Romans 15:1-7

Recap of Romans

Sets out doctrine of salvation by faith alone in chpt 1-11

Chapter 12 - In light of this sacrificial salvation, our worship/response is to live sacrificially to serve others (the “one anothers”)

Chapter 13 - In light of this, how do Christians relate to authority

Chapter 14 - How do Christians relate to one another

Ephesians 2v11-16

11Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)— 12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

14For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace 16and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He extinguished their hostility.

Distinction between “strong” and “weak” Christians

Different practices and traditions among the believers in a local church that can rub up against one another

Not drinking or not eating certain meat or observing certain days as holier than others - while others feel free to drink, eat anything and not consider certain days more holy than others

Esp important with Jewish believers and Gentile believers coming together in the church of Rome

This is an issue in the local church since God’s church brings together people of varied backgrounds, church traditions, upbringings etc

It is such a key issue that in his most theologically comprehensive letter, Paul will spend 2 chapters discussing this point. Right after outlining the need to live sacrificially and submit to governing authorities

Romans 14:1-12 - Don’t judge others

Don’t argue about disputable matters (v1)

Don’t look down (v3)

Don’t judge others who choose to worship God differently than you do (v4)

Romans 14v13-23 - Don’t trip others

Don’t put a stumbling block in anyone’s way to worshipping God (v13)

Comes back to sacrificial living

If you use your liberties in a way that causes others to stumble, then that is sin

If the way you act or live out your liberties causes someone to violate theirs then you will both be in sin

v22&23 “Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin”

Romans 15:1-6 - Do Please others

An obligation to build one another up. 2 parts to this:

Those who are STRONG (better explanation)

Bear with the weaknesses of those without strength [carry]

those who are strong - obligation is not to convince others to be like yourself

instead, bear/carry the weaknesses of those you perceive as weak

WHAT does that look like?

Not using your liberties to please/serve yourself (v2a)

Instead, using them to please/serve your neighbor for their good, to build them up (v2b)

In the context of this, it means that instead of trying to conform the other person to serve God the same way you do, you do all you can to give them the space to serve God the way they do

Romans 14:1-12 - In your mind or actions, don’t judge or despise them

Romans 14:13 - In your freedom, don’t put a stumbling block to cause someone else to violate their own conscience

Romans 15: 1-2 - Actively seek to serve them for their good and to build them up [still unclear…]

The high calling of what this looks like (v3)

The EXAMPLE of Christ

Did not please himself but pleased/served another

References Psalm 69

A Psalm of deliverance written by David

Pursued by his enemies who despise David because he serves & obeys God

Christian Standard Bible (Psalm 69)

7 For I have endured insults because of you,and shame has covered my face.8 I have become a stranger to my brothers and a foreigner to my mother’s sons 9 because zeal for your house has consumed me,and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.

Because I have a zeal for your glory and for your house, I am insulted, shamed and rejected by my brothers. The insults meant for you, God, I take upon myself

David is a picture of what it looks like to serve someone else

Paul says that this applies to Jesus

John 2:13-21

Jesus goes to Jerusalem & he finds people selling oxen, sheep and doves in the outer court of the temple, where the Gentiles were to come and worship

This prevented Gentile worship from happening

Jesus makes a whip out of cords, drives everyone out of the temple with their sheep and oxen, pours out the money changers coins, overturns the tables.

Other Gospels record that Jesus says “you are turning my Father’s house that is supposed to be a house of prayer for all nations (read: Gentiles) into a house of robbers”

v17, Disciples remember that it is written “zeal for your house will consume me”

v18 - the Jews, instead of responding in faith, respond in doubt and rejection “what sign will you show us for doing these things?”

So in one sense, the zeal for the Lord’s house as per Psalm 69 causes Jesus to be rejected by his brothers, the Jews and the rejection of God becomes his own rejection

But Paul seeks a deeper meaning here for his audience

Romans 15 is being directed at the “strong” believers - likely Gentiles

In a turn of events, the Gentiles, who used to be despised, are now despising the Jewish believers who still want to hold onto aspects of the law, and sabbaths and food offerings.

Paul uses this example bc Jesus was specifically zealous for the Gentile court of worship to not be desecrated

Their place and standing in the temple was one of second-class citizens and when Jesus defends them, he is labelled a “friend of sinners”

A key reason that Jesus is rejected is bc he is welcoming and accepting Gentiles

He experiences the shame of Psalm 69 (crucified naked on a cross), insults and is rejected by his own brothers. John 7v5 Even Jesus’ blood brothers did not believe in his message

So the point Paul is trying to make here to the Gentile readers, in this high call of building one another up is this “If Jesus was so willing to serve you that he would take upon himself shame for you, to experience rejection from his own blood brothers for you and to have the insults that would fall upon you fall upon him, are you not willing to do that for your “weaker” brother or sister?

The Scriptures give us hope and encouragement (v4)

These things written are written to teach us and give us:

Hope through endurance

Encouragement

HOPE THROUGH ENDURANCE & ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE SCRIPTURES

Part of our angst to see others enjoy the same liberties or worship the way we do, is that we truly believe that God is truly honored in this way, and his kingdom and work are served through this

14v6-7 whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat, and he gives thanks to God

So part of our resistance to give up our liberties and HELP others serve God is that we may think that the ways they choose to serve God seem to slow down the advancement of his kingdom

If you sing this type of contemporary music, then it sounds too much like secular music, and we are not calling people to be distinct and different

If you sing these old hymns, it is stuffy and boring, and it will reinforce the idea that the church has no interest in reaching the culture

If you dress up for church, it makes a church gathering seem exclusive and uninviting to someone who wants to walk up

If you dress down for church, you alienate the older saints in the congregation

So many considerations that it is hard to find a way in the maze of disputable matters that can come up

And you want me to not simply stop looking down upon others who are serving God in ways that are unhelpful at best, you also want me to restrict my liberties so that I don’t put a stumbling block in their way but now I am to go so far as to potentially take insults and shame that might be coming to them, since I am obliged to help them serve God in their particular way? What assurance do I have that this is worth it?

The scriptures - HOPE through endurance and encouragement through the scriptures

When Jesus took upon Himself the insults of the Gentiles in John 2, and was rejected by his brothers in John 7, he trusted and placed his hope in God - watch what the Lord did

The letter of James is almost certainly written by James, the blood brother of Jesus - one of those in John 7 who rejected and did not believe his message

Trace some of James’ story

After Jesus resurrects, he makes a personal appearance to James - probably because he was going to play a key part in the early church at Jerusalem where Jews and Gentiles would come together as one people for the first time

Acts 1 - After Jesus is resurrected, the apostles, the women who saw Jesus resurrected and, v14 Mary the mother of Jesus and his brothers are gathered and united in prayer to select a new apostle

James is there on Pentecost when the Spirit of God comes into the room, flames of fire separate into flames of fire and the group start to proclaim the gospel in the language of the Jews AND the Gentiles to show that they are both accepted

James rises to prominence throughout the early church, now all important news in the ministry goes to Him - when Peter is released from prison by the angel, and he shows himself to a group of believers praying for his release, he says to them in Acts 12 - Go tell this news to James and the brothers - Seems that James is now the senior pastor of the first church in Jerusalem

And it so happens that this brother of Jesus, who had rejected him who ends up being a key decision maker discussing this very issue of how Jews and Gentiles are to live and worship together

Acts 21 - Paul returns, thousands of Jews have turned to Christ and are zealous to continue to follow the customs of the law

They have been told that Paul is advising Jews to give up their customs (which is untrue) but it is causing sufficient concern

James and the elders advise Paul to engage in a purification ritual, shave his head (Jewish rituals) so that everyone will know that you are not abandoning Jewish customs

And then, told the Gentile believers that they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood and from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality

So when we find angst in the slowness of the process, when we are frustrated with needing to give up our liberties for others, when we are offended at having to answer to the doubts and (maybe) insults directed at others that now fall on us, may we find encouragement in how God works out his plan in the scriptures, as we build one another up

ROMANS 15v5-6