Romans 15-16: The Gospel of Grace & Paul’s Plans
ROMANS 15:14 – 16:27
Application: The student will commit to serve God faithfully and trust Him with his future.
OUR LAST STUDY STOP IN ROMANS BEGINS WITH A GREAT TRUTH FOR BELIEVERS.
IT IS THAT AS A CHRISTIAN WE ARE NOT TO BE CONCERNED WITH OUR STATUS IN THE WORLD BUT RATHER TO CONSIDER OUR SUCCESS TO BE HOW WE HAVE FAITHFULLY SERVED OUR LORD.
THE 500 QUESTIONS OF THE WESTMINISTER CONFESSIONS BEGINS WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION OF ALL FOR BELIEVERS: “WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MAN?”
THE ANSWER IS STRONGLY BEAUTIFUL:
“THE PURPOSE OF MAN IS TO GLORIFY GOD AND TO ENJOY HIM FOREVER.’
PAUL CONCLUDES HIS IMPORTANT TEACHINGS IN THE LETTER TO THE ROMAN CHURCH BY REVEALING HIS OWN PLANS WHILE CONTINUING TO SERVE GOD.
HE BUILDS ON HIS EARLIER CHAPTERS BY SENDING THE FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH FOR THE BELIEVERS IN ROME:
BE FAITHFUL WHEREVER YOU ARE
PLAN YOUR LIFE WITH THE KINGDOM IN MIND
TRUST GOD TO GUIDE YOU ALWAYS
WITH TENDERNESS AND PATIENCE PAUL CONTINUES THE MATTER OF CHRISTIAN EXAMPLE AND LIBERTY.
THE STRONG AND WELL KNOWLEGEABLE BELIEVERS MUST TOLERATE AND BEAR WITH THOSE WHO HAVE NOT YET COME TO DEEPER FAITH.
THE ESSENCE OF CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP DOES NOT REQUIRE PERFECT UNITY OF MINOR POINTS OF FAITH.
THE FELLOWSHIP IS BUILT UPON THE FOCAL POINT OF EVERY BELIEVER’S CENTRAL FOCUS THAT FAITH IN THE MESSIAH SENT IS PRIORITY OVER ALL OTHER THINGS.
EVERY BELIEVER IS TO BE RECEIVED AND WELCOMED WARMLY & OPENLY REGARDLESS OF HIS VIEWS ON NONESSENTIAL MATTERS.
PAUL CITES JESUS HIMSELF IN VERSE 3 AS REMINDING THAT HE DID NOT PLEASE HIMSELF, CONSULTED HIS OWN PLEASURE, NOR SOUGHT HIS OWN GRATIFICATION.
HE SUFFERED THE REPROACHES OF EVIL & SINFUL MEN WHO MEANT HIM NO GOOD IN ORDER TO SET THE BEST EXAMPLE FOR ALL WHO WOULD COME AFTER HIM.
PSALM 69:9 REMINDS US OF HIS WILLING HUMILIATIONS.
LUKE 22:42 REMINDS US THAT HE PRAYED NOT FOR HIS OWN WILL BUT FOR THE WILL OF THE FATHER.
MATTHEW 20:28 REMINDS US THAT HE CAME NOT TO BE MINISTERED TO BUT TO MINISTER.
THE LORD RECEIVED CONSTANTLY WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN WEAKER BROTHERS TO HELP THEM GROW IN FAITH.
HE ALLOWS EACH OF US “SUFFICIENT FAITH” TO ENABLE US TO IMITATE HIM.
HE HELPED US BY EXAMPLE AND THEN HELPS US BY HIS OWN HOLY SPIRIT INDWELLING US TO TEACH & GUIDE US.
IN VERSE 7 HE ADMONISHES BOTH JEW & GENTILE MEMBERS TO RECEIVE ONE ANOTHER.
HE HAS MANY TIMES IN ROMANS CLEARLY TAUGHT US OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE TWO GROUPS, BUT AT THE END BOTH BECOME BELIEVERS AND BOTH ARE TO REMEMBER THEY ARE MEMBERS OF ONE BODY.
IN VERSE 8 HE TEACHES THAT JESUS CAME AS A MINISTER TO THE JEWS, FULFILLING THE ENTIRE MOSAIC LAW IN HIS PERSON AND WORK WHILE SINLESS IN NATURE.
HE VALIDATED AND CARRIED OUT THE PROMISES MADE TO ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB.
MATTHEW 10:6 REMINDS US THAT HE CAME TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.
PAUL REMINDED US IN ROMANS 1:16 THAT SALVATION’S POWER WAS FIRST SENT TO THE JEWS.
THE POINT HERE IS THAT GENTILES ARE NOT TO BE IN CONTEMPT OF JEWISH BELIEVERS WHO STILL SOUGHT TO MAKE SENSE OF THEIR CHANGE FROM LAW TO FAITH.
AND JEWS ARE NOT TO BE IN CONTEMPT OF THE GENTILE BELIEVERS WHO INSISTED ON THEIR FREEDOM IN FAITH FROM CIRCUMCISON, RULES, FEAST DAYS, AND LAW WHICH NEVER SAVED ANYONE.
IN VERSES 10-12 PAUL QUOTES FROM PSALM 18:49 & ISAIAH 11:10 THAT GENTILES ARE TO REJOICE BECAUSE GOD HAD ALREADY COMMANDED THAT GENTILES WOULD BE UNDER A ROOT OF JESSE WHO RISES TO GOVERN AND RULE THOSE WHO WERE ONCE PAGANS.
AND IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES TRUST.
THE SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT MADE BY PAUL IS:
WELCOME THE WEAKER BROTHER
DO NOT DESPISE ONE ANOTHER
DO NOT PASS JUDGMENT ON YOUR BROTHER
DO NOT CAUSE YOUR BROTHER TO SIN
ACCOMMODATE ALL IN A SPIRIT OF LOVE
SHOW THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST IN ALL WE DO
WE MUST NOT ALLOW POINT 5 TO SLIP BY WITHOUT NOTING THAT THE LOVE MENTIONED HERE GOES FAR BEYOND BROTHERLY LOVE, AND IS MEANT TO COMMAND AGAPE LOVE WHICH IS LOVE EXPECTING NOTHING IN RETURN.
JESUS CLEARLY COMMANDED US TO LOVE AS HE HAD LOVED.
IN VERSE 14 PAUL BEGINS THE CONCLUSION OF THIS GREAT EPISTLE, REFLECTING THE WARMTH OF FELLOWSHIP OF ALL BELIEVERS.
HE WAS LAYING THE GROUNDWORK OF HIS HOPED FOR VISIT TO THE CHURCH IN ROME.
HE REFERS TO BOTH GOODNESS AND KNOWLEDGE.
GOODNESS WILL CAUSE THE STRONGER IN FAITH FROM DOING DAMAGE TO THOSE WEAKER IN FAITH.
KNOWLEDGE WILL ALLOW THOSE TO CORRECT GENTLY THE NEED FOR DEEPER FAITH TO THOSE IN THAT NEED.
PAUL REMINDS THE CHURCH IN VERSE 15 THAT HE HAS WRITTEN BOLDLY OF CERTAIN THINGS PUTTING THEM IN MIND OF THOSE THINGS BECAUSE OF GRACE GIVEN HIM BY GOD.
GENTILES ARE TO BE ACCEPTED APART FROM THE LAW AND CHRIST WAS SENT TO THEM AS WELL AS TO THE JEWS.
PAUL SAW HIMSELF AS AN INSTRUMENT IN THE HAND OF JESUS BRINGING THE GENTILES TO OBEDIENCE AND THE JEWS TO UNDERSTANDING TO ACCEPT THEM.
THE HOLY SPIRIT CLOTHED HIM WITH DIVINE AUTHORITY.
WE LEARN IN ACTS THAT A HANDKERCHEF OR AN APRON WORN BY PAUL HEALED ILLNESS.
HE CAST OUT UNCLEAN DEMONS WITH POWER.
WHEN SOME OTHER JEWS TRIED TO COPY PAUL AND EXORCISE DEMONS, THE DEMONS ANSWERED SAYING:
“WE KNOW JESUS AND WE KNOW PAUL BUT WHO ARE YOU?”
IN VERSES 20-21 PAUL TEACHES THAT HE IS LAYING THE FOUNDATION AND OTHERS WILL COME TO BUILD UPON IT.
IN VERSE 21 WE SEE THE LAST OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY FULFILLED AS FORETOLD IN ISAIAH 52:15, THAT THOSE WHO HAD NOT HEARD WILL HEAR AND UNDERSTAND.
IN 22-23 PAUL AGAIN WISHES TO VISIT ROME AND SAID THAT HIS MINISTRY HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED “IN THESE PARTS”.
UNFORTUNATELY WE KNOW THAT PAUL DID ARRIVE IN ROME BUT NOT AS A CHURCH PLANTER BUT AS A PRISONER.
PAUL REVEALS HIS FUTURE PLAN TO VISIT SPAIN WHERE THE GOSPEL WAS IN GREAT NEED TO SPREAD.
HE MENTIONS IN 25-28 THAT HIS IMMEDIATE GOAL WAS TO GO TO JERUSALEM TO DELIVER THE COLLECTED DONATIONS TO THE POOR SAINTS WHO LIVED THERE.
IN VERSES 30-31 PAUL ASKS THE MEMBERS OF THE ROMAN CHURCH TO PRAY THAT HE MIGHT COME TO THEM “WITH JOY BY THE WILL OF GOD.”
IN VERSE 33 HE BLESSES THEM ASKING THAT THE GOD OF PEACE BE WITH THEM.
IN CHAPTER 16:18 PAUL KNEW THAT THE JUDAIZERS WOULD APPEAR AT THE ROMAN CHURCH AND BRING THEIR CONSTANT EFFORT AT DIVISION.
HE WARNS THE ROMAN BELIEVERS TO AVOID THEM AS THEY ARE DECEITFUL AND WERE BRINGING THEIR OWN PURPOSES, NOT THE PURPOSES OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
HERE PAUL PROVIDES A WARNING THAT IS AS PROPER TODAY AS IT WAS WHEN HE WROTE IT.
THERE IS DANGER OUTSIDE THE CHURCH AND THERE IS DANGER INSIDE THE CHURCH.
THE DANGERS OUTSIDE COME FROM FALSE TEACHERS WHO GLORIFY ONLY THEMSELVES.
WE SEE THIS TODAY EVERY SUNDAY MORNING ON TV WHEN CERTAIN MEN CLAIM TO PREACH THE GOSPEL BUT ALWAYS GIVE ONLY THEIR OWN 800 NUMBER FOR OUR MONEY.
THEY LIVE IN MILLIONAIRE MANSIONS AND BUY PRIVATE JETS TRYING HARD TO NEVER ALLOW US TO KNOW.
THE DANGER INSIDE THE CHURCH IS THE SPIRIT OF PRIDE, DISCONTENT, JEALOUSY, AND ALL THE OTHER WORKS OF THE FLESH. ALONG WITH FALSE DOCTRINE.
THESE DANGERS FROM WITHOUT AND WITHIN ARE ALL THE WORKS OF OUR EVIL ADVERSARY AND ALL ARE PERMITTED BY THE LORD TO VISIT US TO TEST AND TRY OUR FAITH ALREADY DELIVERED TO US.
THIS STUDY HAS BEEN POWERFUL AND ELOQUENT AND HAS REVEALED THE ETERNAL PLAN OF GOD TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY PROPHET PAUL.
JUST AS JESUS TAUGHT IN HIS MINISTRY, SALVATION WAS FIRST SENT TO THE JEWS WHICH REJECTED IT ALMOST COMPLETELY.
HE CAME TO HIS OWN AND HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT.
THE PLAN OF GOD WAS NOT DELAYED WHATSOEVER, IT QUICKLY MOVED TO THE DAMASCUS ROAD AND A POWERFUL AND VIOLENT CONVERSION CAUSING BLINDNESS TO HIS CHOSEN VESSEL.
A MAN WE NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE OR AFTER WAS SENT TO DELIVER THE HOLY SPIRIT, CLEANSE THE BLINDNESS, AND BAPTIZE THE CHOSEN VESSEL WHO WE STUDIED FOR THESE MANY WEEKS.
HE REVEALED TO US THAT BECAUSE OF THE FALL OF THE JEWS, SALVATION CAME TO THE GENTILES.
BUT HE ALSO REVEALED THAT GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH THE JEWS.
AFTER THE FULLNESS OF TIME WITH THE GENTILES COMING INTO THE KINGDOM, THE LORD’S NEW CREATION, HIS CHURCH, WILL BE REMOVED AND THE END TIMES WILL APPEAR WHICH WILL END WITH EVERY KNEE BOWED AND EVERY TONGUE CONFESSING HE IS LORD.
OUR NEXT STUDY TAKES US BACK INTO THE DEEPEST PORTION OF THE FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES AS WE TRAVEL THROUGH LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, & DEUTEROMONY.
