Epistles – Romans 13 – 14

Today I made a discovery.  It was something I should have done but did not.

All along, I knew that the International Assembly of the True Jesus Church website (ia.tjc.org) had some downloadable materials that we could use for our reading and understanding of the Bible.  But I did not really check it out until now.

And there is was… notes on the Epistle of Romans.

So for today’s passage, I am going to do something different.  I am going to just copy the relevant portions of the notes for you to read.

The notes are quite long.  Tell me if you like it this way and I will try and do more of it next time.

BIble Passage:  Romans 13-14

Romans Chapter 13

Topic: Christian and Government

1. Prolog

a. Jesus does not ask believers to leave the world, but to overcome the world. Christians shall go into the world to shine as light.

b. What is the relationship between Christian and Government?

2. Main Body.

a. The role of government in Christian’s eyes.

(a) Government is the servant of God (Rom 13:4)

(i) Paul emphasized this point twice in one verse. The government, the authority of higher power, is ordained by God (Rom 13:1). Even the bible describes that the gentile king Cyrus is the shepherd of God (Isa 44:28). Even God used gentile king as the rod of God’s wrath, the instrument of God’s punishment. (Isa 10:5)

(ii) As a servant of God, a king shall not boast of himself. God told to Nebuchadnezzar that God was the ruler in the kingdom of men and gave kingship to anyone at His please (Dan 4:31). So, a king shall humbly submit himself to God like a true servant of God.

(iii) God exists forever. A man’s kingdom cannot last forever.

(b) Government is an agent of God to punish evil. (Rom 13:4)

God is a God of righteousness. He punishes the evil and rewards the good. The sword in the hand of government is not for nothing. The sword is to protect people’s life, property, and freedom. In order to make a state peaceful, the government needs to carry out God’s justice.

(c) Government is to reward the good (Rom 12:3)

(i) It is to promote good people. For example, we had holiday to remember Martine Luther King for his contribution to civil right.

(ii) It is to promote good value. For example, the country encourages charity work by reducing your income taxes.

(iii) It is to promote to have a good environment. The government does many things to maintain us a good environment. Ex, the regulation of smog check.

b. Christians shall submit to government.

(a) If anyone resist the power of government is to resist the ordinance of God (Rom13:2)

The USA’s independence was influenced by the thought of John Locke. His book “Two treatises of Government” influence not only the United Kingdom, but also the USA. His concept is that a man was created equally. No one was born to belong to someone else. Beside God, no one, including oneself, can take away my life, and my freedom. I am only a steward of my life.

(i) So, we cannot exchange our freedom with the protection of a king.

(ii) So, we have the responsibility to care for the entrusted right. We can bravely demand that our life and freedom cannot be deprived.

(iii) Government is to protect the God given right to man. If a government failed to do his mission, abuse his power, or deprived God given right, people are entitled to change or abolish the government.

(iv) This kind of concept can be found in the USA’s “declaration of independence.”

(b) Though John Locke hint that one can use even violence to overthrow a government to change it. Bible does not support this kind of view.

(i) Even Christians were undergone prosecution; Paul stated that those who resist the power of government resist the ordinance of God.

(ii) Even David was pursued by King Saul; David did spare the life of King Saul twice in his life.

(iii) When Israel was led by God to go out of Egypt, God did not ask Israel to fight with violent against Egypt. God gave ten plagues to subdue the king of Egypt.

(iv) Even when Daniel’s three friends were under persecution, they did not fight against the ruler (Dan 3:15-23; 6:10-18)

(c) For wrath, we shall submit to government (Rom 13:5)

Knowing that the government does not bear swords in vain (Rom 13:4). All governments will not allow any religious party to overthrown a government.

(d) For conscience sake, we shall submit to government (Rom 13:5)

(i) Conscience is the lamp of God telling God’s will in our life (Ref: Pro. 20:27). The words of God shines the light of God’s will concerning the government.

1. A king needs to rely on God to care for his people (Pro 8:15). By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

2. Jesus told to Pilot that if God did not give him authority, he cannot exercise authority on Jesus (Jn 19:11)

3. Peter told us that we shall submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake (1Pet 2:13). Peter could have still remember what Jesus told him to put up his sword into his place, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword (Ref Mt 26:52).

4. Jeremiah reminds us to pray for those who rule over us, even they are gentile people (Jer 29:7)

(ii) Beside the words of God reminding of our conscience, we know the fact that a bad government is better than no government sometimes.

c. How to submit to government?

(a) We shall pay taxes. (Rom 13:7)

(i) For government workers are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing (Rom 13:6). Like the ministers in the church need to be supported, the government employees shall be supported by Taxes.

(ii) Jesus also paid Taxes. Jesus said unto them, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s (Mk 12:7).

(b) We shall fear and honor them (Rom 13:7)

(i) Peter encouraged us to fear God and honor king (2 Pet 2:17)

(ii) Paul wanted us to pray for the rulers and kings (1Tim 2:2f)

3. Epilog.

a. Passively, as a church, we shall not resist the government, but submit to government.

b. Aggressively, as a citizen of a country, especially in the western world, we can promote Christine spirits by voting and select the right persons to be the rulers for our country.

Romans Chapter 14

Topic: Christian and Fellow Christian

1. Prolog.

One of the reasons for us to lost members is that Christian cannot get along with other fellow Christian. Paul gave us some insights concerning these issues.

2. Main Body.

a. Do not judge (Rom 14:1-6)

(a) It does not mean that we cannot comment on people or events. Paul commented on people positively and negatively.

(i) Paul commented that Demas loved this present world and forsook Paul (2 Tim 4:10)

(ii) Paul commented that Hymenaeus and Alexander had gone wrong in relations to faith. (1Tim 1:19f)

(iii) Paul commented that Mark was useful in his missionary (2Tim 4:11)

(b) It means that our motivation of comment shall not be from “despise”. (Rom 14:10). We do not mean to condemn people with our comment. (Lk 6:37).

When a Pharisee prayed that he was much better than a tax collector, his prayer was out of despise. In his prayer, indirectly, we can see he was condemning the tax collector (Lk 18:9ff)

(c) How do we not judge?

(i) We shall accept those who are weak in faith and shall not debate what is in doubt. (Rom 14:1)

1. Many things have nothing to do with “sin or sins”. They have to do with right or wrong in their own eyes.

2. Someone thought that he can only eat vegetable (Rom 14:2). In the Garden of Eden, people only ate fruits and herbs. After coming out of Eden, people started to eat grains. After the flooding, due to the change of weather, God allowed people to eat meats. Now a day, a healthy eater won’t eat too much meat either.

3. After believing in Jesus, some people still believe in observing the feasts in the Old Testaments. However, Jesus had fulfilled the Law. We are not required to observe all those holidays (Rom 14:5). Someone took verse five as an issue talking about the Lord’s day and the Sabbath day. It is not true for the following reasons.

?. People were requested to observe the Lord’s Day at the third century. Book of Roman was written in about 57 AD.

?. Paul was persecuted greatly to affirm that circumcision is not necessary for Gentile believers. Paul was never got persecuted by changing the Sabbath’s day to the Lord’s Day. Paul himself, as his usually custom, kept Sabbath day (Acts 17:2).

(d) Why we shall not judge?

(i) God is the judge (Rom 14:10-12). The father said that he gave the authority of judgment to the Son, Jesus. Jesus said that he won’t judge, but the truth he preached will judge people (Jn 8:15; 12:47f). Everyone shall give account of himself to God in the last day (Rom 14:12). God will exercise his hard judgment on those who are not straight (Ps 18:26).

(ii) For in judging another you are judging yourself (Rom 2:1-4). David judged that the bad guy needs to pay four times after listening to the story of Nathan, David indeed pay four lives of his sons for his own mistake.

(iii) If we judge others, others will judge us (Mt 7:2). When Michal ridiculed David concerning his dancing in front of the ark of God, David also answered Michal with harsh words. (2Sam 6:21)

b. Do not be a stumbling block (Rom 14:13)

(a) Paul knew and persuaded by the Lord concerning the truth that there is nothing unclean of itself (Rom 14:14)

(i) The Law recorded that some food are unclean. But the Law is only a shadow (Heb 10:1). Jesus came to fulfill this kind of law.

(ii) This discussion of clean food and unclean food has nothing to do with blood. We shall not eat blood (Acts 15:28)

(iii) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17). Food is for stomach and stomach for food. God makes both corrupt. Man does not live by brad alone. The issue of drinking and eating has nothing to do with salvation. The most important thing is what is inside in the New Testament.

(iv) We need to eat and drink without doubt. If anyone eats and drinks not by his faith, it is his sin (Rom14:23).

(b) Our knowledge and persuasion is good. But let not our good become evil (Rom 14:16).

(i) We have strong faith and know that nothing is unclean. This is good. If our good weaken the faith of brothers and sisters, the good become evil. So, we do not let our food become a trouble and destruction to our brothers and sisters (Rom 14:15). Chinese people ate dog in the past. If one eats dog, you will be disgusted by the people in the USA. Some Christians’ faith will be even weakened to see this kind of things. So, Paul said that he won’t eat meat, if it made his brothers stumble (1Cor 8:13)

(ii) If we make our brothers and sisters stumble, it is our sin (Rom 14:20). Jesus said that if anyone cause a little one to stumble, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea (Mt 18:6)

(c) We shall do nothing to make our brothers stumble (Rom 14:21).

(i) When we eat and drink, we shall consider the following.

1. Does it benefit me?

2. Does it benefit others?

3. Is God gloried by my eating and drinking?

(ii) Even though we do not want to be the stumbling block to our brothers, we can say that smoking is OK. Smoking cigarette does not benefit a person, other persons, or God. We shall use our tender heart to encourage our brother, but not to make him fall by judging him or her.

(iii) Not only eating and drinking, we shall not make our brothers fall in everything (Rom 14:21)

1. In some newly baptized area, people may insist to cover woman’s head.

2. In some churches, there is a problem of outward adoring.

3. In some churches, they take the baptized water as holy water for healing.

4. In some churches, they do not allow woman to preach on Sabbath day.

5. In some churches, they only allow ordain ministers to preach on the podium.

6. If all the things have nothing to do with salvation, we shall allow rooms for people to come to understand the truth in the future. Paul knew and was persuaded by the truth, yet Paul insisted that our standing of truth should not be the stumbling block to other fellow believers.

(d) We shall make peace with others and edify others in all those matters (Rom14:19)

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You are still here?  Maybe after reading the Epistle to the Romans, you feel like what this man is thinking of 🙂

 

 

 

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