Romans 15:1-33
1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, to build him up.
3 For Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,
6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,
9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”
10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”
11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol Him.”
12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even He who arises to rule the Gentiles; in Him will the Gentiles hope.”
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God
16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the Gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.
18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience - by word and deed,
19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God - so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the Gospel of Christ;
20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the Gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation,
21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”
22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you.
23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you,
24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.
25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints.
26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.
27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.
28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you.
29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,
31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,
32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.
33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
In the preceding chapters of Romans, Paul has been teaching us the importance of Christian love in the Church, and as he nears the end of his letter to the Church in Rome, he again stresses how important it is for Christians to have true love for one another, and what Paul does in the opening verses of chapter 15, is to point to the example that Jesus has set for the Church.
Verses 5 to 7 says, “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
As we saw last week, there were all kinds of tensions in the Roman Church, due mainly to the very different backgrounds of the Jews and Gentiles prior to their coming to faith in Jesus, so Paul pleads with them to be accepting and tolerant of each other, based on the reality that in Christ, God has accepted them.
Again, he is not calling us to be tolerant of false doctrine. Every New Testament book, with the one exception of Philemon, warns against false doctrine and false teachers in the Church. Jesus said in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” How do we guard against these people and their twisted teachings? By getting into the Word of God. Study the Scriptures. Know what you believe, and why you believe it. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says quite simply, “Test everything; hold fast what is good.”
Paul though, in Romans 15 is appealing for harmony and understanding within the Church among the redeemed.
Those who are stronger in the faith and have a deeper understanding of the Gospel and their freedom and liberty in Christ are not to lord it over those who are still struggling to deal with all of the superstitions and traditions of the false religions they have been saved from. Kindness and consideration should characterise the Church, but sadly, this is often not the case. Someone once said that the Church is the only army which shoots its wounded…
Paul writes in verse 2, “Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, to build him up.” It’s a simple, but profound principle. We shouldn’t be living to please ourselves. Looking out for number one is how the world works, but living to please our neighbours, particularly our brothers and sisters in Christ, is what we are to model in the Church, because this is how Jesus lived.
He has given us the example, because He lived to please His Father, and not Himself. In verse 3 Paul quotes from Psalm 69:9 when he writes of Jesus, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” Are we offended when the name of God is dishonoured and blasphemed?
In the following verse Paul writes, “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Here again, we see how important it is for the Bible to shape our lives and our worldview. It is in the Word where we learn valuable lessons. As we well know, life can be really hard at times, but as we go through our struggles, we are reminded of the hope we have in the Word of God, and it is this hope that Paul points us to in the opening verses of Romans 15.
I mentioned last week how important it is for us to be connected to the Church. We need each other on this journey through life, and as we are drawn together, we learn what it means to glorify God with one voice, as Paul writes in verse 6. The Church is a community of the redeemed, worshipping and glorifying God together, regardless of where we have come from. It is who we now are in Christ that makes all the difference.
This is what makes it possible for us to welcome and love one another in spite of any differences that might exist on secondary or non-salvific issues. As the Church we are not to receive or reject each other based on our denominational background, spiritual maturity, or social status. We are to receive those whom Christ has received, because this is what brings glory to God.
From verse 8 through to verse 13 Paul reminds his readers in Rome that the ministry of Jesus Christ includes Jews and Gentiles. That is the context of the letter, in that it was written specifically to that congregation at that time, but because this letter is part of the Canon of Scripture and inspired by the Holy Spirit, the broader principles apply to the Church today. This is why we are to receive and welcome all who are accepted by God.
Throughout the Old Testament God promised that the Messiah would come to Israel - the Jewish nation, but Jesus also came for the Gentiles. Paul quotes from various Old Testament passages when he writes, “As it is written, ‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.’ And again it is said, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.’ And again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol Him.’ And again Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse will come, even He who arises to rule the Gentiles; in Him will the Gentiles hope.’” (Romans 15:9-12)
We need to try and understand just how radical a teaching this was in Paul’s day. This is one of the reasons he spent a lot of time in Romans teaching that Jesus came not only to save the Jews, but the Gentiles too. In 3:28-29 he said, “Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one - who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.”
The good news that Christ came to redeem everyone who turns to Him in repentance and faith regardless of their creed or colour further underscores the idea that out of true Christian love for one another, we are to accept and welcome each other into the fellowship of the Church.
As he often does in his letters, Paul closes this section with a benediction, a prayer that the God who gives hope through grace would fill the saints with joy and peace as they believe in Him. If you think about it, when we are filled with joy and peace by the power of the Holy Spirit, there won’t be time for disagreements over the things which while we may think are important, are of no real consequence in the light of eternity.
Paul is now coming to the end of his letter, and during the rest of chapter 15 he gives his reason for writing to the Romans and he tells them of his desire to visit them.
He had yet to meet the Roman Christians, but interestingly enough, he was bold enough to teach them good, solid doctrine, because they had already shown a certain level of spiritual maturity. This meant he wasn’t afraid to point out where they might have gone wrong in the past, because he understood what Jesus meant when He said in John 16:33, “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.”
This is one of the ways we’re able to measure our own spiritual maturity. How do we react when a fellow believer corrects or admonishes us based on Biblical principles? Now again, this does not mean we should get into needless arguments on non-essential matters, but let’s use the example I used last Sunday, but this time with the roles reversed. There is an often-heard saying in Christian circles that God helps those who help themselves. Of course, this is not in Scripture, but many of us, particularly when new in the faith, would have heard it often enough to believe that it probably is in the Bible.
How would you have reacted when another Christian corrected you on this? Would you have received it with grace or with annoyance and bitterness?
It’s an important question to consider, because Paul, in writing with his apostolic authority to other Christians he hadn’t even met yet, was confident enough to believe that those who were growing in their faith would be mature enough to accept correction and even rebuke if necessary.
Are we mature enough to be teachable and open to correction?
Paul had confidence in the maturity and teachability of the Church in Rome. This meant he could teach them and remind them of their responsibilities to each other without fear of being rejected. When you read some of Paul’s other letters - to the Churches in Corinth and Galatia in particular - he was uncompromising in correcting error and disciplining those who needed it.
We’re familiar with the words of 2 Timothy 3:16-17. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Again, context is important. Paul wrote these words to his young protege Timothy while he was awaiting his execution. 2 Timothy is the last letter he wrote, and in the next verses he wrote, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His Kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
When we understand the context and the circumstances in Paul’s life when he wrote these words, they seem to be even more crucial than we may possibly have thought in the past. He wrote this letter while on death row.
The ESV translation, in its short introduction to 2 Timothy says this: “Paul wrote this letter as he awaited execution. Despite all that Paul was facing - death, the end of his ministry, abandonment by most of his friends for fear of persecution - he faithfully directed his spiritual son Timothy to the hope that is in Christ. As he exhorted Timothy to boldness, endurance, and faithfulness in the face of false teaching, Paul showed his customary concern for sound doctrine. Scripture, said Paul, is ‘breathed out by God’ and is sufficient in all things pertaining to the faith and practice of Christians. Older believers, therefore, should be eager to pass on their knowledge of Scripture to those who are younger in the faith.”
This is what Paul intended in his letter to the Church in Rome. He was uniquely called and commissioned by Jesus as an apostle to be a messenger to the Church, including the Gentiles. He understood that his role was the same as he was to teach to Timothy some 10 years later: to faithfully preach the Word, and in so doing bring glory to God as saved sinners were brought into the Kingdom.
And the same principle applies today. As we grown in grace together in true Christian love and fellowship, others are brought into the Kingdom, and we are to encourage the next generation to faithfully do the same.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones was one of the great expository preachers of the 20th century, but he was nurtured and taught in the faith while still a young man. One of his mentors was George Campbell Morgan. In fact, Morgan was Lloyd-Jones’ predecessor at Westminster Chapel in London.
Paul wrote in Romans 15:14-16, “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the Gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” The ‘offering of the Gentiles’ Paul writes about here is not their tithes or financial offerings, but their very souls. You’ll remember from chapter 12 that we are to be living sacrifices, and this is what Paul means in verse 16.
George Campbell Morgan said of these verses, “What a radiant light this sheds on all our evangelistic and pastoral effort! Every soul won by the preaching of the Gospel is not only brought into a place of safety and of blessing; he is an offering to God, a gift which gives Him satisfaction, the very offering He is seeking. Every soul carefully and patiently instructed in the things of Christ, and so made conformable to His likeness, is a soul in whom the Father takes pleasure. Thus we labour, not only for the saving of men, but for the satisfying of the heart of God. This is the most powerful motive.”
Never underestimate the importance of sharing the Gospel with the unsaved.
Paul then says something so important in verse 17. “In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.” Any credit or adulation Paul received for his work for the Kingdom was given to God alone. Paul knew that he was nothing in himself. In 1 Timothy 1:15 he even called himself the worst of sinners. Now of course, this is patently untrue as history proves, but Paul was using hyperbole here. He was stressing the point that outside of Christ he was nothing and he had nothing. And the same applies to us. As we saw last week, our true worth and value is only to be found in Christ.
This is why it is so important to faithfully and accurately proclaim the Gospel of Christ. Know what you believe and why you believe it, then share that hope with the lost.
If you were at our Communion service on Wednesday, you’ll remember I said that St Francis of Assisi has incorrectly been “credited” with coining the phrase, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.” If you have that on one of your fridge magnets or on a bookmark in your Bible, please throw it away!
How do you preach without using words? The Gospel is a message. It is good news. It is a proclamation which needs to be spoken in order to be heard.
Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family says of this phrase which St Francis of Assisi never wrote, “Make sure your deeds match your words. While there’s a nice and good sentiment in the statement - be sure you live out the grace and truth of the Gospel - the notion as it is typically presented is neither practical, nor faithful to the Gospel of Christ.”
As Paul quoted the prophet Isaiah in verse 21, “Those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” The two important words there are told and heard.
You’ll remember Paul’s words from when we were in Romans 10: “The Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Romans 10:11-15)
So again, never underestimate the importance of sharing the Gospel with the unsaved.
Next Sunday we will be concluding our series on Romans as we look at a final warning from Paul to be aware of false teachers and false doctrines which threatened the Church in his day, which continue to undermine the faithful proclamation and work of the Gospel in our day, and then finally, we will end with the wonderful doxology at the end of chapter 16.
Homegroup Study Notes
Read Romans 15:1-13
In the first half of chapter 15, Paul continues the theme begun in the previous chapter, but he emphasises the reality that God is the God of the Gentiles as well as the Jews (see verses 8-12).
Why did Paul feel the need to stress this point, and on what basis does he teach it? (See verses 6 & 7)
Discuss the three principles Paul mentions in verse 13 (joy, peace and hope). How as Christians, do we understand these things differently to the world?
Read Romans 15:14-22
Paul knew that some of his teachings would have challenged his readers, yet he was not prepared to alter or water down his message.
What can we learn from this when it comes to sharing the truth of the Gospel in our world which is becoming increasingly hostile to Jesus Christ?
Sharing the Gospel message is our priority, but we are also to help others with material needs. Discuss how Paul teaches this in the remainder of chapter 15.
1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, to build him up.
3 For Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,
6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,
9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”
10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”
11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol Him.”
12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even He who arises to rule the Gentiles; in Him will the Gentiles hope.”
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God
16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the Gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.
18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience - by word and deed,
19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God - so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the Gospel of Christ;
20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the Gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation,
21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”
22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you.
23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you,
24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.
25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints.
26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.
27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.
28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you.
29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,
31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,
32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.
33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
In the preceding chapters of Romans, Paul has been teaching us the importance of Christian love in the Church, and as he nears the end of his letter to the Church in Rome, he again stresses how important it is for Christians to have true love for one another, and what Paul does in the opening verses of chapter 15, is to point to the example that Jesus has set for the Church.
Verses 5 to 7 says, “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
As we saw last week, there were all kinds of tensions in the Roman Church, due mainly to the very different backgrounds of the Jews and Gentiles prior to their coming to faith in Jesus, so Paul pleads with them to be accepting and tolerant of each other, based on the reality that in Christ, God has accepted them.
Again, he is not calling us to be tolerant of false doctrine. Every New Testament book, with the one exception of Philemon, warns against false doctrine and false teachers in the Church. Jesus said in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” How do we guard against these people and their twisted teachings? By getting into the Word of God. Study the Scriptures. Know what you believe, and why you believe it. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says quite simply, “Test everything; hold fast what is good.”
Paul though, in Romans 15 is appealing for harmony and understanding within the Church among the redeemed.
Those who are stronger in the faith and have a deeper understanding of the Gospel and their freedom and liberty in Christ are not to lord it over those who are still struggling to deal with all of the superstitions and traditions of the false religions they have been saved from. Kindness and consideration should characterise the Church, but sadly, this is often not the case. Someone once said that the Church is the only army which shoots its wounded…
Paul writes in verse 2, “Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, to build him up.” It’s a simple, but profound principle. We shouldn’t be living to please ourselves. Looking out for number one is how the world works, but living to please our neighbours, particularly our brothers and sisters in Christ, is what we are to model in the Church, because this is how Jesus lived.
He has given us the example, because He lived to please His Father, and not Himself. In verse 3 Paul quotes from Psalm 69:9 when he writes of Jesus, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” Are we offended when the name of God is dishonoured and blasphemed?
In the following verse Paul writes, “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Here again, we see how important it is for the Bible to shape our lives and our worldview. It is in the Word where we learn valuable lessons. As we well know, life can be really hard at times, but as we go through our struggles, we are reminded of the hope we have in the Word of God, and it is this hope that Paul points us to in the opening verses of Romans 15.
I mentioned last week how important it is for us to be connected to the Church. We need each other on this journey through life, and as we are drawn together, we learn what it means to glorify God with one voice, as Paul writes in verse 6. The Church is a community of the redeemed, worshipping and glorifying God together, regardless of where we have come from. It is who we now are in Christ that makes all the difference.
This is what makes it possible for us to welcome and love one another in spite of any differences that might exist on secondary or non-salvific issues. As the Church we are not to receive or reject each other based on our denominational background, spiritual maturity, or social status. We are to receive those whom Christ has received, because this is what brings glory to God.
From verse 8 through to verse 13 Paul reminds his readers in Rome that the ministry of Jesus Christ includes Jews and Gentiles. That is the context of the letter, in that it was written specifically to that congregation at that time, but because this letter is part of the Canon of Scripture and inspired by the Holy Spirit, the broader principles apply to the Church today. This is why we are to receive and welcome all who are accepted by God.
Throughout the Old Testament God promised that the Messiah would come to Israel - the Jewish nation, but Jesus also came for the Gentiles. Paul quotes from various Old Testament passages when he writes, “As it is written, ‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.’ And again it is said, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.’ And again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol Him.’ And again Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse will come, even He who arises to rule the Gentiles; in Him will the Gentiles hope.’” (Romans 15:9-12)
We need to try and understand just how radical a teaching this was in Paul’s day. This is one of the reasons he spent a lot of time in Romans teaching that Jesus came not only to save the Jews, but the Gentiles too. In 3:28-29 he said, “Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one - who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.”
The good news that Christ came to redeem everyone who turns to Him in repentance and faith regardless of their creed or colour further underscores the idea that out of true Christian love for one another, we are to accept and welcome each other into the fellowship of the Church.
As he often does in his letters, Paul closes this section with a benediction, a prayer that the God who gives hope through grace would fill the saints with joy and peace as they believe in Him. If you think about it, when we are filled with joy and peace by the power of the Holy Spirit, there won’t be time for disagreements over the things which while we may think are important, are of no real consequence in the light of eternity.
Paul is now coming to the end of his letter, and during the rest of chapter 15 he gives his reason for writing to the Romans and he tells them of his desire to visit them.
He had yet to meet the Roman Christians, but interestingly enough, he was bold enough to teach them good, solid doctrine, because they had already shown a certain level of spiritual maturity. This meant he wasn’t afraid to point out where they might have gone wrong in the past, because he understood what Jesus meant when He said in John 16:33, “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.”
This is one of the ways we’re able to measure our own spiritual maturity. How do we react when a fellow believer corrects or admonishes us based on Biblical principles? Now again, this does not mean we should get into needless arguments on non-essential matters, but let’s use the example I used last Sunday, but this time with the roles reversed. There is an often-heard saying in Christian circles that God helps those who help themselves. Of course, this is not in Scripture, but many of us, particularly when new in the faith, would have heard it often enough to believe that it probably is in the Bible.
How would you have reacted when another Christian corrected you on this? Would you have received it with grace or with annoyance and bitterness?
It’s an important question to consider, because Paul, in writing with his apostolic authority to other Christians he hadn’t even met yet, was confident enough to believe that those who were growing in their faith would be mature enough to accept correction and even rebuke if necessary.
Are we mature enough to be teachable and open to correction?
Paul had confidence in the maturity and teachability of the Church in Rome. This meant he could teach them and remind them of their responsibilities to each other without fear of being rejected. When you read some of Paul’s other letters - to the Churches in Corinth and Galatia in particular - he was uncompromising in correcting error and disciplining those who needed it.
We’re familiar with the words of 2 Timothy 3:16-17. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Again, context is important. Paul wrote these words to his young protege Timothy while he was awaiting his execution. 2 Timothy is the last letter he wrote, and in the next verses he wrote, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His Kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
When we understand the context and the circumstances in Paul’s life when he wrote these words, they seem to be even more crucial than we may possibly have thought in the past. He wrote this letter while on death row.
The ESV translation, in its short introduction to 2 Timothy says this: “Paul wrote this letter as he awaited execution. Despite all that Paul was facing - death, the end of his ministry, abandonment by most of his friends for fear of persecution - he faithfully directed his spiritual son Timothy to the hope that is in Christ. As he exhorted Timothy to boldness, endurance, and faithfulness in the face of false teaching, Paul showed his customary concern for sound doctrine. Scripture, said Paul, is ‘breathed out by God’ and is sufficient in all things pertaining to the faith and practice of Christians. Older believers, therefore, should be eager to pass on their knowledge of Scripture to those who are younger in the faith.”
This is what Paul intended in his letter to the Church in Rome. He was uniquely called and commissioned by Jesus as an apostle to be a messenger to the Church, including the Gentiles. He understood that his role was the same as he was to teach to Timothy some 10 years later: to faithfully preach the Word, and in so doing bring glory to God as saved sinners were brought into the Kingdom.
And the same principle applies today. As we grown in grace together in true Christian love and fellowship, others are brought into the Kingdom, and we are to encourage the next generation to faithfully do the same.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones was one of the great expository preachers of the 20th century, but he was nurtured and taught in the faith while still a young man. One of his mentors was George Campbell Morgan. In fact, Morgan was Lloyd-Jones’ predecessor at Westminster Chapel in London.
Paul wrote in Romans 15:14-16, “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the Gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” The ‘offering of the Gentiles’ Paul writes about here is not their tithes or financial offerings, but their very souls. You’ll remember from chapter 12 that we are to be living sacrifices, and this is what Paul means in verse 16.
George Campbell Morgan said of these verses, “What a radiant light this sheds on all our evangelistic and pastoral effort! Every soul won by the preaching of the Gospel is not only brought into a place of safety and of blessing; he is an offering to God, a gift which gives Him satisfaction, the very offering He is seeking. Every soul carefully and patiently instructed in the things of Christ, and so made conformable to His likeness, is a soul in whom the Father takes pleasure. Thus we labour, not only for the saving of men, but for the satisfying of the heart of God. This is the most powerful motive.”
Never underestimate the importance of sharing the Gospel with the unsaved.
Paul then says something so important in verse 17. “In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.” Any credit or adulation Paul received for his work for the Kingdom was given to God alone. Paul knew that he was nothing in himself. In 1 Timothy 1:15 he even called himself the worst of sinners. Now of course, this is patently untrue as history proves, but Paul was using hyperbole here. He was stressing the point that outside of Christ he was nothing and he had nothing. And the same applies to us. As we saw last week, our true worth and value is only to be found in Christ.
This is why it is so important to faithfully and accurately proclaim the Gospel of Christ. Know what you believe and why you believe it, then share that hope with the lost.
If you were at our Communion service on Wednesday, you’ll remember I said that St Francis of Assisi has incorrectly been “credited” with coining the phrase, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.” If you have that on one of your fridge magnets or on a bookmark in your Bible, please throw it away!
How do you preach without using words? The Gospel is a message. It is good news. It is a proclamation which needs to be spoken in order to be heard.
Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family says of this phrase which St Francis of Assisi never wrote, “Make sure your deeds match your words. While there’s a nice and good sentiment in the statement - be sure you live out the grace and truth of the Gospel - the notion as it is typically presented is neither practical, nor faithful to the Gospel of Christ.”
As Paul quoted the prophet Isaiah in verse 21, “Those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” The two important words there are told and heard.
You’ll remember Paul’s words from when we were in Romans 10: “The Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Romans 10:11-15)
So again, never underestimate the importance of sharing the Gospel with the unsaved.
Next Sunday we will be concluding our series on Romans as we look at a final warning from Paul to be aware of false teachers and false doctrines which threatened the Church in his day, which continue to undermine the faithful proclamation and work of the Gospel in our day, and then finally, we will end with the wonderful doxology at the end of chapter 16.
Homegroup Study Notes
Read Romans 15:1-13
In the first half of chapter 15, Paul continues the theme begun in the previous chapter, but he emphasises the reality that God is the God of the Gentiles as well as the Jews (see verses 8-12).
Why did Paul feel the need to stress this point, and on what basis does he teach it? (See verses 6 & 7)
Discuss the three principles Paul mentions in verse 13 (joy, peace and hope). How as Christians, do we understand these things differently to the world?
Read Romans 15:14-22
Paul knew that some of his teachings would have challenged his readers, yet he was not prepared to alter or water down his message.
What can we learn from this when it comes to sharing the truth of the Gospel in our world which is becoming increasingly hostile to Jesus Christ?
Sharing the Gospel message is our priority, but we are also to help others with material needs. Discuss how Paul teaches this in the remainder of chapter 15.