Romans 15:1 Strong Believers - For The Glory of Jesus

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Strong Believers

Paul wanted strong believers to live peacefully with those who weak and not strong. Paul was a missionary to the Gentiles.

This is a Bible Study. Have your own Bible handy to look up the references mentioned.

If you do not have a Bible, I invite you to go to BibleGateway.com or another online Bible.

Romans 15:1-13

1. “Paul’s concern that weak and strong Christians live in harmony carries right on into chap. 15. The apostle placed himself in the company of the strong (‘we who are strong’).” (Mounce, Robert H, The New American Commentary, Volume 27, Romans. [Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995], 259)

2. “Rather than pleasing themselves, strong believers are to please their neighbors. The goal is to help them develop into more mature Christians.” (Mounce, 259)

3. Jesus “paid a tremendous price in order to minister to us. Paul quoted Psalm 69:9 to prove his point.” (Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. [Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004], 561)

Hope

4. “Although Christians live under the New Covenant and are not under the authority of the Old Covenant, God’s moral law has not changed and all Scripture is of Spiritual benefit (1 Corinthians 10:6,10, 11; 2 Peter 1:20-21). (MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. [Nashville, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005], 1554)

Hope [NKJV]. “Without the clear and certain promises of the Word of God, the believer has no basis for hope (cf. Psalm 119:18, 114; Jeremiah 14:8; Ephesians 2:12).” (MacArthur, 1554)

5. “Paul urges the strong and the weak, despite their differing views on these non-essential issues, to pursue loving, spiritual harmony in regard to matters on which the Bible is silent.” (MacArthur, 1554)

6. “There would be such a harmony in their praise that they reveal the unity of believers.” (McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV. [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 747)

Glory of God

7. “When we agree on the major doctrines of the faith, though we may differ on minor points, we need to receive one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.” (McGee, 748)

“Jesus prayed for the unity of the church to the glory of God (John 17:20-26). Receive one another; edify one another; and please one another—all to the glory of God.” (Wiersbe, 562)

8. “Jesus was born a Jew, and as a child, He was circumcised and identified physically with the sign of the covenant (Genesis 17:11-14).” (MacArthur, 1554)

Gentiles

9. “Salvation came to Israel through Christ in confirming and fulfilling the truth of the Old Testament promises. Also by this method salvation was brought to the Gentiles. The Gentiles’ only claim was upon the mercy of God.” (McGee, 748)

This verse is from 2 Samuel 22:50; and Psalm 18:49.

10. Deuteronomy 32:43

11. Psalm 117:1

12. Isaiah 11:10

9-12. “When Jesus began His ministry, it was only to the people of Israel.” (Wiersbe, 562)

There were times he ministered to Gentiles. Matthew 8:5-13; 15:21-28

“After His resurrection, He commanded the apostles to remain in Jerusalem and begin their ministry there (Luke 22:44-49).” (Wiersbe, 562)

“It was not until Acts 8 that the gospel went to the Samaritans; in Acts 10 it went to the Gentiles. Then, through the ministry of Paul, it went throughout the Roman Empire (Acts 13:1-3).” (Wiersbe, 562)

“Because the Jewish Christians were faithful to take the gospel to the Gentiles, the nations of the world today have the opportunity to trust Christ as Savior.” (Wiersbe, 563)

13. “The joy and peace given by God results in an overflow of hope in the life of the believer.” (Mounce, 262)

Paul’s Ministry

14. The church in Rome was “a healthy church. Morally, they were ‘full of goodness,’ intellectually they were ‘complete in knowledge,’ and functionally they were ‘competent to instruct one another.’” [NIV] (Mounce, 266)

15. “In spite of their spiritual strength, these Christians needed to be reminded of truths they already knew but could easily neglect or even forget (cf. 1 Timothy 4:6; 2 Timothy 2:8-14; Titus 3:1).” (MacArthur, 1555)

16. “Paul looked on himself as a priest at the altar, offering up to God the Gentiles he had won to Christ. They were a ‘spiritual sacrifice’ to the glory of God (see 1 Peter 2:5).” (Wiersbe, 563)

“Note the involvement of the Trinity in the ministry of the Word. Paul was the minister of Jesus Christ; he preached the ‘gospel of God’; and he served in the power of the Holy Spirit of God who sanctified his ministry.” (Wiersbe, 563)

17. Glory [NKJV]. Lit. “to boast. Paul never boasted in his accomplishment as an apostle, but only in what Christ had accomplished through him. ( 1 Corinthians 1:27-31; 2 Corinthians 10:13-17; 12:5, 9; Galatians 6:14; 1 Timothy 1:12-16).” (MacArthur, 1555)

True Missionary

18. “By faithfully carrying out his priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles, Paul had served as Christ’s instrument in leading the Gentiles to obedience to God.” (Mounce, 267)

19. “The Holy Spirit empowered Paul to minister, and enabled him to perform mighty signs and wonders. The miracles God gave Paul to do were ‘signs’ in that they came from God and revealed Him to others. And they were ‘wonders’ in that they aroused the wonder of the people.” (Wiersbe, 563)

20. “It was a point of honor with Paul—not competition—which caused him to go as a pioneer where the gospel had not been preached. Paul did not minister where a church already existed or where others had gone. He was a true missionary.” (McGee, 750)

21. “The OT 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. (MacArthur, 1556) Isaiah 52:15

References

In this article Scripture quotations taken from KJV.

McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Nashville, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005
Mounce, Robert H, The New American Commentary, Volume 27, Romans. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995
Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004

Judge Paul’s Ministry

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