, and help each other, and encourage each other, and teach, preach and build up each other. (See: Heb. 10:24-25)

V. 15 - “I have written very boldly to you” - Paul takes the responsibility of teaching and admonishing seriously (see his letters: all of his letters, all 13, about half of the NT). He has every reason to be proud of what he has done. That is not the message from Paul here. Paul is writing to them because the grace of God has given Paul all.

V. 16 - “minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles” - Paul, a devout Jew, a learned fervent Jew, was called by God to go to those who did not know God. It might be easy to say the Jews did not know God, either. While in reality that may have been true, at least the Jews had the revelation of God to them. The Gentiles did not have this revelation directly to them, They had the witness of the Jews to reveal God to them.

God’s choice of Paul gave the Gentiles a witness who could explain, in marvelous detail, how God revealed Himself to the world. He could explain the reason for the Law - not to kill lots of animals in sacrifices, but to teach and show us we needed God. We need God’s grace. We need His forgiveness.

“Ministering as a priest the gospel of God” - Not a priest of the Jewish Covenant Law, performing the duties of that priesthood, but serving Jesus Christ by spreading the Good News. Not all Jews could become a priest in the Judaism, only Levites.  Reading Leviticus, chapters 21 and 22, we see the priests were “sons of Aaron”, Moses’ brother - all Levites. God chose the Levites as priests - the priests were to be holy to the Lord. Earlier the Lord said that all first born were His, holy to Him. But God was gracious, and separated the tribe of Levi to be priests, so that the first-born males of each household would not be taken from the families. The Levites did not get a portion of land as did the other tribes. They did not get land, because their portion was the Lord. They got to serve Him in the community and in the tabernacle. 

“ My offering of the Gentiles” - What a wonderful image! The Levitical priests performed the sacrificial and offering rituals. The priests offered up the lamb to God, the ox, the grain to God in the tabernacle or temple. Part of the priests’ job was to verify the animal being offered to God was pure, unblemished, and thereby acceptable to be sacrificed.

Paul may be praying, “Here, O Lord, are the Gentiles that have come to believe in You because of You working in and through me. They have trusted You, Lord. They have trusted the message given them through me. May I have done Your will, and their faith in You is acceptable, May they be sanctified by the power of the Holy Spirit. They are sealed by the Holy Spirit. To God be the glory!”

I understand those are my words, not Paul’s, but hope they express the flavor of what he wrote.

***

Rom. 15:7-12 - Praise among Gentiles

7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers,
9 and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, "THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES, AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME."
10 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 Again Isaiah says, "THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE."

 

Servant to Both Jews and Gentiles

V. 7 - “Therefore, accept one another” - None have an advantage on another with respect to salvation - neither of us has earned it. Christ has gifted us eternal life. Christ has brought us into the presence of God, blameless and without blemish. (See: Eph 5:27; Phil 2:15; Col 1:22; Jude 1:24). As noted in verses 1-6 above, don’t let peripheral issues like food, or holy days, or festivals, etc., break down any fellowship of the believers.

V. 8 - “Christ has become a servant to the circumcision” - Jesus was sent first to the Jews. His service? To bring them back to God. They thought they were God’s own people. They did not recognize their sin and rebellion created a gap (actually, the gap was always there: a chasm of sin that no man can bridge or cross. They were so blinded by their pride they could not see the gap!). Jesus offered the clear and safe path to the throne room of God Almighty.

“on behalf of the truth of God” - God loves you and wants to save you. “Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds! Why should you die, O house of Israel?'” (Eze 33:11). That is the truth of God - He wants us to respond to His offer to save us! God does not coerce; He only woos. “For I know what I have planned for you,' says the LORD. 'I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope. When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you,' says the LORD.” (Jer 29:11-14)

“to confirm the promises given to the fathers” - Promises to Adam, Noah, Abraham, and David (to name a few).

V. 9 - “and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy” - Jesus came as a servant for both the Jews and the Gentiles. Prophecies concerning the Gentiles: Isa. 60:1-14; Hos. 1:10, 2:23; Amos 9:12; Matt. 12:21, 22:2-14.

“As it is written” - Quoted from 2 Sam 22:50, Psa 18:49. - God is merciful - forgiving our sin and bringing us into His presence with great joy.

V. 10 - Quoted from Deut 32:43 - Who are those rejoicing? The Gentiles (that’s you and me) who believe in Christ as Lord and Savior.

V. 11 - Quoted from Psa 117:1 - Let everyone and everything sing praises to God for His mercy to us.

V. 12 - Quoted from Isa 11:10 - We were hopeless in our sin. He has saved us. We have hope.

***

Rom. 15:4-6 - God gives perseverance

4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Glorify Our Lord Jesus Christ

V. 4 - “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction” - What was written? A Messiah would come, provided by the Lord. (Gen 3:15, 12:2-3, 15:4-6; Isa 7:14, 11:1-5, 11:10;, e.g.) The Messiah would suffer for our sin. (See: Isa 52:13-53:12) He will be exalted. (Isa 53:10-11) These are not “secret knowledges”, only to be known by a chosen few. However, if you choose not to believe in Jesus as Lord, you will ‘blow off’ the scripture. It will seem silly to you.

“We might have hope” - The scriptures, written over hundreds of years - from Moses to Peter, John and Paul (about 1450 BC to 60 AD) - portray the Lord’s promise and fulfillment of same to bring mankind back into a personal relationship with Him. Christ came that we might have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) Christ promised we would have peace with God in this life, and also the life to come. Paul emphasizes that if peace in this life is all there is, our faith is pitiful. The best and greatest is yet to come. (See: 1 Cor 15:12-20)

V. 5 - “Perseverance and encouragement” - These words are repeated (verses 4 and 5). Hope and praise. Hope for us, and praise for Jesus Christ. God gives us the strength to go on when faced with trials and persecution, and builds us up at the same time.

“grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus” - God, through the Holy Spirit, gives us the perseverance and encouragement to withstand the attacks from Satan upon the believer. The ‘same mind’ is not urging ‘uni-think’ or ‘hive-mind’ type of surrendering self. We are not little robots, all programmed the same, obeying the imprinted commands. “Love one another” is the same mind Paul is urging. (See: John 13:34-35, 15:12, 17; Rom 12:10, 13:8; Gal 5:3; Eph 4:2; 1 Thes 3:12, 4:9; 2 Thes 1:3; Heb 10:24; 1 Pet 1:22, 4:8; 1 John 3:23, 4:7, 11-12; 2 John 1:5)

Why? Because God first loved us! (John 3:16; Rom 5:8; 1 John 3:1, 4:19)

V. 6 - “so that with one accord“ - That we all may sing out, “Praise the Lord!” And it will go on forever! (See: Rev 4:8-11, 5:8-10)

***

Romans 15:1-3 - Don’t Work to Please Yourself

Outline Romans 15
15:1-3 - Not to please self
15:4-6 - God gives perserverance
15:7-13 - Praise among Gentiles
15:14-21 - Paul’s ministry
15:22-29 - Paul’s journey
15:30-33 - Strive with me

***

1 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.
2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.
3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME."

B.O.L.O.

V. 1 - “Now we who are strong” - This verse emphasizes the principle Paul has been preaching in the preceding verses (Rom 14:1-23). The focus is on the well-being of those around you, rather than yourself. (See: Phil 2:3-4) Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luk 19:10) He humbled Himself, became a human, and died in order for those who believe may live eternally. (Phil 2:5-8)

“Bear the weaknesses...” - For example: If it does not bother you to eat meat, and you know your friend is offended by the same - Don’t eat meat when you are eating with them. This is not saying that either eating meat or not eating meat is better or worse than the other.

V. 2 - “Each of us is to please his neighbor” - Be on the lookout (“B.O.L.O.”) for your fellow believers. Be confident that your behavior won’t lead them to doubt their faith or commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ!

V. 3 - “For even Christ did not please Himself“ - Jesus became a human for us, in order to accomplish God’s grander purpose for us. He said, “My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me! Yet not what I will, but what you will." (Matt 26:39) This verse ends with a quote from Psa 69:9. God’s judgement against sin fell upon the one and only sinless person. If people are offended by me as a believer, then God’s reputation is besmirched. May it never be! If my behavior causes another believer, or someone interested in God’s message of salvation, to question their belief or to reject Jesus. Shame on me! May it never be!

The psalmist says it best: “Let none who rely on you be disgraced because of me, O sovereign LORD and king! Let none who seek you be ashamed because of me, O God of Israel!” (Psa 69:6)
Another side of this quote is that those who hate God and Jesus will express their hatred and anger out on Christian believers. Persecution of Christians is similar to that which has followed that of the Jews. Persecution of believers is not the emphasis here, but disdain for Christ easily feeds the desire to denigrate Jesus and His followers. 

***

Rom 14:19-23 - Do Not Tear Down the Work of God

19 So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. 
20 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. 

21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. 

22 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 

23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
***

Whatever Is Not From Faith Is Sin.

V. 19 - “Pursue the things which make for peace” - If you didn’t already know it, then these verses will help you see that Christianity is personal (your salvation), public (sharing your faith with others), and corporate (living with other believers). Jesus came to seek and save the lost. (Luk 19:10) Jesus brought abundant life (John 10:10). Jesus brings peace with God, and the peace of God to the believer (Phil 4:7; Rom 5:1).

One of our pastors has said that Christianity is not for hermits, but for living in community with others. He is not saying hermits cannot be saved, but that Christian living is best when shared with others. Living at peace with others essentially involves not insisting on getting your own way. I don’t see this acted out like the ‘Chip & Dale’ cartoon (“You before me.” “No, you before me.” “No, I insist.” “No...” On and on.)

We are a fractious people, fighting for our ‘rights’ and demanding from others. We are on the outlook for the ways people are trying to pull one over on us. As believers, our attention should be running counter to that frame of mind. Live at peace with each other (Mk 9:50; 2 Cor 13:11). Jesus came that we might have peace. (Jn 14:27, 16:33) Live at peace with each other. (Rom 12:18; 1 Cor 14:33; Col 3:15; 1 Thes 5:13; Heb 12:14)

“building up of one another” - A large part of living in peace is encouraging and helping each other live our Christian lives. As we live in a secular world that is hostile to Christ, the church, and other believers can help us cope. Encouraging and building up each other is important. (See: Col 4:8; 1Thes 3:2, 4:1, 5:11, 14; Heb 3:13; 1 Cor 1:10, 4:16.)

V. 20 - “Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food” - This does not mean you, or a fellow believer, will lose salvation over eating certain foods. Whether foods forbidden by a previous covenant, or a different religion, or by tradition - these will not condemn you. Jesus came that we might have peace! Peace with God; peace with each other. Causing someone to be uncomfortable, or to feel guilty is robbing them of that peace. Destroying another’s peace is not be being thoughtful or considerate.

“they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense” - This is a “living with others” part of being a Christian. Eating or drinking when you are with another person that causes that person to question his faith in Christ, or leads that person into sin, is evil. That is a strong message! I don’t know how this applies if what you do is inadvertent - i.e., you don’t know the other is struggling in this area. If, however, you know your fellow believer is adversely effected by your activity and you do it anyway, you have just shown a callous disregard for their well-being.

V. 21 - “It is good not... to do anything by which your brother stumbles.” - Do not be confused, this is not just about what you eat. These next three verses (21-23) seem to go two directions: (1) causing someone to falter in their faith by your eating, or (2) causing someone to falter in their faith be being led to eat what they believe is wrong. Do not do anything that will lead another believer to question their faith and commitment to Christ. (See: 1 Cor 8:7-13)

V. 22 - “The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God.” - The relationship you have with Jesus is very personal. I cannot live out your faith for you, nor you for me. Do not take off on the tangent of relativity - that is, ‘You have your truth. I have my truth.” There is only one way to be in the Lamb’s Book of Life (be saved, with eternal life in the presence of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) - believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, confess and commit to Him.

How you live out your faith, or as Paul says in Philippians, “work out your faith” (Phil 2:12), is between you, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. For example: Does drinking beer bring conviction of sin in your heart and mind? Then, don’t drink beer. The same could be said for any alcohol beverage. Does eating bacon bring conviction of sin? Don’t eat bacon.

Doing things that causes disquiet in your heart, soul, mind, or spirit are things that should not be done! That uneasiness you sense is the Holy Spirit prodding you. Let me be clear, there are things we might do that are sinful - no grey, just black and white. (Start with: No other gods but God, honor father and mother, lying, stealing, adultery, coveting, murder, blaspheming God - see Deut 5:7-21.) These are wrong whether Jewish or Christian. Paul is not warning us against these things - it is a given that these are sin.

“Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.” - This is the positive outlook about living out your faith. If you can drink a beer without shame or guilt, then it is not a sin to you. Don’t talk yourself into doing something about which you feel uncomfortable. That discomfort is the Holy Spirit guiding you to peace with God and yourself.

If you have to argue with yourself, convince yourself that it’s OK - it probably is NOT OK for you. If you have, for all your life, have thought drinking alcohol is bad, violating that conviction is causing sin, guilt, and shame in you. On the other hand - Be careful: we can ‘sear’ our conscience with compromise and rationalization to the point our conscience no longer gives warning. Therefore, we must always listen to the urging of the Holy Spirit!

V. 23 - “he who doubts is condemned...” - If you are not sure you should be doing this (whatever the ‘this’ is), the unease is from the Holy Spirit. God is letting you know. Listen to Him. Seldom does God step up with a bullhorn, “Hey! You! Stop what you are doing!” More often it is a quiet whisper, “You will hear a word spoken behind you, saying, ‘This is the correct way, walk in it,’ whether you are heading to the right or the left.” (Isa 30:21)

“whatever is not from faith is sin.“ - See: Jam 2:26, 4:17. Whatever we do should be done for God’s glory (1 Cor 10:25-31).

***

Rom 14:14-18 - Nothing is Unclean

14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 
15 For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. 
16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; 
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 
18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Walking According to Love

V. 14 - “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself“ - Paul is not referencing activities which are sinful. Physical items - animals, rocks, wood, fire, water, etc. - are not, cannot be evil. Only our use of them in sinful activities imbues them with ‘sin’.

“who thinks anything to be unclean“ - For example, a chunk of wood is not evil, but when carved into an idol that chunk becomes involved in a sinful activity. So, is the idol evil? Let me take a different tack: Jesus is castigating the Pharisees and scribes because they are nit-picking between what is holy and what is not (See: Matt 23:15-22). It seems that people were making promises (swearing oaths) using the temple or items in the temple. By parsing the oaths, they were claiming some promises more valid than others. Jesus was asking: Which is more important - the temple or the gold covering the temple? The altar or the offering on the altar? Heaven or God who rules all of heaven and earth? The Pharisees were focusing on the wrong things. What they were doing was sinful - diminishing the importance and glory of the Lord - but they didn’t see it that way.

How do the oaths of the Pharisees tie into what Paul was addressing - thinking some things are unclean or sinful when they intrinsically are not? Both errors are caused by focusing on the wrong thing. The Pharisees were focusing on their own set of rules, cleverly (in their own minds) avoiding commitments to the Lord. They were hedging their bets: “Well, that wasn’t a valid oath! So I don’t need to keep that promise. If God wanted me to give that up, He would have given me the correct words to say!” They were narrowing down to a pin prick the size of the impact God was to have on their lives.

In the case of the people to whom Paul was writing: They were focused on what used to be unclean. They couldn’t believe the freedom they now have. “This can’t be right! How could God change His mind on what is unclean?” The focus was on what they were (used to be...) rather than on what they are - free in Christ.
The difference: The Pharisees wanted to limit God’s impact on their behavior; the new Christians were letting their past limit their freedom of behavior.

Paul sees this and understands correctly - even though something that was unclean is no longer so, these new believers were being convicted of sin. They were feeling guilt and shame, even though it was unnecessary. That guilt and feeling of shame for sins was limiting the abundant Christian life promised by our Savior.

V. 15 - “you are no longer walking according to love” - Paul gets to the nub of the matter. What is more important to you? Doing what you want, when you want, or being considerate of others? He was dealing with a clash of cultures - one group had grown up with strict rules, the others not so much. If you love a fellow believer, don’t cause them spiritual discomfort.

You like to eat bacon, but your friend grew up believing eating bacon was a sin. Why would you entice that friend when you know it makes him feel like he is sinning against a God? Is that showing love? Or maybe you know someone who sees no problem eating food taken from an altar. There were no such strictures in his pre-Christian life. Is that person showing love towards you when he grabs an offering to eat, and gives some to you (knowing this would freak you out)?

“Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died” - The first thing that pops into most of our minds is, “Come on! Come on, man!” How could food destroy someone? Anything that causes me to believe I have sinned against the Lord; anything that damages that relationship is destroying it. The ‘thing’ may not actually be a sinful act.
Why would you lead another to breaking his relationship with Jesus. (I think that Jesus knows the act is indeed not sinful, and from His perspective the relationship is intact.) When I think that I no longer can come to God because I have sinned against Him, the relationship is effectually damaged.

V. 16 - “Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil” - Anything that leads you into sin, and breaking off the relationship with Jesus Christ is evil. Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should. See: 1 Cor 6:12-13 - "’All things are lawful for me’ - but not everything is beneficial. ‘All things are lawful for me’ - but I will not be controlled by anything. Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both. The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”

Also: 1 Cor 10:23-31 "’Everything is lawful,’ but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is lawful,’ but not everything builds others up. Do not seek your own good, but the good of the other person. Eat anything that is sold in the marketplace without questions of conscience, or the earth and its abundance are the Lord's. If an unbeliever invites you to dinner and you want to go, eat whatever is served without asking questions of conscience. But if someone says to you, ‘This is from a sacrifice,’ do not eat, because of the one who told you and because of conscience - I do not mean yours but the other person's. For why is my freedom being judged by another's conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I blamed for the food that I give thanks for? So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”

V. 17 - “For the kingdom of God is... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” - Jesus’ kingdom is not food or drink, but abundant life in Him.

V. 18 - “Who in this way serves Christ” - The big picture here is: serving the needs of others is serving Christ! See: “But Jesus called them and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant’ ” (Matt 20:25-26). And, “The greatest among you will be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matt 23:11-12)

***

Romans 14:9-13 - Do Not Judge

9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
11 For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this--not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.
***

Each One of Use Will Give an Account of Himself to God

***

V. 9 - “For to this end” - Here is the reason Christ sacrificed Himself, and resurrected to eternal life... “He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” - Christ came for us. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Cor 15:3-4) Everything, all creation is under the authority of the Lord, Christ Jesus. (See: 1 Cor 15:27; Eph 1:22; Heb 2:8) Christ came to redeem the whole universe - and on that day we will see a new earth, a new Jerusalem, and we will commune with God face-to-face, basking in His glory. When Christ died on the cross, we all died - not just believers. He died for the whole universe. To be God’s own, to benefit of His sacrifice, you must be born again. (John 3:1-18) Only those with this new life will be with Him. (John 14:6; 2 Cor 5:16-17). When you believe and accept Him as Lord and Savior, you are born again, your name is written in the lambs book of life. (See: Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:15, 21:27). Whether dead or alive, when we face Jesus on that day we are either welcomed into heaven or cast into hell - all based on our personal relationship with Christ. All power and authority is in His hands. He is Lord both of the dead and the living.

V. 10 - “Why do you judge your brother?” - I think ‘judging’ generally means determining who is worthy of heaven or hell. (Note: need to do a word study on ‘judge’.) You and I have no authority, and most definitely no power, to consign someone to hell or heaven. I cannot tell someone, “You are going to hell because... (pick a reason, any reason).“ I am not God, not even ‘a god’. Saying such a thing is stepping way out of bounds. We can only see what a person does. We cannot see their motive; cannot see what is in their hearts and minds pushing them to make these decisions. Only God can see what they think and believe. He sees their heart. (1 Sam 16:7; Deut 10:16; Pro 27:19)

“Why do you regard your brother with contempt?” - ‘Contempt’ is a ‘notch’ down the ladder from judging. Contempt is displaying the attitude of seeing yourself as better than another. That person is ‘less than’ you, not deserving of respect or consideration. It is thinking of yourself more than you ought to think, delusions of grandeur or superiority, maybe even delusions of mediocrity. (See: Rom 12:3, 16, 11:20) Contempt is a product of human pride and arrogance. You only need to read the Old Testament, especially the prophets, to see the Lord’s attitude towards our puny human pride.

“We will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” - When we stand before God on that day it will not be we who pass judgement on Him. We will stand trembling with fear because of His glory. We will either wail in anguish, or cry tears of joy and dance based on His judgment. All of us will stand before God and it will be announced whether or not our name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (See: Rev. 20:11-15) Christians, believers will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ to be judged for our behavior as His own. (See: 2 Cor 5:10). Have you lived worthy of the price paid?

V. 11 - “It is written” - Quoted from Isa 45:23, and also seen in Phil 2:9-11. Nobody escapes this. Some will cheerfully and gladly confess and offer allegiance to Christ. Others will do it because they see, perhaps finally at last, the One they have been resisting is the One to whom all must acquiesce. There will be no rebellion at this point, only fear and regrets for those who turned away from Christ. They will see and know ,”They shoulda hadda oughta...”, but now it is too late. “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” (Heb 9:27-28)

V. 12 - “So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” - Accountability. A much bandied-about word during this turgid political season. (The President! No, Congress! Judges!) It seems that accountability is usually, “Not me, but Thee!” Christians, those whose names are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and non-Christians alike must face God, Father and Son. (See: 2 Cor 5:20; Rev 20:11-15)

V. 13 - “let us not judge one another anymore“ - Do not feel superior because you can freely drink a glass of wine without guilt or shame. Do not feel inferior because you are not comfortable eating a steak.

“not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way” - This is the learning-to-live-with-others part of this equation. Looking back at the first part of this verse - are you trying to 'shame' someone into doing something they are not comfortable doing (e.g., drinking wine, etc.)? Doing an action that you think may be against God's commands will feel like a sin, it is an assault on your conscience. Is someone attempting to get you to violate God's will for you? Are they making you feel uncomfortable about your decisions? Their actions are an affront to God's desire for us to help each other live for the Lord. Where possible live at peace with each other. ***

Romans 14:5-8 - We are the Lord’s

5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.
7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;
8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

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We Live for the Lord

V. 5 - “Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.” - Paul shows he understands this problem is not limited to food choices. The principle of living each moment for the Lord is paramount. Is Sunday more important to you than Monday, or Saturday? Are some holidays more sacred to you than others? Are the worship songs from an older hymnal the only true way to raise your voice in song to God? Are the modern worship songs, with simple repetitive lyrics the best way to commune with your Lord? The list can be endless: movies, playing cards, having a drink of wine or beer, etc.

V. 6 - “for he gives thanks to God“ - All of these non-doctrinal issues are unimportant because our focus should be on Jesus Christ, on God, through the power of the Holy Spirit,

V. 7 - “For not one of us lives for himself” - We are to live our lives worthy of the price paid for us. “So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Col 1:10) I do not live my Christian life for myself, for my wife, for my friends or pastor of my church. Christ is the one who saves me. To Him I owe my spiritual life, my new life. Therefore, I live to please Him. That is my goal as I live out my life here on earth.

V. 8 - “therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's” - Paul here is telling them whether they are allowed to live, or whether they may give their lives as martyrs - it is for Christ, and Christ alone.

Allow me one (at least one) caveat. This section is not approving ALL behaviors. There are things that no Christian should do. See the following lists: Rom. 1:29-32; 2 Tim. 3:2-5; 1 Tim. 6:4-5; Col. 3:5-9; Gal. 5:19-21. These are not comprehensive. People who practice these - anger, hatred, adultery, homosexual behavior - may not have Christ living in their lives. They are not acceptable in any circumstance. These (in the lists) are not the focus of this section of Paul’s letter. Eating, or holy days, or eating food offered to idols, are not sinful, but focusing on them and judging fellow believers is sinful. 

However, the problem arises when these practices (e.g., eating, holy days, eating food offered to idols, etc.) become the focus of a church or group of believers. When any of these activities begin to take focus away from Jesus Christ our Lord the church begins to lose its ability to draw people to Christ and change their lives to conform to Christ. In other words, church becomes a performance rather than faith and belief in Jesus operating out of His love bestowed upon us.

***

Romans 14:1-4 - Tolerance

CHAPTER 14
14:1-5 - Tolerance
14:6-8 - We are the Lord’s
14:9-13 - Do not judge
14:14-23 - Nothing is unclean

***

1 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.
2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.
3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.
4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

***

In the this section of the letter (from 13:8 to 15:14), Paul discusses how we live together with other believers.

Paul continues on inter-personal relationships which was started in Rom. 13:8, 10, see: “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another... Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law”. This might seem like a stretch: the behaviors listed in 13:11-14, above, are human relational - e.g., carousing, promiscuity, jealousy. Wake up, Christians! Loving each other does not involve abusing each other in sinful activities.

This is a significant portion of the letter focusing on food issues (mostly), but highlight a principle of what it takes to live together in peace and love. In these verses, 14:1-15:3 Paul gives principles for living with other Christians who come from different backgrounds, cultures, and countries. These principles are not doctrinal in nature - nothing to do with Jesus Christ’s life, death on the cross, burial and resurrection, or ascension.
Let me take a step back. When I said 'nothing to do...' I did not mean devoid of any connection with Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection. Paul is addressing the practical issues of living together as Christians. He would totally agree with James who wrote "Faith without works is dead". (Jam 2:17) Our lives and the way we live them should be changed by our conversion and faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. "Good works follow saving faith. Salvation is not gained through works but rather good works are the fruit of saving faith in Jesus Christ." (see Note 1)

***

V. 1 - “Now accept the one who is weak in faith” - Do you suppose that everyone is at least as mature as are you in the faith? Or, perhaps, everyone seems far more grounded and spiritual. (Sounds contradictory - “grounded” and “spiritual” - doesn’t it? But you know people so confident in their belief they cannot be shaken, or seem to have a direct line to God.) On the other hand who says to another, “Boy, you are spiritually weak.”?
Paul is acknowledging that our backgrounds - our pre-Christian life - has a strong influence on how we react to activities or deeds we do as Christians.

“But not for the purpose of passing judgement on his opinions” - You may not have had any trouble or dealings with alcohol, so going into a bar, or having drinks served at a party. Someone else may have been a drinker and knows that Jesus saved him from destruction by alcohol - that person will be concerned the temptation to drink will be stronger than the ability to resist. The same holds true for pornography, or sexual encounters - movies, strip clubs, Super Bowl half-time shows (the half-time show for Super Bowl 54 was R-rated), etc.
You may disagree with another Christian about certain seemingly innocuous activities - going to a movie, playing cards, drinking glass of beer or wine. These matters are mostly not doctrinal in nature, and your opinion of them should not be elevated to doctrinal levels - i.e., life-and-death issues.
Remember, Paul was writing to people who came from a plethora of religious backgrounds, both Jewish and pagan, worship of Roman and Greek gods, etc. In America, the background fabric is, or was, mostly Judeo-Christian, so perhaps we don’t comprehend the competing old belief systems.
Paul is teaching them to remain focused on the clear doctrines: Jesus Christ came from God in heaven to die for our sins. He took all our sins on Himself to meet God’s justice. He died. He rose from the dead to newness of life so that we too, believing in Him might have that new life. Our life is in Him. All else matters little - unless that ‘little’ causes someone to doubt their salvation and fall back into the sinful life from which they were saved.

V. 2-3 - “One man has faith that he may eat all things” - I guess that arguments about which foods could or could not be eaten was one of the hot issues. The first churches had many Jewish members, and food was one of the areas of disagreement. The Jewish religion had (maybe, still have) some of the most restrictive or detailed dietary food laws of any in the world.
However, any time a person changes from one faith to another, means there will be conflicting understandings regarding practices in the old system and those in the new.

“The one who eats... the one who does not eat“ - Food, a hot button issue? Peter had a strong dream or vision in Acts 10:9-16. Although the vision lead to the conclusion that Gentiles were able to become Christians, the vision (with three references to foods) clearly shows everything is suitable for food. The “unclean” animals were no longer unclean. I came to that conclusion on the basis that God would not command Peter to perform an unclean act - He just would not instruct Peter to eat an animal or substance that God considered unclean. The paradigm changed with Christ’s death and resurrection.
Paul deals with food issues in at least three other letters. See 1 Cor 6:12-13: "All things are lawful for me - but not everything is beneficial. All things are lawful for me - but I will not be controlled by anything. Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both.” Paul, previously a very conservative Israelite, a Pharisee, had no food issues upon his conversion. He realized others may not be as confident as he.
In Colossians he urges the believers there to not be pushed around by others. “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--“ (Col. 2:16)
On the other hand, Paul is not going to insist on going his own way if will possibly cause another believer to falter in faith. “Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.” (1 Cor. 8:13)

V. 4 - “Who are you to judge the servant of another?” - You have no right, no authority, to tell me I am sinning because I drink coffee, and will end in hell because of it. Does that sound extreme? How about eating bacon? Drinking wine or beer? That is exactly what Paul is addressing here, with following exception. The Jewish Christians’ background included exacting food restrictions. It is hard to leave behind the basis of spiritual life in which you have grown up.

What is the difference between the Ten Commandments (Deut. 5:7-21), the Shema (Deut. 6:4-5)and the Book of Leviticus? Leviticus is a list of rules - Do’s and Don’t’s - to be followed. The Ten Commandments and the Shema are principles on which to base your life. The Ten Commandments can be considered 'rules', but they are not 'how to obey, e.g., how to honor your father and mother, or how not to murder. Or, "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deut 6:4-5) is not a step-by-step method for loving God.

Does drinking coffee (or not), does eating pork (or not) have any bearing on the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross? Do those activities impinge at all on His resurrection and ascension to heaven to be seated at the right hand of God? God’s grace and mercy to us is based solely on Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Since you and I have done nothing to save ourselves for our sin, nor can do anything to merit salvation, we have no authority, power, or ability to make any judgements - on what is life or death, heaven or hell. There is only One who can make that decision.

There is another ‘level’ of judging by Christians (not exclusively Christians, but the others don’t really matter for this discussion except for the realization that humans do this regardless of religion, race, nationality, etc.) - which is denigrating the life and actions because they don’t meet their standards. It is an attitude that says, “Well, you may be saved, but you sure aren’t living it...” This attitude tries to shame others into acting the way you think they should act.

“To his own master he stands or falls” - I do not answer to you, but to Christ. You do not have justify yourself  to anyone but to Christ. You and I will try to rationalize our behavior. Humans have been doing this from the beginning. (See: Gen. 3:10-13) There is only one standard that matters - that of the Lord Jesus Christ. We do not get to make up our own acceptable standards, to determine ‘our truth’. However, God did not make us automatons, each identical little robots rolling off an assembly line. The Lord in His grace and mercy deals with us as the individuals He created.

God does not care if you eat meat, or don’t eat meat. The issue, if it is an issue, is that if your conscience is bothered by an activity then perhaps you should not do that activity. This is not necessarily a matter of sinning against the Lord. The matter is the abuse of your conscience. If your heart and conscience is convicting you, and you do it anyway the conscience begins to be dulled. Violating your conscience may be traumatic the first time. It is not so traumatic the second time. The sharp edges get worn down. The activity - e.g., eating meat - dulls the effect, and it becomes more difficult for you to recognize wrong behavior.

This will be like a moral virus that attaches itself to you, and the warning signs lose their effect. If God wants you to eat meat, He will let you know. If He wants you to stop eating meat, He will let you know. It is to God we must answer, not fellow Christians, or non-Christians. Be confident that you are living for Jesus, not for the approval of people.

***
Note 1: "Faith and Works", essay in Holman Christian Standard Bible by Mark DeVine; p. 2139; HCSB Study Bible; Holman Bible Publishers; 2010.
***

Rom. 13:11-14 - Playing Well with Others...

11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.
12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

Rom. 13:8-10 - Love Does no Wrong

8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
9 For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."
10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Romans 13:1-7 - Obey Governments

CHAPTER 13
13:1-7 - Obey government
13:8-10 - Love does no wrong
13:11-14 - Playing Well with Others
***

1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom towhom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

This chapter is a continuation of Paul’s exhortation on living ‘outwardly’. The Christian life involves the whole person - the mind, the soul, the spirit, the body, and your relationships with people around you. It starts, of course, with God saving you from sin.
Now you are to be a conduit of the gospel message to others: Family, neighbors, and going out into the city. Christianity is not a cloister, but an outreach. "Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it stands written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (Luk 24:45-49) How you live in your community will be a function of your faith. Until we die and go to be with Jesus, or when He returns, we will live in two worlds - the natural physical world and Christ’s kingdom. I thought maybe the term “dual citizenship” might fit here. Upon reflection I think ‘resident foreigner’ is closer to the correct concept for the believers. “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,” (Col. 1:13 ) We no longer are under the rule and control of Satan, yet we live in the world he controls. Think of Satan as a governor of a land, but not the owner. This passage has the potential of being whipsawed with more “What if...” scenarios than I can deal with.

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Peaceable Living

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V. 1 - “Be in subjection to the governing authorities” - Paul is addressing people who are living under Roman rule: in particular, people living in Rome. Nero was emperor.
Because this was written to the Roman believers, however not exclusively for the Roman believers but all Christians for all time the following fits: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16). It is a teaching for us all. Fairly straightforward - don’t be a rebellious citizen of the country where you are living. Obey the traffic laws. Obey the civil laws. Obey the legal laws.

Immediately, the idea of being subject to a despotic regime raises a potential problem. What if the government you live under is evil - be it communist, fascist, nazi, muslim, socialist, or democratic? How does a Christian subject himself to an evil government? How does a citizen obey laws that are cruel, evil and unjust? The believer must carefully compare the governmental laws to those given by God in scripture. Laws that violate the Bible teachings must be disobeyed. Realize that at that moment, when you disobey, your life may be forfeit. Martyrdom may need be contemplated.

You may say, “Not here in the U.S.” And so far you may be correct. There are many countries, especially communist and muslim controlled, where Christians’ lives are constantly at risk. As I write this, we have just gone through a trying time of Covid-19 here in the United States. For more than a year, government officials have issued mandates regarding faee masks, restaurant, business, and school closures that have affected all of us. None of these mandates were passed by the Congress or any legislature. They were rules handed out, and obedience was demanded by bureaucrats. I don't know how many people were thrown in jail for non-compliance. I do know that millions of children missed a year or more of education because of closed schools; millions of people lost their jobs - some from business closures, some from non-compliance regarding wearing the mask. How do we respond, as Christians, when ordered to obey a "law" that is not actually a law; plus real science shows it has no discernible positive effect on stopping spread of the disease. We are 'forced’ to take a vaccine shot to stop the spread, but the vaccine does not stop it. The Covid-19 shot does not prevent you from getting this strand of flu. It does not act like the polio vaccine, or mumps vaccine. I remember standing in line as a child to get the brand new Polio vaccine. I remember the joy our parents expressed knowing their children would no longer be in danger of getting polio and spending their life in an iron lung - parents lived in fear of that dread disease. For Covid-19, panic dominated the nation. Panic drove unwise decisions - decisions that affected the bulk of the nation, when only a very few people were really at risk. Instead of protecting those at risk, the fabric of the nation was shredded. We still have not fully recovered (the leaders are still making dumb decisions). How does a Christian respond to bad dscisions by the leaders?

“no authority except from God” - There is no king, or queen, or president, prime minister or sovereign in position in a government or country that has attained that position without God’s permission. My mind rebels: How can Hitler be placed by God at the head of Germany? How could Idi Amin (Uganda) possibly have been acceptable? Or Stalin (communist Russia)? Or Mao Zedong (China)? Or, here at home, how do you react to morally repugnant candidates or elected officials?

V. 2 - “whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God” - If God has placed the government, who are you to tell God he made a mistake by setting up this particular set of leaders? And yet, we know there are situations where resistance is ‘necessary’. Peter and the apostles were commanded to quit teaching the gospel. “But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’ ” (Acts 5:29) Also, “And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.’ " (Acts 4:18-20) 

My conclusion: If the laws violate God’s laws and scripture, we may not need to obey.
Two caveats:

1. Be absolutely sure the laws you think need to be disobeyed really, truly go against God. Examine the scripture. Pray. Study the Scripture. Pray. Pray some more!
2. Count the cost. Be prepared.

This will not be the modern equivalent of ‘civil disobedience’ in which you get to act out and only receive a slap on the wrist. This disobedience may cost your job, your home, your family, or your life. I am not saying to chicken out. In an evil regime, you may suffer even if you remain passive. For example, look back to Nazi Germany. The Jews were passive, even went into hiding. Still, six million Jews died in the death camps. (Not picking on Germany. Just stating facts.) Look at the modern muslim nations, especially the Islamist run countries - Christians are being martyred!

V. 3 - “rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil” - Governments are instituted by God to provide order. Laws are established for the working out of social and legal norms. We live in a fallen world, and many, many people will give in to their worst impulses, where greed and self-aggrandizement will rule the day. In literature, note that post-apocalyptic societies are almost always vicious and cruel. Good examples of this: “Lord of the Flies”, or “A Clockwork Orange”. The first shows life without rules or guidance. The second shows how far people can go when they choose to not follow laws. A real-life example is the French Revolution where the uprising devolved into savagery.

V. 4 - “for it is a minister of God to you for good” - The government you live under is set in place by God! The government, whether a democracy or a kingdom, sets the laws and enforces the same. In general, if you do not break the laws you have nothing to fear.

V. 5 - “it is necessary to be in subjection” - Do not rebel against your nation’s laws or against the Lord. This almost reads like "double-speak" - I have just written in a paragraph above that you may have to violate civil laws in order to obey God. I dont think I am advocating open rebellion against an evil regime. You must not quit worshipping God because someone tells you to do so. But you may have to do it surreptitiously. Many believers in some foreign lands meet and worship in secret, knowing that to do it openly means being arrested and punished.

V. 6 - “pay taxes” - Really? Paying taxes is obedience to God? Yes.

“for rulers are servants of God” - There it is again: Governments are placed there by God. Most rulers have no idea they are “God’s servants”. It doesn’t matter they may not know this. God knows and He expects obedience to secular rule from His people.

V. 7 - “Render to all what is due them” - God has not advocated disobedience or rebellion of His people toward their governments. See: Matt. 22:15-21; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:2-26. He did not have the Israelites rebel against the Egyptians. Jesus did not rise up against the Romans, nor the Jewish governors. God punished the rebels when they defied Moses or Aaron. (One incidence goes against this line of thought: God separated the 10 northern tribes from Rehoboam, leaving him Judah and Benjamin. I must ponder this.)

*** Outline:
13:1-7 - Obey government
13:8-10 - Love does no wrong
13:11-14 - Playing Well with Others
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Rom. 12:16-21 - Take No Revenge

16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.
20 "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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If Possible...

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Paul continues instructions on living together in the Christian community. Also there is sage wisdom on how the Christian community should live within the secular community. It is hard for me to imagine a village, town, or city in which ALL of those living there are Christians (that is, on this side of heaven). Which means that every believer will interact with nonbelievers. Here in the United States, those interactions are usually fairly benign. In other countries, other nations this may not be so.

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V. 16 - “Be of the same mind toward one another” - Paul is not advocating a Christian robot army all marching in lock-step, or ‘Stepford Wives’.

The direction Paul is aiming Chrstians is: Humility.

Pride and arrogance are symptomatic of the ‘root’ sin - naming yourself as the god you will worship. Satan said, “I will be like God.” (See: Isa. 14:12-20; Ezek. 28:12-19; Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:7ff) Satan dangled that lure in front of Eve and Adam, and threw in the lie that God did not want them to be like Him. (Gen 3:1-6)

Humility is what we are called to. We are not to think too highly of ourselves. (Rom 12:3; Phil 2:1-8) For good reason. We can do nothing to save ourselves.

“Do not be haughty in mind” - One of the images I have of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and other Jewish leaders (as portrayed in the New Testament) is they looked down on everyone. Almost everybody around them was ‘unclean’ - women (especially women who were not their wives I’ve read that Pharisees did not tal to women in the public market place.); foreigners were unclean; Samaritans were unclean (after all, they were half-breeds - Jewish remnants that married foreign refugees (unclean) dumped in the area that had been the ten tribes).  
What better description than “whitewashed tombs” - dead and rotting on the inside, pristine and beautiful on the outside.   

Too often we are blinded to being reasonable by our overweening pride. A good modern example of this is the TV sitcom “Frasier” - (Frasier Crane and his brother Niles are exactly this - plus it is hilarious writing. This can only be seen by streaming.). Think of how many families are feuding because someone’s feelings were hurt (damaged pride). World War II was precipitated by German peoples’ wounded pride due to the punitive nature of the Treaty of Versailles ending Wold War I. Millions of people died in WWII because of revenge. Revenge is the wrath of wounded pride. Think of how many crimes and murders are committed in our large cities as a means of ‘getting mine’, or ‘payback’ for actual or perceived wrongs. 

“Do not be wise in your own estimation.” - Don’t think too highly of yourselves. See: “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight!” (Isa 5:21) Lack of humility, prideful arrogance, and over-estimation of your basic nature are all part of the same sin - placing yourself before and above God.

V. 17 - “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.” - The first impulse when we have been wronged is to strike back, to get even. But that is not Jesus’ way for us. See: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well. And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, give him your coat also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor' and 'hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don't they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don't they? So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:38-48)

“Respect what is right in the sight of all men.” - Acting under your first impulse will almost always be the wrong action - driven by your fleshly, natural self rather than by the Holy Spirit. How do you know what is ‘right’? Won’t ‘rightness’ be a function of societal norms? Being right is not a function of political correctness or peer pressure. God has shown us what is good through His word, His prophets, His Son. It is imperative we spend time in God’s word, especially in the New Testament, so we can know God, and know what He expects from us. It is imperative we spend time in prayer, talking with God and seeking His guidance in our lives. “Then Jesus said to those Judeans who had believed him, "If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32 )
Aso: “The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him." (John 14:21).
Jesus also said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. The person who does not love me does not obey my words. And the word you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me." (John 14:2-24)
Note the last sentence, He is telling them that He (Jesus) is not making up these statements. They didn’t just pop into His head as He started talking; this comes from God the Father. Jesus is saying what the Father has told Him to say. Much time was spent in prayer so that Jesus was prepared to do God’s will. 

V. 18 - “be at peace with all men.” - This is not ‘peace at any cost’, but conditional. “If it is possible...”, implies there are instances and times when peace is not possible.

V. 19-20 - “Never take your own revenge” - These are not New Testament concepts. Vengeance is the Lord’s responsibility. He is the only one who can judge and act fairly and rightly. These quotes are culled from the OT. (See; Lev. 19:18; Deut 32:41; 2 Chr 1:11; Isa 1:24, 61:8; Nah 1:2) God will recompense as required. (See: Deut 32:41; Psa 62:12; Pro 19:17, 24:12; Isa 61:8; Eze 11:21, 17:19; Hos 4:9) There are a couple of instances in the OT where enemies (usually defeated in a battle) were fed and sent home in peace. (2 Ki 6:) See also: Pro 25:21, 22.

V. 21 - “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good - Ancillary or summary statement to: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men“ (Rom 12:18), and “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone” (Rom 12:17), and “Never take your own revenge.”(Rom 12:19) Revenge cannot defeat evil. Only God overcomes evil. This concept is seen in The Law: Exo 23:23-25; Lev 24:19-21; Deut 19:21. This concept, this direction for Christian living must be very important: It is repeated twice in this part of the letter. 

This as an epiphany: the Law limits revenge! Jesus expands on this concept in His Sermon on the Mount. (See: Matt 5:38-48). Jesus takes us away from “getting even” in family feuds, tribal wars, and revenge, and leads us to love those who do us wrong.

Simple, isn’t it: “overcome evil with good!” Why? Because a God loves you enough to save you from your own evil ways. Follow His lead.

***
end of chapter 

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Rom. 12:9-15 - Playing Well with Others...

The previous section of this chapter (12:6-8) taught us about the qualities of leadership for the church, and the gifts or skills God has granted to us. Not every believer will prophecy, or teach, or lead, or serve, or be able to give. If the Lord has blessed you with these talents (aka: gifts or skills), use them for Him.
The next section of the letter (12:9-21) provides guidelines for living together in the Christian community. What Paul lists or describes below are not quite commands, but have the ‘power’ of being common sense instructions, especially when coupled with the love of Christ and the Holy Spirit working in you.

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9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  

***

Living Together in the Church Community

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V. 9 - “Let love be without hypocrisy.” - Let love be genuine. Isn’t that much clearer? No? How do I love with false pretenses? Showing love to others without expecting recompense. The way we treat and interact with other people can be a ‘business’ decision; i.e., ‘If I demonstrate love to you, I expect you to reciprocate.’ This shows selfish ulterior motives. Another aspect is ‘grudgingly loving’ someone because you have to: “I despise you, but I know I have been commanded to love, so I will put on a happy face, etc.”
It might be better for you to confess your bad attitude, telling Jesus that you really can’t do this. Then, having confessed your sin, ask Jesus to love the other through you. This will do more to change your hateful attitude than gritting your teeth and trying hard. (I confess I’ve been there, and needed to do that. Jesus did change my heart. I never would have felt anything positive except that Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, loved them and me.)

“Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.” - No mystery or secret message here. This has God’s message from the beginning. (See: Deut 5:7-21, 7:26; Eze. 33:11; Psa 4:4, 34:14, 37:27; Pro 11:27, 17:11; 2 Chr 7:14; 1 Ki 3:9; Amos 5:14-15; Heb 5:14; 1 Pet 3:11; 3 John 1:11)

V. 10 - “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love” - treat each other like family members - members you love not just tolerate. Some of us grew up in slightly dysfunctional families, and the idea of ‘brotherly love’ is somewhat foreign. We have all heard, “blood is thicker than water, “ and “family comes first.” Jesus’ command: love one another (John 13:34-35; John 15:12, 17). This is a main theme of the Epistles: Eph 4:2; 1 Thes 3:12, 4:9; 2 Thes 1:3; Heb 10:24; 1 Pet 1:22, 4:8; 1 John 3:11, 23, 4:7,11,12; 2 John 1:5.

“give preference to one another in honor” - Put the needs of others before yours. Gal 5:13; 1 Thes 5:13; 1 Cor 12:24; 1 Pet. 2:17; Luk 6:3; Phil 2:4.

V. 11 - “serving the Lord“ - Living for Christ is not lackadaisical. Throw your whole self into it! Look at the words in this verse: not lacking; diligence; fervent; serving. Christ said that His kingdom was worth giving up every other thing, (Luke 15:8, 9); the man who found a treasure (Luke 13:43, 44); the merchant who located an invaluable pearl (Luke 13:45). The rich young man went away sad because he knew he had to give away all his wealth (Mat 19:24).

V. 12 - “rejoicing... persevering... prayer” - Look at the superlatives in these verses! In some ways this list (vss. 9-15) reminds me of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, in that His commands were impossible. Living the Christian life is not possible under our own power. Jesus also said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” It may seem easy to rejoice while hoping - look at our hope, eternal life with the Lord and our Savior! Our hope is in Jesus. Jesus is in us. Persevering in tribulation is most definitely done in the power of the Holy Spirit. Access to that power is through prayer.

V. 13 - “contributing to those in need” - The commands in this verse are outward in nature - caring for others. By the way: this is not just a NT concept. God commanded that the poor and needy be protected - by allowing them to harvest (gleaning) (see: Lev 19:10); and they would be protected legally - not taken advantage when legal decisions were made. If an Israelite became so destitute that they lost their home property, it was returned to them each sabbath year, debts forgiven. (See: Lev. 25)

“practicing hospitality” - Again, not a new idea. Showing foreigners, and visitors hospitality is not limited to the NT. Travelers were often invited to stay, rest and be refreshed in homes in the OT. See: Lev. 22:21, 23:9; Deut. 10:18, 19.

V. 14 - “bless and do not curse.” - Blessing those who persecute us is a tough sell to the natural man within us. We want to defend ourselves, defend our honor, defend our reputation. It is so hard to learn that is not you or me that is being attacked. (Well, yes, we are being attacked. Because we are Jesus’ own and are living for Him, we receive Satan’s ire. See: 1 John 3:1) The hard part for us is to release these things to Jesus, and let Him deal with it. Admonitions to let God handle the vengeance abound. (See: Deut 32:11; 2 Chr 1:11; Isa 1:24; Nah 1:2; isa 61:8; Heb 10:30) Even the “second greatest commandment” comes within a command to turn it all to God. (Lev 19:18). Oh, how it hurts to be persecuted simply because you want to live for Jesus. He told this would happen! Knowing it will happen does not make it seem better. The reason believers can rejoice when be persecuted is we know the hatred of Jesus is being turned on us. If we are living in a way that opposes Jesus’ teaching, the world will not oppose us. (The old ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ belief system.)

V. 15 - “Rejoice... weep” - Be empathetic, not just a show of empathy. When your fellow believers are in joyous circumstances, rejoice with them. Or if they suffer, come along side. Share in their feelings. Cry when you hurt with them.

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Rom. 12:6-8 - Exercise Your Gifts

6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;
8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

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Diversity - In a Good Way

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V. 6 - “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us” - There is a common belief that says there are no two identical snowflakes. (That one might be hard to disprove.) However, look at the landscapes around us - what a multitude of beauty. Consider how many thousand species of birds, or snakes, or fish, or insects - all different. Look into the cosmos, what do you see? Billions of stars, maybe billions of galaxies. Want to be amazed? Look at some of the photos of galaxies taken by the Hubble Telescope. Or, you can sit down at a junction in a shopping mall and watch the people go by. God has created a vast diversity of life on earth, stars in the sky, planets in the solar system. Why would you think God has made each of His believers automatons. We are not identical robots, programmed to follow the same program.

When you are in church, does every person with you look the same, sound the same? God has provided each of us with a gift. There are a variety of gifts, which God has provided to match our personality and life experiences. These variations are used by God so that we can minister and help others that may have been going through similar situations. The gifts are given to ‘build up the church’  

“each of us is to exercise them accordingly” - A gift for each of us which is to be used to serve Him. There is more than one list of gifts in scripture. (See: 1 Cor. 12:8-10; 12:28; Rom. 12:6-8; Eph. 4:11) These gifts are not for your personal aggrandizement. They are to be used to strengthen and instruct the church. The common theme for all the gifts is: Display your gift by using it. No one has a lamp and hides it. (Matt.5:15-16)

Gifts of the Holy Spirit
1 Cor 12:8-10	1 Cor 12:28	Rom 12:6-8	Eph 4:11
Wisdom Knowledge Faith Healing Miracles Prophecy Distinguish Spirits Tongues Interpretation of Tongues	Apostles Prophets Teachers Miracles Healings Helps Administration Tongues	Prophecy Service Teaching Exhortation Giving Leadership Mercy	Apostles Prophets Evangelism Pastors Teachers

There are seven gifts listed below, to be exercised accordingly:

“if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith” - Prophecy is direct revelation from God, essentially speaking for God and interpreting His will for man. The gift of prophecy is different from the preaching and teaching gifts. Implied here is to admonish and reprove the believing body, to denounce prevailing sins and to call to repentance. The gift of prophecy can be used to warn us when we appear to be going off the tracks, to call us back from our errant ways, to show us we need to confess, repent, and return to the gospel of Jesus and God, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

It can also be in the sense of a ‘seer’, looking into the future and communicating the declarations of God. I am not sure this is a main function of prophecy for the New Testament church. It cannot be ruled out however.

V. 7 - “if service, in his serving” - Service in Greek is the same word as ‘deacon’, a person who attends to another’s needs (See: 1 Tim. 3:8-13). The idea is this a a gift of ministry (doing things for others) and not a title or office. Paul does note in 1 Timothy there are people who are called to serve the church, and the qualifications for these people are similar to those of ‘Elders’.

“He who teaches, in his teaching” - One of the essential gifts of the church. A teacher takes the word of God - scripture - and helps other believers see how to become disciples. Jesus gave the ‘Great Commandment’, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matt. 28:19-20) Note: Make them disciples by teaching them His commandments. A teacher is not making things up, but taking scripture (whether Old or New Testament writings) and pulling out essential truths for guiding our behavior.

V. 8 - “He who exhorts, in his exhortation ” - The gift of motivating and encouraging. It might be thought of as a cheerful and encouraging aspect of prophesying. (See “prophecy” in verse 6, above.) I am reminded of a football coach making half-time adjustments. He is prophesying when he warns them to tackle better. He is exhorting when encouraging them to continue the good plays made in the first half. No one wants to hear criticism. “You’re doing it wrong,” is negative, but it highlights what needs to be fixed. “That’s much better. Continue working on it, and you will see improvement.” This encouragement will help me to succeed. This same type of encouragement is necessary when building disciples.

“He who gives, with liberality” - Who would guess giving is a gift from God, on a par with prophecy, or being an apostle, or teaching, or tongues? We know God gives liberally. He is not parsimonious. (See: 1 Cor. 15:38; 1 Thess. 4:8; 1 Tim. 6:13; Jam. 1:5.)

“He who leads, with diligence” - Leaders are not to be lackadaisical. (1 Tim. 3:1-13; 2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 4:10; 1 Pet. 1:10, 15)

“He who shows mercy, with cheerfulness” - If mercy is done grudgingly is it mercy? If it under compulsion, will it last, will it be withdrawn later.

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