Text
3. Brothers
and edification 15:1-13
Chapter
15
1 Now we
who are strong
ought to bear the weaknesses
of those without strength and not just please ourselves.
2 Let
each of us please his neighbor
for his good, to his edification.
3 For even Christ
did not please Himself;
but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached
Thee fell upon Me."
4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written
for our
instruction, that through perseverance and
the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and
encouragement grant you to be of the same
mind with one another according to Christ
Jesus;
6 that with one
accord you may with one
voice glorify the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ
also accepted us to the glory of God.
8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the
circumcision
on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the
fathers,
9 and
for the Gentiles
to glorify God for His mercy;
as it is written,
"Therefore I will give praise to Thee among the
Gentiles, And I will sing to
Thy name."
10 And
again he says,
"Rejoice,
O Gentiles, with His people."
11 And
again,
"Praise
the Lord all you Gentiles, And let all the peoples praise Him."
12 And
again Isaiah says,
"There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who
arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him
shall the Gentiles 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.
III. Conclusion 15:14-16:27
A. Paul’s
personal plans 15:14-29
14 And concerning you, my brethren, I
myself also am convinced that you
yourselves are full of goodness, filled
with all knowledge, and able also to admonish one
another.
15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points,
so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me
from God,
16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,
ministering as a priest the gospel of God, that my offering of the
Gentiles might become acceptable,
sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for
boasting in things pertaining to God.
18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except
what Christ
has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the
Gentiles by word and deed,
19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of
the Spirit; so that from
Jerusalem and round about as
far as Illyricum I have fully preached the
gospel of Christ.
20 And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where
Christ was already named,
that I might not build upon another
man's foundation;
21 but
as it is written,
"They who had no news of Him shall see, And they
who have not heard shall understand."
22 For
this reason I have often been hindered from coming to you;
23 but now,
with no further place for me in these
regions, and since I have had for many years a longing
to come to you
24 whenever I go to Spain-- for I hope to see you in
passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first
enjoyed your company for a while--
25 but
now,
I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints.
26 For Macedonia
and Achaia
have been pleased to make a contribution
for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
27 Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are
indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have
shared in their spiritual
things, they are indebted to minister to
them also in material
things.
28 Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my
seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.
29 And I know that when I come to you, I will come in
the fullness
of the blessing
of Christ.
B. Paul’s
plea for prayers 15:30-33
30 Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ
and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your
prayers to God for me,
31 that I may be delivered from those who are
disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove
acceptable
to the saints;
32 so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God
and find refreshing rest in your company.
- Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Thought
questions for chapter 15
a. From this chapter, what do you think
Paul’s relationship with God was like?
A
humble servant, trying to do the will of Christ. This caused him to
trust in Jesus to accomplish the work through the Holy Spirit.
b. Why do Christians sometimes become zealous once again? What part
does being active in the work of the church play in this?
The word of God has effect as it has effect. The more we do for
Christ, the more we will want to do.
- What does following Christ’s example involve? See vs. 7-12
Reaching out to others.
- How does Paul describe the work he does? See verses 15-21
Paul’s work was Christ’s work.
- What was Paul concerned about in verses 20-25?
Seeing the Romans.
- What would Paul’s job description been like?
A church planter.
- What is the key to Christian unity?
Love.
- After reading this chapter, how would you define Christian freedom?
Christian freedom is doing good as Christ did.
For
further thought
What sources of help do we find in
verses 3-5 to aid us in following the counsel of the first two
verses?
We
have the example of Christ.
What should characterize the life of
the Christian church? See vs. 2, 5-7, 13
A
life of love that causes us to unify in gloryifying God.
What motivates Paul? (See vss. 15-22)
Christ,
who gave Paul his mission to the gentiles.
Why does Paul switch to writing about himself?
In
order to boast of what Christ has done through him. See vs. 17-18
What was the geographical extent of Pauls preaching?
Illyricum vs 19
(Yugoslavia), Jerusalem vs.19, Rome, and Greece.
Bound
in unity
1. We
are to have the same mind Acts 4:32; 1Cor 13:11; Phil 1:27; 2:2; 1
Pet 3:8
2. We are to have the same
mutual reception of one another 1Cor 1:10; Phil 2:2; 3:16; 1Pet 3:8;
1Cor 8:9 (just as Christ did: Eph 4:1; 1 Cor 3:16ff.; Rom 5:2)
Purpose
of his pleas
- Might be delivered from the disobedient in Judea 30b-31
- Brethren at Jerusalem will accept his gift 31b
- His coming to Rome might be in accordance with God’s will 32-33a
- That together they might find mutual rest 33b
By
way of illustration
Perseverance
Climb
every mountain, ford every stream,
Follow
every rainbow, 'til you find your dream. Oscar Hammerstein
(1895-1960)
Far
better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even
though checkered by failures, than to rank with those poor spirits
who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray
twilight that knows not victory or defeat. Theodore Roosevelt
(1858-1919)
Press
on! Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. Talent
will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education
will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Calvin Coolidge
(1872-1933)
The
heights by great men reached and kept
Were
not attained by sudden flight,
But
they, while their companions slept,
Were
toiling upward in the night. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
(1807-1882)
Glorifying
God
What
God chooses, He cleanses.
What
God cleanses, He molds.
What
God molds, He fills.
What
God fills, He uses. J. Sidlow Baxter
Encouragement
A
number of years ago, in a mental institution just outside Boston,
Mass., a young girl known as "Little Annie" was locked in
the dungeon. This institution was one of the more enlightened ones
for the treatment of the mentally disturbed. However, the doctors
felt that a dungeon was the only place for those who were
"hopelessly" insane. In Little Annie's case, they saw no
hope for her, so she was confined to a living death in that small
cage which received little light and even less hope.
About
that time, an elderly nurse in the institution was nearing
retirement. She felt there was hope for all of God's creatures, so
she started taking her lunch into the dungeon and eating outside
Little Annie's cage. She felt perhaps she could communicate some love
and hope to the little girl.
In
many ways, Little Annie was like an animal. On occasions, she would
violently attack the person who came into her cage. At other times,
she would completely ignore them. When the elderly nurse started
visiting her, Little Annie gave no indication that she was even aware
of her presence. One day, the elderly nurse brought some brownies to
the dungeon and left them outside the cage. Little Annie gave no hint
she knew they were there, but when the nurse returned the next day,
the brownies were gone. From that time on, the nurse would bring
brownies when she made her Thursday visit. Soon, the doctors in the
institution noticed a change was taking place. After a period of
time, they decided to move Little Annie upstairs. Finally, the day
came when this "hopeless case" was told she could return
home. But Little Annie did not wish to leave. The place had meant so
much to her she felt she could make a contribution if she stayed and
worked with the other patients. The elderly nurse had seen and
brought out so much in her life that Little Annie felt she could see
and help develop something in others.
Many
years later, Queen Victoria of England, while pinning England's
highest award on a foreigner, asked Helen Keller, "How do you
account for your remarkable accomplishments in life? How do you
explain the fact that even though you were both blind and deaf, you
were able to accomplish so much?" Without a moment's hesitation,
Helen Keller said that had it not been for Anne Sullivan (Little
Annie), the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown.
It's
not too well known, but Helen Keller was a normal, healthy baby
before some mysterious disease left her almost helpless and hopeless.
Anne Sullivan saw Helen Keller as one of God's very special people --
treated her as she saw her -- loved her -- disciplined her - -
played, prayed, pushed and worked with her until the flickering
candle that was her life became a beacon that helped light the
pathways and lighten the burdens of people all over the world. Yes,
Helen Keller influenced millions after her own life was touched by
"Little Annie!"
Expanded outline
3. Brothers
and edification 15:1-13
a. Bear
with the weak, you stronger ones! 1
b. Build
up your neighbor 2
c. Basis
for edification: Christ 3-4
d. Bond
of unity 5-7
- Brethren, both Jew and Gentile are the result
Of
Christ’s work 8-13
1.) The
effects of Christ’s ministry 8-12
2.) The
blessing of Christ’s ministry 13
4. Paul’s
Personal Plans 15:14-29
a. Persuasion
and purpose 14-21
1.) Assurance
of their ability 14
2.) Admonition
to them for remembrance 15
- Activity of Paul for Gentile
Gospel
acceptance 16
4.) Aim
to glorify Christ 17-21
b. Plans
in specificity 22-29
1.) Desire
to go to Rome 22-24
2.) Duty
to return to Rome with gift 25-27
3.) Destination:
Spain 28-29
5. Paul’s
plea for prayers 15: 30-33
- Platform of Paul’s prayer:
The LORD CHRIST 30a
b. Purpose
of his pleas 30b-33
Building
up
Why?
1. The
Bible says so Rom 14:19
2. To
please others Rom 15:2
3. Love 1
Cor 8:1
4. Its
from God 2 Cor 5:1; (see also Eph 2:19-22)
10:1-8; 1 Cor 3:9
How?
1. Love 1
Cor 8:1
2. Knowledge 1
Cor 14:1-3 (Hos 4:6)
3. Through
what we say Eph 4:29
4. Encouragement 1Thess
5:11
5. The
church Eph 2:19-22
6. The
word of God 1 Pet 2:1-8; 2 Tim 3:16-17
The
Example of Christ --- Matt 26:39; Jn 4:34; 8:29; Phil 2:8; Psa 69:9
The Scriptures encourage
By
what they are called…
The
Book of the LORD Isa 34:16
Good
word of God Heb 6:5
Sacred
writings 2Tim 3:15
Law
of the LORD psa 1:2
Oracles
of God Rom 3:2
Writing
of the truth Dan 10:21
Sword
of the Spirit Eph 6:17
word
of Christ Col 3:16
word
of life Phil 2:16
word
of truth 2 Tim 2:15
By
who they testify of ….. Jn 5:39; Acts 18:28; Heb 1:1-3
By
their being fulfilled by Christ Matt 5:17; Lk 24:27
By their comparison to :
1. Seed Lk 8:5-15 2. A two edged
Sword Heb4:12
By
their prophetic pronouncement fulfilled: Lk 4:21; Jn 13:18; 17:12;
19:24, 28
By
their origin Rom 3:2; Matt 22:31-32; 2 Tim 3:16
By
what they do Jn 2:22; Heb 1:1-3; Rom 10:11;
Gal 3:8; 2 Tim 3:16f.
And…
By
the lifestyle they teach By the examples of people who followed God
faithfully
By
the comfort they give By the revelation of the future
By
their unending spiritual application
And…
so by so many other things we can not even conceive of now!
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