ST. PAUL’S LETTER TO THE ROMANSa

ROMANS 15 & 16 – Fellowship in Christb

THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST C

15 1We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weakd, and not to please ourselves.e 2Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. f 3For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”g 4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.h 5May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,i 6that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.j 7Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.k

- Is Christian love an emotion or a course of action? How does this passage guide us in Christian love?

- Should our sole guide to action be to do what will please our brothers and sisters in Christ? If not, why not?

- What will be the result of the course suggested in verses 1 and 2?- What is the relationship between the Scriptures and hope?- How does living in harmony show the Glory of God?- What are the goals of Christian harmony?- Where do we see a failure of Christian harmony? What can we do to rectify the failure?

CHRIST THE HOPE OF JEWS AND GENTILES

8For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,l 9and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”m 10And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”n 11And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.”o 12And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.”p 13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.q

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- What does it mean that Christ became a servant of the circumcised?- What purposes of God did Christ’s servanthood fulfill?- How is showing God’s truthfulness connected to the promises to the patriarchs and the

place of the gentiles?- How do the quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures demonstrate Paul’s statements in

verses 8 and 9.- What connects this passage with verses 1-7 and living in harmony?

PAUL THE MINISTER TO THE GENTILES R

14I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.s 15But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God t 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.u 17In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.v 18For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,w 19by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricumx I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;y 20and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation,z 21but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”aa

- What is Paul’s ministry? Does he feel satisfied with his ministry? Do we know of any way in which Paul was not satisfied?

- Does Paul take credit for the success of his ministry?- What is Paul’s priestly service? What is the offering to God? Does this relate to any

other passages of this letter?

PAUL'S PLAN TO VISIT ROME BB

22This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. cc 23But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you,dd 24I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.ee 25At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. ff 26For Macedonia

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and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.gg 27For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.hh 28When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. ii 29I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.jj

- Why has Paul been hindered in coming to Rome? Why is he now free to do so?- What do we know about the Jerusalem church that might have a connection with the need

to bring a “contribution” to them? What does it mean that they were pleased to do it?- Why were those Christians living in Macedonia and Achaia (Greece) indebted to those in

Jerusalem? How does this related to the urging of Paul for the Romans to live in harmony with each other?

PAUL REQUESTS PRAYER

30I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,kk 31that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, ll 32so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.mm 33May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.nn

- For what does Paul request prayer?- Why is this ironic?

PERSONAL GREETINGS

16 1I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servantoo of the church at Cenchreae,pp 2that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.qq 3Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,rr 4who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.ss 6Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostlestt, and they were in Christ before me.uu 8Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.vv 10Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus.ww 11Greet

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my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus.xx 12Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.yy 14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.zz

- What does this passage tell us about the culture and commerce of the First Century Roman Empire?

- What does it tell us about the nature of the early Christian community?

FINAL INSTRUCTIONS AND GREETINGS

17I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. aaa 18For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetitesbbb, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.ccc 19For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.ddd 20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.eee 21Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.fff 22I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.ggg 23Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.hhh [24The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.]

- To whom do you suppose that Paul is referring to as “those who cause divisions and create obstacles”? Why?

DOXOLOGY

25Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages iii 26but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith jjj— 27to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.kkk

- What was the mystery that was kept secret for long ages?

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- How was it made known through the prophetic writing? And why does Paul make the point that it was made known to the “nations”?

© 2012, Whitman H. Brisky, all rights reserved.

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a Review and Introduction: Paul, having introduced himself to the Romans and explained the predicament of mankind denial of God and the resulting origin of sin in Chapter 1, having shown that all, both Jew and gentile are under God’s judgment in Chapter 2 because no one can obey the Law in its entirety, showing in Chapter 3 that since no one is righteous by his own works all are in need of a Savior and that salvation comes only by grace through faith in the Messiah Jesus, demonstrating in Chapter 4 that the rule of salvation by grace through faith has always been God’s plan by telling the story of Abraham, explaining in Chapter 5 that through the Messiah’s actions on the Cross we can be reconciled to God and have eternal life, demonstrating, in Chapter 6, that this salvation by grace is not a reason or excuse to sin all the more because through faith we have been saved from the mastery of sin and taken a new master in God, having shown in Chapter 7 using an example from the law of marriage that the Law is just but that we have been freed from its condemnation, extolling in Chapter 8 the joys and comfort of the present life in the Spirit, despite our sufferings, and the hope of eternal life, explaining in Chapters 9-11 that the hearts of the Jewish people have been hardened so as to bring the full measure of gentiles to salvation, that the Jewish people will be brought back in when the full measure of the gentiles has been gathered and that the Jewish people had been led astray by the belief that they could be saved by their own obedience to the Law, urging all believers in Chapter 12 to make their whole lives a “living sacrifice” to God through love, explaining in Chapters 13-15 that part of being a living sacrifice is to submit to lawful authority and to each other, he concludes his letter with a prayer that the Roman Christians would have a spirit of unity, both Jews and gentiles, and that they would overflow with joy, peace, trust and hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

b Luther’s Preface: In chapter 15, St. Paul cites Christ as an example to show that we must also have patience with he weak, even those who fail by sinning publicly or by their disgusting morals. We must not cast them aside but must bear with them until they become better. That is the way Christ treated us and still treats us every day; he puts up with our vices, our wicked morals and all our imperfection, and he helps us ceaselessly. Finally Paul prays for the Christians at Rome; he praises them and commends them to God. He points out his own office and the message that he preaches. He makes an unobtrusive plea for a contribution for the poor in Jerusalem. Unalloyed love is the basis of all he says and does.

The last chapter consists of greetings. But Paul also includes a salutary warning against human doctrines which are preached alongside the Gospel and which do a great deal of harm. It's as though he had clearly seen that out of Rome and through the Romans would come the deceitful, harmful Canons and Decretals along with the entire brood and swarm of human laws and commands that is now drowning the whole world and has blotted out this letter and the whole of the Scriptures, along with the Spirit and faith. Nothing remains but the idol Belly, and St. Paul depicts those people here as its servants. God deliver us from them. Amen.

We find in this letter, then, the richest possible teaching about what a Christian should know: the meaning of law, Gospel, sin, punishment, grace, faith, justice, Christ, God, good works, love, hope and the cross. We learn how we are to act toward everyone, toward the virtuous and sinful, toward the strong and the weak, friend and foe, and toward ourselves. Paul bases everything firmly on Scripture and proves his points with examples from his own experience and from the Prophets, so that nothing more could be desired. Therefore it seems that St. Paul, in writing this letter, wanted to compose a summary of the whole of Christian and evangelical teaching which would also be an introduction to the whole Old Testament. Without doubt, whoever takes this letter to heart possesses the light and power of the Old Testament. Therefore each and every Christian should make this letter the habitual and constant object of his study. God grant us his grace to do so. Amen.

c Hodge on Romans 15:1-13: The first verse of this chapter is a conclusion from the whole of the preceding. On the grounds there presented, Paul repeats the command that the strong should bear with the infirmities of the weak, and that instead of selfishly regarding their own interests merely, they should endeavor to promote the welfare of the their brethren. This duty he enforces by the conduct of Christ, who has set us an example of perfect disinterestedness, as what He suffered was not for Himself, v. 3. This and similar facts and sentiments recorded in the Scripture are intended for our admonition, and should be applied for that purpose, v. 4. The Apostle prays that God would bestow on them that harmony and unanimity which he had urged them to cultivate, vs. 4-5. He repeats the exhortation that they should receive one another, even as Christ had received them, v. 7. He shows how Christ had received them, and united Jews and gentiles in one body, vs. 8-13. - Consider whether Hodge is correct that Paul seeks to “enforce” anything here, which sounds more like the error of legalism that Paul decries. Rather Paul is encouraging the Romans to seek to please God through their behaviors and by pleasing fellow believers. Also, Hodge refers to the Messiah as being “disinterested.” Yet what Paul is talking about here, and elsewhere in his letters, is not being disinterested (neutral or diffident) but putting the interests of others above one’s own – something entirely different. Hodge amplifies his commentary on verse 2 as follows: Let each one of us please his neighbor, for his good for edification. The principle which is stated negatively at the close of the preceding verse, is here stated affirmatively.

We are not to please ourselves, but others; the law of love is to regulate our conduct; we are not simply to ask what is right in itself, or what is agreeable, but also what is benevolent and pleasing to our brethren. The object which we should have in view in accommodating ourselves to others, however, is their good. For good to edification most probably means with a view to [a person’s] good so that [the person] may be edified. The latter words, to edification, are, therefore, explanatory of the former; the good we should contemplate is their religious improvement; which is the sense in which Paul frequently uses the word edification (Rom. 14:19 “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”; 2 Cor. 10:8 “For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed.”; Eph. 4:11-14,29 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[a] and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. . . . Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”) It is not therefore, a weak compliance with the wishes of others to which Paul exhorts us, but to the exercise of an enlightened benevolence; to such compliances as have the design and tendency to promote the spiritual welfare of our neighbor.

d Literally, “sustain the powerless in their weaknesses.” Gal. 6:2 “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

e 1: Rom. 14:1 “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.”; 1 Cor. 9:22 “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.”; Gal. 6:1 “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”; 1 Th. 5:14 “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”;

f 2: Rom. 14:19; 1 Cor. 9:19 “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.”; 1 Cor. 9:22; 1 Cor. 10:23-24 “"All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.” ; 1 Cor. 10:33 “just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. “; 1 Cor. 14:3 “On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.”, 1 Cor. 14:26 “What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.”; 2 Cor. 12:19 “Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved.”; 2 Cor. 13:9 “For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.”; Eph. 4:12; Eph. 4:29; Php. 2:4 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.“;

g 3: Ps. 69:9 “For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.“; Is. 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.“; Jn. 5:30 “"I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. “; Jn. 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me .”; 2 Cor. 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”; Php. 2:5-8 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.“;

h 4: Ps. 119:50 “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.“; Rom. 4:23 “But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone,”; Rom. 4:23-25 “But the words ‘it was counted to him’ were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification .”; 1 Cor. 9:10 “Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop.” 1 Cor. 10:11 “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. “; 2 Tm. 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”;

i 5: Jn. 20:17 “Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" “; Rom. 12:16 “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. “; 2 Cor. 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, “; Eph. 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,“; Eph. 1:17 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,“; Php. 3:16 “Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”; 1 Pt. 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”; Rv. 1:6 “and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”;

j 6: 2 Cor. 1:3; Rv. 1:6

k 7: Rom. 14:1

l 8: Mt. 15:24 “He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."; Jn. 1:11 “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”; Acts 3:25-26 “You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness." ; Rom. 4:16 “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,”; Rom. 9:3-5 “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.”; 2 Cor. 1:20 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”;

m 9: 2 Sm. 22:50 “"For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to your name.”; Ps. 18:49 “For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing to your name. ”; Mt. 9:8 “When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.”; Rom. 3:29 “When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.”; Rom. 11:30-32 “For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.”; All the quotations in verses 9-12 are from the Septuagint. Mid. Ps. 18:35 “’Therefore I will praise You among the nations, Everpresent Lord’ – with the gathering of the Diaspora. And ‘I will sing praise to Your Name among the nations’ – with the coming of Messiah.”

n 10: Dt. 32:43 “Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people's land."

o 11: Ps. 117:1 “Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!”;

p 12: 1 Sm. 16:1 “The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons."; Is. 11:10 “In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.”; Mt. 12:21 “and in his name the Gentiles will hope."”; Rv. 5:5 “And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."”; Rv. 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Greek word translated “gentiles” can also be translated “the nations.”

q 13: Rom. 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”; Rom. 15:19 “by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;”; 1 Cor. 2:4 “and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,”; 1 Th. 1:5 “because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”;

r Hodge on Romans 15:14-21: The Apostle . . . assures the Romans of his confidence in them, and that his motive for writing was not so much a belief of their peculiar deficiency, as a desire of putting them in mind of those things which

they already knew, vs. 14-15. This he was the rather entitled to do on account of his Apostolic office, conferred upon him by divine appointment, and confirmed by the signs and wonders, and abundant success with which God had crowned his ministry, vs. 15-16. He had sufficient ground of confidence in this respect, in the results of his own labors, without at all encroaching upon what belonged to others; for he had made it a rule not to preach where others had proclaimed the Gospel, but to go to places where Christ was previously unknown, vs. 17-21.

s 14: 1 Cor. 1:5 “that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—“; 1 Cor. 8:1-10 “Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "an idol has no real existence," and that "there is no God but one." For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?”; 1 Cor. 12:8 “For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,”; 1 Cor. 13:2 “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”; Eph. 5:9 “(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),”; 2 Th. 1:11 “(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),”; 2 Pt. 1:12 “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.”; 2 Pt. 3:1 “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, ”; 1 Jn. 2:21 “I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.”;

t 15: Rom. 12:3 “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Gruber translates verses 15 and 16 thus: “Nevertheless, because of the grace that was given to me by God that I should be a pu8blic servant of Messiah Yeshua to the gentiles, serving the good news of God as a Kohen [the OT priests], I have written emphatically to you on some points, so as to remind you, so that the offering up of the gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Ruakh Kodesh [Holy Spirit].”

u 16: Is. 66:20 “And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord.” ; Mal. 1:11 “For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will bet great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.”; Acts 9:15 “But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” ; Rom. 1:1 “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,”; Rom. 11:13 “Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry”; Rom. 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”; 1 Cor. 10:17 “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”; 1 Cor. 12:27 “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”; Gal. 2:9 “and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.”; Eph. 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”; Php. 2:17 “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.” Paul here likens himself to a priest in the Temple, with the believing gentiles themselves being the offering to God. St. Augustine saw the Eucharist in a similar way, “If you want to know what is the body of Christ, hear what the Apostle [Paul] tells believers: ‘You are Christ’s body and His members’ [1 Cor. 12:27]. If, then, you are Christ’s body and His members, it is your symbol that lies on the Lord’s altar – what you receive is a symbol of yourself. When you say ‘Amen’ to what you are, your saying it affirms it. You hear [the priest say] ‘The body of Christ,’ and you answer ‘Amen,’ and you must be the body of Christ to make that ‘Amen’ take effect. And why are you a bread? Hear the Apostle again, speaking of this very symbol: ‘We, though many, are one bread, on body [1 Cor. 10:17].” Augustine, Sermon 272 (PL 38.1247)

v 17: Php. 3:3 “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—“; Heb. 2:17 “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. ”; Heb. 5:1 “For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.”;

w 18: Mt. 10:19-20 “When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”; Acts 15:12 “And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.”; Acts 21:19 “After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.”; Rom. 1:5 “through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, ”; 2 Cor. 3:5 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,”; Gal. 2:8 “(for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles),”;

x Illyricum was a Roman province located on the eastern shore of the Adriatic.

y 19: Mk. 16:17 “And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;”; Jn. 4:48 “So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe."”; Acts 19:11 “And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,”; Acts 20: 1-2 “After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece.”; Acts 20:9-12 “And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him." And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.”; Acts 22:17-21 “"When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' And I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.' And he said to me, 'Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"”; 1 Cor. 2:4; 1 Cor. 12:8-10 “For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.”; 2 Cor. 12:12 “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.”; Gal. 3:5-6 “Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’?”; 1 Th. 1:5

z 20: Rom. 1:15 “So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”; Rom. 10:15 “And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" ”; 1 Cor. 3:10 “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.”; 2 Cor. 10:13-16 “But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence.”;

aa 21: Is. 52:15 “so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.”;

bb Hodge on Romans 15:22-33: [Paul’s] Labors had been such as hitherto to prevent the execution of his purpose to visit Rome. Now, however, he hoped to have that pleasure on his way to Spain, as soon as he had accomplished his mission to Jerusalem, with the contributions of the Christians in Macedonia and Achaia, for the poor saints in Judea, vs. 22-28. Having accomplished this service, he hoped to visit Rome in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. In the meantime he begs an interest in their prayers, and commends them to the grace of God, vs. 29-33.

cc 22: Rom. 1:13 “I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.” ; 1 Th. 2:18 “because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.”;

dd 23: Acts 19:21 “Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome."”; Rom. 1:9-14 “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

ee 24: Acts 15:3 “So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.”; Rom. 1:2 “which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,”;

ff 25: Acts 19:21; Acts 24:17 “Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings.”;

gg 26: Macedonia and Achaia are Roman provinces in present day Greece. Acts 16:9 “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."” ; Acts 18:12 “But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal,”; Acts 19:21; 1 Cor. 16:5 “I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia,”; 2 Cor. 1:16 “I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea.”; 2 Cor. 2:13 “my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.”; 2 Cor. 7:5 “For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. ”; 2 Cor. 8:1 “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia,” ; 2 Cor. 9:2-4 “for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident.”; 2 Cor. 11:9 “And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.”; Php. 4:15 “And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.”; 1 Th. 1:6-10 “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”; 1 Th. 4:10 “for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,”; 1 Tm. 1:3 “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, ”; It is interesting to note that of all the Christian communities mentioned in the Scriptures, only the Christians of Jerusalem (Judea) are mentioned as needing or receiving financial aid from other Christian communities. And it is only the Jerusalem community of which it is written that “they held all things in common” ( Acts 2:44 “And all who believed were together and had all things in common.”). William Bradford’s diary of the founding and early years of the Plymouth Plantation (Bradford, William, Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647, Modern Library 1952, pp. 122-23) notes that since the founding of the colony in 1620 the colonists had followed the example of the Acts 2 Church and farmed the land in common – and starved. “For this [way of farming land in common] was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. For the young men, that were most able and fit for labor and service, did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men’s wives and children without any recompense. The strong . . . had no more in division of victuals and clothes than he that was weak and not able to do a quarter the other could; this was thought injustice.” But in 1623 each family was allotted its own plot of land, and allowed to keep the products of its own labor. As a result: “This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means . . . and gave far better content. The women went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to set corn; which before would allege weakness and inability; whom to have compelled would have

been thought great tyranny and oppression. . . . Let none object this [inability to prosper when holding property in common] is men’s corruption, and nothing to the course itself. I answer, seeing all men have this corruption in them, God in His wisdom saw another course [economic freedom] fitter for them.”

hh 27: Rom. 9:4 “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.”; 1 Cor. 9:11 “If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?”;

ii 28: Jn. 3:33 “Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.”;

jj 29: Acts 19:21; Rom. 1:10-11

kk 30: 2 Cor. 1:11 “You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”; Gal. 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”; Php. 1:27 “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,”; Php. 2:1 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,”; Col. 1:8 “and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.”; Col. 2:1-2 “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,”; Col. 4:12 “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.”; 2 Th. 3:11 “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you,”; Heb. 13:18 “Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.”;

ll 31: Acts 9:13-15 “But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.”; 2 Cor. 1:10 “He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.”; 2 Cor. 8:4 “begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—“; 2 Cor. 9:1 “Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, ”; 2 Th. 3:2 “and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. ”; 2 Tm. 3:11 “my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.”; 2 Tm. 4:17 “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.”;

mm 32: Acts 18:21 “But on taking leave of them he said, "I will return to you if God wills," and he set sail from Ephesus.”; Rom. 1:10-13; 1 Cor. 16:18 “for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men.”; 2 Cor. 7:13 “Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.”; Phm. 1:7 “For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.”; Phm. 1:20 “Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.”;

nn 33: Rom. 16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”; 1 Cor. 14:33 “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,”; 2 Cor. 13:11 “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”; Php. 4:9 “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”; 1 Th. 5:23 “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”; 2 Th. 3:16 “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.; Heb. 13:20 “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,”;

oo “Servant” or “deaconess” coming from the same Greek root [diakonos or διάκονος] as in Mt. 23:11 “The greatest among you shall be your servant.”; Mk. 10:43-44 “But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”; Jn. 12:26 “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”; Acts 6:1 “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.”; Acts 6:4 “But we will

devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”; 1 Cor. 3:5 “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.”; Php. 1:1 “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:”; 1 Th. 3:2 “and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,”; 1 Tm. 3:8-13 “Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”;.

pp 1: Some early manuscripts do not include verses 1-16. Cenchreae was the eastern seaport of Corinth; Acts 18:18 “After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow.” ; 2 Cor. 3:1 “Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?”;

qq 2: Acts 9:13-15; Php. 2:29-30 “So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.”

rr 3: Acts 18:2-3 “And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.” ; Acts 18:18-28 “After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. But on taking leave of them he said, "I will return to you if God wills," and he set sail from Ephesus. When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.”; Rom. 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”; Rom. 8:10-11 “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”; 1 Cor. 16:19 “The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.”; 2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”; 2 Cor. 12:2 “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.”; Gal. 1:22 “And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.”; 2 Tm. 4:19 “Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.”. Paul nowhere describes the incident where they risked their lives for Paul.

ss 5: Acts 16:6 “And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.”; 1 Cor. 1:2 “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:”; 1 Cor. 16:15-19 “so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."” ; Col. 4:15 “Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.” ; Philem. 2 “and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:” ; The several house churches in one city would constitute the church [or assembly of the people of God] in that city, 1 Cor. 1:2.

tt “Apostles” or “messengers.”

uu 7: Rom. 8:11; Rom. 9:13 “As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."”; 2 Cor. 5:17; 2 Cor. 12:2; Gal. 1:22; Col. 4:10 “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him),”; Philem. 23 “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,”;

vv 9: Rom. 8:11; 2 Cor. 5:17; 2 Cor. 12:2; Gal. 1:22

ww 10: Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 1:11 “For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.”; 2 Cor. 5:17; 2 Cor. 12:2; Gal. 1:22

xx 11: Rom. 9:3 “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”; 1 Cor. 1:11

yy 13: Mk. 15:21 “And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.”;

zz 16: 1 Cor. 16:20 “All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.”; 2 Cor. 13:12 “Greet one another with a holy kiss.”; 1 Th. 5:26 “Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.”; 1 Pt. 5:14 “Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”;

aaa 17: Mt. 7:15 “"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” ; Gal. 1:8-10 “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” ; 2 Th. 3:6 “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.”; 2 Th. 3:14 “If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.”; 1 Tm. 1:3; 1 Tm. 6:3 “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness,”; Ti. 3:10 “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,”; 2 Jn. 10 “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting,”;

bbb “Appetites” is “their own bellies” in Greek.

ccc 18: Ezk. 13:18 “and say, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive?”; Rom. 14:18 “Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.”; 2 Cor. 2:17 “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.”; Php. 3:19 “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”; Col. 2:4 “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.”; 2 Tm. 3:4 “treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,”; Ti. 1:12 “One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."”; 2 Pt. 2:3 “And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”;

ddd 19: Jr. 4:22 “"For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are 'wise'—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not."” ; Mt. 10:16 “"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”; Rom. 1:8 “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.” ; 1 Cor. 14:20 “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.”;

eee 20: Gn. 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."; Mt. 4:10 “Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"” ; Lk. 10:17-19 “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”; Rom. 15:13 “May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”; 1 Cor. 16:23 “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.”; 2 Cor. 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the

fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”; Gal. 6:18 “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.”; Phil. 4:23 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”; 1 Th. 5:28 “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”; 2 Th. 3:18 “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”; Rv. 12:11 “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”; Rv. 22:21 “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”;

fff 21: Acts 13:1 “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” ; Acts 16:1-3 “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”; Acts 17:5 “But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. ”; Acts 20:4 “Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.”; Rom. 9:3; Php. 2:19 “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.”;

ggg 22: 1 Cor. 16:21 “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.:; Gal. 6:11 “See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.”; Col. 4:18 “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.”; 2 Th. 3:17 “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.”; Philem. 19 “I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.”; 1 Pt. 5:12 “By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.”;

hhh 23: Acts 19:22 “And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.”; Acts 20:4; 1 Cor. 1:14 “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,”;

iii 25: Mt. 13:35 “This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."”; Rom. 2:16 “on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”; Rom. 11:25 “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ”; 1 Cor. 1:21-24 “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”; 1 Cor. 2:1 “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.”; 1 Cor. 2:7 “But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.”; 1 Cor. 4:1 “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”; Eph. 1:9 “making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ”; Eph. 3:3 “how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.”; Eph. 3:9 “and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things,”; Eph. 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,”; Eph. 6:19 “and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,”; Col. 1:24-27 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”; Col. 2:2; Col. 4:3 “At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—“; 1 Tm. 3:16 “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: Het was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”; 2 Tm. 1:9 “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,”; Ti. 1:2 “in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began”; Jude 24-25 “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”;

jjj 26: Rom. 1:2-5 “which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and

apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,”;

kkk 27: Rom. 11:36 “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”;