Romans 16:1-27 - Final Commendations, Greetings, and Warnings

Romans 16:1-27 

Sister Phoebe Commended

1 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.

Greeting Roman Saints

3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house.

Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who labored much for us. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

8 Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. 10 Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.

Avoid Divisive Persons

17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Greetings from Paul’s Friends

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you.

22 I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.

23 Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. 24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Benediction

25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— 27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

The end of the letter to the Roman church is full of final thoughts dealing with a commendable, many greetings, a warning against divisive people in the church, and a final benediction of grace.  The commendation to Phoebe who served the church in Cenchrea reminds them of her need for assistance in her ministry of helps (1 Corinthians 12:28) within the body.  They saints (all who are called in Christ) were exhorted to lend her a hand to help the helper in a worthy way for them to show the unity and love in supporting that ministry just as we should be doing in various ministries in our churches today as we commend those who serve in all aspects and roles according to the gifts given each one.  Then Paul goes on to pass on greetings to many there such as the venerable Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:2-3, 1 Corinthians 16:19) who were his co-laborers of the gospel in Christ and all those of the church that met in their house.  This couple had risked their own lives to provide for the apostle as he brought the gospel amidst staunch opposition from those rejecting Christ.  They lived as crucified to Christ by bearing the cross of death to themselves daily in sacrificial living and ministry.  We ought to doubly honor such people.  He goes on to mention many others by name equally needing greeting and commendations from him, such as Tryphena and Tryphosa and the beloved Persis, who all labored much in the Lord, approved in Christ and working out their salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13) along with Paul.  He summed up the greetings with a holy kiss of brotherly love to each and a greeting from all the churches of Jesus Christ in addition to his own affections and thanksgiving for their work in the gospel.  He then gave the warnings against those rising up from within (Acts 20:29-31) and without (2 Corinthians 7:5), for there are always those who cause trouble as they stir up division among the brethren and set snares to cause others to stumble spiritually through bad teaching and even worse motives and examples.  These are self-serving instead of humble servants as commended earlier who work to flatter and mislead believers to deceive those not mature in Christ according to sound understanding of the scriptures.  We are to disciple others to be wise concerning what is good and simple concerning the evil wiles of the enemy’s attack (Matthew 10:16, Philippians 2:15) so as not to start thinking or participating in those things which dishonor the Lord and His people.  We have the assurance of victory over the evil adversary in the omnipotent Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57) who is Sovereign over all.  The end of the letter appears here in the final verses (or in the majority of extant Greek manuscripts after Romans 14:23) to remind the Romans and us of the power of God to establish us in the faith and work of the gospel as the mystery hidden from the beginning is shown in and to and through us (Colossians 1:27) as the scriptures reveal (Luke 24:26-27, Acts 17:2-3) that all who are called out of every nation, people, and language may obey the gospel through repentance and faith to glorify God in Christ For revealing Himself to us and through us to the world and the heavenly realms!

Romans 15:14-33 - Preaching by the Spirit of God

Romans 15:14-33 

From Jerusalem to Illyricum

14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient— 19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, 21 but as it is written:

“To whom He was not announced, they shall see;
And those who have not heard shall understand.”

Plan to Visit Rome

22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you. 23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, 24 whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. 25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. 27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. 29 But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you. 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Paul journeyed with the gospel all over the known world surrounding the Mediterranean from the beginning in Jerusalem all around between Italy and modern turkey in the Roman province of Illyricum, roughly corresponded to today's Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia.  He faithfully proclaimed the good news of the life, teachings, atoning death on a cross of cursing to save us, and resurrection to life from death that all who come to Him share in.  He also made it clear that the power and wisdom to do this was entirely from God’s Spirit working in and through him with empowering and enabling grace.  He wrote to encourage the believers in Rome near the end of this letter to remind them that their spiritual growth was visible and effective to reach others as well; they were commended for their goodness, extensive scriptural knowledge, and ability to admonish one another with godly wisdom by that same Spirit working in them.  We do well to likewise encourage one another’s sanctification to spur each other on (Hebrews 10:24-25) as we meet in our assemblies today.  Paul also wrote to remind them boldly on points needing work or clarification to keep them on track similarly as Apollos needed direction early in his walk of faith (Acts 18:24-25, 26-28) but with a more mature group of readers in Rome he addressed here.  He was able to speak directly to them like this because he was known and trusted as minister chosen by God to speak truth in love to them.  May we who serve also be so well known as His and trusted for the work of God’s wisdom and love in and through us as well!  Then we see how he ministered the gospel to the non-Jews who were also called by the gospel as God’s people in Jesus Christ as set apart for God by His Spirit working in them just as He did among the Jews at Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.  The apostle only had reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God and not himself or his own abilities or knowledge, and did not dare to speak to claim or boast of anything that Christ had not accomplished through him by that power and wisdom of God.  He boasted in Christ and His Spirit working in him as we also must continue to do as we imitate him (1 Corinthians 11:1) who imitated Christ.  Paul also set the example of a missionary who does not constantly retrace the steps of others before him but who endeavors to reach the unreached who need the gospel.   He quoted Isaiah 52:15 to proclaim the good news to those who have not yet heard that they might have their ears opened to understand and have faith to believe and receive Jesus Christ for deliverance from the penalty of sin, namely God’s eternal wrath, and be granted eternal life by grace.  He went on to share his plans to continue on to Rome to see them face to face after aiming to do so for such a long time and necessitating this letter until then.  He also let on that his intent was to continue spreading the gospel around Italy all the way to Spain that the whole known Greek speak world of the Empire might hear and turn from sin to Him who died and rose again.  He spoke of ministering monetary support along with the spiritual which holds as a pattern even today for the church for the ministry of the word of God with God’s blessing.  He ended this passage by asking for their prayer support born out of love put in their hearts as they strived with him to tell everyone this good news and serve the saints of Jesus Christ who are all called in Him (1 Corinthians 1:2) as their acceptable service of worship (Romans 12:1) until he arrived with joy and refreshing fellowship by the will of God who brings His servants together.  May we do likewise!

Romans 15:1-13 - Bearing with Believers in Joyful Faith

Romans 15:1-13 

Bearing Others’ Burdens

1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Glorify God Together

7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written:

“For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles,
And sing to Your name.”

10 And again he says:
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”

11 And again:
“Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles!
Laud Him, all you peoples!”

12 And again, Isaiah says:
“There shall be a root of Jesse;
And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,
In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We who are called into Christ are called to bear with fellow believers in their weak areas of faith as we all grow in our conformity to our Lord.  We should not put our own interests above those of others who need encouragement and assistance in the faith as others have poured their selfless lives into us before.  Our aim should be to find ways to build up or edify fellow citizens of heaven with forebearance and genuine loving concern to encourage their faith to grow in knowing Jesus Christ and the God we serve through und His word and therefore knowing Himmand glorifying Him together.  This means that sometimes we have to take the brunt of reproach on ourselves as we do not force how right we may be at the expense of another’s growth as they work out (Philippians 2:12-13) their salvation with trembling reverent fear.  We both can find comfort and hope in the scriptures we study together as we learn patience in our journey towards eternity.  The God of patience Himself teaches and comforts us all as we work towards unity of the faith (Ephesians 4:3, 13, Philippians 2:1-4) in like-mindedness of the essentials of the faith that are clearly written and understood while agreeing to disagree agreeably on the more obscure and unclear issues not obvious in scripture.  Together we should be giving the glory, honor, and praise due to our same Lord over us all in unity of faith and love as Jesus displayed and taught us in light of the truth shown and taught us.  This joyful corporate expression of faith from His body the universal church should not admit false doctrine, but neither should minor issues divide and keep us from glo God in Jesus Christ, just as the Jewish and Gentile believers in Rome at the time of this letter were encouraged to avoid.  God called His children from Israel’s descendants but also out of all the other nations which God promised Abraham by faith over nationality before Isaac who was Israel was even conceived.  Jesus Christ out of both lineage lines has come to gather us all as one chosen people in Himself to give us all hope as He reigns as Sovereign Lord over us all.  This hope is why and how we can find joy and peace in this common faith and increase in that hope by the same Holy Spirit of God who reigns in each of us as we seek unity in our thoughts and actions in light of the positional unity we have in Him.  This unity among believers must be maintained and nurtured by our willingness to trust and obey in these matters of joyful faith that bears with one another until we all come to the unity of the Faith (Ephesians 4:13) as a perfected man in Christ.  Let us glorify God together without compromising the truth nor fighting over minor matters that we all grow in the knowledge of Him who called us together in conformity to Him in the truth. 

Romans 14:1-23 - Liberty in Light of Love

Romans 14:1-23 

The Law of Liberty

1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written:

“As I live, says the LORD,
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall confess to God.”

12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

The Law of Love

14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. 22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

We have liberty in Christ but this freedom must be expressed in love to not offend or cause others to stumble in their walk with Christ.  If another is still weak in some aspects of their faith as their spiritual maturity progresses in their road of sanctification, we should note that and not argue over doctrinal points but instead discuss them from scripture with patience and love as they are taught by God’s Spirit in them of the truths they must learn in their own time.  Paul wrote these instructions to the believers in Rome because it is a common problem more mature Christians face sometimes when they learn the depths of the doctrines of grace and are eager to teach younger believers what excites and motivates them to see the other grow.  The example given here is concerning the Old Testament dietary laws and convictions about being a vegetarian instead of accepting all foods as given by God to eat, including meat, as from the day Noah’s Ark opened its doors (Genesis  9:3-4) on dry land.  We are not to judge the one who eats or chooses not to eat and accept the convictions of others as far as they understand the scriptures and live by them as best they know.  God accepts both these people with their un and convictions of conscience and so should we.  Likewise, some see the Sabbath day as needing to be religiously adhered to while others celebrate the rest from their own works and reliance on Christ’s work for them (Galatians 4:9-10, Hebrews 4:4, 8, 9-10) as their rest instead.  We have no right to judge either interpretation of the Sabbath rest but should see this as a non-essential doctrine with personal leeway in practice instead of harsh judgment as we all grow in faith in our sanctification by grace.  We each live and die to the Lord and not ourselves or each other in these matters as Philippians 3:15-16 reminds us.  We are not to pass judgment and condemn our brothers and sisters in Christ or look down on those who do not share our convictions in these matters as we all grow in conformity to Christ but should show forbearance and love instead.  In the end we will individually bow to our Sovereign Lord and God in submission and worship as we give an account of all we have done, not for our salvation but for accountability to Him (1 Corinthians 3:14-15) whom we serve.  Knowing these doctrinal truths, how can we condemn our fellow believers or cause them to stumble in their own walks with Him by manmade obstacles we put in front of them?  Liberty that we enjoy to do many things does not allow us to neglect showing love to others by allowing their non-essentials as they grow in their faith.  We know all foods are clean by God’s grace but must not flaunt our understanding of this truth to offend others who have not yet come to that knowledge themselves.  Our good should not be allowed to be spoken of as evil in the way we judge others in these matters.  To rightly serve God in these matters requires us to know that, “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” and live this truth by bearing with one another in love and maintaining the fellowship in Christ with this mindset.  This is the way to be acceptable to God and approved by men as it says here.  The bottom line is that we should be striving to pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which we may build up each other and not tear down in harsh and unwarranted rebuke.  We are not to be offensive or judgmental in discipleship.  We love to God and have to justify our convictions to Him, not prove them by bashing others to make ourselves look better!  Faith and not doubts is what we require because doubt in our practice of doctrine quickly turns to sin if we do not consider these things.  This is living in liberty in the light of love for our fellow believers and the Lord who forgives and saves us. 

Romans 13:8-14 - Put On Christ!

Romans 13:8-14

Love Your Neighbor (cf. Mark 12:31; James 2:8)

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Put on Christ

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

What we owe cannot pay the price for our sin to earn forgiveness, for that is by grace alone, yet we are indebted to love one another as Christ loved us (Ephesians 5:2, 1 John 3:14, 4:19) in thankful return.  This is living the commandments from the heart as originally intended by God for us to do and made possible by first removing the necessity of keeping these completely by nailing them to the cross (Colossians 2:14) that we might read what He has written on our hearts in place of cold stone tablets (2 Corinthians 3:3).  We fulfill the commands of God by loving God with everything we have and loving our fellow man as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39) to the praise, honor, and glory of God in Christ.  These are from the thoughts and intents of our hearts out into the actions of our speech and the works of our hands according to the direction we set our feet to walk out life.  True love does no harm to others but fulfills the law in doing them only good as far as it is possible (Romans 12:18) in our hands to do.  To do this, we must continually put off the old sinful man and put on Christ especially in light of the growing darkness settling upon the world facing the inevitable and terrible judgment to come.  We are called and reminded to remain alert and not snooze into slumber (Proverbs 6:9, Isaiah 5:27, 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6, 9), but remain vigilant and valiant for the truth lived out in out thoughts and deeds.  The day is passing since the Lord ascended back into heaven and we are His lights shining the glory of God and His gospel in this present darkness (Ephesians 6:12) until His return.  We have the armor of God and the assurance of being kept safe in eternity to walk through the debauchery of this world lost in sin who need to turn from it to Him in repentance and faith, safe and secure from all alarms.  Our armor is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:6) which allows us to wade through the battle to truth’s victory as we avoid participating in the works of darkness which tarnish our armor and weaken it if we allow ourselves to go back.  We therefore put off the evil works of drunken and riotous living along with unbridled passions and lust of the flesh by giving no room for it to do as our flesh desires as we keep killing our old man (Romans 8:12-14) and his works of sin in rebellion against the Lord.  Put on Christ! 

Romans 13:1-7 - Submit to Government Under God

Romans 13:1-7

1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 

5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

This one opening phrase is most disputed, explained away, or simply ignored by many today who name the name of Christ, unfortunately.  We are called to submit to the authority of governments put in place by God for His purposes of allowing good or bad to bring the world to an eventual end and a new beginning.  What we are not to do in this adherence to the law of God’s land is stop loving our enemies and bearing witness to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If we then resist by refusing to pay taxes which even Jesus Himself did and taught (Matthew 17:24, 27, 22:17, 21), or if we arm our and fight to “make things right” as we would see the world to run as if we could make a mythical Christian nation, or if we resist with vile verbal responses or plot violence, then we are fighting against God who put these leaders there for a purpose just as He put evil and good kings over Israel as we read in the Bible.  This is clear, “whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”  Do we then want to fight against our Lord to make the world a comfortable place or do we endure suffering as we present the good news of deliverance from such rejection of God and His authority over all in Christ?  We will be held accountable for our cosmic insurrection if we go against the scriptures and put our own interests before the Sovereign King of glory who moves the rulers of this world for His purposes.  May we take care how and what we do in our actions as citizens of the countries we are put into with the clear view of our standing in the heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18, Hebrews 11:13, 16) we belong to.  May we be good and faithful ambassadors of that kingdom and not be wrapped up in the present transitory political nationalism at the expense of godliness and righteousness in how we serve our sovereign Lord who is King of all kings which He puts in place and takes down as He wills and not by our rhetoric or even our votes.  We are to do what is good in spite of or in alignment with the good and bad rulers we are put in subjection to.  If we do what is good we will reap what we sow and have no eternal regrets.  If we do evil to fight the authorities then we can expect God to let the authorities execute His wrath on us for disobedience.  This is a hard saying and goes against the democratic thought that we make our own manifest destiny, but must be examined in light of this scripture passage to be God pleasers and not answer for ungodly actions.  This should move our consciences to do what is right and not just avoid the wrath of God, which is why the example of paying taxes is mentioned here.  Just like obedience and respect for authority, subjecting ourselves to giving up our hard-earned money (which is all given by God’s grace anyway) is just like obeying the customs, honor, and righteous fear of the law of the land in which we live by the goodness and grace of God under His ultimate authority.  We submit to government under God therefore to please and obey Him in these things and not fight against Him in these matters.  We obey God rather than man (Acts 4:19-20, 5:29) in matters of proclaiming the gospel and serving God but do not use that as an excuse to disobey in other matters to make a government in our image, according to our supposed knowledge and wisdom and desire, accepting that even the most evil rulers put over us are still God’s ministers for good and to punish rebellion.  We endure all things for His glory. 

Romans 12:9-21 - Overcoming Evil with Good Responses

Romans 12:9-21

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 Therefore

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."

21 Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good.

How difficult it is to constantly live with love that is ever set on doing what is good and shirking away from anything with even a hint of worldly evil!  Sincere and unfeigned love holds fast to the good things not only to do but also to think of in others and not assume or fixate on the bad that may or may not be present there.  We are to love with no assumptions of hidden motives or evil intent and when those are surfaced, we are to respond as Christ would in looking for the good and not judging the thoughts and intents of the heart which only God can do by His word (Hebrews 4:12) and Spirit working in ourselves.  We are therefore to exhibit godly love by showing kind and affectionate care as siblings in Christ as we put others first.  This also means being diligent in loving others with energetic kindness of earnest care and zeal for each other to serve others as we serve the Lord, which is often truly difficult if we are all honest with ourselves and each other in life.  As we so serve the Lord we need to remember to find joy in hope of transforming change of God’s work of sanctifying grace in us all as we patiently endure the fallen nature of ourselves and others in the trying and hard circumstances of life.  We are called to prayer and meeting the needs of others to serve as Jesus came to do (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45) and not seek to have others bend to serve us and our perceived needs.  When we are persecuted for doing right we are to bless with kindness and not talk bad about or to them to get back at our friends or adversaries.  We should find the opportunities to rejoice with those who are joyful for their situations and weep with those who are genuinely mourning for a loss or other painful time.  Those who do these things imitate Jesus Christ as He did with Lazarus (John 11:35-36) and his sisters.   The difficulty lies in being able to be of the same mind with each other in all things in all humility and not leaning on our own opinions of what another is thinking or feeling as if to find our own wisdom in being able to identify and point our problems.  We should instead look to the Lord to reveal them that we may truly empathize and relate in love to the person in the true situation as we put ourselves in their shoes.  This means restraint is needed not to respond by giving evil back for evil but to look for the good in the other since we are not God who alone knows the secrets of the hearts (1 Corinthians 14:25) as the person who hears God’s word and all comes out by the prompting of the Spirit of the Lord.  The bottom line is to live peaceably with everyone as far as we are able to and they allow us to.  Instead of responding in anger we should turn getting back at others to God who alone is allowed vengeance to repay evil; we are called to forgive and forget instead of harboring harm in return when we get the opportunity.  There is a day of judgment when the secrets of the hearts will be revealed (Mark 4:22, 1 Corinthians 3:13) and each one answers to God according to what is written in our books.  We are therefore called to do good to those opposing us that we overcome evil with doing good.  May we not be overcome by evil and drawn into its trap of ill will and vengeance, but instead led by God to lovingkindness and demonstrations of grace in our responses to behave as Christian men and women no matter how difficult or painful even when we are alone in trying to live this way.  These are difficult matter to understand and live out, but we are called to do so with all our might.  We are called to overcome evil with good in our responses.  Amen. 

Romans 12:1-8 - We Give Our Lives to God

Romans 12:1-8

Living Sacrifices to God

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Serve God with Spiritual Gifts

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

We Give Our Lives to God as if nailed to the cross with Jesus and are now dead to ourselves (Galatians 2:20) as we worship Him.  We should be lying still on the altar to give up our own goals in life as we pursue holiness, serving Him as we ought to by design and calling.  This is the only logical and reasonable response to the immeasurable grace and forgiveness of God’s mercy shown undeserving sinners such as you and I.  If we then willingly submit to God through death to ourselves and our desires each day (Romans 8:13, 1 Corinthians 15:31, Colossians 3:5) then we will find God’s work of sanctification transforming us as a metamorphosis of the mind he soul in us.  This leads to changed behavior and desires (Psalm 37:4) to align with God’s design for us as good and acceptable in His will.  We become God-pleasers (Galatians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:4) against the bent of our natural fallen nature to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and His example according to the word of God written for our instruction to make us what we ought to be and serve Him as our eyes are opened to clearly see.  This work of God in us should never lead to pride as we are warned here but to humbly sit in awe of God’s transformative work in us as we submit in self-sacrifice to do His will and lay down our own to daily nail to the cross along with the requirements of the Law to earn His favor (Colossians 2:13-14) as our own efforts tend to pull us towards.  Sacrifices on the altar should willingly lie still to avoid being tied down against our will to die to self and find resurrection of the spirit now and the whole person with the body on the final day.  This also means that we are set free from sin from this death and new life within to serve Him reasonably in using the gifts and calling we have been entrusted with.  Like a body, the church universal is made up of various parts with unique functions which are all necessary and important; we should not compare ours with another’s (2 Corinthians 10:12, 17) but by grace use these for the good of each other and the body under Christ as a whole.  Whether we prophesy by revealing the meaning of God’s word taught or preached, whether we encourage and challenge others to follow and imitate Christ in us, whether we give out of a heart moved to see the needs and meet them, whether we diligently lead as put in positions in the local church, or whether we cheerfully use gifts of mercy to willingly and cheerfully meet the needs of others, in all these things we are living sacrificially by putting the desires of our Lord and the needs of His people in place of our own pursuits of living.  We give out lives first to God and then to others (2 Corinthians 8:5) as we are all called to do.  We have been crucified to death on the cross with Christ and now live as sacrifices whom willingly lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16) as we willingly obey and are transformed to live the same way as Jesus and the apostles before us.  We Give Our Lives to God in sacrifice and service to follow Him truly. 

Romans 11:11-36 - The Riches of God’s Wisdom, Knowledge, and Judgments

Romans 11:11-36

11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

"The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins."

28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

34 "For who has known the mind of the LORD?
Or who has become His counselor?"
35 "Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?"

36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Israel’s rejection was not final for God has given individuals of a remnant of that nation who are His chosen children a chance to be moved to jealousy as the Gentiles come by faith into their number as the people of God (ammi) who once were not (lo-ammi) His children (Romans 9:23-24, 25-26) though called from the foundation of the universe (κόσμος - cosmos, Ephesians 1:4) to be adopted by faith.  Their fall was not to be permanent so that only the nations could be saved in Jesus Christ, but neither was it universalism to imply that every Jew of Israel would somehow be saved after the Gentiles were added in (Romans 11:23).  What God is saying is that all whom He predetermined to be adopted as His people would be brought into Christ through the gospel of repentance with receiving believing (John 1:12) in Him.  The nation was cast aside temporarily to allow the nations promised Abraham to enter into salvation promised to and through the nation of is as the channel of redemption in the Seed of Adam by promise and of Abraham by faith but that nation is to find some of its citizens join into the citizenship of heaven together with all others called and chosen in Jesus Christ.  We who are not of physical Israel are indeed Jews in the spiritual sense (Romans 2:28-29) because the sign of circumcision is of the inner person and not the outward appearance of the flesh.  This cleansing of the soul is accomplished by the New Covenant of the blood of Christ shed as a sacrifice to make us righteous in His righteousness of spiritual surgery to cut away our sin’s penalty and not by means of physical cutting to associate with God as a nation alone.  The root of faith is Israel who was called as His nation and people but only those of the testimony of faith who waited for a heavenly country were His eternal people (Hebrews 11:13, 16) as we are who now have seen and heard the Seed Messiah ourselves.  This then is no matter of pride for non-Jews who are called into Christ, but a humbling and thankful acknowledgment of the people of God who have paved the way and brought the Christ into the world to bring us to the kingdom of heaven as grafted in branches of grace.  The blindness of the nation of Israel is only temporary anyway and many of them will come to Christ as we see in our own time happening more and more.  This is cause for great rejoicing!  His covenant with Israel and us is to take away our sins.  Certainly not everyone is saved out of every nation and it is the same for Israel; when God says, “Israel will be saved” this is what He means.  It is all according to the election of God for individuals out of Israel and the nations as predetermined by God since man was first created and not an entire nation.  That nation was disobedient to demonstrate God’s mercy on us all.  How immensely deep are God’s wisdom, knowledge, and judgments!  Truly as it is written here, “of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.  Amen.” 

Romans 11:1-10 - The Remnant of God’s Elect

Romans 11:1-10

Israel's Rejection Not Total

1 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 "LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? "I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written:

"God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day."

9 And David says:

"Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always."

Though Israel as a nation rejected Christ their long-awaited Messiah, that does not mean that God cast them aside and just went after the other nations promised Abraham (Genesis 17:4-5, Romans 4:17-18) for their disbelief and disobedience.  Paul himself was a thoroughbred Jew in the lineage of Isaac as Abraham’s descendant according to the flesh but also according to the faith of him who heard and had faith to take God at His word (Genesis 15:6, James 2:23) against all odds as we read in Galatians 3:7-8, 9 and Romans 4:9 as well.  He knew God’s word from Genesis to the present time he wrote this letter to the saints of the church in Rome and vehemently denied that this response as a nation had condemned them all but went on to say that God would never cast off His people that He knew and chose to be His own and a channel of red to the nations.  Individuals were condemned, certainly, yet there were still some called and chosen who did and would find salvation to deliver them from God’s wrath in Christ Jesus as he told us here.  Just as Paul used the example of Elijah who pleaded with God not to destroy the unfaithful and disobedient people of God and God answered by promising a remnant who would be saved, so He promised a remnant of Israel to be saved through faith in Christ by the election of grace because God had chosen them out of the rest for predetermined deliverance from the penalty of sin out of His love and promise to them, just as He has for we of the nations called out and chosen by the same grace of unmerited goodness to pay for our sin and call us to Him.  This grace cannot be earned by doing enough good works (or any single one) because then the earning of grace would itself be a work which would be also ineffective to deliver them or us from the judgment to come (Acts 24:25).  Only those called and given ears to hear the gospel believe to everlasting life (John 5:24, Romans 8:29-30) by this beckoned grace as purposed by God for His people called to be His own.  We hear our Master’s voice and respond in repentance and faith, turning from sin to Him and trusting Him by taking Him at His word and neither adding to it nor taking away from it as in Eden’s Garden where sin was conceived.  The elect have therefore received salvation because they are the remnant of the world and of Israel while the nation of Israel was blinded and deafened to the truth set before them to see and hear from the messengers who were the prophets of old.  Their adherence to the letter of the Law and traditions made them falsely believe that their salvation was assured by their national identity and not a personal reckoning of faith in God’s word and work as their father of faith Abraham set for them before they were a nation.  This became their stumbling block on the cornerstone of Jesus the Christ as we read in Luke 20:17-18, Acts 4:11-12, Romans 9:32-33, and 1 Corinthians 1:23.  As a nation, Israel was blind and deaf, but a remnant has been appointed by God to salvation (Acts 13:48) and these are made to hear and believe along with a remnant out of all other nations who are spiritual descendants of Abraham by the same faith in God’s work for His children (Ephesians 2:11-12, 14-15, 18) in Christ.  We are the remnant of God’s elect who are in Christ Jesus, both Jew and Gentile, as a single people of God in the New Covenant of Grace.