Down an Unfamiliar Road

I heard this story a long time ago, but it seemed so relevant to what we see and hear in our world today that I wanted to share it with you. You may have heard it before, but it never hurts to read it again. The author is unknown. Here it goes:

NAILS

There once was a little boy who had a very bad temper. One day his father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he would have to hammer a nail into the top rail of the backyard fence. By the end of the first day, the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails daily hammered into the fence kept dwindling down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than having to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally, the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and his father was very happy. But he knew the boy’s learning was not yet over. So he told him to now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. Many, many days passed and eventually, the young lad was glad to tell his father that all the nails were now gone.

That’s when the father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He told him, “You have done well, my son, but look at all the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. You see, each time you get angry and say bad things to a person, it’s like driving a nail into them. And no matter how many times you try to pull the nail out by apologizing and saying you’re sorry, the wound is still there.”

The little boy then understood how powerful a person’s words are. So he looked up at this father and said: “I hope you can forgive me father for all the holes I put in you.” “Of course I can,, ” said the father.

“It’s not always anger, it is your actions in general. There are no ‘fresh starts’ in life that get rid of all the scars we’ve caused. There is no new beginning that wipes them out of everybody’s memory. Forgiveness may come easy for many people but the scars of the past, they never go away. Watch what you do today because sometimes the hurt you cause is not worth the payoff you want to feel for doing so.”

You may be like me. I can still remember, after all these years, hurtful things that were said to me in anger, and injurious things I said to others in response. That’s because the scars are still there. But rather than letting those scars rekindle the negative emotions that were felt at the time, let them remind us to be more careful when we feel hostility and anger growing in our hearts and minds. Remember, Jesus has scars in His hands, feet, and side, but He used them as evidence before His disciples that He loved them that much. And as He stands next to His heavenly Father advocating on our behalf, all the Father has to see are those scars and that’s enough for Him to offer us forgiveness. Why can’t we do the same for others, what He has done for us? – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER ONE (Part XIII)

On God’s intervention into the plans of His servants, John Calvin has this to say: “We, therefore, learn that the Lord frequently upsets the purposes of His saints, in order to humble them, and by such humiliation to teach them to regard his Providence, that they may rely on it; though the saints, who design nothing without the Lord’s will, cannot be said, strictly speaking, to be driven away from their purposes. It is indeed the presumption of impiety to pass by God, and without Him to determine on things to come, as though they were in our own power; and this is what James sharply reprehends.¹ But he says that he was hindered: you must take this in no other sense, but that the Lord employed him in more urgent concerns, which he could not have neglected without loss to the Church. Thus, the hindrances of the godly and of the unbelieving differ: the latter perceive only that they are hindered, when they are restrained by the strong hand of the Lord, so as not to be able to move; but the former are satisfied with any hindrance that arises from some approved reason; nor do they allow themselves to attempt anything beyond their duty, or contrary to edification.”²

Charles Spurgeon sees Paul’s desire to visit Rome this way: “Rome was a sink of iniquity; it was the den of the lions, where Nero was, who would speedily devour, like a lion, the minister of Christ. Paul wanted somehow to get into that old city on the seven hills and to pluck some fruit for God even from the vine that was planted there, but he was hindered.”³ Spurgeon raises an issue as to why we as believers should not be afraid to go into situations that may be unfriendly to the Gospel in order to rescue those who cannot escape on their own. But the real point is how do some believer’s react when they see such an opportunity? For instance, what would you think while observing two separate firefighting crews called to the same scene if one crew stands outside calling for the residents to run out so they could save them, while the other crew rushes inside the burning building and carries out as many as possible before the building collapses? It is the same with many churches today. Some build a beautiful edifice and put up a sign to welcome to all who want to attend, while others go out into the neighborhood, knocking on doors, knowing they may not get a friendly reaction, to give a personal invitation to attend.

I was once assigned for a short time to pastor a church that had been built at its location many years earlier when the neighborhood consisted of middle-class, Caucasian, blue-collar workers. By the time I arrived, the neighborhood now consisted of Haitian immigrants, African-Americans, and a large gay community. All of the white church members had moved out into surrounding suburbs, and drove into this neighborhood on Sundays and Wednesdays for their services. When I asked if they had carried out any evangelism effort in the neighborhood, they looked at me as if I didn’t understand that the people who lived nearby were not who they wanted in their pews. I organized an outreach program anyhow. We went from door to door in a sixteen block area. I was not surprised when many I talked to, told me they had come once to that church but didn’t feel welcomed.

Verses 14-15: I am indebted to both civilized Greeks and Barbarians, to both educated and the uneducated; therefore I am eager to proclaim the Good News also to you who live in Rome.

Although Paul was born a Jew and raised in Jewish traditions, he feels a strong affinity with other cultures as well. After all, he was born outside of Israel in the Greek-dominated territory of Cilicia, which lies in SE Turkey today, in the city of Tarsus.¹ That’s where he learned Greek, along with Hebrew in the synagogue.

Charles Spurgeon makes this point: “Paul felt a debt to everybody. The God who saved him that he might preach the gospel in every place he could reach. Brethren, if you have received much from God, you are so much the debtor to men; and you are debtors not only to the respectable, but to the disreputable, debtors not only to those who come to a place of worship, but to the dwellers in the slums, “to the Greeks, and to the barbarians; to the wise and to the unwise.”⁵

The influence of the Greek culture also taught him that outside the Hellenistic realm, all other ethnicities were thought of as uncivilized and called “barbarians.” In fact, in one document written by a Greek biographer, we find this sentence: “I come now to the man who was the bravest and the greatest at strategy among of all the barbarians with the exception of the two Carthaginians Hamilcar and Hannibal.”⁶

Early church scholar Ambrosiaster gives his commentary on Paul’s commitment: “Paul says that he is under obligation to those whom he names because he was sent for the purpose of preaching to everyone. For this reason, he states that they are all under obligation to believe in God the Creator, from whom and through whom are all things, for obligation and honor form part of the salvation of the believer. He wrote Greeks instead of Gentiles, but this includes those who are called Romans, whether by birth or by adoption, and barbarians, who are those who are not Romans, whose race is inimical, and who are not Gentiles. He speaks of those who are wise because they are learned in worldly sciences and are called wise in the world whether they are stargazers, geometers, mathematicians, grammarians, orators or musicians. Paul shows that none of these things is of any advantage, nor are these people truly wise unless they believe in Christ. He calls them fools because in their simplicity they lack knowledge of spiritual things. He testifies that he has been sent to preach to them all. But he says nothing about the Jews because he is the teacher of the Gentiles.⁷ And this is why he says that he is under obligation because he has accepted this teaching in order to pass it on, and in passing it on, to acquire it himself.”⁸

So in sharing his burden, Paul uses a repetitive phrase to describe those groups for whom he feels a burden. First, he calls them civilized and uncivilized, then repeats the same phrase with synonyms, educated and uneducated. He did not do this to isolate them, but to draw a circle big enough to include everyone, even the Romans. After all, he told the Thessalonians: “I am free. I belong to no other person, but I make myself a slave to everyone. I do this to help save as many people as I can.”⁹ Paul meant that when he was invited into a Jewish home he complied with the traditions, such as taking off his shoes, having his feet washed. And when he entered the home of a Greek, he ate what was set before him, he did not quibble over whether or not it was kosher.

Bible scholar Charles Hodge offers this comment: “His commission was a general one, confined to no one nation, and to no particular class. Greeks and barbarians, mean all nations; wise and unwise, mean all classes. Barbarian means properly a foreigner, one of another language.¹⁰ Greeks and barbarians, therefore, is equivalent to Greeks and not Greeks, all nations. As the Greeks, however, excelled other nations in civilization, the word came to signify rude, uncultivated; though even by later writers it is often used in its original sense, and not as a term of reproach. The apostle distinguishes men first as nations, Greeks and not Greeks, and secondly as to culture, wise and unwise. The Romans, whose city was called ‘an epitome of the world,’ belonged exclusively neither to the one class nor to the other. Some were wise and some unwise, some Greeks and some barbarians.”¹¹

Paul explained it to the Thessalonians this way: “The new-self allows no room for discriminating between Gentile and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, foreigner, savage, slave, free man; on the contrary, having the Messiah in you is everything .”¹² Paul was on good ground for making this claim. It was the Messiah Himself who said this: “I praise you, Father, Lord of the universe. I am thankful that you have hidden these things from those who are so wise and so smart. But you have shown them to people who are like little children.”¹³ Paul made this same point when writing to the Corinthians about why some of the so-called religious experts considered the preaching of the cross as foolishness. He tells them: “As the Scriptures say, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise. I will confuse the understanding of the intelligent.’¹⁴”¹⁵

Paul pointed out to the Corinthians a factor this still confuses some people today who say they can’t understand our explanation of faith in God and in the Bible. He wrote: “We don’t use words taught to us by human wisdom. We use words taught to us by the Spirit. We use the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. People who do not have God’s Spirit do not accept the things that come from his Spirit. They think these things are foolish. They cannot understand them because they can only be understood with the Spirit’s help.”¹⁶ In other words, the only way a sinner can understand the Bible or a sermon from God’s word is if the Spirit opens their mind to comprehend it. So Paul goes on to explain: “Let no one fool himself. If someone among you thinks he is wise (by this world’s standards), let him realize his foolishness so that he may become really wise. For the wisdom of this world is nonsense, as far as God is concerned.”¹⁷ The Greek word used here for “foolish” actually means: “To act like a person with no learning.” In other words, a person whose mind is already made-up, and they have no interest in learning anything new.

Paul would touch on this subject again and tell the Corinthians: “We don’t dare put ourselves in the same class with those who think they are so important. We don’t compare ourselves to them. They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. This shows that they know nothing.”¹⁸ This was not new, Solomon had problems like this in his day: “Fools, how long will you love being ignorant? How long will you make fun of wisdom? How long will you hate knowledge? I wanted to tell you everything I knew and give you all my knowledge, but you didn’t listen to my advice and teaching.”¹⁹ But Paul will not let anything like that slow him down.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER ONE (Part XII)

Bible scholar Charles Hodge looks at the grammatical structure of Paul’s desire to visit Rome in order to share a spiritual blessing with them: “He had desired to see them, in order that he might do them good; but this was not his whole object, he hoped to receive benefit himself… The sense would then be, ‘That you may be strengthened, that I may be comforted.’ Or, ‘That I may impart some spiritual gift to you, in order that you may be strengthened; that is, that I may be comforted together with you.’”¹ Theologian Adam Clarke is convinced that Paul assumes nothing is dependent solely on him; for he suggests that it will require the conjoint action of their faith as well as his own, to be the means of receiving those blessings from God to which he refers.² How important this is when we feel led by the Spirit to impart some blessing to another be it wisdom, assistance, prayer, or guidance. It should not be a one-way street. Both should have a sense of growing in the Lord and His Word.

Charles Spurgeon points out how one person’s faith joined with another person’s faith helps both of their faiths to be strengthened, and how it was lacking in his day: “Paul wanted his faith to establish theirs, and their faith to establish his. Christians grow rich by and exchange of spiritual commodities, and I am afraid some Christians are very poor because they do not engage in the spiritual bartering with one another. You know how it was in the old time, ‘They that feared the Lord spake often one to another.’ Shall I tell you how it is now? They that fear not the Lord speak often one against another. That is a very sad difference. Oh, for more Christian communion; for when we blend our ‘mutual faith’: we are ‘comforted together’; each believer grows stronger as he cheers his brother in the Lord!”³

Too often, this attempted exchange of faith experienced between believers ends up being an argument because one cannot accept that what happened to them did not happen to the other. It would be like the man who Jesus healed by putting spit mixed with dirt in his eyes, talking with the man that Jesus merely spoke to and he received his sight, while also talking with the man who needed a second touch to see clearly, and challenging their healings because neither of them had mud put in their eyes.

John Stott sees Paul advocating a mutual benefit resulting from his visit to Rome: “He knows about the reciprocal blessings of Christian fellowship and, although he is an apostle, he is not too proud to acknowledge his need of it. Happy is the modern missionary who goes to another country and culture in the same spirit of receptivity, anxious to receive as well as give, to learn as well as teach, to be encouraged as well as to encourage! And happy is the congregation who have a pastor of the same humble mind!”⁴

Then Douglas Moo sees Paul using diplomacy in wanting to endear himself to a church he did not start and many of whose members he did not know: “Paul’s wish that his visit would bring spiritual encouragement to him as well as to the Roman Christians is no mere literary convention or ‘pious fraud’ (as Erasmus called it) but is sincerely meant (and he returns to it in the letter closing: see 15:32). But the fact that he mentions it here — in contrast to his habit elsewhere — signals Paul’s diplomacy. For he is dealing with a church that, while certainly within the scope of his authority,⁵ is built on another person’s foundation.⁶ If Paul is to gain a sympathetic ear for ‘his’ gospel from the Roman Christians and enlist their support for his Spanish mission,⁷ he must exercise tact in asserting his authority.”⁸

Verse 13: Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that I have planned many times to come to you, (but I was prevented from doing so) because I wanted to see the same good result among you that I have had from my work among non-Jewish people elsewhere.

The Complete Jewish Bible translates the opening of this verse this way: “Brothers, I want you to know that although I have been prevented from visiting you until now, I have often planned to do so…” They use the passive tone and forego the use of the active phrase, “but I was prevented” as it is rendered in the KJV. This is significant since it makes the reason he could not visit a second thought, and also removes it as a reference to any interference by way of divine intervention. Many scholars feel that Paul was either pointing to his health, lack of time, or insufficient funds as the reason he was unable to visit Rome, not that God actually stopped him in his tracks and said, “Don’t go!”

We also see that it was not for fame or fortune that Paul wanted so desperately to visit these brothers and sisters, it was so that fruit might be produced for the kingdom of God. Paul explained how it worked among the Corinthians: “I planted the seed and Apollos watered it. But God is the one who made the seed grow. So the one who plants is not important, and the one who waters is not important. Only God is important because He is the one who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have the same purpose. And each one will be rewarded for his own work. We are workers together for God, and you are like a vineyard that belongs to God.”⁹

This certainly echoed what Jesus told His disciples: “I tell you, open your eyes, and look at the fields. They are ready for harvesting now. Even now, the people who harvest the crop are being paid. They are gathering crops for eternal life. So now the people who plant can be happy together with those who harvest.”¹⁰ So, no doubt Paul took these words of Jesus to heart: “You did not choose me. I chose you. And I gave you this work: to go and produce fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you anything you ask for in my name.”¹¹ So he was able to write the Colossians: “Throughout the world, this Good News is spreading and bearing fruit.”¹²

Yet, Paul’s attention was focused on the non-Jews. This was his mission from the beginning. After Paul and Barnabas went around preaching and teaching in Asia, they returned to the body of believers in Antioch, Syria. Luke then tells us: “They gathered the believers together. They told them everything God had used them to do. They said, ‘God opened a door for the non-Jewish people to believe!‘”¹³ Later, when Paul visited the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, Luke explains: “They listened while Paul and Barnabas told about all the miraculous signs and wonders that God had done through them among the non-Jewish people.”¹⁴

It is important to note that Paul refers to his reading audience as being the same as, “other non-Jewish people.” It would, therefore, appear that many of the converts in Rome were from pagan Greeks and Romans. In so doing he left no doubt as to his desire to visit them. This is what motivated him since he left Ephesus.¹⁵ It seems that Paul planned all of his trips based on what he had to share with the people he would be visiting.¹⁶ But this was not the first time Paul had been hindered in visiting a community of believers he longed to teach and minister to.¹⁷ When he couldn’t visit Thessalonica, he blamed it on the devil.¹⁸

But not all was well with Paul’s missionary efforts among the non-Jews. While he was in Jerusalem, he visited with the apostle James. One of the leaders present at the meeting said to Paul: “Brother, you can see that thousands of Jews have become believers, but they think it is very important to obey the Law of Moses. However, they have been told that you teach the Jews who live in non-Jewish regions to stop following the Law of Moses. They have heard that you tell them not to circumcise their sons or follow our other customs. What do you have to say?”¹⁹ Paul had an answer: “We will not boast about anything outside the work that was given us to do. We will limit our boasting to the work God gave us²⁰.” It was clear, that Paul would not be dissuaded from carrying out the mission given to him by his heavenly Father and Messiah Jesus of Nazareth. And it is also apparent that had the Gospel not been taken outside the confines of Jerusalem and Israel, the Christian church today would be nothing more than another branch of Judaism along with the Orthodox Jews, Reformed Jews, and Conservative Jews.

Several early church scholars speak about Paul’s reasons for why he had until now not been able to visit the Romans. For instance, Chrysostom makes this point about yielding to God’s providence: “For it is the master’s place to command and the servant’s to obey. This is why he says that he was prevented without giving the reason because he did not know it himself.… So if you do not know why something has happened, do not be discouraged, for this is a main feature of faith, to receive what is told to us of God’s providence even when we are ignorant of the way in which it is being dispensed.”²¹ Then another scholar says: “The Romans would have learned of Paul’s plans through the brothers who were constantly coming and going. Prevented here means “busy,” because he was busy preaching in other provinces.”²² Also, Bishop Theodoret talks about how God sometimes overrules our will in favor of His will: “Paul declares both his own plan and God’s overruling. For God’s grace was fully in control of his life.”²³ And finally, early church scholar Gennadius points out the benefits of the gospel: “Paul tells the Romans that it will benefit him to come to them, saying that the nations which received the gospel through him had clearly added to his own riches.”²⁴

Martin Luther sees a possible conflict of interest as the reason for Paul’s expressed desire to come and visit the believers in Rome: “Paul here meets two objections which secretly might be raised against him. In the first place, he might be charged with arrogance for extending his apostolic ministry beyond the Greek areas into those where Latin was used, and indeed even beyond these. Others might accuse him of presumption for attempting to instruct those who already were wise and instructed in the faith, and to these belonged the Christians at Rome. In the same way, he might be criticized for his boldness in forcing his teachings upon the wise of this world. To these objections he replies: I do this not be chance, but to pay a debt that I owe.”²⁵ It does appear that Luther’s feelings of contempt for the Roman Catholic leaders in Rome and their bias against his reformation effort influenced this satirical commentary as a replication of Paul’s feelings of contempt for the Jewish leaders in the church at Rome and their bias against Gentiles.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER ONE (Part XI)

Verses 11-12: I want very much to see you and share some spiritual gift to make your faith stronger. By that I mean, that we both can take comfort from the fact that we share a mutual faith in each other.

Now Paul shares his personal desire about coming to Rome to visit the community of believers there. It is not possible to give all the facts concerning how the Christian message spread to Rome, but we can look at some information that will give us a capsule view. Greek-Roman historian Cassius Dio (155-235 AD) reports the following action taken by Claudius against Roman Jews: “As for the Jews, who had again increased so greatly that by reason of their multitude it would have been hard without raising a tumult to bar them from the city, he did not drive them out, but ordered them, while continuing their traditional mode of life, not to hold meetings.”¹ Most scholars agree that Dio places this event at the beginning of Emperor Claudius’ reign (41 AD). The text states clearly that Jews, while restricted from congregating, were not removed from Rome.

However, things did not get any better. In Roman historian Gaius Suetonius’ record of the life of the Caesars, we read: “Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus,² he expelled them from Rome.”³ So when we read Luke’s passing comment: “Paul left Athens and went to the city of Corinth. There he met a Jewish man named Aquila, who was born in the country of Pontus. But he and his wife, Priscilla, had recently moved to Corinth from Italy. They left Italy because Claudius had given an order for all Jews to leave Rome,”⁴ that it aligns with the expulsion of the Jews from Rome. Paul’s first encounter with Aquila and Priscilla and can be dated to around AD 49. It is believed that this couple returned some time after the banishment was canceled. This certainly would account for why Paul felt such a personal connection with the believers in Rome.

Paul also shares the driving force behind his desire to visit the community of believers in Rome. He wants to add his faith to their faith so that they both grow stronger in Christ and in God’s Word. It was more than wishing for a casual visit, Paul saw this as a vital part of the mission given to him by God through Christ. It may be that Paul saw what the apostles saw in their first visit to Samaria after they were told that many there had heard the Gospel and accepted Jesus as their Savior. Luke tells us: “These people had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, but the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on any of them.”⁵ Paul encountered the same circumstance on his visit to Ephesus.⁶

Early church scholar Origen has some thoughts on the subject of spiritual gifts: “First of all we must learn that it is an apostolic duty to seek fellowship with our brothers for no reason other than to share some spiritual gift with them if we can, or if we cannot, to receive some spiritual gift from them. Otherwise, a desire to visit the beloved is hardly commendable. When Paul says ‘that I might impart to you some spiritual gift’ he seems to imply that there is something which may be called a gift but which is not spiritual. For the gift of faith is undoubtedly spiritual, as is the gift of wisdom, of knowledge, of virginity. But when he speaks of marriage and of virginity, saying: ‘But each one has his own gift from God, some this one, some that,’⁷ he says that marriage is a gift, since it is written: ‘The woman was given to the man by God,’⁸ but this gift is not, strictly speaking, a spiritual gift. Many other things may also be called gifts of God, e.g., riches and bodily strength, physical beauty and earthly power. These things are also given by God.”⁹

For Paul, the Holy Spirit was necessary in order for the Gifts of the Spirit to operate.¹⁰ But he also felt that they needed further instruction. Paul was used to doing this, as Luke tells us: “Paul and those with him traveled through other cities. They gave the believers the rules and decisions from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. They told them to obey these rules. So the churches were becoming stronger in their faith, and the number of believers was growing every day.”¹¹ So Paul’s message for them was no doubt similar to the one he gave the Corinthians: “God is the one who makes you and us strong in Christ. God is also the one who chose us for His work. He put His mark on us to show that we are His. Yes, he put His Spirit in our hearts as the first payment that guarantees all that He will give us.”¹²

Reformer Martin Luther sees some connection between what Paul said and pastoral ministry. He writes: “Sinful curiosity seeks to satisfy its own cravings by seeing others [respond], but he who is spiritual desires the happiness of others, even when he is acting in his own occupation. Here the Apostle teaches very graphically by his own example for what purpose a pastor must visit his parishioners, or why one Christian should visit another.”¹³ So, since Pastors and parishioners visit each other to offer spiritual support, Luther sees this same thing in Paul’s reason for visiting Rome so that he could impart some spiritual gift to the believers there.

British scholar Charles Hodge sees it this way: “By spiritual gift is not to be understood a gift pertaining to the soul in distinction from the body, but one derived from the Spirit. The gifts of which the Holy Spirit is the author, include not only those miraculous endowments of which such frequent mention is made in the Epistle to the Corinthians, and the ordinary gifts of teaching, exhortation, and prophesying,¹⁴ but also those graces which are the fruit of the Spirit. The extraordinary gifts were communicated by the imposition of the apostles’ hands,¹⁵ and therefore abounded in churches founded by the apostles.¹⁶ As the church at Rome was not of this number, it has been supposed that Paul was desirous of conferring on the Roman Christians some of those miraculous powers by which the gospel was in other places attended and confirmed.”¹⁷

Wesleyan scholar Adam Clarke speaks of his understanding of the spiritual gifts Paul desires to share with the Roman believers: “This probably means some of the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, which, being given to them, might tend greatly to establish their faith in the Gospel of Christ; and it is very likely that such gifts were only conferred by means of apostles; and as the apostle had not yet been at Rome, consequently the Roman Christians had not yet received any of these miraculous gifts, and thus they differed widely from all the other Churches which had been raised by the apostle‘s ministry.”¹⁸ We might add to this that Paul knew that they were acquainted with being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, but had not yet been taught how to properly use the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

For the apostle Paul, nothing was more important than teaching the truth. He told the Thessalonians: “Pray that the Lord’s teaching will continue to spread quickly. And pray that people will give honor to that teaching, the same as happened with you. And pray that we will be protected from crooked and evil people.”¹⁹ This was the same message given to the Hebrews: “Don’t let all kinds of strange teachings lead you into the wrong way. Depend only on God’s grace for spiritual strength, not on rules about foods. Obeying those rules doesn’t help anyone.”²⁰ Could it be that Paul became aware that the Jewish synagogues rulers in Rome were trying to influence their Roman citizens who converted to Christianity?

Ambrosiaster gives this insight: “Paul says that he will be comforted with them insofar as they come to understand spiritual things. Even while he may rejoice in their faith, he nevertheless grieves insofar as they have not received the faith rightly. The apostle was the type to grieve for the faults of others as if they were his own. ‘And we are both comforted by this,’ he says, ‘we share the same faith.’ In this way the act of comforting is seamless. For it is by the unity of faith that they are brought to maturity in Christ. By this means the ministry of spiritual grace is given through the apostle’s preaching of the gospel and produces its own fruit.”²¹

Paul had the same goal in mind for the Roman believers that he expressed to the Ephesians. He wanted all the communities of believers to hold these truths to be self-evident: “There is one body and one Spirit, and God chose you to have one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. There is one God and Father of us all, who rules over everyone. He works through all of us and in all of us. Christ gave each one of us a special gift so that everyone could have what He wanted to give them.”²² This view was not unique to Paul.

The apostle Peter expressed the same sentiment: “To all of you who share the same valuable faith that we have. This faith was given to us because our God and Savior Jesus Christ always does what is good and right.”²³ And Jude in his letter writes: “I want to encourage you to fight hard for the faith that God gave His holy people. God gave this faith once, and it is good for all time.”²⁴

Early church scholar Theodoret adds this: “These words are full of humility.… Paul only wants to share what he has himself received. And because the great Peter was the first to have taught them, Paul adds that he merely wants to confirm them in the teaching which has already been given to them and to water the trees which have already been planted. Once again, his speech is full of modesty.”²⁵

Reformist John Calvin speaks of spiritual gifts: “Paul calls those which he possessed, being either those of doctrine, or of exhortation, or of prophecy which he knew had come to him through God’s favor. He has here strikingly pointed out the use of gifts by the word, imparting: for different gifts are distributed to each individual, that all may in kindness mutually assist one another, and transfer to others what each one possesses.”²⁶

Calvin goes on to comment: “See to what degree of modesty Paul’s pious heart submitted itself, so that he disdained not to seek confirmation from inexperienced beginners: nor did he speak in a misleading way, for there is no one so void of gifts in the Church of Christ, who is not able to contribute something to our benefit: but we are hindered by our envy and by our pride from gathering such fruit from one another. Such is our high-mindedness, such is the drunkenness produced by vain reputation, that despising and disregarding others, everyone thinks that he possesses what is abundantly sufficient for himself.”²⁷

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER ONE (Part X)

Verses 9-10: For God, whom I serve in my spirit by spreading the Gospel about his Son, is my witness that I constantly remember you in my prayers; and I always pray that somehow, now or in the future, I might, by God’s will, get to visit you.

Reformer Martin Luther felt strongly about praying for others. So he wrote: “Christian prayer is complete only when we intercede for the common good of all and not merely for ourselves. The Apostle in his prayers makes mention of his hearers always and without ceasing. If we should begin everyday tasks with prayer and intercession before God, then how much more must we undertake spiritual matters in this way.”¹ And commentator Albert Barnes has the same understanding: “This evinced his [Paul’s] remarkable interest in a church which he had never seen, and it shows that Paul was a man of prayer; praying not for his friends and kindred only, but for those whom he had never seen. If with the same intensity of prayer all Christians, and Christian ministers, would remember the churches, what a different aspect would the Christian church soon assume!”²

Nineteenth-century Bible commentator Charles Hodge points this out: “This reverent appeal to God as the searcher of hearts is not uncommon in the apostle’s writings.³ It is an act of worship, a devout recognition of God’s omnipresence and omniscience. It was a long-standing tradition to appeal to God to validate one’s claims of piety and righteousness. Even the patriarch Job called on God to be a witness for him by saying: ‘Even now, my witness is in heaven; my advocate is there on high.⁴”⁵

Adam Clarke, a fellow theologian with John Wesley, believes that Paul is emphasizing that his appeal to God is not casual but filled with genuine feelings for them. Clarke has Paul saying: “‘I not only employ all the powers of my body in this service but all those of my soul; being thoroughly convinced of the absolute truth of the religion I preach.’ Probably St. Paul opposes, in this place, the spiritual worship of the Gospel to the external, or what some call the carnal, worship of the Jews. Mine is not a religion of ceremonies, but one in which the life and power of the eternal Spirit are acknowledged and experienced.”⁶ I’m sure if Clarke could come back from the grave and visit churches today, he would see how much of their worship has become a religion of carnal ceremonies.

Calling out the names of those he knew, and the communities of believers that he felt responsibility for, was part of Paul’s prayer life. When writing to the Ephesians Paul said: “That is why I always remember you in my prayers and thank God for you. I have done this ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people.”⁷ Then to the Philippians Paul wrote: “I thank God every time I remember you. And I always pray for all of you with joy.”⁸ And Paul tells the Colossians: “Since the day we heard these things about you, we have continued praying for you. This is what we pray: that God will make you completely sure of what He wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; that this will help you live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases Him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God; that God will strengthen you with His own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come.”⁹ It is obvious that Paul was a praying man of God. But Paul brings up an important point to remember in prayer. What if you heard the testimony of a person who is credited with saving another person from a burning car, and they said, “While I was trying to get them out of the car I kept praying, ‘O Lord, help me not to get burned doing this. Help me not to injure myself so that I will miss work or have to go to the hospital.’” Certainly, you would question why they were only praying for themselves and not the person they were trying to save?

In commenting on Paul’s service to God, early church writer Ambrosiaster offers his view on Paul’s attitude as he serves: “In my spirit, says Paul, not in the circumcision made with hands, nor in new moons, nor in the sabbath or the choice of foods, but in the spirit, that is, in the mind. Because God is a spirit, it is right that He should be served in spirit or in the mind, for whoever serves Him in his mind serves Him in faith. This is what the Lord said to the Samaritan woman in John.¹⁰ Ambrosiaster goes on to say: “He [Paul] prays without ceasing for them, remembering them in his prayers in order to sow brotherly love among them; indeed, he makes this his desire for them. For who would not love someone when he hears that that person remembers him? For if they had willingly listened to the teaching brought to them in the name of Christ by those who were not sent, how much more would they want to listen to him who they knew was an apostle and whose words were accompanied by power!”¹¹

Chrysostom also has something to say on this subject: “When Paul says ‘whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of His Son,’ he shows us both the grace of God and his own humility, the grace of God because He entrusted such a great task to Paul, and his own humility because Paul imputes it all not to his own zeal but to the help of the Spirit. The addition of ‘the gospel’ shows what kind of ministry Paul had. For there are many different kinds of ministry … one man serves God and labors by believing and ordering his own life in the right way, another undertakes the care of strangers, and another takes care of those who are in need. Even in the apostle’s own time, Stephen’s colleagues served God by looking after widows, while others (including Paul) taught the Word and served in the preaching of the gospel. This was the kind of ministry to which he was appointed.”¹²

In Paul’s prayers, we see a formula that made his prayers very effective. He tells the Philippians: “Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need. But don’t forget to give thanks for what you already have.”¹³ When you do this, says Paul, “The peace of God is much greater than what our minds can comprehend. This peace from Christ Jesus will guard your hearts and minds.”¹⁴ This was important to Paul because visiting Rome had been on his mind for a long time.¹⁵ But Paul did not want to make any plans unless he knew it was part of God’s will.¹⁶ And once he was convinced that is was, when others tried to persuade him otherwise, they knew it was futile.¹⁷

John Calvin also speaks about Paul’s prayers for the believers in Rome: “He still further sets forth the zeal of his love by his very constancy in praying for them. It was, indeed, a strong evidence, when he poured forth no prayers to the Lord without making mention of them. That the meaning may be clearer, I render [the word] ‘always;’ as though it was said, ‘In all my prayers,’ or, ‘whenever I address God in prayer, I join a mention of you’… He then speaks peculiarly of those prayers, for which the saints deliberately prepare themselves; as we find to have been the case with our Lord Himself, who, for this purpose, sought solitude. He at the same time intimates how frequently, or rather, how unceasingly he was engaged in such prayers since he says that he prayed continually.”¹⁸ Calvin goes on to say: “By saying, A prosperous journey by the will of God he shows, not only that he looked to the Lord’s favor for success in his journey, but that he deemed his journey prosperous if it was approved by the Lord. According to this model, all our wishes ought to be formed.”¹⁹

British scholar Charles Hodge makes this point about Paul’s appeal for God to make it possible for him to visit Rome: “In the passive voice, it is, to be prosperous, successful, favored. In the present case, as Paul had neither commenced his journey, nor formed any immediate purpose to undertake it,²⁰ his prayer was not that his journey might be prosperous, but that he might be permitted to undertake it; that his circumstances should be so favorably ordered that he might be able to execute his long cherished purpose of visiting Rome [without any problems]. Knowing, however, that all things are ordered by God, and feeling that his own wishes should be subordinated to the Divine will, he adds, by the will of God; which is equivalent to, If it is the will of God. ‘Praying continually, that, if it be the will of God, I may be prospered to come unto you.’”²¹

Then Charles Spurgeon gives us something to think about here: “Paul wanted to go to Rome; but I do not suppose that he ever thought that he would go there at the expense of the government, with an imperial guard to take care of him all the way. We pray, and God gives us the answer to our petitions; but often in a way of which we should never have dreamed. Paul goes to Rome as a prisoner for Christ’s sake. Now suppose Paul had gone to Rome in any other capacity, he could not have seen Caesar, he could not have obtained admission into Caesar’s house. The prison of the Palatine was just under the vast palace of the Caesars; everybody in the house could come into the guard-room and have a talk with Paul if they were minded so to do. I suppose that, whatever I might be willing to pay, I could not have preached in the palace of the Queen [of England], even in this nominally Christian country; but Paul was installed as a royal chaplain over Caesar’s household in the guard-room of the Palatine prison. How wonderfully God works to accomplish his divine purposes!”²²

Douglas Moo has a very insightful exegesis on how we are to understand Paul’s emotional involvement in the burden he carried for the believers in Rome: “Before stating what it is that he calls God to witness, Paul digresses [by using] a relative clause that affirms the sincerity of his service of God. The word Paul uses for ‘serve’ focuses attention on his service in its vertical aspect as an offering of worship to God. Paul qualifies his worshipful service of God as being ‘in my spirit’ and ‘in the gospel of His Son.’ The former phrase is particularly unclear. A few take ‘pneuma’ as a reference to the Holy Spirit, but Paul’s use of ‘pneuma’ qualified by a first or second person pronoun is against that. Others suggest that the phrase may denote prayer, the inward or ‘spiritual’ aspect of Paul’s ministry, but this, too, is unlikely. What fits Pauline usage and makes sense in the context is an emphasis on the engagement of Paul’s ‘deepest’ person in the ministry to which he has been called. As this inward part of Paul’s person is the instrument of his service, the gospel of God’s Son is the sphere of that ministry. ‘Gospel’ has an active sense here: Paul’s service consists particularly in preaching the good news about God’s Son.”²³ Dr. Moo points out an important aspect of interpreting the word “spirit” in any text taken from the Holy Scripture. Make sure you know if the writer is talking about any spirit, his spirit, or God’s Spirit.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER ONE (Part IX)

Verse 8: First I want to say that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you. I thank Him because people everywhere in the world are talking about your great faith.

Paul now reverses the flow of his greeting. First, he sends the Roman believers the grace and peace that comes from God the Father through Jesus the Messiah, and now sends his thanks back to God the Father through Jesus the Christ. Not only his thanks but also his praise. This was the hallmark of Paul’s gratitude in both directions for the success of God’s kingdom here on earth. He once wrote the Ephesians: “With God’s power working in us, He can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. To Him belongs the glory by the body of believers through Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.”¹ He reiterates this to them again with these words: “Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”² Not only that, but in Paul’s prayer for the Philippians he prayed: “That your life will be full of the many good works that are produced by Jesus Christ to bring glory and praise to God.”³ And in the writer of Hebrews’ instructions to the Messianic Jews, he includes: “Through Jesus Christ, we should never stop offering our sacrifice to God. That sacrifice is our praise, coming from lips that speak His name.”⁴ In other words, Jesus was the center of everything we say and do to the glory of God the Father.

One early church Presbyter and theologian named Novatian (210-280 AD), who was very strict on doctrines related to holiness, wrote a letter to the leaders of churches after his views caused members to take sides. He wrote: “We have not just recently adopted this particular course of action, nor have these measures against the ungodly suddenly crossed our mind. For with us, the holiness is ancient, the faith is ancient. The apostle would not have praised us so highly by stating: ‘Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world,’ if this holiness of ours had not already been rooted in the faith of those times.”⁵ Such letters have been sorely needed throughout the churches since the beginning. However, many theologians were afraid to write them due to backlash from those in authority. Martin Luther staked his life on this, as did Dietrich Bonhoeffer during the rise of Nazism. It was also not uncommon in early American churches. But here of late, such courage has been sorely lacking.

The thing that made Paul so happy about the Roman believers was their faith, and how the news of that faith had spread throughout the Christian community worldwide. Paul was equally as proud of the believers in Thessalonica: “The Lord’s teaching has spread from you throughout Greece and beyond. In fact, your faith in God has become known everywhere, so we never have to tell anyone about it.”⁶ This was a fulfillment of what Jesus said to His followers on the Mount of Olives: “The Good News I have shared about God’s kingdom will be told throughout the world. It will be spread to every nation.”⁷ This should give all of us a reason to rejoice every time we hear of the gospel reaching places where it has never been heard before.

Another early church bishop was inspired to also write a letter when he became aware of people being baptized into the church who had not sufficiently repented and turned away from their sins. He wrote: “This counsel was not recently planned by us, nor have these unexpected protections against the wicked lately surprised us. But this is known among us as the ancient holiness, the ancient faith, the ancient discipline, since the apostle [Paul] would not have revealed so great praise of us when he said: ‘because your faith is proclaimed all over the world,’⁸ if already this vigor had not been received through the roots of faith from those times; it is a very great crime to be declared unworthy of these praises and of glory.”⁹

Another bishop from the diocese of Constantinople had this to say about Paul’s letter to the church in Rome: “Paul does his utmost to win the Romans over, in case they may be thinking that he has something against them, or that following the tradition of Peter he might be coming to order them about, and if indeed they are vexed for this sort of reason, they might refuse to read his letter and miss out on the blessing it would bring. Therefore, starting with thanksgiving and faith, he praised them for keeping it pure and firm, as they all did together, and then with the word proclaimed spoke more personally in praise of the city, and by adding ‘in all the world’ he praised them greatly and exalted them before going on to talk about meeting them in person.”¹⁰

Martin Luther speaks to the reason why Paul thanked God through Christ for the reputation of the believers at Rome because of their faith. Luther says: “Jesus Christ is our only Mediator, and the true Christian way of praising is not simply to praise men, but to praise, primarily and above all, God in them and to ascribe to Him all glory. Again, we can praise God only through Christ; for as we receive all blessings through Him from God, so we must also through Him acknowledge them all as God’s since Christ alone is worthy to appear before the throne of God and as our Priest to intercede for us.”¹¹ It must have been disconcerting for Luther to read the compliments of Paul and early church writers on the lifestyle and Christian attitude of the first congregants in Rome, only to see how it had deteriorated in his day to the point of high positions in the church being bought and sold, and heathen practices being adopted by the church under the guise of winning them to Christ.

John Calvin comments on Paul’s admiration of the faith of the Roman believers: “The first thing worthy of remark is, that he so commends their faith, that he implies that it had been received from God. We are here taught that faith is God’s gift; for thanksgiving is an acknowledgment of a benefit. He who gives thanks to God for faith, confesses that it comes from Him. And since we find that the Apostle ever begins his congratulations with thanksgiving, let us know that we are hereby reminded, that all our blessings are God’s free gifts. It is also needful to become accustomed to such forms of speaking, that we may be led more fully to motivate ourselves in the duty of acknowledging God as the giver of all our blessings and to stir up others to join us in the same acknowledgment. If it is right to do this in little things, how much more with regard to faith; Which is neither a small nor an indiscriminate gift of God. We have here besides an example, that thanks ought to be given through Christ, according to the Apostle’s command in Hebrews; inasmuch as in His name we seek and obtain mercy from the Father.¹² — I observe in the last place, that he calls Him his God. This is the faithful’s special privilege, and on them alone God bestows this honor.”¹³

Adam Clarke gives us a view of the thinking in Methodism in the early 19th-century: “He will manifest His indignation, and inflict wrath – punishment, on all who are contentious – who obstinately dispute against the truth, and obey unrighteousness – who act under the influence of the principle of sin, and not under the influence of the Spirit of God.”¹⁴ However, I think it is safe to say that Clarke was thinking more of this being addressed to those in his day rather than to Christians in Paul’s day. That’s why, if he were alive today he would be paralyzed by what he would see in the modern church.

Harry A Ironside looks at the providence of God involved in Paul’s relationship with the church in Rome. He writes: “There seems to have been a providential reason why he was hindered from going there earlier. He calls God to witness (that God whom he served not merely outwardly but in his spirit, the inward man, in the gospel of His Son) that he had never ceased to pray for those Roman believers since he first heard of them; and coupled with his petitions for them was his earnest request that if it was the will of God he might have the opportunity to visit them, and a prosperous journey. How differently that prayer was answered from what he might have expected, we well know; and it gives us a little idea of the overruling wisdom of God in answering all our prayers. No man is competent to say what is prosperous and what is not. God’s ways are not ours.”¹⁵ From this we can conclude that Ironside did not see Paul writing the believers in Rome as an outsider with little interest in getting to know them, only wanting to dictate to them as an Apostle. Rather, we can clearly see that Paul had a personal and spiritual connection with the church there in Rome. So he writes this letter with deep feelings of appreciation and gratitude.

Charles Hodge gives his view on Paul’s thanking God through Christ: “This form of expression supposes the mediation of Christ, by whom alone we have access to the Father, and for whose sake alone either our prayers or praises are accepted. ‘Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’¹⁶ And ‘Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.’¹⁷ ‘Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise.’¹⁸ All this is in accordance with the command of Christ, ‘Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive.’¹⁹ Such then being the clear doctrine of the Bible, that in all our approaches to God in prayer or praise, we must come in the name of Christ, that is, in Him, referring to Him as the ground of our acceptance, there is no need of the various forced interpretations of the words in the text, which have been given by those who are unwilling to admit the idea of such mediation on the part of Christ.”²⁰

Douglas Moo also comments on this giving thanks to God through Christ: “Paul draws special attention to his thanksgiving, a feature typical of Paul’s letters. He offers his thanks to ‘my God,’ a note of personal piety that may reflect the language of the Psalms. Only in Romans, however, does Paul offer his thanks ‘through Jesus Christ.’ Although this might mean that Christ, as High Priest, is the mediator of his thanks before God, it is better taken as an indication that Christ is the one who has created the access to God for such thanks to be offered.”²¹

Charles Spurgeon bemoaned a situation in his day in the mid-1800’s that we must admit is similar to what we face today. He said: “Oh, I would it were so with us, that we had faith that could be spoken of throughout the whole world! I am afraid that some have none to speak of; these saints in Rome had such faith that the noise thereof went abroad everywhere, and all people wondered at them.”²² If light bulbs could speak, what would you think of one who always complained when it got dark because then it had to shine. Wouldn’t you say to it: You were made for this reason? So it is with some believers when Christianity is ridiculed, they complain because they then have to show their true colors. But we were called out of darkness into His marvelous light for that purpose.

Albert Barnes rightly points out: “The term “throughout the world” is limited in the scriptures, and here it denotes those parts of the Roman Empire where the Christian church was established. All the churches would hear of the work of God in the capital and would rejoice in it.²³ It is not improper to commend Christians and to remind them of their influence, and especially to call to their mind the great power which they may have on other churches and people. Nor is it improper that great displays of divine mercy should be celebrated everywhere, and excite in the churches praise to God.”²⁴ One of the worse things that can happen to a believer is when they remain silent when they hear God’s Name being blasphemed and see His commands being violated and then later it is revealed they are one of God’s children, to which someone exclaims: I didn’t know you were a Christian!

The words, “To err is human, to forgive divine,” came from the pen of English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744), in An Essay on Criticism (1709). Pope was expressing his concern about the state of writing and journalism in his day, especially at the beginning of the 18th century. The poem is written in rhyming couplets. The choice of words at each line ending sometimes makes the reading of the 18th century English a little difficult to understand. But here is the essence of the poem:

Pope begins by saying: Even if what makes us laugh comes from ignorance, don’t let that keep us from wanting to learn. And since those who excel receive rewards, it should not keep those who do their best, from receiving proper praise. Because, just like generals get the credit for their triumphs, it’s the foot soldiers for whom crowns should be reserved.

He goes on to ask by what ends and means are humans encouraged to seek the compliments they rightfully deserve? Whatever it is, don’t let it be because of a thirst for boasting, but also don’t let criticism put an end to it. Here is his last line: “Good-Nature and Good-Sense must ever join; To err is Human; to Forgive, Divine.”

In other words, we should always be happy in doing what we do, because we’re sure we know what we’re doing and what we’re doing is right. After all, everyone makes mistakes because we’re all human. But, by not allowing those mistakes to keep us from moving on, now that’s worthy of the highest compliment. So keep this in mind: Even though we may not end up being the champion in everything we do, we should at least congratulate ourselves for giving it our very best try.

After all, did not the Apostle Paul tell young Timothy: “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of His return.”¹– Dr. Robert R Seyda

Joe Loftus tells this touching story that should make all our hearts not only feel warm but also remind us of how God can use us if we find ourselves in a similar situation:

Joe says: I arrived before sunrise at an address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be the last ride on my shift, …I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked. Just a minute’, answered an elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged up to the door. After a long pause, the door opened. A small, frail woman stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940’s movie. By her side was a nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. Would you carry my bag out to the car for me?’ she asked politely. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. ‘It’s nothing’, I told her.. ‘I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.’ ‘Oh, you’re such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, ‘Could you drive through downtown on the way?’ ‘It’s not the shortest way,’ I answered quickly. ‘Oh, I don’t mind,’ she said. ‘I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to hospice. I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. ‘I don’t have any family left,’ she continued in a soft voice. ‘I’m 90 years old and the doctor says I don’t have very long.’ I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. Just tell me what route you’d like to take,’ I said.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and she would sit there, staring into the darkness, saying nothing. As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, ‘I’m tired. Let’s go now’. We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were attentive and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

‘How much do I owe you?’ She asked, reaching into her purse. ‘Nothing,’ I said. ‘You have to make a living,’ she answered. There are other passengers,’ I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. ‘You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’ I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the call, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life. We are conditioned to think that our lives revolve around our great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware – beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small thing. People may not remember exactly what you did, or precisely what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

Thank you, Joe, for sharing your story with us. But most of all, thank you God for giving all of us opportunities to be Your vessels and instruments of kindness, love, grace, and mercy in a world that for some has become a dark, dreary, lonesome, and sad place. Thank you Jesus, for reminding us every once in a while how we felt when You stopped and helped us when we were hopelessly lost in sin and despair. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your touch that changed our lives when you opened our eyes to see that we were not alone, that someone up above loved us no matter who we were or what we had done, and led us to the safety of the Rock. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER ONE (Part VIII)

A good question to ask is: Was Paul making some claim here about God being a Father that was not already known to his readers? Jesus certainly made no secret about God being a heavenly Father. He told His followers: “Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.”¹ And when the disciples asked for Him to give them instructions on how to pray, He said: “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. So this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven.‘”² Then, after His resurrection Mary went to the tomb and Jesus greeted her, but when she tried to touch Him He said: “You don’t need to hold on to me! I have not yet gone back up to the Father.”³ So for Paul to say that grace and peace comes from God the Father, it would be as natural as any Jewish father’s greeting sent to his children.

Therefore, Paul’s claim about God being their heavenly Father was not shocking to the Jewish converts in the church at Rome. In their own Torah, they could read: “You foolish people, so lacking in wisdom, is this how you repay Adonai? He is your Father, who made you his! It was He who formed and prepared you!” Also, in the Jewish Talmud, we find a prayer that became a common liturgical phrase in Jewish prayers. We read: “It is further related of Rabbi Eliezer that once he stepped down before the Ark and recited the twenty-four benedictions [for fast days] and his prayer was not answered. Rabbi Akiba stepped down after him and exclaimed: ‘Our Father, our King, we have no King but You; our Father, our King, for Your sake have mercy upon us’; and rain fell.”⁴

But Paul joins the Father’s greeting with that of His Son Jesus the Messiah. That echoes what we read in Paul’s letter to the Galatians: “Jesus gave Himself for our sins to free us from this evil world we live in. This is what God our Father wanted.”⁵ And to the Philippians Paul wrote: “God will use His glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus. Now unto God our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. ”⁶ And to the Thessalonians Paul writes: “Every time we pray to God our Father, we thank Him for all that you have done because of your faith… And we thank Him that you continue to be strong because of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”⁷ This prompted Paul to call them: “The assembly who are in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”⁸ So you cannot have the one without the other. The Father cannot extend His grace and peace and the Son withhold it. They are one.

Early church scholar Ambrosiaster gives his interpretation from a doctrinal perspective: “Paul says that grace and peace are with those who believe rightly. It is grace by which sinners have been cleansed and peace by which former enemies have been reconciled to the Creator, as the Lord says: ‘Whatever house you enter and they receive you, say: Peace be to this house.’⁹ And so as to teach that without Christ there is no peace or hope, Paul added that grace and peace are not only from God the Father but also from the Lord Jesus Christ. He says that God is our Father because of our origin since all things are from Him and that Christ is Lord because we have been redeemed by His blood and made children of God.”¹⁰

Martin Luther has an insightful comment on what Paul says here: “From this verse, we learn that love precedes the calling, just as the calling precedes their sanctification. Paul’s hearers were to realize that they were saints, not because of any merit on their part, but because of God’s love and call, so that he ascribes all things to God. No one indeed becomes a believer, or a saint, unless he is called by God. But: ‘Many are called, but few chosen.‘¹¹”¹²

Reformer John Calvin sees this from a practical view: “Nothing is more desirable than to have God favorable to us, and this is signified by grace; and then to have prosperity and success in all things flowing from him, and this is intimated by peace; for however things may seem to smile on us, if God be angry, even blessing itself is turned to a curse. The very foundation then of our felicity is the favor of God, by which we enjoy true and solid prosperity, and by which also our salvation is promoted even when we are in adversities. And then as he prays to God for peace, we must understand, that whatever good comes to us, it is the fruit of divine benevolence. Nor must we omit to notice, that he prays at the same time to the Lord Jesus Christ for these blessings. Worthily indeed is this honor rendered to him, who is not only the administrator and dispenser of his Father’s bounty to us but also works all things in connection with him. It was, however, the special object of the Apostle to show, that through him all God’s blessings come to us. There are those who prefer to regard the word peace as signifying quietness of conscience; and that this meaning belongs to it sometimes, I do not deny: but since it is certain that the Apostle wished to give us here a summary of God’s blessings, the former meaning, which is adduced by Bucer,¹³ is much the most suitable. Anxiously wishing then to the godly what makes up real happiness, he betakes himself, as he did before, to the very fountain itself, even the favor of God, which not only alone brings to us eternal happiness but is also the source of all blessings in this life.”¹⁴

Adam Clarke points out several things he believes we all should know about “Grace.” 1) It signifies favor loaded with benefits.¹⁵ 2) Is used for the blessing it dispenses.¹⁶ 3) As being the grandest possible display of God’s favor to the lost, ruined world.¹⁷ 4) It signifies all the blessings and benefits which Christ has purchased and which He gives to true believers.¹⁸ 5) It signifies the apostolic and ministerial office to transmit the Christian faith and the unction by which that office is executed.¹⁹ 6) It signifies a gift, salary, or money collected for the poor.²⁰ 7) It signifies both thanks and thanksgiving.²¹ 8) It signifies remuneration, wages, or reward.²² 9) It signifies whatever is the means of procuring the favor or kindness of another.²³ 10) It signifies joy, pleasure, and gratification.²⁴ 11) It signifies the performance of an act which is pleasing or grateful to others.²⁵ 12) It signifies whatever has the power or influence to procure favor²⁶.²⁷ I don’t believe it is too difficult to think of what Clarke is saying here as applicable to our lives, especially when we ask ourselves: Would I be what I am now, and would I have what I have now, if it wasn’t for God’s grace?

On the involvement the Father and Son, Charles Hodge writes: “This association of the Father and Christ as equally the object of prayer, and the source of spiritual blessings, is a conclusive proof that Paul regarded Christ as truly God. God is called our Father, not merely as the author of our existence, and the source of every blessing, but especially as reconciled towards us through Jesus Christ. The term expresses the peculiar relation in which he stands to those who are his sons, who have the spirit of adoption, and are the heirs or recipients of the heavenly inheritance. Jesus Christ is our Lord, as our supreme Ruler, under whose care and protection we are placed, and through whose ministration all good is actually bestowed.”²⁸

Charles Spurgeon adds this point: “What contrasts we have in the seventh verse! ‘In Rome, beloved of God.’ ‘In Rome called to be saints.’ God has beloved ones in the darkest parts of the earth. There is all the more reason for them to be saints because they are surrounded by sinners. They must have had true faith, or they could not have confessed Christ between the jaws of a lion, for they lived in Rome, with Nero hunting after Christians, as if they had been wild beasts, and yet they were not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.”²⁹ Here Spurgeon makes a good point. How can anyone be designated as a saint unless they live among sinners? Most of all, not only that they serve as a light in the darkness; a voice of wisdom amidst chaos; but also a willing martyr when it becomes a choice between sin and evil, truth and lie, honesty and dishonesty, obeying God or man.

Douglas Moo reiterates Paul’s emphasis on the importance of Christology in all of this. He comments: “Paul shares with his Roman audience the conviction that Jesus is the heart of the gospel. He is the promised Messiah of Israel (‘seed of David’), the Son of God, the Lord. Confessing the gospel in our own day requires that we subscribe to Paul’s exalted view of Jesus; it is a failure to do so that spawns many heresies. But Paul’s attention, as we have also seen, is especially on the activity of this Jesus: His coming to earth as the Messiah; His exaltation through resurrection to Lord of all; His dispensing power as the Son of God. It is what Jesus has done, not just who He is, that makes the gospel the ‘good news’ that it is. But make no mistake: what Jesus has done cannot be severed from who He is. Ours is an age not too much interested in theology; but correct theology — in this case, the person of Jesus — is vital to salvation and to Christian living.”³⁰

John Stott puts this verse in the context by viewing this letter to believers living in the most cosmopolitan city of that day. He reckons that it would be hard for us to imagine the sensations which the mere mention of the word ‘Rome’ would arouse in first-century people who lived far away in one of the provinces. For ‘she was the eternal city which had given them peace,’ wrote Bishop Stephen Neill,³¹ ‘the fount of law, the center of civilization, the Mecca of poets and orators and artists’, while being at the same time ‘a home of every kind of idolatrous worship.’ Yet God had his people there, whom the apostle describes in three ways: “loved by God,” “called to be saints,” and “recipients of God’s grace and peace.³²

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER ONE (Part VII)

Concerning what Paul meant by identifying the Roman believers as being part of those chosen to belong to Christ, some early church scholars see it this way: “This is a part of our mission who are preaching the name of Christ to people of all cultures, among whom you too have been called, because the gift of God has been sent to all, so that when they hear that they have been called along with others, they will know that they must not act as if they are under the law, since people of all cultures accepted the faith of Christ without the law of Moses.”¹ Another writer says: “Paul says this in order to show that the Romans too, made up as they were of people from all cultures inhabiting the world, rightly accepted the preaching of his message.”² Then Chrysostom notes: “Paul does not say that God called the others along with the Romans but the Romans along with the others.”³ And Augustine observes: “Paul teaches here that this salvation had come not only to the Jews, as some Jewish Christians thought.”⁴ And the early church bishop of Cyr adds: “Paul tells them here that he is not doing anything improper, nor invading fields assigned to others, for God had appointed him to preach to the Gentiles.”⁵ What these early church writers are expressing here is that they agree with Paul that Christianity is not broken down to fit the various cultures, manners, and customs of the world. We all pray to the same God, have the same Savior, and are led by the same Holy Spirit. Even among all languages, we share similar words such as “Amen” and “Hallelujah.”

This is a clear indication that writers and scholars of the early church did not attribute one becoming a firm believer in Jesus Christ as their Savior based on their heritage, family ties, joining the church, or participating in certain rites and rituals. Every true believer was “called” into the Kingdom of God and the Body of Christ. There are not there by accident, good fortune, or by someone else’s decision. They heard the call to salvation and responded in faith.

Reformer Martin Luther makes an interesting point on what Paul says here about his calling. He does not want those in Rome to get into arguments about their faith, or that which they are to believe. Luther says that those who are called are not ordained for their own sake, but on account of others, namely, to make them such as obey the Gospel, and thereby obey Christ who is the heart of the Gospel.⁶

Charles Spurgeon takes this calling personally. He preached: “That is a sweet name for every truly converted person. ‘Called of Jesus Christ.’ He has called you personally, He has called you effectually, He has called you out of the world, He has called you into fellowship with Himself: ‘the called of Jesus Christ.’ The revised version has it: ‘Called to be Jesus Christ’s.’ Those who are called by Christ, are called to be His.”⁷ Just as Jesus called His disciples to follow Him, and Paul was called by Christ on the road to Damascus to be an apostle to the Gentiles, so we are called by God, to Christ, through the Holy Spirit, to be His ambassadors to those around us and to whomever He may send us.

Albert Barnes focuses on how Paul refers to his calling: “Many suppose that this is a figure of speech by which one thing is expressed by two words, meaning the grace or favor of the apostolic office. Such a figure of speech is often used. But it may mean, as it does probably here, the two things, grace, or the favor of God to his own soul, as a personal matter; and the apostolic office as a distinct thing. He often, however, speaks of the office of the apostleship as a matter of special favor.⁸”⁹ Douglas Moo has a similar thought: “The third modifier of ‘grace and apostleship’ is ‘for the sake of His name.’ The phrase expresses the ultimate focus of Paul’s ministry: the name of Jesus his Lord. Generally in Scripture, ‘name’ connotes the person in his or her true character and significance. Ultimately, Paul ministers not for personal gain or even the benefit of his converts, but for the glory and benefit of Jesus Christ his Lord.”¹⁰ This should be the mission statement of every believer: I have been called to honor my Lord and bring Him praise and glory. And for every one called into the ministry: I have been called for the sake of His name to make Him known to everyone I meet.

To this we add John Stott’s six fundamental truths about the Gospel: “Its origin is God the Father and its substance Jesus Christ His Son. Its attestation is Old Testament Scripture and its scope all the nations. Our immediate purpose in proclaiming it is to bring people to the obedience of faith, but our ultimate goal is the greater glory of the name of Jesus Christ. Or, to simplify these truths by the use of six prepositions, we can say that the good news is the gospel of God, about Christ, according to Scripture, for the nations, unto the obedience of faith, and for the sake of the Name.”¹¹ To this, we should all say, Amen!

Verse 7: This letter is to all of you in Rome who are beloved by God, and who He has chosen to be His holy people. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now Paul makes the letter very personal. It is not like the letter to the Galatians which involved many congregations. This community of believers in Rome has never been visited by Paul. Little did he know at this juncture that one day he would spend a lot of time in Rome as a prisoner. In describing them as “beloved,” he suggests a close spiritual relationship. This phrase is used of someone highly esteemed, a favorite who is worthy of some gift. It was a cherished term used by Solomon for his one true love.¹²

Paul felt the same way about the Corinthians. He wrote to them: “I am writing this to counsel you as my beloved children.”¹³ To the Ephesians he wrote: “You are God’s beloved children, so try to be like Him.”¹⁴ And he congratulated the Philippians for being his beloved because they always obeyed, not only when he was there but when he was away.¹⁵ Paul also referred to Epaphras as a beloved fellow servant; Tychicus as a beloved brother; Onesimus as a beloved brother; Luke as his beloved physician; and Timothy as his beloved son.¹⁶ So Paul knew well what this term meant, and I’m sure he would not use it carelessly when applying it to the Roman brethren.

Paul had already spoken about those who were “chosen” by God. But now he adds to that by saying that he felt they were elected to be God’s holy people. Of course, the term “holy” denotes something or someone set aside for God’s use only. Therefore, it was often used as a synonym for being pure in heart, soul, body, and mind. As such, holy people with minds pure of prejudice or bias, given over to the work of God, were often referred to as “saints.” This was how Paul addressed members of the congregation in Corinth: “You were chosen to be God’s saints with all people everywhere who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours.”¹⁷ So in other words, Paul wanted the Roman believers to know that he considered them as God’s special, holy people, saints of God.

One early church scholar speaks about the beloved in Rome this way: “Although Paul is writing to the Romans, nevertheless he indicates that he is writing to those who are in the love of God. Who are these, if not those who believe rightly concerning the Son of God? These are the ones who are holy and who are said to have been called. For someone who misunderstands this, they have not been called, just as those who act according to the law have not rightly understood Christ and have done injury to God the Father, by doubting whether there is full salvation in Christ. Therefore they are not holy, nor are they said to have been called.”¹⁸

He follows this opening with a greeting that was aimed at both the Gentile members and Jewish members of the congregation. He greets the non-Jews with “Grace,” and the Jews with “Peace.” He uses “chairo” (grace) in Greek, which was the way Greeks said hello and goodbye, and “shalom” (peace) which the Jews used for the same purposes. But he adds a special note to his greeting. He wants the readers to know that he does not speak on his own behalf, but for the One who called him, chose him, commissioned him, and anointed him to preach the Gospel to them.

Augustine also comments on this in seeing it as a reference to their personal relationship with God: “Instead of saying ‘greetings,’ Paul says ‘Grace to you and peace.’ Grace then is from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, by which our sins, which had turned us from God, are forgiven; and from them also is this peace, whereby we are reconciled to God. Since through grace hostilities dissolve once sins are remitted, now we may cling in peace to Him from whom our sins alone had torn us.… But when these sins have been forgiven through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall have peace with no separation between us and God.”¹⁹

Let’s look at it this way: if you received a letter in the mail signed by someone named, “I. M. Nasty,” you might laugh. But if at the top you see a letterhead marked: Internal Revenue Service, I’m sure you’d suddenly take agent I. M. Nasty a little more seriously. That’s what the Apostle Paul attempted to do here. He made sure they understood that even though he signed the document, the divine letterhead read “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Paul uses this same greeting in all of his epistles.²⁰ But Paul was not the only one, Peter and John used the same salutation.²¹ This shows the unity they had in the faith even though many were from different races, cultures, and ethnicities, yet the were one in Christ.

However, we must note that it wasn’t Paul’s grace or peace, but that which only God the Father and Christ the Son could give through the Spirit. It is important to point out that some Christians believe that calling the Creator of Heaven and Earth by the title, “Father” is only seen in the New Testament. Some believe and teach that God Almighty was distant to His people in the Old Testament, but came into a ‘Father-Son’ relationship only after the appearance of Jesus His Son. Are these claims true? Was calling God by the title “Father” a new teaching?

The answer is found in the Old Testament itself. For instance, Moses admonished the children of Israel because of their behavior: “Is this the way you repay the Lord for all He has done for you? You are stupid, foolish people. He is your Father and your Creator. He made you, and He supports you.”²² David acknowledged God as father when he wrote: “Lord, the God of Israel, our Father, may You be praised forever and ever!”²³ Then we read in Isaiah: “Look, you are our Father! Abraham does not know us. Israel does not recognize us. Lord, you are our Father!”²⁴ And again: “Lord, you are our Father. We are like clay, and you are the potter.”²⁵ We also read in Jeremiah where God said: “I thought you would call me ‘Father.’ I thought you would always follow me.”²⁶ And then: “I am Israel’s Father and Ephraim is my firstborn son.”²⁷ And finally, God was grieved when He said to Israel in Malachi: “Children honor their fathers. Servants honor their masters. I am your Father, so why don’t you honor me?”²⁸ To which the prophet added: “Don’t we all have the same Father? Didn’t one God create us all?”²⁹ It should be noted here, that the term, “father” was also used as a synonym for male ancestors, a title of respect for a chief, ruler, elder, the author or beginner of anything.³⁰ So its use must be understood in context.