ROMANS 15 STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
CHRISTIAN UNITY FOR GOD'S GLORY
ROMANS 15:1-6
15:1-3: BEAR WITH does not mean- to put up with, but rather to carry together- (see Galatians 6:2): It is in imitation of CHRIST, who bore all of humanity's weaknesses, that the strong in faith lovingly and joyfully identify with the weaker believers...
15:4: THE BOUNTY of mankind's HOPE can be found in THE SCRIPTURES: It is through the witness of the Scriptures that we learn of the PATIENCE not only of Israel and the Church, but of God...Likewise, it is through the promises, victories, and spiritual struggles recorded in the Scriptures that we find true COMFORT...
CHRIST'S PRIESTLY WORK FOR GENTILES
ROMANS 15:7-13
15:9-12: FROM THE OT SCRIPTURES, Paul demonstrates the unity in Christ between Jew and Gentile that was foretold...
PAUL'S MISSIONARY WORK TO THE GENTILES & PAUL'S PLAN TO VISIT ROME
ROMANS 15:14-21
15:14-16: PAUL RECONGIZES that his lengthy letter to Rome- a church he did not found-is bold in teaching and counsel...He seeks to soften possible offense by expressing confidence in the Romans' own gifts, and by referring to his special commission from God to be an apostle TO THE GENTILES, including those at Rome- (see- Romans 1:13-15; Acts 23:11)...
15:16: MINISTER is translated "liturgist"-(Greek- leitourgos); MINISTERING is doing the work of a priest...OFFERING-(Greek prosphora) is a reference to the Eucharistic liturgy, in which bread is SANCTIFIED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT...Paul uses this imagery to speak of THE GENTILES themselves, who are being offered to God as the Body of Christ and are sanctified through that offering, just as the bread is sanctified in the liturgy...
15:18: THE FULFILLMENT of both preaching and faith is righteous works done by those OBEDIENT TO GOD...
15:20-24: PAUL'S MISSIONARY work involved preaching mostly in virgin territories-(v. 20)...While the Church in Rome had been flourishing for sometime, SPAIN-(v. 24) was unevangelized...
15:27: THE JEWISH CHRISTIANS have passed on to THE GENTILES the great gift of the gospel...In return, the Gentiles are bound to share their MATERIAL THINGS- with them- (1 Corinthians 9:11)...
ROMANS 16 STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
PAUL'S PERSONAL GREETINGS
ROMANS 16:1-16
16:1-2: PHOEBE was a leading Christian woman who was both a deaconess- (servant-translates- deaconess) and involved in missionary work: St. John Chrysostom notes that Paul holds her in the highest esteem, as he names her first...He added her rank by mentioning her being deaconess and he recognizes her as being a saint...
16:3: PRISCILLA AND AQUILA were a married couple, Jewish business people, and Paul's coworkers- (see Acts 18:18, 26):
16:7: PRISONERS: We know of no imprisonment of Paul in Corinth, where Romans was likely written...According to St. John Chrysostom, Paul is not referring to a literal imprisonment, but to his subjection to all kinds of persecution and afflictions- (2 Corinthians 6:4-10):
WARNING ABOUT DIVISIVE TEACHERS
ROMANS 16:17-19
16:17-19: Those who serve THEIR OWN BELLY are either selfish people or those who caused DIVISIONS over dietary rules-(see Romans 14:1-6): SIMPLE-(Greek- akakos; vv. 18-19) does not mean unintelligent, but rather innocent, trusting and truthful...
16:22: WHILE PAUL is the author of THIS EPISTLE-(Romans 1:1), TERTIUS WROTE it down as Paul's secretary...Paul frequently dictated his epistles to a scribe- (1 Corinthians 16:21; Colossians 4:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; and Phm 19)...
GREETINGS FROM PAUL'S FRIENDS, & BENEDICTION
ROMANS 16:21-27
16:25-27: DISMISSALS IN ORTHODOX services are patterned after scriptural benedictions such as this one by Paul...MYSTERY here refers to God's plan of salvation revealed in JESUS CHRIST: OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH is essential for all believers...Before the celebration of the Eucharist, the Creed is recited by all faithful to demonstrate a unity of faith: FOREVER-(v. 27) is translated- unto the ages of ages- a frequent refrain in Orthodox prayers and liturgy...
PSALM 15 (16) STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
PSALM 15 (16)
PSALM 15 (16)- Preserve[a] me, O God, for in You I put my trust.
2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.” 3 As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, Nor take up their names on my lips.
5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You [b]maintain my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.
7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My [c]heart also instructs me in the night seasons. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will [d]rest in hope. 10 For You will not leave my soul in [e] Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to [f]see corruption. 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
PSALM 15 (16)- Is similar to Psalm 14, teaches the Church the transfigured life in the Person of God Incarnate, who assumed the weakness of mortal flesh- (but without sin) for the sake of the INHERITANCE-(vv. 5, 6), which is the world to come-(Nicene Creed): And as Man, He interceded to the Father on behalf of the Church, (1): TO PRESERVE those who hope in the Father- (v. 1, 2); (2): TO MAGNIFY His Will in them amid the fallen world-(vv. 3, 4); (3): TO ENLIGHTEN THEM (v. 7); (4): THAT THEY SHOULD KEEP their eyes on the Father-(v. 8); (5): THAT THEY SHOULD HOPE in the resurrection from the dead, because the soul of Jesus was not left in Hades, nor did His body decay in the grave, and therefore, they should not fear death- (vv. 9, 10; see also ACTS 2:25-31; AND ACTS 13:35-37); for He was raised from the dead for the sake of their life- (v. 11) in the world to come- (Nicene Creed)...
Comments