Romans 15-16 Gentiles, Jesus, and Rome

Romans 15 Jesus told Paul to go to the Gentiles and he went.

Romans 15:1-13 Paul continues the Romans 14 discussion that was devoted to the admonition to not judge others over disputable matters, and not criticize people with different customs. Paul now links his ministry to the gentiles to God’s call to accept other believers who are different from us. This admonition is especially the case for Jewish believers to accept gentiles who become Christians but do not have the Jewish cultural heritage. (See also Acts 10) Paul waxes eloquent in citing Old Testament passages relating to the faith of gentiles in Christ.

• Romans 15:3 quotes Psalm 69:9. Jesus bore the insults of others; when we attack their practices, we insult Him. 
• Romans 15:9 quotes 2 Samuel 27:50 and Psalm 18:49, David’s song. David recognized that gentiles could and would sing God’s praises.
• Romans 15:10 quotes Deuteronomy 32:43, Moses’ song. Moses enjoined the gentiles to rejoice in God with the Jews.
• Romans 15:11 quotes Psalm 117:1, the psalmist’s exhortation to all the nations to sing God’s praises.
• Romans 15:12 quotes Isaiah 11:10, pointing to Jesus who will one day rule over the nations (I.e., gentiles), and that they will hope in Him.

How has Christ become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth? Perhaps this is like washing the disciples’ feet at the last supper. (John 13:14-17) Jesus came to the Jews and completed His plan to bring salvation to humankind, but it then falls to the Jews to take the gospel outside their nation and culture, to the nations of the world.

Romans 15:14-22 Instruction and Grace: it is the Holy Spirit that tells us what is sin and what is just different practices. We need to focus on Christ. The gentiles will be sanctified by the Holy Spirit when they receive the gospel and turn in faith to Jesus. In Romans 15:21 Paul quotes Isaiah 52:15 to explain that he is fulfilling God’s call to bring knowledge of God and His ways to people who have never heard about Him.

Romans 15:23-32 Paul used every step along the way as part of his service to God. He wants to see the Roman believers in person. He wants to visit Spain. Believers in Greece and environs generously gave to support believers in Jerusalem, which he is en route to deliver. He links his current trip to his plans for the future. Perhaps he does not have any hint (when he is writing this letter) that his trip to Rome will ultimately begin in Jerusalem, courtesy of the Roman government. That future trip will confirm once again that governments are God’s tools as described in Romans 13.

Romans 16 Closing in Glory

Romans 16:1-2 Paul commends Phoebe, a deacon or servant of the church in Cenchreae, which was a port city just east of Corinth (today called Kechrees Port). This city is also mentioned in Acts 18:18 where Paul had his hair cut before sailing. Since Paul asks the Romans to receive and assist Phoebe, we might infer she was part of the delegation that carried Paul’s letter to Rome. 

Romans 16:3-15 Paul greets at least 24 people by name, recognizing their individual roles in his ministry and life. 

Romans 16:16 What is a holy kiss? Practices have varied over time, but the essence is that it is a nonsexual expression of Christian love. That is, a symbol offering the desire for the recipient to be blessed with the best possible life, one in which Jesus is Lord to both, and active in both lives, to enable a fellowship of common faith.

Romans 16:17-20 Paul warns about those who sow division within the church, and contradict his teachings. Paul prophetically foresaw the role of internet influencers using social media in opening the church to Satan’s deceptions. Beware! He admonishes us to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. God will soon crush Satan, under our feet, through the grace of Jesus Christ. May not be soon enough for us. Internet influencers need to come to know Jesus before it is too late to repent.

Romans 16:21-24 Paul identifies and gives credit to eight more individuals by name, who have had roles in his ministry.

Romans 16:25-27 In this closing benediction, Paul recaps the high points of his letter: the revelation of truth through Jesus, who can establish us in the good news of the gospel; and that this truth is now extended to the gentiles because obedience comes through faith, not through works. He closes with the glory of God revealed through Yeshua Hamashiach.

Roman’s 13-14 God’s governments and criticizing others

Romans 13 God’s Governments

Romans 13:1-7 speaks to government, seemingly implying government always serves God and His purposes, even apart from that government acknowledging Him.

Romans 13:1-4 We can see an example of this in God’s call to Cyrus through Isaiah. (Isaiah 44:28-45:7)  Isaiah prophesied 740-681 BC. Cyrus the Great ruled from 559-530 BC. 

There might seem to be a problem since Paul seems to endorse all rulers as being appointed by God to enforce laws that make people do what is right. What if an evil ruler, e.g. Hitler, orders his subjects to disobey God and do evil? The logical answer is that that ruler was not appointed by God. But that is not necessarily the whole story. We have two examples in the New Testament.

• The disciples said they must obey God rather than man, when ordered to stop evangelizing. (Acts 5:29)  
• Jesus did not use any power or persuasion to prevent His execution, telling Pilate “You would have no authority over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above.” (John 19:11) Jesus knew the final outcome and the purpose of His suffering. 

God orchestrates all events for His purposes. The statement that ‘they are God’s servants’ is twice in 13:4 and repeated in 13:6. Exodus 9:16 was previously quoted in Romans 9:17 to emphasize that God raised Pharaoh up for His purposes, to display His power and so that His name would be proclaimed in all the earth. But this did not imply that the Israelites should have obeyed Pharaoh, only that he was God’s (unwilling) servant.

One final point. Government cannot enforce love nor prevent coveting. Only love can conquer both external and internal evil.

Romans 13:8-14 Love of neighbors reflects our love for God and His love for us, but we need divine armor to defeat the temptation to violate that love.  Jesus offers love untainted by human desire or carnal appetites. After all, God is love. (1 John 4:8).

Romans 13:9 quotes the Law from Exodus 20:13-17, and Leviticus 19:18. Jesus also quoted Leviticus 19:18 in a similar discussion in Matthew 22:39.  “…you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.”

Romans 13:11-12 Now is the time to show love!

Romans 13:14 alludes to Ephesians 6:13-17 which commands readers to put on the full armor of God. This armor is to enable us to overcome the cruel intentions and temptations of the enemy. 

God’s love is not a fairy tale emotion. His kind of love is a firm decision to want and work for the best possible outcome for the beloved. It may manifest in ways that seem cruel or unloving at the time. That is why governments wield the sword, because they are God’s instrument for good. Organizations cannot love, but people can create organizations that work for best outcomes for people. Ideally, that is what government should do. 

It is interesting that throughout history people have set up communes, or communal living arrangements, believing these will work for everyone’s best interest. (Acts 2:44 & 4:32) History has shown repeatedly that it doesn’t work well for very long. It is impossible for man, apart from the unction of the Holy Spirit, to live that way. Communes typically last for a generation or less. Communist governments, trying to implement having all things in common on a national level, last longer by brute force, but no one believes they are being run in the best interest of the people.  Human nature unfortunately forces rules requiring work for food (or incentivizing work).  (2 Thessalonians 3:10-13) And yet, government is preferred over anarchy because of human nature. This is the core of Paul’s counsel. Most of society does not live in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, so God has given us secular government to prevent the chaos of anarchy.

Romans 14 Judging Others

Romans 14 We have different taboos in the modern world than eating meat sacrificed to idols. But we are still called to grace; to receive grace and extend it to others.

Romans 14:1 What is a disputable matter? Almost anything can be disputed. Some claim diet as a matter of health, but no longer a matter of faith or obedience to God. And yet we criticize others’ dietary choices as being unhealthy, even though there are enormous variations in what people deem healthy. And the same can be said of how people spend their time and money. 

Romans 14:5-6 The Pharisees criticized Jesus’ disciples for picking grain on the Sabbath, and He rebuked them. (Luke 6:1-10) Evidently during Paul’s time there were vegetarians apart from concerns about sacrificing to idols. And today people talk about health implications based on dietary choices, including sugar and fat consumption, additives, and fad diets for weight loss. Just ask the trolling influencers on the internet.

Romans 14:7-9 The focus is not on our actions, right or wrong, but on Jesus and His death and resurrection. 

Romans 14:10 Paul says don’t gossip or criticize others on disputable matters. But who decides what falls in which category? What is the standard of sin? Do we ignore fornication and adultery? Paul did pass judgment on someone who was doing so (1 Corinthians 5:1-5). Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in the act of adultery, but did tell her to sin no more.  (John 8:11). 

Jesus gave instructions for dealing with a brother who sins. (Matthew 18:15-17) There seems to be an assumption that it is incontrovertibly sin, not some disputable matter. And the first step is to talk to the brother privately. Not to talk to others unless the first conversation doesn’t bear fruit. I can see two possible reasons - either the sinning brother doesn’t think it is sin, or he doesn’t care because he wants to do it anyway even though he recognizes it as sin. Then the inclusion of two or three others is for resolving the first possibility - if three or four (no more) agree it is sin (outvoting the sinning brother unanimously), then it falls in the second category of willful sin. Disfellowship is the prescribed action in that case. Possibly to protect the rest of the fellowship from being influenced, but more likely to make real to the sinning brother the consequences.  Paul implies that this excommunication succeeded in bringing the sinning brother to repentance so that he could be restored to fellowship. (2 Corinthians 2:5-11)

Romans 14:10-12 In the end, God will judge us, not based on our actions (for which we will give account) but based on our relationship with Jesus.  14:11 quotes Isaiah 45:23 in which the prophet declares that the ends of the earth will turn to God and be saved. It is not the lifestyles of gentiles that condemn or save them, but whether they come to Jesus.

Romans 14:13-19 The important point that Paul repeatedly repeats is that we should build others up, not tear others down, with our words.  

Romans 14:20 Returning to food once again, Paul now says all foods are clean (Mark 7:19). Peter received similar direction, using food as a metaphor for gentiles. (Acts 10:15) But the point is that it is not about food as the final concern, but that it is wrong to do something that causes another person to stumble (morally or spiritually).

Romans 14:23 In conclusion, every action either comes from faith or it doesn’t. That is the standard Paul gives for self-examination. Extending grace to others by building them up comes from faith. Judging, disputing with, gossiping about, and criticizing others are not from faith.

Book review: St. Thomas Aquinas by G. K. Chesterton

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First published in 1943, this book attempts to summarize both the theology of Aquinas, the context in which he developed it, and its subsequent consequences for Christianity over the centuries. Chesterton begins by contrasting Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) with St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226). But the thrust of the discourse is to explain how Aquinas rescued Aristotle’s works from being rejected because Islamic theology for several hundred years had incorporated them, and Christian thought in the 13th century rejected all things Islamic. 

The crusades had ended, and Islam was still dominant across the mid-East. Although the battle of Tours had stopped Islam’s spread in Western Europe, it was still ascendant in Eastern Europe. Islam’s use of Aristotelian philosophy was consistent with Islamic theology (Chesterton summarizes how), but the point was that the Manicheean theology held unorthodox views. By contrast, Aquinas used Aristotle in the context of Orthodox Christian theology, using Aristotle’s common-sense approach to philosophy that the senses of the material body can be used to understand the world, fully consistent with orthodox faith.

Philosophers and theologians after Aquinas apparently did not appreciate his writings. The basic concepts that he used, and the higher level arguments that he made, were opaque to those steeped in the tradition of Augustine. This is not to cast aspersions on Augustine, but to note that his successors had gone down a path that rejected both common sense and Aristotle. Unfortunately a lot of modern philosophy has gone down even stranger pathways. 

In the last few pages, Chesterton goes on a rant about Martin Luther. While some of his points are valid, the overall vitriolic tone bespeaks his anger at Protestant Christianity as a whole.  I think he overlooks the fact that the Catholic Church at that time had serious problems (for example, selling indulgences) that were supported from bad theology. And Chesterton himself points out that theology as a whole did not quickly adopt Aquinas’ Aristotelian approach. 

In many respects, the modern convergence of Catholic and Protestant theology (as I perceive it) is largely due to two influences that were just emerging in Chesterton’s lifetime. One is the writings of C. S. Lewis, in such books as Mere Christianity that focus on the basic truths of the faith that both Catholics and Protestants hold. The other is the new wind of the Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh, that stirred new life via the Charismatic renewal in both. The role of Aristotle and Aquinas in this trend is that God is the ultimate source of truth, and He uses willing instruments. This is not abstract mysticism, but the same sovereign Will of God that moved in revelation to those who recorded the Scriptures.

Book Review: Gentle and Lowly - The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers, by Dane Ortland

Dane Ortland, senior pastor at Naperville Presbyterian Church in Illinois and a Wheaton PhD, lays out his case that most of us, Christians and non-believers, do not understand or appreciate the heart of Jesus. He goes through a large number of scriptures, both Old and New Testament, to give the Biblical basis for his statement that the heart of God is gentle, compassionate, humble, and eager to forgive. He starts with Matthew 11:28-30, from which comes the book’s title. 

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

There are typically human reactions against this perspective on God’s heart. When we think of the plagues on Egypt, the final judgment, or the problem of pain, we have a hard time reconciling this with the picture of Jesus’ heart being forgiving and gracious to us. In the last few chapters he deals with these problems. To cut to the chase, when we come to Jesus asking for forgiveness and restoration, He is overjoyed to do so. But those who do not come to Him will face the consequences of their actions and decisions. Jesus is reluctant to do so, but His holiness compels Him to protect the innocent by judging and justly dealing with those who choose evil.

We tend to think of God as harsh and judgmental when we suffer, but as soft and forgiving when others get away with things, especially if the things they get away with impact us negatively. It seems so unfair that we question God’s fairness. This type of situation was only briefly discussed in the book, it was not in the focus. Another area not discussed is God’s disciplining of His children. (Hebrews 12:1-11) Often, when we are in this situation, we question God’s gentleness and doubt that He has a forgiving heart. The perspective that Ortland gives is to compare this to physical therapy - painful for the moment but necessary for health.

This is not to doubt the essential value of this book. It is written to explain that even when circumstances don’t seem to reflect loving and gentle care for us, that is what God’s essence is. (1 John 4:8) And the case is solid. There are doubtless dimensions of God that we cannot fathom, but at least this one we can comprehend. 

Romans 11-12 God’s Dealings with Israel and being a Living Sacrifice

 

Romans 11 The culmination of God’s Sovereignty and man’s free will applied to Israel.

Romans 11: 1-6 God did not reject Israel - they rejected Him. But He still saved some of them anyway - those He could, those who would. Did they choose Him or did He choose them? Yes!

• Romans 11:3-4 quotes 1 Kings 19:10-18.  God’s response to Elijah was that he (Elijah) did not have the full picture. God had sovereignly kept a remnant of Israel faithful to Him. Elijah should not take the rebellion of Ahab and his cronies as the totality of the Northern Kingdom.  

Romans 11:5-10 The few in Israel that remained faithful to God did so because of faith in Him and His grace. Those who tried to earn His favor by the Law (thus making it not grace but an obligation on God), failed completely, because legalism led to spiritual apathy and blindness, and because they could not keep it.

• Romans 11:8 quotes Deuteronomy 29:4 about Jews who wandered forty years in the desert. They were consigned to this because they did not believe God’s promise.  (Numbers 14) It was fear in the natural level, giants in the land, that led to grumbling, rebellion, and talking about returning to Egypt.
• Romans 11:9-10 quotes Psalm 69:22-23 - David’s incantation regarding his enemies. He had earlier in this psalm described his trust in God and the flood of troubles his enemies had brought on him, because they did not seek God as he did.

Romans 11:11-12 It seems counterintuitive and self-contradictory, but since the Jews rejection of Christ led to blessing the gentiles with the gospel, the final outcome will ultimately be greater blessing for the Jews. 

Romans 11:13-24 Gentiles are not superior to Jews, as all are grafted in solely by God’s grace. And just as the Jews were broken off from God by their rejection of the gospel and Jesus,  so too will gentiles be if they similarly reject it and Him. To persist in unbelief is to reject Jesus, regardless of religious or ethnic identification.

Romans 11:25-32 Man’s free will and God’s sovereignty play out on both an individual and national level. Both are true, but at the individual level, there is a final result. Nationally, at the end, there is a division and a remnant. Those who don’t want to be with God, won’t be. (Deuteronomy 24:4)

Romans 11:33-36 God’s mystery leads to revealing His glory. This song of worship incorporates some Old  Testament quotes, but verses 33 and 36 appear to be unique, Paul’s own words.

• Romans 11:34 quotes Isaiah 40:13, which follows the challenge in Isaiah 40:10: See the sovereign Lord coming with power.
• Romans 11:35 quotes Job 41:11, one of a series of rhetorical questions that the Lord asks Job out of the whirlwind.

On the whole, most readers are likely still mystified or dissatisfied with Paul’s explanation of reconciling God’s sovereignty and man’s free will. In the end, it remains a mystery, but Paul worships God out of faith in His transcendent goodness.

Romans 12 Offering ourselves to God by living in Community

Romans 12:1-5 Paul urges us to present our whole selves to Christ, body and soul. As C. S. Lewis pointed out, the problem with being a living sacrifice is that we continue to be tempted to crawl off the altar. In presenting our selves as a sacrifice, we recognize  that only what is given to God will endure for eternity. In 12:1 & 4-5 Paul speaks to the presenting of our own body (12:1) and then to being part of the body of believers (12:4-5). In 12:2-3 he speaks to making our mind and judgment renewed so that we think in accordance with faith. Thus body and mind are both devoted to the Lord. Also, being part of a body of believers means that we we should recognize and encourage the gifts of others. 

Romans 12:6-8 speaks to the gifts we are given by God, a different list than is found in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.  These seem to be different types of gifts. Paul’s list of charismata  (grace-gifts) in Romans identifies ministries or callings such as serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading. To the Corinthians he identifies enablements that are necessary for supernaturally, divinely-enabled actions. There is only one that is the same in both lists, although others might be linked.

• Prophecy appears in both lists, the outward bubbling of what the Holy Spirit is saying. Paul links this to faith.
• Teaching might be linked to supernatural wisdom and/or knowledge; at least, the act of teaching, presumably based on study, provides an opportunity for God to reveal new truths to and through the teacher.
• Giving could be an avenue for miracles, if, for example, the recipient of the gift desperately needs some very specific thing, that the giver does not know about but provides. Perhaps that could exhibit a Holy Spirit-given word of knowledge to the giver.

Romans 12:4-16 explains living in community. Beyond presenting ourselves to exhibit God’s gifts as per the above, certain behaviors are identified as specifics that demonstrate brotherly love. 12:9-16 lists many ways to show love to others, and gives practical ways we can practice the gifts listed in 12:6-8. How many children in families behave this way toward their siblings? But this is what we are called to.

Romans 12:17-21 dwells on Jesus’ theme in the Sermon on the Mount about loving our enemies. (Matthew 5:38-48) Specifically, Paul says to overcome evil with good. Romans 12:19 quotes from the song of Moses, which speaks to letting the Lord repay, i.e., not taking vengeance ourselves. 12:20 quotes Proverbs 25:21-22 which says to heap burning coals on the head of our enemy by giving him food and drink. Metaphorically speaking, this does not necessarily mean the fire of judgment, but perhaps the burning conviction when an enemy recognizes that they would rather live life in a community of love than to be dominant and evil. Romans 12:21 wraps up this last discussion with the admonition to overcome evil with good, just as Jesus did on the cross and through the empty tomb. 

The Problem of Pain - The Epicurean Paradox

Wikipedia describes the Epicurean Paradox (attributed to the Greek Philosopher Epicurus, 341-270 BC) as follows:

• If God knows everything and has unlimited power, then He has knowledge of all evil and has the power to put an end to it. But if He does not end it, He is not completely benevolent.
• If God has unlimited power and is completely good, then He has the power to extinguish evil and wants to extinguish it. But if He does not do it, its knowledge of evil is limited, so He is not allknowing.
• If God is all-knowing and totally good, then He knows of all the evil that exists and wants to change it. But if He does not, it must be because He is not capable of changing it, so He is not omnipotent.

This seemingly logical trilemma is based on a fallacious assumption, to wit, that God operates with the same limitations in logical space that we do. But the Bible makes it clear that God exists in a transcendent, eternal dimension that we cannot understand. He is outside of time, and His infinite access to every person, event, and location enable Him to make decisions and take actions for the best possible outcome from His eternal perspective. Our definition of benevolent is earthly.

In practical terms, when we look at suffering and ask God to intervene, and He doesn’t, we rule out lack of knowledge because we told Him about it. What does this mean? There are at least three possibilities:

• It is the result of a decision or decisions that people have made. If God were to trump every bad or evil decision made by people by overriding its results, that would effectively eliminate free will from humans. Reaping what we and others sow may seem cruel, but that is how God intends humankind to learn and grow. If others inflict suffering on someone, the human race is responsible for mitigating it as best they can and bringing justice. For example, World War II and the Nuremberg trials.
• God may intend that His children (us!) learn and grow through suffering. This not a school that we normally want to enroll in, but God from His transcendent perspective knows when it is the best way for us to learn, things like compassion, patience, character, and faith. We can look at the suffering of Job, and see that he seriously questioned God’s character. His ‘comforters’ bought into the legalistic school that Job was reaping what he sowed. Job knew he hadn’t sowed the seeds of everything that happened, so it was unfair. In the end, God spoke to Job out of the whirlwind and revealed both His transcendence and Job’s innocence. The rest of Job’s life hints at what he had learned.(Job 42:13-17) 
• A third possibility is that God simply wants to deepen a person’s relationship with Him, sometimes  called intimacy with Christ. When we are in great pain, it opens our hearts to turn to the Lord more fully, because the pain blocks our mental functioning from being distracted. Of course painkillers can weaken or nullify this pathway, but sometimes God sovereignly chooses it for us.

There are likely other paradigms fully consistent with God’s perfect love and omnipotence, based on His transcendent sovereignty. We need the recognition that we possess none of these ourselves, to be humble enough to hear His voice in the storm so that we can receive what He has planned for us.