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ROMANS Theology for Everybody
A STUDY GUIDE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS VOLUME 3: ROMANS 12-16
REALFAITH.COM
Mark Driscoll Romans: Theology for Everybody A Study Guide for Individuals and Groups Volume 3: Romans 12-16 © 2021 by Mark Driscoll
ISBN: 978-1-7366834-6-0 (Paperback) ISBN: 978-1-7366834-7-7 (E-book)
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...... 1
REAL GROUPS...... 3
CHAPTER 1: THEREFORE...... 5
CHAPTER 2: REBELS WITH A CAUSE...... 9 Rebels with a Cause: Die to Yourself? (Romans 12:1-8)...... 9 Rebels with a Cause: Trade Good for Evil? (Romans 12:9-21). . . . 13 Rebels with a Cause: Obey the Government? (Romans 13:1-7). .17 Rebels with a Cause: Stop Your Selfishness? (Romans 13:8-14).22
CHAPTER 3: CHURCH FAMILY ...... 26 Church Family: Supernatural Unity (Romans 14:1-12)...... 26 Church Family: Supernatural Liberty (Romans 14:13-23)...... 31 Church Family: Supernatural Diversity (Romans 15:1-13)...... 38
CHAPTER 4: REAL MINISTRY...... 43 Real Ministry: Power (Romans 15:14-21)...... 43 Real Ministry: Planning (Romans 15:22-33)...... 48 Real Ministry: People (Romans 16:1-16)...... 52 Real Ministry: Problems (Romans 16:17-27)...... 57
NOTES ...... 62
ABOUT PASTOR MARK DRISCOLL AND REAL FAITH ...... 63
INTRODUCTION
...through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4, ESV
Volume 3 of this study guide is intended to help individuals and groups study the New Testament book of Romans (chapters 12-16) verse-by-verse.
The best way to start learning any book of the Bible is to simply pray and read it over and over. As the longest of Paul’s letters in the New Testament, it takes about an hour to read the entire book of Romans. There are 16 chapters, and each chapter takes between 2-5 minutes to read. Here are some practical plans for you to choose from in reading Romans:
1. Read Romans 1 hour each day to read the entire book every day 2. Read Romans 30 minutes each day to read the entire book every other day 3. Read Romans 15 minutes each day to read the entire book every four days 4. Read Romans just under 10 minutes each day to read the entire book once a week
In addition to Bible reading for yourself, the following study guide is intended to help individuals and groups learn Romans. Please use this guide as tools and not rules. As the Holy Spirit guides your time in Scripture, and as you have discussion with others, the goal is not to finish the guide but rather to meet with God through learning the Bible. Consider this guide more of a compass pointing you in a direction than a map that directs your every step.
1 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY
To help you learn this breathtaking book of the Bible, we also have additional resources including sermon notes, sermon transcripts, daily devotions, and the sermon series in audio and video format all for free at realfaith.com or on the free Real Faith app, where you can also find our weekly, fun church online show called Real Faith Live. We also have a massive free library of Bible teaching such as Real Men, Real Women, Real Marriage, Real Parenting, Real Español, Real Leaders, Real Worship, and Real Classes. There are hundreds of free sermons mainly studying the Bible verse-by-verse, thousands of free daily devotions, and hundreds of real answers for real people under the "Have Questions?" category. All of this is made possible by our generous financial partners who support Real Faith as a Bible teaching ministry of Mark Driscoll Ministries, so thank you.
-Pastor Mark Driscoll
2 REAL GROUPS WITH REAL FAITH
Faith that does not result in good deeds is not real faith. James 2:20, TLB
t Real Faith, we believe that the Word of God isn’t just for us Ato read, it’s to be obeyed. And living in community with fellow believers is one of the ways God the Father allows us to learn and grow to become more like His Son Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. We do this through something called Real Groups. Here are a few tips to start your own.
1. Invite
Invite your friends, neighbors, family, coworkers, and enemies, because they all need Jesus whether they know Him or not! Whether it’s a group of men, women, families, students, or singles, explain that you’d like to start a weekly sermon-based small group based on Pastor Mark Driscoll’s sermons.
2. Listen to the sermon on realfaith.com or on the Real Faith app
You can host a viewing party to watch Real Faith Live and discuss it all at once, or you can watch it separately and gather to discuss it at another time that works for the group.
3. Get into God’s Word
In addition to watching the sermon, make sure you and all group members have a study guide from realfaith.com for the current
3 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY sermon series. There are questions for personal reflection as well as for groups that can guide your devotional times throughout the week. You can also sign up for Daily Devos at realfaith.com.
4. Gather together
Whether at someone’s house, a public place, or through something like Zoom, meet weekly to discuss the sermon and what God has taught you through it. The great thing about Real Groups is that you don’t all have to be in the same location. You can talk about sermon takeaways, what stood out to you in the study guide, or what God taught you in His Word that week. Focus on personal application as much as possible.
5. Pray
When you gather, feel free to share prayer requests, pray for each other on the spot, and continue praying throughout the week. Prayer is a great unifying force that God gives us to strengthen His family.
6. Share
Send us photos, videos, testimonies, and updates of how your group is doing to [email protected]. You might even be featured on our Real Faith Live show!
There are plenty more resources to discover at realfaith.com/real- groups, as well. We will be praying for you and your group and look forward to hearing what God does through it.
4 CHAPTER 1 THEREFORE...
Jesus is the most significant person who has lived in world history. The Bible is the most significant document in world history. So, when Jesus was asked what the most significant portion of the Bible was, His answer must be incredibly significant. Mark 12:28-31 reports that one day, Jesus was asked “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Since the first five books of the Old Testament alone have more than 600 commands, there was a running debate as to what that answer to that question might be hence why Jesus was asked. We read, “Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’” Love God. Love people. According to Jesus Christ, when these two things happen in this order, the rest of our life with God and one another tends to get sorted out by God’s grace thanks to the Holy Spirit. It seems that the Apostle Paul may have had the priorities of Jesus in mind when he sat down to pen his masterpiece, the epistle to the Romans; it divides into exactly two sections about loving God and loving people. Paul gave us a clue that this would be his outline for Romans in 1:17 where he said that righteousness comes down from God to us in relationship, and flows out from us in relationship with others saying, “the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”
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Romans 1-11 is largely vertically focused on how we can have a healthy, loving relationship with God as Christians. Romans 12-16 is largely horizontally focused on how we can have a healthy loving relationship with one another as the church. The transition from our relationship with God to our relationship with others is denoted by the simple little word “therefore”. One Bible commentator says, “‘Therefore’ must be given its full weight: Paul wants to show that the exhortations of 12:1–15:13 are built firmly on the theology of chaps. 1–11. The English verb ‘exhort’ captures well the nuance Love God. of the Greek parakaleō in contexts such as this. Its semantic range lies Love people. somewhere between ‘request’ and ‘command’: an exhortation comes with authority, but the authority of a preacher who is the mediator of God’s truth rather than the authority of a superior issuing a command.”1 Another Bible commentator says, “Therefore is an important word. Paul is not writing an essay in abstract ethics, but telling the Romans what their conduct must be in the light of what God has done. We should probably not tie it in too closely to the immediately preceding words (though there is a good sequence of thought), but take it as referring to the whole massive argument that has preceded it.”2 Sadly, some theologians have treated Romans 12-16 as something of an addendum or afterthought rather than a crucial and vital application of everything Paul has taught in Romans 1-11. This is often because those who are brilliant scholars are not usually the warmest and most relational people. This is not a criticism, but rather an honest evaluation. To spend your life mastering ancient languages alone in a library requires the kind of personality that will probably not get you voted as “Most Huggable” in high school. Romans 1-11 is some of the most dense and intense theology in all of the Bible, which explains why interpreting it was at the heart of the battle for the entire Protestant Reformation. Therefore, rightly understanding the great doctrinal truths of Romans 1-11 is absolutely critical for a right understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and a healthy, loving, grace-based, Spirit-empowered relationship with God the Father.
6 ROMANS 12-16
What is equally important, however, is the application of these doctrines to our relationships with one another in the church. Life in our fallen and sinful world is difficult, and the church has a unique opportunity to be a life-giving and burden-lifting place unlike anywhere else. Furthermore, in our culture where family relationships are often broken due to pain or distant due to relocation, it is more vital than ever for the church to be a place where there is emotional and spiritual life in the Spirit as God’s family. Simply stated, sound doctrine should lead to loving healthy relationships because a person is not truly biblical unless they are relational. Some Christians are very relational and practical. They tend not to read or study much because they are busy with people and projects. Conversely, other Christians are very theological and conceptual. They tend to read and study a lot and don’t have as much emotion and energy for people and projects. Just like most people have a dominant hand, so too most Christians are strong on one hand and weak on the other. The model of Paul and his letter to the Romans is that God wants us to learn from one another Life in our fallen and and seek to be strong with both sinful world is difficult, hands. A healthy, loving, vertical and the church has a relationship with God is the unique opportunity to only hope we have for healthy, loving, horizontal relationship be a life-giving and with others for two reasons. One, our relationship with God burden-lifting place gives us the template for a unlike anywhere else. healthy relationship as He wants us to treat others like He treats us. Two, our relationship with God gives us the resources for healthy relationships as things like grace, forgiveness, and love come from God through the Spirit for us to share with others. One theologian says this well, “Romans has the reputation— well deserved—of being one of the most theological books in the Bible. Unfortunately, this reputation has led many Christians and even some commentators to wonder why Paul bothers with all the practical stuff at the end of the letter. He has finished the
7 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY theology section at the end of chapter 11. Why say any more? Such an attitude betrays a basic misunderstanding of theology and its significance. All theology is practical, and all practice, if it is truly Christian, is theological. Paul’s gospel is deeply theological, but it is also eminently practical. The good news of Jesus Christ is intended to transform a person’s life. Until individual Christians own and live out the theology, the gospel has not accomplished its purpose.”3 For the Christian, salvation is something that God alone does. This is the big idea driving throughout Romans 1-11. In these chapters, the focus is on what to believe as a Christian. What Paul is talking about in Romans 12-16 are often referred to by theologians as “cooperative commands” where God invites the Christian to work out the new life of the Spirit in them. In these chapters, the focus is on how to behave as a Christian. The choice every Christian must make every day is between being “conformed to this world” which is living Hell up, or being “transformed” to God, which is living Heaven down. Indeed, the gospel of Jesus Christ is about getting us to Heaven, but until we arrive there, it is also about God bringing a little bit of Heaven into the world through His people.
8 CHAPTER 2 REBELS WITH A CAUSE
Rebels with a Cause: Die to Yourself? (Romans 12:1-8) 1I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Memory Verse: Romans 12:2 – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Summary: In any sport, a good coach comes alongside the athlete to encourage and exhort them to pour out their energy toward an end
9 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY result. The Apostle Paul does this very thing, urging believers to offer their entire life in worship to God. In the Old Covenant, a sacrifice was made when the life of an animal was taken, but in the New Covenant, we worship God by offering ourselves as living sacrifices to serve God with our head, heart, and hands. For the Christian, worship includes singing songs at church but extends far beyond that to our thoughts, feelings, and actions every moment of every day. Head – we are to not be conformed to the foolish nonsense of our world, but instead be transformed by the wisdom of God’s Word to make decisions that align with God’s will. This applies to the very practical stuff of life from the money we spend, relationships we have, job we work, words we speak, or sex we have. Heart – in humility, we need to be honest about who we are, and where we belong in the family of God. Everyone is called to serve, just in different ways and positions. Some people are called to lead, others to follow. Some are called into one role for a season, and then reassigned for a new season. No matter what, God’s people need one another and are to appreciate, honor, and respect the contributions of one another as we need one another in the same way that Whatever ability you our body needs every part. This have is God-given and, provides our unity, while also respecting our diversity. if used for the Lord, a Hands – every Christian has been gifted by God the Holy ministry. Spirit at least one ministry ability to make a meaningful contribution to the cause of Christ. There are five different lists of spiritual gifts in the New Testament in 1 Corinthians 12:8–10 and 12:28; Romans 12:6–8; Ephesians 4:11; and 1 Peter 4:11. Since each of these lists is different, it is doubtful that compiling all of the lists together will provide a complete list. Instead, it is best to consider these lists non-exhaustive examples. The truth is whatever ability you have is God-given and, if used for the Lord, a ministry. The best way to discover how God has designed you is to begin serving and see where you add particular value and find a sense of fulfilment as you do what God made you to do. If you do not quickly find your place serving in the church body, don’t get discouraged, but try different roles to see what works best for you. In the same way, when children are growing up and want to
10 ROMANS 12-16 find a sport to play or hobby to adopt, they try a few different options until they find one or more that they stick with. God has valuable contributions for you to make and, as the Holy Spirit works in and through you, your relationship with God and other believers will be deepened and strengthened while other people are benefitted and blessed so that everyone enjoys God’s grace.
Personal Study Questions: 1. Is there anything you are doing with your body that is not “holy” and “acceptable” (e.g. sexual sin, alcohol abuse, drug use, gluttony, etc.?). How can you worship God with your body in those areas of temptation and trial? What changes need to be made? 2. What are ways that you have a real battle to not be conformed to the pattern of this world (marching with the fool’s parade in how you think and what you do)? 3. In all honesty, are there any areas of your life in which you are prone to think more highly of yourself than you ought, and need to choose humility which is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less? 4. Are you serving the body of Christ with your giftings? Why or why not? How can you start to serve if you aren’t already?
Group Discussion Questions: 1. When it comes to worshipping God with your head, heart, and hands, which are you strongest at, and which area could use some improvement? 2. Take some time to thank and encourage each group member in why their contribution to the group is a blessing. 3. For those who have served in ministry and been used of God in an encouraging way, take a few minutes to share those stories of how you found a meaningful place to serve and what it did to aid your relationship with God and others.
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NOTES
12 ROMANS 12-16
Rebels with a Cause: Trade Good for Evil? (Romans 12:9-21) 9Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Memory Verse: Romans 12:14-15 - Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Summary: In boxing, there are punchers and counterpunchers. The punchers step forward, act as the aggressor, and are constantly closing the distance to engage. The counterpunchers wait for the punchers to make a mistake and patiently look for an opening to exploit and return punches. The world we live in is pretty much a boxing ring, and everything from media to social media and interpersonal relationships are various kinds of punching and counterpunching. The result is painfully obvious – no one is winning, and everyone is wounded. In this section, the Holy Spirit, through Paul, teaches us how to apply the theme of Romans 12:2 to our most difficult relationships, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind...” The Christian should not just punch and counterpunch like the world. Instead, the Holy Spirit can transform
13 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY us so that our response to people is based upon how God responded to us in Christ Jesus. God’s response to us is love and, with His help, our response to others can also be love. Walking the path of love is tough because there are cliffs on both sides. On one side, Paul says we can fall into hypocrisy, which is the opposite of sincerity where, as religious people do, we smile and say nice things when people are looking but don’t really care for them or treat them the same when no one is looking. On the other side, Paul says we can fall into gullibility, which is the opposite of wisdom and discernment. Foolish people will try and love everyone, even evil people who use and abuse them, causing God’s response to us is much harm. Such relationships love and, with His help, are not loving but enabling. True love is sincere and from our response to others the heart, wisely chooses who to trust and be devoted to, and can also be love. wholeheartedly gives and serves the will of God as the highest loyalty. To help us love with God’s love, Paul compares and contrasts what is loving and unloving. Grab two different colored pens and spend some time noting in one color all the things that love is, and with the other color noting all the things that love is not. As you compare and contrast these attributes, keep in mind how they remind you of Jesus Christ, who is the perfect definition and example of love.
Personal Study Questions: 1. Honestly, is there any “evil” in your life based upon what Paul says? 2. Who are you doing a pretty good job at loving like Paul says? 3. Who are you not doing a good job loving like Paul says?
Group Discussion Questions: 1. Who has done a good job at loving you like Paul says? Explain that person and relationship. 2. Why is it so hard to respond to evil with good in a world filled with so much evil? What in your life right now is this struggle that Paul refers to?
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3. Take a few minutes to distinguish what Paul commands and forbids and have a discussion about whether or not there is any such thing as a compromised middle ground for God's people in dealing with evil.
NOTES
15 16 ROMANS 12-16
Rebels with a Cause: Obey the Government? (Romans 13:1-7) 1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Memory Verse: Romans 13:1 - Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Summary: To be a Christian is to live in a complicated place under the authority of both God and the government. There are a lot of sins in the sight of God that are not crimes in the sight of the government, which is why you cannot call the cops if someone takes the Lord’s name in vain, commits adultery, or lies about you. There are also a lot of things that the government supports that God’s people cannot support, which is why paying taxes to fund abortions, demonic school curriculum for kids, and government overreach into matters of faith and family infuriate believers. This section of Romans is likely the best-known New Testament passage regarding obedience to civil authorities. The sad but hard truth is that, in our fallen sinful world, there have to be some laws to keep order, otherwise human life would simply come to a self- destructing end. The problem is that godless people will make, to varying degrees, godless laws and governments. In God’s Kingdom,
17 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY all of this will be taken care of perfectly, once and for all. Until then, God’s people are to do their best to be good citizens of the state up until the point where they can no longer be good citizens of God’s Kingdom. This is echoed in 1 Peter 2:12-17: “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” By being good citizens, Christians can earn trusted positions within government from which they can do good. The Bible provides many examples including God’s people are to do Joseph ruling in Egypt, Nehemiah ruling in Persia, and their best to be good Daniel ruling in Babylon. citizens of the state up By being good citizens, Christians can also keep a until the point where low profile so that they are free to live and worship freely they can no longer be with minimal intrusion. This is good citizens of God’s the heart of Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 2:1-2: “First of all, then, I Kingdom. urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” There are times, however, when the government and God have different demands and a person is forced to consider if they should flee, work through the system for more just laws or new political leaders, or simply disobey government in obedience to God. This righteous civil disobedience was practiced by the midwives in Egypt who refused to kill Hebrew babies which allowed Moses to live; Rahab, who hid God’s people rather than handing them over
18 ROMANS 12-16 to unjust authority, as was requested; Joseph’s refusal as a slave to commit adultery with Potiphar’s wife, which landed him in prison falsely accused of rape; Daniels’ friends refusing to bow down and worship the king as god, Daniel disobeying the order to not pray to the real God, and him and his buddies refusing to worship the golden idol for which they were thrown in a fiery furnace; Obadiah, who disobeyed the command of King Ahab and his demonic wife Jezebel and hid God’s servants so they could not be arrested; not to mention the Lord Jesus who was arrested; Paul, who wrote Romans and, himself, spent a lot of time in jail for serving Jesus; and the apostles who were thrown in prison and beaten for preaching Christ in defiance of the government. It is important to consider this section of Romans in light of all of Scripture. Otherwise, this section of Scripture could be used to demand that God’s people do ungodly things.
Personal Study Questions: 1. Are there any legal issues you should be obeying that you are not (e.g. paying your taxes, running your business legally and ethically, etc.)? 2. How can you thank and honor those who are soldiers, police officers, and first responders who put themselves in harm’s way to try and preserve order and peace? 3. Honestly, how are you doing at honoring people in authority over you and helping establish an honor culture in your home, work, and church?
Group Discussion Questions: 1. Why is it better to have an imperfect legal and political system than anarchy? 2. What is the difference between godly and ungodly civil disobedience and how can a Christian distinguish between the two? 3. What are some things in our government that would be good for God’s people to seek to change in terms of laws and religious freedom? How could that process begin? 4. Why is it sometimes a good idea for a Christian to call the cops, hire a lawyer, and work for justice through the system rather
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than just allowing evil to happen? 5. Which political leaders can you be praying for that God is using to help uphold justice in our culture?
NOTES
20 21 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY
Rebels with a Cause: Stop Your Selfishness? (Romans 13:8-14) 8Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Memory Verse: Romans 13:8 - Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Summary: If you start reading the Bible and try to do everything it commands, and not do everything it forbids, you can quickly feel overwhelmed at where to start and how to live in obedience to God. Thankfully, God has given us a simple way to start building momentum in the direction of obedience and holiness. The first five books of the Old Testament are often referred to as the Books of the Law because they contain more than 600 laws. At the heart of those laws in the book of Exodus are the 10 Commandments. The first two commandments are to have the one true God as your only God and to worship Him alone. When those two things occur, the rest of the commandments are naturally The opposite of obeyed. When God is the only loving people is God, we do not have sex, control, wealth and other things be our using people. god, worshipped with adultery, lying, and stealing. When we obey God, we are also loving our neighbor because you cannot obey God
22 ROMANS 12-16 or love your neighbor while sleeping with them, stealing from them, killing them, or being jealous of them. Paul lists a great number of sins resulting from a lack of love for God, a lack of love for others, and a corrupted excessive love of self. Paul is essentially saying that the cure to our sins is not to fixate on our transgressions, but rather to fixate on God’s love for us, our love for Him, and others. The power of that God-given, Christ-centered love alone has the power to conquer sins such as: -Adultery – sexually sinning against the marriage covenant -Murder – the unnecessary taking of an innocent life -Stealing – the illegal taking of property from another person -Coveting – a strong desire to possess that which belongs to another -Orgies/Revelry/Carousing – acting in such a way as to be a public nuisance -Drunkenness – an unwillingness to live in moderation -Sexual immorality – sins of any kind which involve forbidden sex -Debauchery – not merely a habitual life of reckless sin, but an accompanying loss of shame and disgrace in light of public disapproval -Dissension – being overly competitive in an effort to be victorious over others -Jealousy – a spirit of discontent that is never happy with what God has provided and desires the blessing given to another
The opposite of loving people is using people. The entire list that Paul forbids is one of selfishness where people use one another rather than love and serve one another. The only way to live in humble love that seeks the interests of others is to wake up every day and not just put clothes on your body but intentionally choose to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Just like every night we take off our dirty clothes, and every morning we put on clean clothes, we need to remember to do the same with our soul.
Personal Study Questions: 1. Since we are to owe no one anything but love, how are you doing at managing your finances, paying off your debts, and
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stewarding your wealth wisely? 2. What things on the list are you still wearing, if only now and then, that need to be taken off and kept off? What exactly are you going to do to make the needed changes in your life?
Group Discussion Questions: 1. What things on the list above has God already helped you to take off and not wear anymore? 2. What did Paul teach us about how we can access God’s love in Romans 5:5? 3. Since Paul’s big theme is that love is what pushes out sin and selfishness, take some time as a group to just read Scriptures that remind us of God’s love.
NOTES
24 25 CHAPTER 3 CHURCH FAMILY
Church Family: Supernatural Unity (Romans 14:1-12) 1As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Memory Verse: Romans 14:12 - …each of us will give an account of himself to God.
26 ROMANS 12-16
Summary: When a child is adopted into a family, they not only need to learn to relate to their parents but also to their new siblings. The same is true in God’s family called the Church. To be a Christian is to have a wide variety of brothers and sisters, not only in your church, but in other churches, who often disagree on various matters. The question of what to do about these disagreements, and how to relationally navigate possible division, is one of the most practical skills a Christian can learn. For starters, there are primary issues that are closed-handed, and secondary issues that are open-handed. Paul says this very thing, noting that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures is of “first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Think of primary, closed-handed issues like the national borders that divide different countries. Once you cross over these beliefs, you are into another religion. Examples For Christians of closed-handed issues include within a church, believing that the Bible is God’s Word and our highest authority; there is and between one God in three persons, referred to churches, our as the Trinity for shorthand; and that Jesus is fully God and fully human, unity is around lived without sin, died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead to Jesus Christ. forgive sin and conquer death, and is coming again to sentence those who do not turn from sin and trust in Him to Hell and deliver those who do to Heaven. Think of secondary, open-handed issues like state borders where you can be on either side of the line and still a citizen of the same nation. Examples would include which Bible translation you prefer, what style of worship music your church uses, how old you think the earth is, what you believe about supernatural spiritual gifts (e.g. speaking in tongues, healing, or prophecy), whether or not you drink alcohol, whether you baptize by sprinkling or immersion, how you choose to educate your children, what day of the week you gather with your church, and what denomination or tradition of Christian church you attend. What Paul is talking about in Romans 14:1-12 are secondary open-
27 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY handed issues between Christians. His examples include dietary choices, what day someone worships in church, and other “opinions” that are prone to cause unnecessary and unhelpful “quarrels” and “judgment” that cause brothers and sisters in Christ to even “despise” one another unnecessarily. What helps God’s people live together in unity is being devoted to the primary, closed-handed issues, and equally devoted to grace, love, and mercy on the secondary open- handed issues and discussing these with respect and liberty. The main reason Paul says we should not be judging one another on secondary issues is because Jesus is the Judge of us all, and if He is not going to judge someone for something, then we certainly should not judge them either. This kind of thing happens all the time when our Christian preferences become our Christian prejudices. Perhaps God used something powerful in your life (e.g. a worship song, a camp experience, book, sermon, Bible study, prayer meeting etc.) and you want everyone to have the same blessing you did, but your good intent turns to legalism when you demand that everyone do things your way and you judge and criticize those who do not. For Christians within a church, and between churches, our unity is around Jesus Christ. He is the vine, and we are the branches. None of our churches or ministries is the vine. So long as Jesus, and not us or our group, is our priority then we will have unity, which must be preserved by agreeing on what goes in the open and closed hand as our secondary and primary convictions.
Personal Study Questions: 1. When you have a decision to make about a Christian liberty, Paul has already outlined some helpful principles to guide your decision-making, so take a few moments and look up these Scriptures that lead up to this section of Romans 14:1-12: 1. Does this bring glory to God? (Rom. 11:36) 2. Is this driven by a renewed mind & transformed worldview? (Rom. 12:1-3) 3. Is this a demonstration of Christian love? (Rom. 12:9-21) 4. Does this break the law? (Rom. 13:1-8) 5. Does this further love for God and other people? (Rom. 13:8- 14)
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Group Discussion Questions: 1. Why is it so vital for Christians to understand and apply Paul’s principle in our relationships with other believers starting with our family and friends? What happens when we aren’t willing to fight for anything? What happens when we are willing to fight for everything? 2. What are some open-handed secondary issues that are so important to you that you are tempted to place them in the closed hand as primary issues? 3. If you were to wrongly judge other Christians on secondary issues, which one(s) would be your most likely candidate(s) and why? 4. As a group, have a fun discussion that remains kind and loving about which issues are primary and which should be secondary for the members of your group?
NOTES
29 30 ROMANS 12-16
Church Family: Supernatural Liberty (Romans 14:13-23) 13Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Memory Verse: Romans 14:23 - ...whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Summary: When Jesus came to the earth, He came as a Jewish man, speaking Hebrew, celebrating Jewish holidays, eating Jewish food, and singing Jewish songs. Jesus’ first disciples and followers were Jewish and shared the same culture as He did. Following Jesus’ resurrection from death and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, many non-Jewish Gentiles became Christian followers of Jesus which led to a long list of questions about what things were cultural and which things were biblical. Examples include the book of Galatians where the Gentiles were told they did not need to be circumcised, and 1 Corinthians where the Gentiles were told they could not long get drunk, attend pagan religious services in addition to church, have sex outside of heterosexual marriage, or be transgender.
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This same thing happens every time the gospel of Jesus Christ goes from one culture to another, or from one subculture to another. Missiologists call this “contextualizing” where the Christian church lives in the context of a culture and has to determine what to keep and reject in that culture. This is precisely what Paul, an apostolic missionary leader who has planted churches and been used by God to reach peoples across a variety of cultures, is teaching. Too often, Christians from one dominant culture impose their entire culture along with the Bible on a newly reached culture. The result is something called colonialism and is not what God wants as there is no culture on earth that is perfect and worthy of complete emulation. For this reason, in 14:17, Paul has the only reference to the Kingdom of God in the entire book of Romans. All Christians are to look up to the Kingdom of God to see how Jesus’ rule and reign is today in the unseen realm and will be forever when He returns to rule Earth by connecting the seen and unseen realms. This is what it means to live Kingdom Down, having King Jesus as our highest authority and His Kingdom as the culture we seek to emulate, so that His Kingdom will come and His will be done on earth as it is On secondary in Heaven just as He prayed. To issues, people help God’s people navigate various cultural issues, Paul reminds us matter more than that our conscience (a concept he introduced in Romans 2:12- the issue and the 16) must be considered so that relationship is every believer is living within their personal convictions. On various what matters in issues, people are strong enough the end. to use their full freedom in Christ without sinning, whereas in other areas people are weak and unable to use their full freedom in Christ without sinning. We are all weak and strong in different areas. For example, when it comes to drinking alcohol, I am strong and enjoy my freedom in Christ, but when it comes to movies or other programming with demonic themes or the harm of women and children, I cannot handle any of it as it troubles me at the level of the soul. For the sake of loving Christian unity that allows liberty, Paul’s exhortation would be for me to never
32 ROMANS 12-16 drink in the presence of someone who is a recovering alcoholic, or to go out on a double date with friends that demanded my wife and I watch a movie I could not, in good conscience, endure. On secondary issues, people matter more than the issue and the relationship is what matters in the end. The kinds of cultural issues to which Paul refers are constantly debated among Christians. Examples include celebrating Christmas, Halloween, and Easter which all have their origins in paganism; various entertainment from movies to songs and video games along with books and television shows; fashion trends from styles of clothing to jewelry and makeup for women; and gender issues regarding how men and women dress and present themselves to others. The list is seemingly endless. To help Christians think through various perspectives on these kinds of issues, I have used a simple taxonomy for many years that seems to be helpful: 1. Receive – there are some things in the culture that Christians can simply use which explains why most churches have a sound system along with air conditioning made by unbelievers; have a website hosted by unbelievers on the internet which is run by unbelievers; sing, pray, and preach in the language of their nation which is predominantly unbelievers; and receive all these technological advancements to try and further the cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 2. Reject – there are some things in the culture that Christians simply must reject, which explains why we do not have Christian pornography, Christian drug cartels, transgender Sunday school classes, same-sex marriage, or prayer meetings with cults and other religions. 3. Redeem – there are some things in the culture that can be used against God, but can also be redeemed for God. One example is Santa. Since Christmas and Santa are a big point of debate and disagreement between Christian parents, the following is a bit of a summary of how Christians have redeemed both.
Since Santa is so pervasive in our culture, it is nearly impossible to simply reject Santa as part of our annual cultural landscape. Still,
33 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY as parents raising our five kids we didn’t feel we could simply receive the entire story of Santa because there is a lot of myth built on top of a true story. As our kids grew up, we told our kids that Santa was a real person who did live a long time ago. We also explain how people dress up as Santa and pretend to be him for fun, kind of like how young children like to dress up as pirates, princesses, superheroes, and a host of other people, real and imaginary. We explain how, in addition to the actual story of Santa, a lot of other stories have been added (e.g., flying reindeer, living in the North Pole, delivering presents to every child in one night) so that Santa is a combination of true and make- believe stories. We do not, however, demonize Santa. Dressing up, having fun, and using the imagination God gave can be an act of holy worship and is something that, frankly, a lot of adults need to learn from children. What we are concerned about, though, is lying to our children. We teach them that they can always trust us because we will tell them the truth and not lie to them. Conversely, we ask that they be honest with us and never lie. Since we also teach our children that Jesus is a real person who did perform real miracles, our fear is that if we teach them fanciful, make-believe stories as truth, it could erode confidence in our truthfulness where it really matters. So, we distinguish between lies, secrets, surprises, and pretend for our kids. We ask them not to tell lies or keep secrets, but do teach them that some surprises (like gift-giving) and pretending (like dressing up) can be fun and should be encouraged. We tell them the truth and encourage them to have fun watching Christmas shows on television and even sitting on Santa’s lap for a holiday photo if they so desire. The larger-than-life myths surrounding Santa Claus actually emanate from the very real person of Saint Nicholas. Ancient records of his life are sparse, but the various pieces can be put together as a mosaic. Nicholas was born in the third century in Patara, a village in what is now Turkey, into an affluent family, but his parents died tragically when he was quite young. They had raised him to be a devout Christian, which led him to spend his great inheritance on helping the poor, especially giving gifts to children.
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Perhaps his most famous act of kindness was helping three sisters. Because their family was too poor to pay for their wedding dowry, three young Christian women were facing a life of prostitution until Nicholas paid their dowry, thereby saving them from a horrible life of sexual slavery. He grew to be a well-loved Christian leader and was eventually voted the Bishop of Myra, a port city that the apostle Paul had previously visited (Acts 27:5-6). Nicholas reportedly also traveled to the legendary Council of Nicaea, where he helped defend the deity of Jesus Christ in A.D. 325. Following his death on December 6, 343, he was canonized as a saint. This anniversary became a holiday when gifts were given in his memory, which eventually merged with Christmas, since they were celebrated within weeks of one another. During the Reformation, however, Nicholas fell out of favor with Protestants, who did not approve of canonizing certain people as saints and venerating them with holidays. His holiday was not celebrated in any Protestant country except Holland, where his legend as Sinterklass lived on. In Germany, Martin Luther replaced him with the Christ child as the object of holiday celebration, or, in German, Christkindl. Over time, the celebration of the Christ child was simply pronounced Kris Kringle and oddly became just another name for Santa Claus. The legends about Santa Claus are most likely a compilation of other folklore. For example, there was a myth in Nicholas’ day that a demon was entering people’s homes to terrorize children and that Nicholas cast it out of a home. This myth may explain why it was eventually believed that he came down people’s chimneys. Also, there was a Siberian myth (near the North Pole) that a holy man, or shaman, entered people’s homes through their chimneys to leave them mushrooms as gifts. He would hang them in front of the fire to dry and reindeer would reportedly eat them and become intoxicated and able to fly. This myth may have merged with the Santa Claus myth, and if so, explains him traveling from the North Pole to slide down chimneys and leave presents on fireplace mantles before flying away with reindeer. These stories of Santa Claus were first brought to America by Dutch immigrants. In the early twentieth century, stores began
35 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY having Santa Claus present for children during the Christmas season. Children also began sending letters to the North Pole as the legends surrounding an otherwise simple Christian man grew. In sum, Saint Nick was a wonderful man who loved and served Jesus faithfully. So, we gladly include him in our Christmas traditions to remind us of what it looks like for someone to live a life of devotion to Jesus as God. Our kids thank us for being both honest and fun, which we think is what Jesus wants as we tried to redeem Santa.
Personal Study Questions: 1. Is there anything you are participating in that you need to reject because it is ungodly, violates your conscience, or does not grow your faith in relationship to God? How will those changes happen? 2. Are there any people who you are causing to stumble into sin by your actions or the pressure you put on them? How can you apologize to them and start helping rather than hindering them?
Group Discussion Questions: 1. Why are most relationships more important than most issues? 2. In what areas are you strong enough to enjoy your Christian liberty? 3. In what areas are you too weak to enjoy your Christian liberty? 4. With love and grace, have some conversations about various issues each of you has questions about and whether something should be received, rejected, or redeemed.
NOTES
36 37 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY
Church Family: Supernatural Diversity (Romans 15:1-13) 1We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Memory Verse: Romans 15:13 - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Summary: One thing you learn quickly growing up in a family is that everyone in the family is incredibly different. It’s amazing how kids who grow up with the same parents in the same home attending the same church and school can come out completely differently in everything from their personality to their interests and beliefs. A family with adopted kids, or a blended family, has even more unique diversity to pull together for the sake of loving unity. The same is true in God’s family, the church. If you stop and think
38 ROMANS 12-16 about it for a moment, the church of Jesus Christ is incredible. For thousands of years, it has remained the largest and most diverse movement of any sort or kind in world history with more languages, nations, and cultures than any other movement of any sort. Paul tells us that the unity of our diverse global Church, as well as local churches, is all made possible through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Christ who seeks us, saves us, and continually serves us. Following in Jesus’ example, believers are invited to do the same and serve one another. We do this in seven ways. One, for brothers and sisters who have areas of weakness or a tender conscience on an issue, we do all we can to remain in relationship with them by seeking what is glorifying to God and good for them, even if it is an effort or inconvenience for us so that Since non-Christians they are built up in their watch how Christians maturity. Two, we walk in endurance treat one another, our with people who are more love is a powerful part wearying than we wished, and remain encouraged that God is of our evangelistic working on both us and them as we walk with Jesus together invitation to not just throughout the hills and valleys know God but also join of life. Three, we seek to live in the Father’s family. harmony with one another so that our voices join together as one in worship and our lives do the same throughout the week. Four, we welcome brothers and sisters into relationship and make the initiative to get to know others and extend a hand of friendship and fellowship to them without sitting back expecting everyone else to approach us. Five, like Jesus has served us, we look for practical ways to serve one another by being generous, lifting burdens, and giving grace. Six, all of this is made possible by life together in the Holy Spirit who allows us to increasingly walk in the character of Christ with hope that God is at work, joy in what God is doing and will do, and peace that the same God who is working in and through us is doing the same with all of His children.
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Lastly, these principles for supernatural unity amidst diversity are true not just with a Christian church or ministry, but between Christian churches and ministries. When believers fight in front of unbelievers the only person who wins is the Devil. Admittedly, just like siblings in a family have issues, and issues can and do arise between families in an extended family, how the family of God treats one another is incredibly important for three reasons. One, we carry the name of Christ as Christians and should want to conduct ourselves in such a way that honors Jesus Christ. Two, since non-Christians watch how Christians treat one another, our love is a powerful part of our evangelistic invitation to not just know God but also join the Father’s family. Three, if we really believe that fellow believers are in error we should, in love, seek to treat them in such a way that they are most likely to listen if we really hope to help them correct a bad course they have chosen. One thing my wife Grace and I have found very helpful to explain to our family and church family about unity and diversity is helping people distinguish between principles and methods. The Bible is filled with principles, but allows believers, guided by the Scriptures and their conscience under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, to determine their methods. For example, the Bible commands us to sing songs to the Lord together, hear the Word of God preached, and gather together. We are not told what music choice should accompany the singing or how many songs should be sung, what translation of the Bible should be used or how long the sermon should be, or what day or time we should gather and whether that should be in a church building, someone’s home, or under a tree, because all of those methods are fine. As Christians, our unity is in our principles and our diversity is in our methods. This explains why there is incredible unity in the Spirit in local churches and among churches and ministries so long as we understand that our way is not the only way to be obedient to God’s biblical principles.
Personal Study Questions: 1. If you are curious, you can look up the following verses for yourself to see the theme that God's heart has always been for us non-Jewish Gentiles. One Bible commentator says
40 ROMANS 12-16
"In Romans 15:9b-12, Paul again appeals to a string of OT Scriptures (see also Rom. 3:10-18; 9:25-29; 10:14-15). Paul employs his typical introductory phrases in citing the following four OT OT verses: Psa. 18:49 (Rom. 15:9b; possibly related to 2 Sam. 22:50); Deut. 32:43 (Rom. 15:10); Psa. 117:1 (Rom. 15:11); and Isa. 11:10 (Rom. 15:12). Further, commentators generally agree that the quotations are united thematically in their shared references to the Gentiles and to the praise of God."4
Group Discussion Questions: 1. Have you ever worshipped with believers from other denominations or traditions, or even from other nations and languages? How was there unity in the Spirit despite the diversity? 2. Paul says that everything written in the Old Testament is to give us encouragement and hope so that we have endurance to continue forward in our relationship with God. Take some time as a group and share which Old Testament stories have most helped you in this way. 3. Paul talks about the joy God and His people should have when new groups of people become Christians. Who are you praying for to meet Jesus (family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, extended family, former friends, etc.)? Spend some time in prayer for them as a group.
NOTES
41 42 CHAPTER 4 REAL MINISTRY
Real Ministry: Power (Romans 15:14-21) 14I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”
Memory Verse: Romans 15:20 - I make it my ambition to preach the gospel.
Summary: If you have ever jumped in a car needing to get somewhere on time and had a dead battery, then you know how frustrating it is to not have any power. What is true of moving forward in life is also true of moving forward in ministry. Jesus knew that there can be no real ministry progress without
43 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY divine power! In the opening chapter of Acts, Jesus reminded His first followers that the Holy Spirit descended on Him to empower His life and ministry, and that when He returned to His throne in the unseen heavenly realm, He would send the Holy Spirit down to do for Christians what the Spirit had done for Christ – empower life and ministry. The disciples were eager to begin telling the world about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but Acts 1:4-5 says, “he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” Shortly thereafter, Jesus’ prophecy came true, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the first believers on the Jewish day of Pentecost and the Church has been operating in divine, Holy Spirit power ever since, which explains why Christianity is the largest and most diverse movement of any kind in world history! In speaking of The entire ministry, Paul is clear in glorifying God by giving credit to the power of ministry of the the Holy Spirit in three ways. church in Rome One, Paul says that the strength of the ministry in Rome was because was because of of the Holy Spirit who brought the Holy Spirit. “goodness” and “knowledge” (15:14). While many churches had been planted by the apostles, including many planted under Paul’s leadership to non-Jewish Gentiles, no one is exactly sure who planted the church in Rome. We are told that there were “visitors from Rome” (Acts 2:10) who were among those saved when Peter preached Jesus at the Pentecost holiday in Jerusalem and the Holy Spirit fell. The general consensus is that, most likely, some of the people who were from the city of Rome and present at the Pentecost holiday (Acts 2:1-41) in Jerusalem became Christians and brought the message of Jesus with them upon their return home. The entire ministry of the church in Rome was because of the Holy Spirit and there was no human leader to point to as the cause of so much gospel ministry. Two, Paul says that the strength of his entire ministry was the grace of the Holy Spirit (15:14-19). Writing near the end of his life, he was the first theologian of the early church, and its most
44 ROMANS 12-16 active church planting evangelist. In roughly a decade of ministry, he walked an average of nearly 20 miles a day in the face of every conceivable form of opposition from different elements - demons, mob riots, enemies, governments, beatings, imprisonments, and sickness along with shipwrecks and loneliness. How did Paul have the power to keep pressing forward in ministry? It was the power of the Holy Spirit, and he asserts that anything good from his efforts came as the result of God’s power at work through him. Three, Paul says that his future ministry plans would also require the power of the Holy Spirit to make possible (15:20-21). The Roman Empire was the largest and most diverse and powerful nation on the earth in its day. God used Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles to preach the gospel and plant churches throughout the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire, and his goal was to extend into new regions where the Christian church had not yet taken root.
Personal Study Questions: 1. Paul says that, as the senior leader, God used him to lay a foundation that other people, with their various gifts, could then come and build on. Who did God use to lay the foundation of the church or ministry you are a part of, and what can you be doing in terms of giving, praying, and serving to build on that foundation? 2. Paul was sent to be the means by which God saved people. Who did God send to minister to you? How can you thank them this week?
Group Discussion Questions: 1. There is a debate about Paul’s words in 15:16, “the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable” and whether that refers to a financial gift that was given to hurting Jewish believers in Jerusalem, or all of a person’s life devoted as a new Christian to God. Every time someone comes to worship God in the Bible, they bring a sacrifice. Paul told us in 12:1 to offer the entire life we live in our body as a “living sacrifice” and so it seems both views are equally correct. Why is it important to give both your wealth and your life to God? What happens if both of those things do not happen?
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2. Paul says that evangelism and ministry are both “by word and deed”. Some people are moved by persuasion – getting their objections answered by someone who thinks deeply. Other people are moved by power – they see God heal someone or show up in supernatural ways and are convinced of what the Bible reveals about God. Which has God most used in your life? 3. Paul’s heart is to tell people about Jesus who have either not heard about Him or not yet received Him. Who are you praying the same for and looking for opportunities to speak with about Jesus?
NOTES
46 47 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY
Real Ministry: Planning (Romans 15:22-33) 22This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. 30I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Memory Verse: Romans 15:33 - May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Summary: When I was in high school, a friend of mine’s dad had a lake house. My friend kept a small sailboat there and he had mastered the art of sailing. In one hand, he would hold the sail, and in the other, he would hold the rudder. I watched in amazement as he was able to captain both perfectly and simultaneously as we cut through the water having a fun day out on the lake. Everything changed, however, when he prodded me to try to do the job myself. I tried. We are lucky we lived. I could not get the hang of coordinating the sail and the rudder simultaneously. When I got the sail right, I got the rudder wrong, and we got flung in circles. When I got the rudder right, I got the sail wrong, and we were poised to go in the right direction but dead in the water without any power.
48 ROMANS 12-16
As he nears the end of his letter to the Romans, Paul is telling a church he did not found and has not yet visited about his ministry. In Romans 15:14-21, he told us about the power of the Holy Spirit, which is the sail of his ministry. In Romans 15:22-33, he tells us about his ministry plan, which is the rudder of his ministry. Paul’s example is a model ministry, explaining his incredible success, and is one all churches and ministries should follow. For starters, the ministry plan throughout Paul’s life was urban- centered. A reading of the history book of early Christianity, Acts, reveals Christianity began as an urban movement led by Paul, whose itinerant church planting ministry was almost exclusively urban, as he moved from city to city and bypassed the rural areas. Historians like Rodney Stark and Wayne Meeks say that, by 300 AD, upwards of half of the people living in major Roman cities were Christian, while more than 90 percent of those living in the countryside were still pagan. Curiously, our word “pagan” likely came from the Greek word paganus which meant “someone who lives on the farm” as most of the Christians One of the reasons lived in cities and most pagans Christians in our day lives on farms. Indeed, God’s people should bring the gospel to any place are to love the city as that there are people since God loves they await the all people, but, since there are more unveiling of Jesus’ people in the city it also makes sense that bringing the gospel to cities city is because the city would be a priority. is the most strategic One of the reasons Christians place for Christians in our day are to love the city as and the gospel. they await the unveiling of Jesus’ city is because the city is the most strategic place for Christians and the gospel. If culture is like a river, then cities are upstream creating culture that then flows downstream to the masses. Because government, law, education, healthcare, information, media, arts, sports, entertainment, trade, travel, population, and industry are concentrated most in a city, cities are the fountains from which culture flows. Therefore, the flight of Christians away from cities, to only then complain about the kind of culture that is flowing into the culture from the cities, is both foolish and hypocritical. The answer is
49 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY for Christians to love the city, move to the city, pray for the city, and serve the city. Having established the gospel in Christian churches throughout the eastern provinces of the vast Roman Empire, Paul's plan was to seek to do the same in the western province, starting in Spain. The purpose of his letter to the church in Rome was to invite them to support his ministry with prayer, leadership, and financing. If you have ever received a fundraising letter asking you to support someone on a mission trip, then you understand the big purpose of Paul’s letter to the Romans–yes, it is the most incredible mission trip fundraising letter ever written!
Personal Study Questions: 1. Paul was writing the letter to the church in Rome to solicit their support in work, prayer, and funding. Where is God calling you to do the same? What exactly will this look like? 2. Paul knows that he will face incredible resistance and difficult odds to keep preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, so he asks the people to be praying for him. Who is preaching the gospel that you can be praying for and how can you encourage them this week?
Group Discussion Questions: 1. Paul’s ministry model includes both God’s power and our planning. What have you seen happen when you have one but not the other? 2. Are you stronger at praying for God’s power or planning and architecting? 3. Paul speaks of the “joy” it is to get together with God’s people and be “refreshed”. Take some time to share how you have experienced this in the group to encourage one another. 4. Paul ends this section with a prayer: “May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” How can people in the group be praying for one another?
50 ROMANS 12-16
NOTES
51 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY
Real Ministry: People (Romans 16:1-16) 1I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
Memory Verse: Romans 16:1-2 - I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.
Summary: As a brand-new Christian, like many other people, I started reading the Bible from cover to cover. In the Old Testament, I quickly reached the lengthy lists of names for people's families and, since I did not know those people, I just skipped those lists. When I got to the New Testament, I also found lists of names of people that were in various church families and I pretty much did the same–I ignored
52 ROMANS 12-16 them. Having now been a Christian studying the Bible for more than three decades, I actually find the lists with people’s names to be fascinating. Why? Because people are fascinating. Everyone’s testimony of how God saved them, changed them, and used them for ministry is fascinating. It never gets old hearing about God’s grace at work for, in, and through someone. What is interesting about the list of names at the end of Romans is that he is writing to a church he did not plant and has never visited. These dear saints, however, were known and Paul uses the end of his letter to express his gratitude to them. Some years ago, I was speaking at a conference that leaned toward the overly conservative and religious end of the Christian continuum. After sitting in the event for most of the day waiting my turn to speak, I noticed that no one on the platform thanked or Paul is honoring honored anyone else the entire people who do day. So, when I got up, I named some of the people who were ministry faithfully serving that day both from the and humbly, and platform and behind the scenes to thank them for their hard work we should do the that we were benefited by. I then preached my message and, upon same. walking off the stage, was pulled aside and reprimanded by the host of the event. He said I had sinned because glory belongs to God alone. In return, I rebuked him explaining that God often chooses to do His work through people and so there is a difference between glory, which belongs to God alone, and gratitude, which is also fitting for humble, faithful servants through whom He chooses to do His work. This is the heart of what Paul is doing in Romans 16:1-16. In this section, Paul is honoring people who do ministry faithfully and humbly, and we should do the same. This letter was likely read in the church, and for people who likely ranged from well-known leaders up front to unknown servants behind the scenes to have their names mentioned in thankfulness by none other than the apostle Paul had to be incredibly encouraging and set in motion a culture of honor and thankfulness, which is crucial for a healthy
53 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY church. Curiously, Paul mentions at least 26 people, in addition to two families and numerous churches meeting in homes and praises more women than men. Some of the people mentioned we know a bit about. Phoebe is a woman who was a generous donor to Paul’s ministry. Prisca (also called Priscilla in other parts of the Bible) and Aquila were a dynamic duo ministry couple who were part of multiple ministry projects with Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:1-11; 1 Cor. 16:19-20), Ephesus (Acts 18:19; 2 Tim. 4:19), and Rome (Rom. 16:3-5). As a pastor, I find it incredible that arguably the most richly theological Christian document ever written, which ignited the entire Protestant Reformation, ends with casual loving greetings to regular Christians serving in a local church. Some commentators sadly consider this an afterthought but, as a pastor, it reveals to me that the entire point of Bible study and theology is people in the church filled with the Spirit, serving Jesus together like a family, and building healthy loving relationships not only within the church but also between “all the churches”.
Personal Study Questions: 1. Paul writes a letter to encourage and thank some people. Is there a person or group of people for whom you could do the same thing by writing a letter to encourage and thank them?
Group Discussion Questions: 1. Make note of the things Paul thanks various people for in this list of names and share them as a group. What stands out to you as you read these commendations? 2. Make note of some of the relationships Paul mentions of people who are working together in ministry (e.g. relatives, married couples, etc.). What stands out to you? 3. Paul mentions the unity and love of “all the churches”. Why is it important that we not just love and support our church, but all churches that love Jesus and believe the Bible? What churches in your area can the group be praying for?
54 ROMANS 12-16
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55 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY
56 ROMANS 12-16
Real Ministry: Problems (Romans 16:17-27) 17I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. 25Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Memory Verse: Romans 16:17 - I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.
Summary: Everything God builds, Satan tries to break. Division started in heaven long before it arrived on the earth in the church. Satan had a different vision than God. Holy angels sided with God and unholy angels created a faction, siding with Satan and supporting his division. Today there is one vision and no division in heaven. The faction of demonic division is now present across the earth as Satan counterfeits what God creates to make confusion and division. The Bible uses the metaphor of Jesus as our Chief or Good Shepherd, with Christian leaders as shepherds, people as vulnerable sheep, and the presence of wolves working for Satan—who is their
57 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY alpha—leading the entire pack. Just as the devil and his demons attacked in heaven, so too they continue their attack on the earth. People who ignore or underestimate the presence of spiritual wolves put themselves in harm’s way, which is why the Bible gives repeated warnings about evil people. Hundreds of times the Bible speaks of evil people as “the wicked”. Evil people are dangerous and cause harm intentionally. Often, they have suffered abuse or trauma that has contributed to bitterness and opened them up to demonic influence. If they don’t heal from the hurt, the evil done to them can reside in them and No one is beyond work through them. Evil people God’s help, but respond to their own hurt by hurting others. They are tormented, and some people are so they torment others. They live beyond our help. by the demonic values of fear and punishment and can be threatening, controlling, demanding, and domineering. With an evil person, it is a win-lose war, and they want to win and make everyone else lose. Evil people have little to no compassion for anyone but themselves and are often unconcerned about the pain and harm they inflict upon others. Wise people live by the Spirit, foolish people live by the flesh, and evil people live by the power of demonic forces. Evil people have three kinds of relationships. When you encounter an evil person, you must choose which kind of relationship you will have. 1. Two evil people form a dangerous relationship like wolves form a pack. 2. An evil person and a foolish person have an abusive relationship like a wolf with a sheep. 3. An evil person and a wise person have a distant relationship like a wolf with a shepherd. To close Romans, Paul acts as the shepherd warning the sheep about the wolves. Christians think of sin in terms of what we do in life—doing a bad thing or not doing a good thing—but sin also includes (and often starts with) the people we do life with. Satan has a long history of working through evil people to try and build relationships with God’s people.
58 ROMANS 12-16
This pattern starts when Satan shows up uninvited in the garden asking our first parents to partake in a meal together, which is how friendships form. The devil did the same thing with the Lord Jesus, asking Him to break bread after 40 days of fasting. Satan also brought Judas to the Last Supper and Jesus knew when to release the evil disciple. “Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’” (John 13:27) Sometimes we have to release an evil person and simply keep our distance from them, no longer having a relationship with them. No one is beyond God’s help, but some people are beyond our help. Until they turn to God seeking His help, and possibly meet with a licensed professional, there is not much we can do to assist them. Paul warns against some people for the same reason that a parent tells children not to talk to strangers–because he is compelled by love and wisdom. Like any family, the church needs to have a front door that is open for friends and guests but closed for enemies and troublemakers.
Personal Study Questions: 1. Are you a person who is prone toward division, gossip, drama, conflict, or mistrust? Be honest and if there is anything in you that leans this direction, spend some time repenting to God and inviting the Holy Spirit to change your heart and life. 2. Is there anyone you are listening to, siding with, tolerating, or being influenced by who is negative, divisive, or unhealthy? If so, what does a clear healthy boundary look like with them? How can you “avoid them”?
Group Discussion Questions: 1. In all honesty, do you struggle with discernment if someone says they are a believer or are in a church/ministry? Why is it important not to be jaded regarding people, but discerning? 2. What are some of the ways you have seen Satan bring division into a church/ministry as a divisive person seeks to influence the “naïve” who need to learn to “avoid them”? 3. How can you be praying for the leaders in your church to be good shepherds who love and protect the sheep from the wolves?
59 THEOLOGY FOR EVERYBODY
NOTES
60 ROMANS 12-16
61 NOTES
1. Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996), 748–749. 2. Leon Morris, The Epistle to the Romans, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1988), 432. 3. Douglas J. Moo, Romans, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), 393. 4. Derek R. Brown and E. Tod Twist, Romans, ed. Douglas Mangum, Lexham Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014), Ro 15:1–13.
62 MARK DRISCOLL & REAL FAITH
ith Pastor Mark, it’s all about Jesus! Mark and his wife Grace have Wbeen married and doing vocational ministry together since 1993. They also planted The Trinity Church with their five kids in Scottsdale, Arizona as a family ministry (thetrinitychurch.com) and started Real Faith, a ministry alongside their daughter Ashley that contains a mountain of Bible teaching from Pastor Mark as well as content for women, men, parents, pastors, leaders, Spanish-speakers, and more.
Pastor Mark has been named by Preaching Magazine one of the 25 most influential pastors of the past 25 years. He has a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University as well as a master’s degree in exegetical theology from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. For free sermons, answers to questions, Bible teaching, and more, visit RealFaith.com or download the Real Faith app.
Together, Mark and Grace have authored “Win Your War” and “Real Marriage”. Pastor Mark has authored numerous other books including “Spirit-Filled Jesus”, “Who Do You Think You Are?”, “Vintage Jesus”, and “Doctrine”. Pastor Mark and his daughter Ashley Chase have also written "Pray Like Jesus" as a father-daughter project.
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