2018 STUDY OF ROMANS
Chapter 13, Verses 1-5
“We Should Obey the Laws Our Government Gives Us!’”
[5-19-19]
Review: “Paul’s Abbreviated ‘Sermon on the Mount!’”
Romans 12:14-21) [NIV] Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Matthew 5:43-45) [KJV] Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
NOTE: Walking out Matthew 5:43-47 shows that we are spiritually mature.
15) Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
16) (ERV) Live together in peace with each other. Don’t be proud, but be willing to be friends with people who are not important to others. Don’t think of yourself as smarter than everyone else.
17) (NLT) Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.
Matthew 5:39-41) [KJV] But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40) And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
41) And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
NOTE: No! We should act in a way where our conduct doesn’t hinder the Gospel message.
18) (NLT) Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible.
19) Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
Leaving Room For God’s Wrath:
Luke 23:34) [KJV] Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
Acts 7:60) [KJV] And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
NOTE: We will sleep better if we just pray that God will forgive them.
20) On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21) (NLT) Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.
NOTE: We should leave the vengeance to God. When we return good for evil it gives God the opportunity to “heap burning coals on his head,” i.e., convict the one who harmed us. Who knows, that conviction could lead to the repentance of the one who did us wrong. That’s how we “overcome evil with good.”
This Week’s Lesson: “We Should Obey the Laws Our Government Gives Us!”
Romans 13:1-5) [NIV] Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
NOTE: God has placed governments in place. We need to obey the laws of the government that we are under.
2) Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
NOTE: We are disobeying God when we disobey the laws our government has passed!
QUESTION: What can we expect when we disobey the law?
ANSWER: We will face the judgment of that government. That judgment will be in the form of tickets, fines, jail, etc.
3) For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
QUESTION: There is an exception to every rule, but what is the rule of thumb concerning governments?
**ANSWER: If you are a law-abiding citizen you will live “free from fear” of that government. If you break its laws you will live in fear of being caught.
4) For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
QUESTION: Again, what is the rule of thumb regarding governments?
ANSWER: The duly appointed officers of the law want to “do you good” by protecting you from law-breakers.
QUESTION: What does Paul warn us of if we become law-breakers?
ANSWER: Law enforcement officers are armed and dangerous to those who break the law.
QUESTION: What does Paul call these officers of the law?
ANSWER: He calls them God’s servants.
QUESTION: Why?
ANSWER: God has ordained the structure of law to protect us from anarchy.
NOTE: In 99%, or more, cases any government is preferred above anarchy.
5) Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
QUESTION: What are the two reasons we should obey the law?
**ANSWER: We should obey the law in order to avoid punishment; and we should obey the law “because of conscience,” that conscience being a sensitivity towards the order that God has ordained.
QUESTION: Who was Paul writing this letter to?
ANSWER: He was writing to the Christians living in the city of Rome.
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION: Who was the Emperor of Rome when Paul wrote this letter?
ANSWER: Nero.
QUESTION: What kind of emperor was Nero?
ANSWER: Note:
“It is helpful to remember that Paul wrote this section on subjection to human government when the infamous Nero was Emperor. Those were dark days for Christians. Nero blamed them for a fire which destroyed half the city of Rome (and which he himself may have ordered). He caused some believers to be immersed in tar, then ignited as living torches to provide illumination for his orgies. Others were sewn up in animal skins, then thrown to ferocious dogs to be torn to pieces” [BBC].
Acts 5:25-29) [NIV] Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.”
26) At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.
27) Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.
28) “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29) Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!”
QUESTION: Is this passage in Acts in disagreement with Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians?
ANSWER: No! We are to obey every law of our government that isn’t in direct disharmony with the teaching of the Scriptures.
NOTE: Nero was a wicked Emperor, and he persecuted and killed Christians. Yet, Paul taught that God set up the government of Rome. Paul did not say that Nero was a great Emperor, but rather, that the government was an institution of God, and as such we should obey it whenever possible. That “whenever possible” refers to whenever it doesn’t conflict with what God says.
NOTE: Paul is telling us to obey the laws of our country, our state, our county, our city.
NOTE? That being said, the main emphasis of this passage is that Christians should be good citizens. We should not be trouble-makers.
1 Corinthians 11:3) [NIV] Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
QUESTION: How does this verse apply to our lesson tonight?
ANSWER: Christ is the head of every man, rather emperor or husband, and God is the head of Christ. Consequently, we are to obey the highest authority when the authorities above us are in disagreement with one another. We are to obey the governments who rule over us while understanding that the ultimate authority we are to obey is God. So, if the law of the land instructs us to do what is a violation of the Word of God then “We must obey God rather than men!”
2018 STUDY OF ROMANS
Chapter 12, Verses 6-14
“The Debt We Can Never Pay Off!”
[5-26-19]
Review: “We Should Obey the Laws Our Government Gives Us!”
Romans 13:1-5) [NIV] Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
NOTE: God has placed governments in place. We need to obey the laws of the government that we are under.
2) Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
NOTE: We are disobeying God when we disobey the laws our government has passed! We will face the judgment of that government. That judgment will be in the form of tickets, fines, jail, etc.
3) For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
**NOTE: The rule of thumb is that if you are a law-abiding citizen you will live “free from fear” of that government. If you break its laws you will live in fear of being caught.
4) For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
NOTE: The duly appointed officers of the law want to “do you good” by protecting you from law-breakers. However, law enforcement officers are armed and dangerous to those who break the law.
5) Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
NOTE: We should obey the law in order to avoid punishment; and we should obey the law “because of conscience,” that conscience being a sensitivity towards the order that God has ordained.
Acts 5:28-29) [NIV] “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29) Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!”
NOTE: Paul is telling us to obey the laws of our country, our state, our county, our city.
NOTE? The main emphasis of this passage is that Christians should be good citizens. We should not be trouble-makers.
1 Corinthians 11:3) [NIV] Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
NOTE: Christ is the head of every man, rather emperor or husband, and God is the head of Christ. Consequently, we are to obey the highest authority when the authorities above us are in disagreement with one another. We are to obey the governments who rule over us while understanding that the ultimate authority we are to obey is God. So, if the law of the land instructs us to do what is a violation of the Word of God then “We must obey God rather than men!”
This Week’s Lesson: “The Debt We Can Never Pay Off!”
Romans 13:6-14) [NIV] This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
7) Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
(GNB) Pay, then, what you owe them; pay them your personal and property taxes, and show respect and honor for them all.
QUESTION: Why do we pay taxes?
ANSWER: Our taxes support the government structure required to make and enforce laws. Remember, Paul sees the government as God’s servant.
QUESTION: How are we to treat those in authority over us?
ANSWER: We are to pay our income taxes and sales taxes for their support; we are to respect and honor them. In our society policemen put their lives on the line to keep us safe.
QUESTION: Are we to be happy with all taxes as good citizens?
ANSWER: In America involvement in the political process is part of being good citizens. When governments waste money we are to do our part in pulling in the reigns and forcing them to be wiser managers of our country’s financial affairs. How? We are to be actively involved in voting in candidates who are going to manage our affairs better.
NOTE: We are to pay the taxes levied on us at this time, but actively vote our conscience in future elections.
8) Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
(GW) Pay your debts as they come due. However, one debt you can never finish paying is the debt of love that you owe each other. The one who loves another person has fulfilled Moses’ Teachings.
“Basically, the first part of this verse means “Pay your bills on time.” It is not a prohibition against any form of debt. Some kinds of debt are inevitable in our society” [BBC].
QUESTION: What is the Apostle doing in this verse?
ANSWER: He is taking us from the responsibility of paying our taxes to those in authority over us to our responsibility to be responsible in every area.
QUESTION: What is the one debt that can never be “paid in full”?
ANSWER: It’s the debt that we owe everyone; it’s the debt to love others as Christ loves us.
9) The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
10) Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
QUESTION: In what way does my loving my neighbor fulfill the Law of Moses?
ANSWER: When I love someone I will not have an affair with his wife; I will not kill him; I will not steal what is his; I will not wish that I had what he has; i.e., I will not envy his success.
NOTE: It’s not covetousness to desire to be as successful as your neighbor is, but it is covetousness to wish you had his stuff.
QUESTION: How important is this idea of loving others?
1 John 4:7-8) [KJV] Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
ANSWER: John tells us, in his first Epistle, that we aren’t truly saved if we don’t love others.
11) And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12) The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
QUESTION: Is it even more expedient that we love each other in this present age?
ANSWER: Yes! Loving others as always been important, since the dawn of creation, but Paul instructs us to love one another with the “understanding” of “the present time.”
QUESTION: Why is that important?
ANSWER: Jesus taught us that when we love each other in the way that He loves us the world will understand that we are not hypocrites, but genuine believers [John 13:34-35]. It’s more important now, then ever before, that the world believes in our genuineness, because they will never listen to our message if they think we are phonies.
**NOTE: If we truly believe that the prophecies are upon us, and that time is running out, then we are to work harder at being good witnesses, and it starts with us genuinely loving one another.
13) Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
QUESTION: What’s amazing about this verse?
ANSWER: It’s amazing that Paul has to tell believers to abstain from “orgies, drunkenness,” “sexual immorality and debauchery,” and “dissention and jealousy.”
14) Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
QUESTION: What does “do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature” mean?
ANSWER: It could be referring to immoral thoughts that center around immoral activities and the playing out, in the mind, the process that would cause those things to take place.
A CLOSING NOTE: We combat sinful desires and temptations by wrapping ourselves up in Jesus, not by gritting our teeth and trying harder to keep the rules.