INTERNET BIBLE STUDIES Romans Lesson 19
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Romans Chapter 15:1-33

Memory verses for this week: 1 John 5:18  We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.. 

Introduction:     Last week, in  chapter 14, we studied on how we should honor our weak brothers and sisters in Christ by trying to live a life that they could not find fault with.   In Paul’s day, many thought eating meat sacrificed to idols was an abomination.   Paul said that if his brother felt that way, he would eat no meat in his presence.  In today’s world, there are many instances where mature Christians can help to bring along a weaker brother by having some tolerance due to their lack of understanding.

 

I.                    The Duty of the Strong Christian toward the Weaker 

Rom 15:1  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Rom 15:2  Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. 

We have a duty to help others, especially the Christian that has a deeper knowledge of God’s Word.  When we have a thorough and “more complete” understanding of God’s Word, then we can be a great asset to the weaker Christian and bear the infirmities of the weak.   We can do many things to help, but one of the greatest is to encourage that brother or sister with the Word of God.   To have an effective witness, we need to live a Godly, separated life that honors God and lets that weak person have confidence in us.

Gal 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Gal 6:3  For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 

God desires that we seek to please our neighbor for his edification.   When we do this, we can gain that person with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

1 Cor 9:19  For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

1 Cor 9:20  And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

1 Cor 9:21  To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

1 Cor 9:22  To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 

Paul did not mean that we should live in sin and do the things the people of the world do.  What he meant was that he got on common ground with the man or woman he was trying to reach, and did everything in his power to see that person came to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.  When we ask a few questions, it is amazing how much we have in common one with another.  And those common things give us a way for the person we are dealing with to have some confidence in us.   Until the person we are witnessing to knows us well enough to trust us, it is unlikely we will be effective in leading them to the Lord.  But if our lives have been consistent and we know the Word of God, we can be effective.   It is important to realize that only those that the Holy Spirit draws to God will ever come to know Christ as Savior.   But when we preach the Gospel, we see the Lord being faithful to deal with that lost sinner.

1 Cor 10:24  Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. 

Phil 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Phil 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 

Rom 14:19  Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 

Rom 15:3  For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 

Christ is our ultimate example.  He lived not for himself, but lived to do the very will of the Father. 

Mat 26:39  And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 

John 5:30  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. 

Heb 10:5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

Heb 10:6  In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

Heb 10:7  Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 

The very heartbeat of Jesus was to do the Will of the Father.  How effective could you and I be if we had that same kind of determination?  

The Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, were written for our learning.  If you think of all the things penned, there are many wonderful promises and things of faith to encourage us.  But look at all the failures of man that were recorded.  God did this to show us that we are no different than those who have gone before us, and those that drew near to God and stayed faithful were the most successful.  Those who followed the ways of the world paid a dear price.  These examples are for our learning.   We won’t live long enough to make all the mistakes.  Let us learn from these people of old not to sin and make mistakes, but follow in the “good paths” that lead to righteousness and honor and glorify God.

1 Cor 10:1  Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

1 Cor 10:2  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

1 Cor 10:3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

1 Cor 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

1 Cor 10:5  But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

1 Cor 10:6  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 

Rom 4:23  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

Rom 4:24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

Rom 4:25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Rom 15:5  Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

Rom 15:6  That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 15:7  Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. 

Paul desired that the Romans might be like Christ in patience and in giving comfort to one another.  He wanted us to have one mind that spoke the same thing to the honor and glory of God.   All of this was to be based upon the mind of Christ.

 

1 Cor 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 

Each man was to receive the others in love as Christ first received us.  Think how difficult it would be to love an enemy that truly hates you.  That is what Jesus did when He died for us, the just dying for the unjust.   While we were yet enemies to God, Christ died for the ungodly.

 

II.                  The Ministry of Jesus Christ 

Rom 15:8  Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: 

Jesus was a minister to the Jews in order to show God’s truthfulness.  This was done by confirming the promises made to the Jews in their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

Rom 15:9  And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

Rom 15:10  And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.

Rom 15:11  And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

Rom 15:12  And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

Rom 15:13  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. 

In these verses, we see several quotations out of the Old Testament.  “For this cause” is taken from Psalm 18:49.

Psa 18:49  Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. 

Verse 10 is taken from Deut. 32:43.  Verse 11 comes from Psalms 117:1 and verse 12 is taken from Isaiah 11:1-10. 

Isa 11:1  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

Isa 11:2  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

Isa 11:3  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

Isa 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Isa 11:5  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Isa 11:6  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Isa 11:7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Isa 11:8  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Isa 11:10  And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 

The root of Jesse is of course Jesus Christ.  All of these verses and fulfillment of scripture were given it says in verse 13 that we might be filled with joy, peace, and hope.  The Christian should be the happiest person on the earth.  Not only do we have a great life, but we have a promise of eternal life beyond this journey here on earth.  As Paul said, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.    We should never be negative or walk around with our shoulders hung low like we have not a friend.  We have the greatest friend this world has ever known, and that is Jesus Christ. 

2 Cor 5:6  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

2 Cor 5:7  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

2 Cor 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

 

III.                Paul’s Ministry to the Gentiles 

Rom 15:14  And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 

Paul had a lot of confidence in the Romans.  He says he is persuaded that they are full of goodness and filled with knowledge.  When you are full of goodness and have true knowledge, you will admonish  your fellow brother and sister in the work of the Lord. 

Rom 15:15  Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,

 Paul had confidence in these members of the church there in Rome, and he said that he wrote to them boldly to stimulate them… putting you in mind.   This was due to the grace that God had given him, and due to the trust Paul had in these men and women.  If we as a church want others to have confidence in us, we need to put the things of God forefront in the church.  When a church forgets its number one priority of preaching the gospel, the church suffers.  But when we keep our priorities straight and obey God’s commandments, we have a testimony that others can see. 

John 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 

Rom 15:16  That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

Rom 15:17  I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. 

We see the reason why Paul had received this grace.  It was so that he might be a minister of God to the Gentiles and that they, the Gentiles, might be consecrated by the Holy  Spirit making them acceptable unto God.

 

IV.               The Results of Paul’s Ministry 

Rom 15:18  For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,

Rom 15:19  Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 

Paul had a great desire to tell what Christ had done with and through him to make the Gentiles obedient in their lives.  By mighty signs and wonders, Paul had preached the gospel of Christ.   This was done by the power of the Holy Spirit.   Today, when we reach others for Christ, the Holy Spirit is still there as He has always been.  But we do not have those same powers to do the wonders that the apostles had in the early days.  Jesus Himself did many signs that we might believe on His name as the true Son of God. 

1 Cor 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

1 Cor 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

1 Cor 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 

John 20:30  And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

John 20:31  But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. 

Rom 15:20  Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:

Rom 15:21  But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand. 

Paul had absolutely no desire to build upon another man’s foundation.  The only foundation that we can build on that will last is the foundation of Jesus Christ. 

1 Cor 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Cor 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

1 Cor 3:13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

1 Cor 3:14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

1 Cor 3:15  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

Paul had an ambition to fulfill.  It Charles Hodges commentary on Romans, he had this to say about verse 21.   

“It had been foretold in Isaiah 52:15 that Christ would be preached to the Gentiles and to those who had never heard of his name, and Paul  acted in accordance with this prediction.  Paul endeavored to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was named, but to cause those to see to whom he had not been announced, and those to understand who had not heard.”   The Jews should have known Christ as he had been promised all through the Old Testament.  But they did not know Him when He came unto His own.

 

V.                 Paul Anticipated a Visit to Rome 

Rom 15:22  For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.

Rom 15:23  But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you;

Rom 15:24  Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company. 

We can tell by these verses that Paul had a great desire to go to Rome.   ”These many years” spoken of in verse 23 point to how continually the Roman Christians were on his mind.  Paul had tried to come, but was providentially hindered several times.   We see he plans to visit there on his journey to Spain.

 

VI.               The Collection for Poor Saints 

Rom 15:25  But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

Rom 15:26  For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

Rom 15:27  It hath 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 unto them in carnal things.

Rom 15:28  When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.

Rom 15:29  And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. 

We have a record in these verses of Paul’s business there in Jerusalem.  He came to take a collection to the poor in Jerusalem.  God is honored when we help our fellow Christians who are in need.  The love gift he brought was from the churches in Macedonia and Achaia. 

Acts 24:17  Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.

Acts 24:18  Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.

 

2 Cor 8:1  Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;

2 Cor 8:2  How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

2 Cor 8:3  For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;

2 Cor 8:4  Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 

 

VII.  Paul’s Request for Prayer 

Rom 15:30  Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;

Rom 15:31  That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;

Rom 15:32  That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

Rom 15:33  Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Paul asked that they pray for him to be delivered from unbelievers in Judea and that his service might be found acceptable to the saints.   We should always desire that any contribution given is received in the same spirit as it was given.

He desired that he might come to them with joy and have time to rest with them.   Apparently, God answered those prayers.

 

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Prov 4:18  But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

 

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