Today’s passage: Romans 16:1-16

Helpful thoughts:

• The word translated as “Servant” and “Deacon” (Or in the feminine form, “Deaconess”) is the same Greek word.  At least one modern translation calls Phoebe a Deacon of the church in Cenchreae (Implying that she held that office), but when the same word is used for Epaphras in Colossians 1:7, the same modern translation decided to use the word, “Servant.”
  • It would not be appropriate to use this verse alone to argue for which gender(s) should hold the office of Deacon.  Though 1 Timothy 3:11 may speak to the idea of women serving as deaconesses.  According to 1 Timothy 2:12, Phoebe would not have served in a role where she held authority over the men in the church.
    • Let’s focus on being thankful for the Lord’s grace in Phoebe’s life to serve the church so well, as well as so many other women who have faithfully served throughout the history of the church.
• Of the several people in this list made for greetings and to encourage warm welcomes:
  • There are men and women
  • There are Jews and Gentiles
  • There are upper and lower class
  • There are slave (Or former slave) and free
    • The origin and typical uses of these names signify an incredibly diverse congregation…and they all make up one church.
• The “Holy kiss” was simply the common greeting in the ancient world made “holy” by the fellowship of the people greeting one another in Christ.  Perhaps in our culture today we would prefer a “Holy hand-shake.”

Questions to consider:

1. Which description of these brothers and sisters sticks out most to you?  Why?  What seems to be the theme of these characteristics?
2. If Paul had added some names from our church to this list to greet, what do you think he would have said?  How could you be an encourager to those people the next time you see them?
3. What can we learn about from the diversity of the church in Rome?  What does the church fellowship around?  What truly unites God’s people?  What might be some examples of preferences that have taken precedence over the Gospel in determining our fellowship in our culture?

Today’s passage: Romans 15:22-33

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul was hindered from going to Rome because his mission was to go where the gospel had not yet been preached and there was no church established.  This letter he was writing was to the church in Rome…
• The Iberian peninsula had not yet heard the gospel.  Paul saw an opportunity for more ministry and the church in Rome would be a great supporting church for this new mission.
  • Given the information in verse 25, Paul would later come to Rome as a prisoner.  He probably never did make it to Spain…but the gospel message he preached certainly has.
• A gift from Gentile believers to the Jews would have been a great gesture of solidarity and gratitude that could have worked toward relieving any divisions between Jews and Gentiles in Judea.
  • Paul’s desire was to be a peacemaker, to join God’s people together to further the gospel message and see Christ continue to build His Church!

Questions to consider:

1. Did verse 29 prove to be false since Paul did not come to Rome as a free man?  How should we describe the “Fullness of the blessing of Christ?”
2. What can we learn about making plans and holding them with open hands under the sovereignty of God?  How does James 4:13-17 instruct us?  What kinds of things should we plan to do and then seek to do them?  Ultimately, whose will shall prevail?  Why is that such good news?
3. How did Paul describe God after sharing his goals and plans with the church?  Was God concerned that Paul’s plans may not happen the way Paul had hoped?  Did God get anxious?  How can the complete peace of God which the God of peace possesses help you when your plans aren’t going as you hoped?

Today’s passage: Romans 15:14-21

Helpful thoughts:

• With verse 14, Paul begins to close down this letter to the church at Rome.
• The ministry of the Spirit encapsulates verse 14-16.  We have a ministry to one another that is fueled by and ultimately ensured through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
  • The Holy Spirit fills the people of God with hope (Verse 13).
    • The people of God are equipped to instruct one another.
    • God uses Paul to equip other people to instruct one another.
  • The Holy Spirit sanctifies the people of God.
• God gifted and equipped Paul to be a gospel proclaimer and pioneer church planter during the apostolic period in parts of the world who had not yet heard.  Therefore, it was Paul’s joy and chief ambition to do exactly what God gifted and equipped him to do.

Questions to consider:

1. If someone is a genuine follower of Jesus Christ, where will they trend toward in their development as a Christian?  Towards Christ-likeness or away from it?  Who guarantees that trajectory?  What is our role in helping one another toward the goal?  How should these truths encourage us to work hard for one another and also take away the stress of thinking it’s all on us to succeed?
2. When Paul took the gospel to the Gentiles, what did those who believed become (Verse 18)?  What fruit followed their initial belief?  Is there such a thing as conversion without repentance and subsequent progressive sanctification?  Does a person get saved because they changed and did good or do people change because they were saved?  Which of those rings true with the gospel message?
3. What has the Spirit of God gifted you to do in service to Him and your brothers and sisters in Christ?  If Paul had joy and contentment in lovingly serving God and the church, where might other Christians find joy and contentment?  Why are love and service critical to our having joy in participating in and with the church?

Today’s passage: Romans 15:8-13

Helpful thoughts:

• It would be good to read verses 1-7 to regain an understanding of the context of this passage.
• Remembering that the “weak” of chapter 14 were those who wouldn’t eat all meats helps us to understand that those who are weak may very well have been the Jews who had put their faith in Christ.
  • If the Gentiles were the ones who were “strong” in the Roman church and if the Jews were those who were “weak”, the Gentile believers would be called on to use their strength to serve the Jews…And Christ also came to serve the Jews (Verse 8).
  • It would not be right for the Gentile believers to cut the Jews off from their fellowship because of their differing convictions.  As the Old Testament stated, it was God’s will that the Jews and Gentiles would be gathered together to worship.
• In the Roman church, there was a very real representation of the will of God to use the Jewish people to bring salvation to the world (Through Christ) and then using the world (The Gentile believers) to bring Jewish people to Christ.

Questions to consider:

1. The idea of maintaining fellowship with other people who have disagreements and different convictions sure doesn’t sound easy…but why is it better?  Is our goal to surround ourselves with people who think just like us about everything or to be used by God to help others grow?  One of those options looks like the easier path to peace, but it’s a counterfeit peace.  Which of those options produces true joy and peace from the God of all hope?
2. What do we learn about God from this passage?  Are there any promises that God will not fulfill?  What promises of God are dearest to your heart?  What promises of God does this passage call us to engage in?
3. What appears to be the role of the Holy Spirit in this passage?  What will His power urge us toward that will result in an overflow of hope?

Today’s passage: Romans 15:1-7

Helpful thoughts:

• Our increasing spiritual strength is to be used up for the benefit of others.  The stronger we grow, the more we can love people who aren’t just like us.
• Verse 4 looks like a summary statement of Hebrews 11:1-12:2.
• Christ welcomed us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8).  Welcome others as Christ welcomed you.
  • This doesn’t exclude the idea of rebuke for the sake of edification.  We come to Christ as sinners, and then the work of progressive sanctification begins.  (Ephesians 4:15-16)

Questions to consider:

1. Who is the “You” in verse 6?  Does the church exist for individuals to receive personal satisfaction or has God rescued and given individuals to make a collective body who sacrifice for one another to the praise of His glory?  Which of those two options truly satisfies the soul?
2. What are the ways we think about life selfishly?  Whose day is your day?  Whose church is your church? Whose life is your life? We know that we live in a consumer-minded culture…How often do we see the world through consumeristic lenses and not even realize it?
3. How did Christ welcome you?  What is the Gospel?  How does preaching the Gospel to yourself help you stay in the right frame of mind to help other people who also need Christ just like we did?

Today’s passage: Romans 14:13-23

Helpful thoughts:

• There is a major shift in focus in verse 13.  We are to put off thinking of our judgments of others and to put on thinking of how we can encourage them (Or refrain from discouraging them) in their faith.
• The statement that “Nothing is unclean in itself” is written in the context of this passage related to eating different foods.  There are no “unclean” foods.
  • But, if I am convinced that a certain food is unclean, and I eat it, I have sinned.  In violating my conscience, I have chosen to reject God’s authority (Even though my understanding is off).
  • Or, if I know that someone I am dining with is convinced that a certain food is unclean, I would be sinning by eating it in front of them.
    • Paul includes the drinking of wine with this principle in verse 21.
• The overarching principle in this passage is not what we can or cannot get away with eating or drinking…but to love one another.
  • Everything is clean.  But eating and drinking selfishly, or in violation of yours or another’s conscience is not loving.
  • So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Questions to consider:

1. This is a great passage to help us take an honest assessment.  Ask yourself this question:  Am I more prone to think about why others are doing what they are doing, or am I more prone to think about what I can be doing to help others?  What would growth look like according to the Word of God?
2. How does the focus on loving the family of God change our perspective on passages like this?  If I want to argue about eating, or drinking wine, or any other activity that people debate about, and if I am having that argument to justify what I can do (If my attitude is more, “Stop telling me what I can or can’t do. I don’t care what you think”), what am I missing?
3. On the other hand, if my conviction does not line up with the truth of Scripture, what would be the most godly response?  Should I maintain a conviction that goes beyond God’s written revealed will and demand that others do the same?  How would truth and love guide me from that perspective?

Today’s passage: Romans 14:1-12

Helpful thoughts:

• There have been and there will be differences of opinion and conviction for brothers and sisters in Christ.  And though there is “strong” and “weak” faith, and though “eating meat” and “esteeming all days alike” is acceptable and good, we have no authority to judge others or treat them as if they are inferior if they disagree.
• The way this was written, the believer who would hold to a stricter conviction would have the “weak” faith and tend toward being judgmental.  The believer who did not restrict meat or hold one day higher than any other would have the “strong” faith and would tend toward despising (Or looking down on) their brother or sister in Christ.
  • It is interesting to see that both sides, as soon as they start comparing themselves to others, think they are doing better than the other.
• We have a Master and Lord.  We answer to Him.  We are to be fully convinced in our mind and do what we do to be pleasing to Him.

Questions to consider:

1. What are we to be fully convinced in our mind about?  What standard (Or whose standard) are we to concern ourselves with?  How easy is it for the opinions of man to creep into our thinking?  How can the immediate consequences of the expected responses of people impact our decisions and convictions?
2. If people do not have to answer to us as their judge, what is our role in encouraging our brothers and sisters in formulating their convictions?  How can we encourage each other, even when we might come to different conclusions?  What might we expect Paul to address as this passage continues?
3. Why can Christians think about the judgment of God and yet look forward with eager expectation?  What did Christ do for us that allows us to worship Him freely and seek to be pleasing to Him?

Today’s passage: Romans 13:8-14

Helpful thoughts:

• In accordance with the rest of Scripture, verse 8 does not forbid debt of any kind (e.g. Matthew 5:42).  The idea, as is translated in the NIV, is to not let our debt “remain outstanding.”
• The one indebtedness that we remain under is to love one another.  When we are giving of ourselves sacrificially for the benefit of others, we are fulfilling the Law.
• The call to love in verses 8-10 are seen in stark contrast with the warning and challenge of verses 11-14.
  • When we are busy actively pursuing Jesus Christ and loving other people, it’s hard to get caught up in selfish sin.

Questions to consider:

1. How does the illustration of darkness and light (Night and day) correlate with the reality of our conversion, new life in Christ and future glorification?
2. In what way does love take the sting (Or even the annoyance) out of following laws?  When good and right laws feel like a burden to us, what is revealed about our desires?  How does our love for God and for others change our motivation for our actions?
3. Where does our love come from?  What is the context of the love that fuels us to love others (1 John 4:19)?

Today’s passage: Romans 13:1-7

Helpful thoughts:

• The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church in Rome during the early reign of Nero.  He was a persecutor of the church.
  • The end of verse 1 reinforces government’s divine appointment twice (In case the reader doubts?).
• Ultimately, we are to submit to God. Submitting to the authorities He has provided is submitting to Him.  When those authorities are in sin and punish those who would do good and reward those who are doing evil, we need to wisely consider what is said in Acts 4:18-20.
• There are accounts in history of a tax revolt in Rome near the time of the writing of this letter.  Paul tells the Christians in Rome to pay their taxes.
  • Given the nature of the Roman empire, it would be fairly certain those tax moneys were used to do things that Christians would not want to pay for.  This did not stop Paul (Or Jesus) from telling Christians to pay their taxes to the government (Mark 12:17).

Questions to consider:

1. What kinds of laws can you think of that are obviously good laws to follow (e.g. don’t murder, don’t steal, etc.)?  What kinds of laws might you prefer to be different but are not contradictory to scripture (e.g. speed limits, property taxes, etc.)?  What kinds of laws could there be that a Christian would have to break in order to faithfully obey God?
2. What would be the danger in our political environment of elevating governing preferences to the level of obeying/disobeying God?  For instance, you may have a preference on the issue of universal health care, but is that an issue of disobedience to God?  Why or why not?  What is the danger of jumping into any kind of good vs. evil mindset in a two party political system?
3. Beyond just paying our taxes, what are Christians also to give to our governmental leaders (Verse 7)?  How does remembering what kingdom we belong to first help us to show respect to leaders in this country even when we disagree?  Is there any place for a Christian to mock or publicly ridicule a government leader?