Romans Chapter 15 Continued Romans 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. “Admonish”: meaning to encourage, warn or advise. This is a comprehensive term for preaching and personal counseling. Every believer is responsible to encourage and strengthen other believers with God’s Word and is divinely equipped to do so. Colossians 1:9-10 For this cause we also, since the day we heard [it], do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; “Goodness” means high moral character. The believers in Rome hated evil and loved righteousness, attitudes their lives clearly displayed. “Knowledge” refers to deep intimate knowledge indicating that the Roman believers were doctrinally sound, illustrating the fact that truth and virtue are inseparable. All Christians should pray for each other and share the knowledge that God has revealed to each of them. Romans 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, I Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which [was bestowed] upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Paul is saying that his call to the Gentiles was by the grace of God, not because of any special thing he did. Paul was really not called to the physical house of Israel, but to the heathen. Galatians 2:9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we [should go] unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. We are to assume from this that Paul and Barnabas were called to bring the gospel message to the heathen and Peter, James, and John were to minister to the natural house of Israel. In spite of their spiritual strength, these Christians needed to be reminded of truths they already knew but could easily neglect or even forget. Romans 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. We know at first the Jews would not believe that God had sent the message to the Gentile. Acts 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? After the Holy Ghost came upon the Gentile, as well as those of the circumcision, then they could not deny that God had accepted them as well. The word sanctified means set aside for Gods purpose. We can see the call of Paul in the 26th chapter of Acts. He was specifically called to the Gentiles as you can plainly see in the next few verses. We will pick up right after Jesus has encountered Paul on the road to Damascus. Acts 26:15-18 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and [from] the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, [and] to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Having referred to himself as a minister, a word with priestly overtones, Paul explains that his priestly ministry is to present to God an offering of a multitude of Gentile converts. Romans 15:17 I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. Paul is saying in this Scripture that his glory is in Jesus. In the 11th chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul goes to great extremes to show the suffering he has gone through for Christ. He is quick to say that the only glory he has, or we have, is in Christ. Paul never boasted of his accomplishments as an apostle, but only in what Christ had accomplished through him. Romans 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, I Corinthians 3:6-8 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. “For we are labourers together with God: ye are Gods husbandry, [ye are] Gods building. Paul is saying above, and these verses here also, that all who labor for God are doing it in the power and might that God has provided us with. We may preach and minister to someone for years and never see that person come to Christ. Someone else whom God has sent may put the final piece of the message together for that person and they may accept Christ. It is not always the one who plants the seed that brings in the crop. The rewards will all be given out in heaven anyway. Romans 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. When Jesus sent the disciples out two by two, He said these signs shall follow them. Mark 16:17-18 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. We know that these miracles are not done in the flesh, but are gifts of the Spirit of God. God used them to authenticate true preaching and teaching. I Corinthians 12:8-11 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. Paul explains that his ministry was accompanied with these very signs and wonders. He quickly explains that they are not by his great ability, but through the power of the Spirit of God. Notice that in Pauls ministry, it was not just one of these gifts that manifested itself, but many. The Scripture above says that, believers can receive several gifts. We must pray and ask God to give us the gifts that will help in our ministering. Illyricum is a region that roughly corresponds to the former European country of Yugoslavia. From Jerusalem to Illyricum was a span of some 1400 miles. Romans 15:20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another mans foundation: Paul is saying in this that he went out as a missionary to areas where Christ had not yet been preached. His goal was to reach those who had never heard the gospel which is the primary function of a New Testament evangelist. He planted the first seed of Christianity in many of these places. He is saying that he is not building upon the work that Jesus has already started, but went about starting new churches where there were no churches. I Corinthians 3:9-11 For we are labourers together with God: ye are Gods husbandry, [ye are] Gods building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Romans 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. Again, here, Paul is saying that the people he went to had had no other disciples bringing them the salvation message. These you might say had been heathen people. Paul tried his best to bring this message to his Jewish brothers, but they as a whole rejected his message. Of course, there were exceptions to that, but as a whole they did not receive him. The Gentiles were the ones who really received Paul and his message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many churches, like the church at Philippi, owe their beginning to Pauls teaching. “It is written” is a quote from Isaiah 52:15. That Old Testament quotation refers primarily to Christ’s second coming, but in its broader application it refers to the process of evangelism that began in Paul’s day and continues throughout church history until Christ returns. Romans Chapter 15 Continued Questions 1. In Romans 15:14, Paul said they were filled with what? 2. What does admonish mean? 3. In Colossians 1:9, Paul says he has what desire for them? 4. How were they to be pleasing unto God? 5. When we receive some morsel of truth from God, what are we to do with it? 6. Paul says [I am what I am] by what? 7. Pauls call to the Gentiles was by what? 8. Who was Paul called to minister to? 9. What 3 men did Paul say seemed to be pillars? 10. Who was called to the circumcision? 11. How were the Gentiles to be sanctified? 12. What were those of the circumcision so surprised at that happened to the Gentiles? 13. What does sanctified mean? 14. In what chapter of Acts do we see the call of Paul to the ministry? 15. The message of Paul to the Gentiles was to _____ their eyes. 16. In Romans 15:17, how did Paul glory? 17. What chapter of 1 Corinthians tells of the hardships that Paul went through? 18. Paul says he planted, Apollos watered, and who gave the increase? 19. How do all the laborers of God do the work that God has called them to do? 20. Where will the rewards be given out? 21. Through mighty _______ and __________, by the power of the Spirit of God, Paul preached. 22. What signs followed those who Jesus sent out to minister? 23. What are some of the gifts we receive through the Spirit of God? 24. Is it possible to receive more than one gift of the Spirit? 25. Where did Paul preach? 26. What does Paul call himself in 1 Corinthians 3:10? 27. What is the only foundation acceptable to build upon? 28. Who were the people who received Pauls message that he started churches for? 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Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 01:54:48 +0000
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