Romans 16:25-27 - To the only wise God be the glory

16:25

The letter closes with a doxology. There has already been one at the end of chapter 11. The focus is on Jesus, the one “who is able to establish [us]”. Paul talks about “my gospel”. Paul was not claiming the gospel as his invention, but he was utterly committed to it. In the gospel a mystery is revealed. The mystery was how could God’s plan, purposes and promises possibly be fulfilled when Israel in particular, and mankind in general, were such a sinful breed. The gospel revealed the answer, through Jesus Christ.

16:26,27

The mystery has now been disclosed “and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations”. It is interesting to consider exactly what was meant by “prophetic writings”. Perhaps the most likely answer is the OT prophets. They certainly do point towards Christ, but it seems a strange way of referring to them. Notice the phrase “the obedience of faith”. The gospel is actually a command that we are required to obey. God is wise, He is the only One who knows and understands all things.

Romans 16:19-24 - Your obedience is known to all

16:19

Paul commends the Romans again, but with a warning not to be complacent. All churches need to be on their guard against false teachings. We are to be “wise about what is good”, and “innocent about what is evil”. 

16:20

Paul then gives them an encouragement. They lived in the centre of the Roman Empire, Rome itself. Paul assures them that the “God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet”. Note that he does not say “His feet”, but “your feet”. It is worth thinking about that. 

Paul then gives a common blessing of the grace of Christ being with them. We all live under the grace of Christ.

16:21-24

Timothy is mentioned in several of Paul’s letters, and, of course, has two letters devoted to him. Then he mentions three others named as “my fellow Jews”. Tertius would have been a scribe, rather than a co-author. Anyway, he adds his greetings. Then three of others are mentioned. Gaius is noted for his hospitality.

Romans 16:16-18 - Greet one another with a holy kiss

16:16

We get two greetings in this verse. First is the command to greet one another with a holy kiss. This was a common enough greeting in those days, and still is in some countries, but not in others, and definitely not in Scotland!  This is one command which is happily assumed to be cultural, and not applying to all people at all times. Then Paul conveys greetings from all the churches of Christ, presumably speaking mostly of the churches that Paul helped found. He wants the Romans to be assured that they are fully part of the wider church.

16:17,18

Paul then gives a stern warning about those who cause division. If we look at the New Testament writings in the round we see two very clear strands, one is, as here, the strict treatment of anyone who causes division, the second is equally stern warnings against those who teach false doctrine. Indeed, the two will often be the same. Such people are not to be tolerated. Paul is quite clear that such people are not serving Christ, but “their own appetites”. They use smooth talk and flattery to deceive naive people. There are many such people around today, and they should be treated as severely as Paul commands.

Romans 16:1-5a - Welcome her in the Lord

16:1,2

Romans finishes with a long list of greetings and thanks to various people, twenty six people and two households in all. This is a much longer list than appears in any of Paul’s other letters. The reason for the long list is probably that Paul did not found the church in Rome, nor had he been there beforehand. There are a significant number of women in the list, and the list starts with Phoebe. She was a servant of the church in Cenchrea, and had supported Paul and many others. It is likely that she held some official position in the church. Gardener says it is likely that she held some leadership position. I am always wary of attaching too much weight to these sort of statements as they sometimes tend to be guided by our position on women in leadership, whether for or against. Cenchrea was the eastern port of Corinth, and, as she was mentioned first, it is likely that she was the courier for the letter, combining this with a business trip. The letter that were sent were read out to the congregations.

16:3-5a

Next up are Prisca and Aquila. Paul joined up with them in Corinth (Acts 18:1-3). They were co-workers with Paul, and had even risked their lives. They were highly regarded among the Gentile churches. It is possibly significant that Prisca, the woman, is mentioned first. A church did meet in their house (1 Cor 16:19).

Romans 15:26-33 - May the God of peace be with you

15:26-29

Paul mentions the contribution made by the Macedonians towards the poor in Jerusalem. He mentions this because it shows other Christians supporting the Jewish Christians in a practical way. Paul knows, and is keen to stress, the heritage that all Christians have inherited from the Jews. After taking the gift to Jerusalem Paul would visit Rome and then Spain. As we know from Acts, things proved to be much more complicated, though Paul did get to Rome eventually. None of us, not even Paul, know everything that is going to happen!

15:30-33

Paul then urges the Roman Christians to pray for him, to join him in his struggle. Spreading the gospel and building up the church is a battle. Paul knew that he would face opposition from unbelievers in Jerusalem, and this proved to be the case. 15:33 sort of marks a conclusion of the letter, though it is followed by a whole list of greetings.

Romans 15:20-25 - Those who have never heard will understand

15:20,21

Paul’s ambition was to preach the gospel to those who have not heard it. He did not wish to build upon “someone else’s foundation”. Paul then quotes from Is 52:15. God’s plan and purpose is that those who have not known will see and understand. In the West we live in an increasingly godless age. We need God to open our eyes to see that the harvest field is ready. 

15:22-25

Paul will now go on to explain about his travel plans and why he hasn’t visited Rome beforehand. Previously Paul had been working in the regions east of Rome, but this work was now complete. So Paul planned to go to Spain after visiting Jerusalem, and he would stop off at Rome on the way. Of course, Paul never got to Spain as far as we know. There is actually a reference from Clement that implies he might have reached Spain. At present he was on his way to Jerusalem “in the service of the Lord’s people there”. Paul’s life is mission oriented, all geared towards fulfilling the Lord’s plans.

Romans 15:18,19 - By the power of signs and wonders

15:18

“I will not venture to speak of anything except that which Christ has accomplished through me...”  The only things worth boasting about are what Christ has done through us. What we do in our own strength, whatever is the product purely of our own imaginations soon turns to dust. It is what Christ does in us and through us that is of lasting value. The verse then goes on “to bring the Gentiles to obedience - by word and deed”. In the Great Commission (Matt 28:19,20) Christ told us to teach people to obey all that He commanded. Bringing people into obedience to Christ is our task, and this, of course, starts with ourselves. It is also why that those who think they are preaching the love of Christ when they “affirm” lifestyles and identities explicitly forbidden in Scripture are utterly deluded.

15:19

Paul’s ministry was fulfilled through both word and deed, by what he preached, and by what he did. And what he did was done “by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God”. In the West we find it so hard to believe these words, even in charismatic churches. We will seek to replace these works with “good works”. Now “good works” are good, but “the power of signs and wonders” should be part of the church’s armoury, and they must go together with the word of God. We need God to teach us anew in this area. Charismatic churches need teaching, reformed churches need teaching, we all need to learn from Him.

Romans 15:14-17 - I have written to you very boldly

15:14

Paul has given a lot of teaching to the Roman Christians. Here he reassures them that he has a positive attitude towards them. He believes that they are “full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another”. These words tend to count against the view that Paul was writing to address a serious situation of disunity that had broken out between Jewish and Gentile believers.

15:15-17

Paul acknowledges that he has written to them “very boldly”. It is better to give strong teaching before an issue arises, than having to do it in the midst of an issue that has come to a head. We may be tempted to relax when everything seems to be ticking along nicely. This is not a wise course to take. Paul does so “because of the grace given me by God”. Most of us are naturally reluctant to address thorny issues, but there are times when we need to do so, and we can only do so effectively by the grace of God. Paul said these things to the church in Rome because he had been appointed as an apostle to the Gentiles, to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to them.

Romans 15:10-13 - Rejoice, O Gentiles with His people

15:10-12

The quote in 15:10 comes from the Song of Moses, Deut 32:43. 15:11 comes from Ps 117:1. 15:12 combines Is 11:1 and 11:10. So  what has Paul been doing? It seems something of a sudden jump to go from talking about attitudes to eating different foods to the whole plan of salvation. So is it a completely different section from 15:8 onwards? I think not. In the sections directly on the matter of eating or not eating meat Paul’s concern was not so much the issue itself, but the attitude people had. Then in 15:8 he talks about the attitude that Christ had, that of servanthood. In these three verses Paul states that it is God’s will that the Gentiles rejoice with the Jews, and that all of us praise the Lord. This is perhaps a continuation of what Paul has been saying in Romans 9-11. In Eph 2:11-22 Paul majors on the fact that God is creating one people in Christ, with no barriers between Jews and Gentiles.

15:13

So we are to get rid of self-centred attitudes. God’s plans are not fulfilled that way. Neither do they do us any good! Instead we are to have a Christ-centred attitude, then we are open to being filled with joy and peace, and abounding in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is difficult to have a good attitude all the time, even most of the time. There are many things in society which mitigate against it. There are many things within us that mitigate against it. So we cannot achieve this right attitude, this hope-filled attitude by our own efforts, but through the power of the Holy Spirit it is possible.

Romans 15:8,9- Christ became a servant

15:8

Paul now broadens the matter out, referring to the Jews and the Gentiles. Perhaps he is continuing the thoughts expressed in chapters 9-11. Or maybe he fears that if divisions over food were allowed to fester, then it would not be long before it led to divisions between Jews and Gentiles. Anyway, Christ became “a servant to the circumcised”. He did this to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs. God’s plans are not fulfilled through people becoming proud and boastful. So if we are tempted to be proud and boastful we must reject the temptation, for that is not how God’s plans are fulfilled. They were fulfilled in Christ through His humble servanthood. Jesus served those who rejected Him.

15:9

“In order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy”. This could be taken in two ways. It could mean that the Gentiles would praise God for His mercy towards the Jews, or it could mean that Christ’s servanthood also led to God’s mercy being given to the Gentiles as well. Both are true and consistent with Paul’s teaching in Romans. The key point is that God’s plans are fulfilled through humble obedience. Paul then quotes from Ps 18:49. It was always God’s plan that His Name be praised among the Gentiles. We need to look at the bigger picture.

Romans 15:5-7 - May the God of endurance and encouragement

15:5

Earlier (Rom 12:16) Paul had commanded them to live in harmony with each other. Now he prays to God for them to live in harmony. He asks God to give them “endurance and encouragement” to enable them to do this. Living in harmony isn’t easy! We need to stick at it, and there will be times when doing the opposite seems much easier, even the right thing to do. It may seem that living in harmony is impossible. So we need strength to persist, and encouragement that it will all be worth it in the end. “In accord with Jesus Christ”. This could mean following Christ’s example, it may also mean that we live in harmony when we are following Christ. If someone, or a branch of the church, is clearly disobeying Christ or the gospel, then we cannot and should not live in harmony with them.

15:6,7

The goal is that we may glorify “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Our goal is God’s glory, not our glory. So we are to welcome one another as Christ welcomed us. Jesus accepted us without looking for all the faults, without looking for a reason to reject us. He dealt with all those reasons on the cross! So if we came in repentance, faith and humility He welcomed us. So if a brother is following Christin faith and humility we should welcome them without question. All this is for the glory of God. 

Romans 15:3,4 - For Christ did not please Himself

15:3

Paul then cites Jesus as an example to follow. Christ is infinitely more than an example. If He was only an example then He would not be our saviour, for our sin would remain. However, He is our saviour, and He is also an example.  Christ did not live to please Himself, instead He took upon Himself all our sins. He took upon Himself the reproach that should have been ours. Paul is quoting from the latter part of Ps 69:9. So if Christ was prepared to do that, we should be prepared to help the “weaker brother”.

15:4

Paul then makes the general observation that the Old Testament (“whatever was written in former days”) was “written for our instruction”. There are some who see the Old Testament as less important than the New. This is not so. It is true that we should read it in the light of the New Testament, but it is part of God’s word. We develop hope through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures. We generally aren’t keen on “endurance” for it means going through a tough time for a significant period of time, and that is hard. But we are to go through these times with the encouragement of the Scriptures. So when we are in a battle we should look to the Scriptures for encouragement, wisdom and strength.

Romans 15:1,2 - Not to please ourselves

15:1

We continue with the “weak” and “strong”. Here Paul addresses the “strong” directly. He also identifies himself as one of the “strong”, in the previous chapter he declared that no food is unclean in itself. This first verse expresses the fundamental principle, we are not to please ourselves. Self-centeredness is a fruit of our rebellion against God. Instead we “have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak”. Garland states that “failings” is a misleading translation here. Indeed, it would be at odds with the one of the previous chapter. The attitude we are to have is one of helping each other.

15:2

So instead of living for ourselves, or to please ourselves, or to prove how right or clever we are, we are to “please his neighbour for his good, to build him up”. We are to live for others. So we should seek to build the “weaker” brother up. In the situation in Rome this would mean not getting bogged down in matters of eating, nor trying to persuade the “weaker brother” that eating meat is OK. Instead they should focus on righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17). The brother may at some point decide that eating meat is OK, but whether he does or not doesn't matter.

Romans 14:19-23 - Make every effort

14:19

Paul now urges them to focus on what really matters. So instead of being puffed up with their own ideas and righteousness, which usually leads to doing others down, they are to do what leads to peace and mutual edification. When we put ourselves at the centre peace does not ensue, and we are only concerned with our own edification.

14:20,21

Getting things out of proportion, such as the importance of which foods we should and shouldn't eat can destroy the work of God. Look at it like this, God went to the trouble of sending His Son to the cross to die for a person, but you are going to write them off because they do or don’t eat a certain food? Paul is quite clear that all food is clean. So it isn’t actually wrong to eat a certain food, but it is wrong if doing so causes harm to another brother. In such a case it is better to forego our right for the benefit of our brother. 

Now, in all these things wisdom is needed. Paul is not laying down a rule but a principle. It could happen that some people are touchy about almost anything, and not offending them would be almost impossible. Moreover, Paul’s injunction to make every effort to do what leads to peace does not mean we never take a stand on anything. In Paul’s letters there are times when he most definitely does take a stand on issues, Galatians is perhaps the best example.

14:22,23

So, instead of mouthing off every opinion that we have, there are times to keep quiet, just to keep them to ourselves. For the wrong use of opinions can lead to us being condemned. Conversely, if someone does think eating a particular food is wrong, then it would indeed be wrong for them to eat that food. They would not be acting in faith, they would be eating it simple because someone else had told them to. “Everything that does not come from faith is sin”.

Romans 14:16-18 - Not a matter of eating and drinking

14:16

If the “stronger” brother insisted on eating meat in the presence of “weaker” brothers, then some of them might lose their faith, and eating meat would get a bad name. So instead of promoting what was perfectly fine, their eating it would produce the exact opposite effect.

14:17,18

“For the kingdom of heaven is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”. We can so easily lose perspective. Ultimately it doesn’t matter whether we eat meat or not. It is our salvation in Christ that is of prime importance. So if someone serves Christ by faith then they are acceptable to Him, and we have no right not to accept them. Indeed, we would be utterly foolish not to accept them, and would be acting against God.

Romans 14:14,15 - Nothing is unclean in itself

14:14

Paul now comments on the issue itself, rather than how people handle the matter. Paul agrees that “nothing is unclean in itself”. This follows the words of Jesus in Mark 7:18-23. Everything was created by God, so cannot “in itself” be unclean. However, Paul does not say that therefore anyone who considers certain foods to be unclean is wrong. Instead, he says that for that person the food would indeed be unclean. 

14:15

Paul then takes things a step further. Someone might say “alright, it is unclean for them, but not for me, so it is fine for me to eat the food, even in the presence of the ‘weaker’ brother”. This is not so, for your eating may well cause distress, and unnecessary distress, to the other person. This would not be acting in love. In fact it could cause serious problems for the other person, something which Paul expresses most strongly, talking about “destroying” the person. And that person would be someone for whom Christ died. A similar example today would be over the matter of drinking alcohol. One person might think drinking alcohol is absolutely wrong, another is quite happy to drink in moderation. The latter person should still be wary of drinking in the presence of the other.

Romans 14:12,13 - Each of us will give an account to God

14:12

“So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God”. We all need to live in the light of this. When societies or individuals stop doing this evil prospers. We see this happening in the West, where few pay attention to God, and even fewer leaders. If we bear in mind that one day we will have to give an account to God of what we have done, then that will spare us from many evils.

14:13

So we are to stop passing judgement on one another. Instead of doing this we are to ensure that we avoid putting stumbling blocks in each other’s way. We are meant to help one another along the road, not try to trip each other up. For if we persuade someone to do something against their conscience then we make it much more difficult for them to be at peace. And if we condemn someone for doing something that God has not spoken against we pile unwarranted guilt upon them. Neither of these is good.

Romans 14:10,11 - Why do you pass judgement?

14:10

Paul now urges those who judge others to consider the matter carefully. Now we need to draw a distinction between judging actions and judging people. We are quite right to say that certain actions are wrong, and the New Testament is full of examples of this. So when the “do not judge” crowd pipe up saying we shouldn’t judge actions, which is what they are often doing, they should be ignored for they are spouting unbiblical nonsense, they are going against the word of God. The situation here is different. First, the actions are not going against scripture, and we should be very wary of making rules or laws on matters that the Bible has said nothing. Secondly, they were in danger of judging people, saying that the “weaker” or “stronger” brother (depending which side you were on) was a lesser Christian, or maybe not a Christian at all. It is dangerous to treat with contempt someone whom God has accepted in Christ. Moreover, we will all one day stand before the judgement seat.

14:11

Paul quotes from Is 45:23 to backup his argument. These words are applied to Jesus in Phil 2:10,11. It is a fundamental fact of life that ultimately every knee will bow before the Lord acknowledging Him as Lord. We need to live our lives in the light of this truth. Here it is a warning against judging people. More generally it is a warning against giving in to those who oppose the Lord.

Romans 14:7-9 - None of us lives to himself

14:7

“For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.” We live in an “I” society, the kingdom of God is very different, it is a “God” society.  So the one who eats meat does so thanking God, but also not judging others. Likewise, the one who abstains does so not judging others. If we do judge others then we are actually putting the focus on ourselves, saying “Aren’t I good!”. 

14:8

So when we live, i.e. when we enjoy ourselves (which we are allowed to do, the problem arises if our enjoyment becomes an idol), we do so for the Lord, we do it with hearts of gratitude. Likewise, when we die (e.g. abstain from something, or suffer for the sake of Christ and the gospel) we do so for the Lord. The focus in all cases is to be on the Lord, not on ourselves.

14:9

Paul then puts the focus well and truly on Christ. Christ died and lived again. It is always good to remind ourselves of this, this is the centrepiece of our faith, the cross and resurrection. Paul then applies Christ being the Lord of both the living and the dead in a rather unusual way, i.e. to the “living” and “dead” in the sense that he used in 14:8. Christ is Lord of all.

Romans 14:5,6 - Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind

14:5

Paul now moves on from food to observing special days. The days in questions are probably the Sabbath. So some saw the Sabbath (I suppose it could be either Saturday or Sunday) as special, others saw all days as equally special. Paul’s instruction is that each person should make up his own mind. 

14:6

As long as someone has settled the matter in their own mind and is acting to honour the Lord, then that is fine. We should note that we are not talking about matters where something is clearly forbidden. But in these matters which are not absolute the conscience of the individual is what matters. Whatever we do we are to do it in order to honour the Lord. Paul then goes back to food. The one who eats meat does so with thankfulness to God, the one who abstains does so in honour of the Lord.