Romans 15
COMMENTARY:
: 2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. (700 “please” [aresko] means win favor, found approval, be acceptable to, to set up a positive relation, to be agreeable, or to accommodate one’s self to the opinions, desires or interests of others.)
DEVOTION: Our neighbor in this verse is referring to our fellow believers. We have a huge responsibility to our fellow believers. Our whole life should be dedicated to building up the Christians around us. We should do things that will encourage them in the LORD.
Paul is concerned with the actions of stronger believers in relation to young or immature believers. These individuals are watching these mature believers. Too often the mature believers were only thinking about their actions in relation to their liberty in Christ. They were free to do many things that immature believers would not be able to handle. This is not talking about sin but about actions that might cause immature believers to go back to their pagan ways.
We need to listen to them. We need to realize that we all grow at different levels. What is acceptable to us; may not be acceptable to them. Instruction is important. Patience is without a doubt something we will need when working with new Christians and some old ones. We will have to be long-suffering with our fellow believers. If we find one who is doing things that are against Biblical teaching – we need to try to convey the truth of the Word to them.
As the last chapter stated, we are not in the business of condemning our fellow believer. The LORD will take care of that at the judgment seat of Christ. HE will also send chastening their way to show them HIS disapproval of their actions. Remember that HE sends weakness, sickness and pre-mature death to believers who stray from the instructions HE left us.
We might not understand where some believers are coming from but that is because we have not walked in their shoes. We need to give ourselves time to get the rest of the story regarding our fellow pilgrims and their trials. Are we being agreeable with our fellow believers? Have we been majoring on edification or building up our fellow believers? Or are we looking at their faults?
CHALLENGE: Look for ways you can encourage those believers around you on a regular basis. Sometimes it might only be a smile!!!
: 14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. (19 “goodness” [agathosune] means uprightness of heart and life, kindness, the quality of moral excellence, good act, generosity, virtue, beneficence, or to benefit others.)
DEVOTION: Paul had a high opinion of the church in Rome. He stated that they were “full of goodness.” That should be true of all churches today. Your local church should be noted for their goodness to each other and to others.
When people spoke of the church in Rome Paul thought they had only good things to say about the people. He wrote in this letter that there were areas where they could improve in their witness to each other and to the community.
He also wanted them to be full of knowledge. There needs to be good teaching of the Word of God to those who attended the services of the local church in Rome. They had the Old Testament and the teaching of Jesus and the teachings of the apostles to use as guidelines for their Christ life.
Remember most of the New Testament wasn’t written even when Paul was ministering in Rome. His letters were passed around to the different churches for them to use to edify their members. They had the sayings of Jesus to pass around as well.
We have such a strong advantage over the first century Christians. We have both Testaments. We have commentaries that have been written regarding both the Old and New Testament. There are thousands of books today that help us understand the Word of God.
Too often many Christians don’t even pick up their Bible between Sundays let alone looking at other sources to help them grow. This is very sad.
We have the responsibility to “admonish” one another. This means that we have to know enough about the Word of God to help those around us who need to know answers only those that are mature in the faith can give.
It is not supposed to be “what do you think” but “what does the Bible say about this matter.”
CHALLENGE: Too many people are depending on what they think and most of the time it is wrong if it is not based on the Word of God.
: 27 It has pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in carnal things. (3008 “minister” [leitourgeo] means to serve the state at one’s own cost, to discharge a public office at one’s own cost, of those who aid others with their resources, and relieve their poverty, perform religious duties, or worship.)
DEVOTION: Paul wants the saints from the Gentile world to help the saints from the Jewish world. These two worlds came together in Christ. Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles. He wanted to preach where no other man has preached.
He gave an illustration of the difference between the spiritual blessing of the Good News and the monetary blessing that people consider part of the carnal things of the world.
So the Gentiles who have accepted the message of Christ which came through the Jewish nation should want to help that nation when they were going through financial needs.
We have a responsibility to help any group that might need our help through the offerings of the local church. There should be a percentage of the budget of every local church to help those in their community and communities around the world. Many churches call this their mission’s budget.
One of the problems today is that many large churches and some small churches are only concerned with themselves. They don’t have an established percentage of their budget to help others. They will take a special offering once in a while to use for this purpose but not a regular amount that can help missionaries have a regular income throughout the year.
Each church should establish at least ten percent of their income to missions. Many have given more. If there is a special need a freewill offering could be taken to help.
Also each church usually has a “deacon’s or elder’s fund” to help those in the church and in the community with special needs. Find out your churches policy and pray for those they support.
CHALLENGE: Are we helping those believers in our churches and around our churches to love the LORD more because of fellowship of believers?
: 32 That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed. (4875 “refreshed” [sunanapauomai] means to take rest together with, to sleep together with, enjoy a refreshing visit with, or to recruit together.)
DEVOTION: Paul is writing to the church in the city of Rome. They had promised an offering for the poor in Jerusalem and he wanted them to be prepared before he came.
All believers need encouragement. It was going to be an encouragement to Paul that the believers were collecting money to give to another group of believers.
He wanted no only himself to be encouraged but that the church in Rome was encouraged as well. With an offering gathered it would encourage the church in Jerusalem and the church in Rome and Paul. It was a triple blessing.
When we help others it is an encouragement to them and to us that we can be used of the LORD for HIS glory around the world. The saints of God need to stick together if they are going to reach the world for Christ.
The secular world is watching us at all times to see how we act in any given situation. Many of them are looking for excuses to not become a believer because they see us do things wrong.
They see us fight with one another. The devil seems to be winning this battle as many churches are condoning activities that the Bible says are sin. If we can’t agree on what is sin it is hard for the world to know our message.
If our standard is the Word of God or the Bible, we need to state that it says what sins are, and if a church or minister doesn’t agree with it they are wrong. Somehow we have to get this message across to the world.
Like Paul we would like to rest together with other genuine believers in our battle against sin. Also like Paul we want to see one group encourage one another through an offering to help them when they are going through difficult circumstances.
CHALLENGE: True believers are responsible for the growth and encouragement of others believers. We rise or fall together at times.
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