Paul continues his theme of gospel unity between Jews and Gentiles by encouraging them to remember how Jesus loved and accepted them when they were sinners.
These are only preliminary, unedited outlines and may differ from Andy’s final message.
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs 9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.” 10 Again, it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.” 12 And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.”
13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I. Main Questions:
1. How does this section resolve the discussion in Romans 14 about debatable issues and how the strong in faith should relate to those who are weaker?
2. How does this section address the issue of pleasure in the Christian life, especially of pleasing ourselves at the expense of others?
3. Why are endurance and encouragement so vital in the Christian life?
4. Why is unity so vital in the Christian church?
5. What is the purpose of the Old Testament quotes in this section?
6. How does the doxology of verse 13 encourage you personally in your Christian life?
II. Verse by Verse Questions:
verses 1-3: The Strong and the Weak
1. What is the connection between verses 1-3 and the themes of Romans 14? (1-3)
2. According to Romans 14, who are the “strong” and who are the “weak”?
3. How do the “strong” usually relate to the “weak” in the non-Christian world? How are Christians supposed to be different on that issue? (1)
4. How are the strong supposed to “bear with the failings of” the weak in the Christian church?
5. The alternative to “bearing with” is for the strong to “please themselves”. What does this mean? How is it a strong drive for each sinful human being to seek to please him/herself at others’ expense? How can this drive be stopped? (1)
6. Verse 2 gives us the clear alternative to pleasing ourselves. What is it? What does it mean to “build up” our neighbor? (2)
7. Does verse 2 teach us to be “people pleasers”? Paul says in Galatians 1:10, “If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” How do you put Romans 15:2 together with Galatians 1:10? (2)
8. What does verse 3 teach us about Christ? How did He not “please himself”? What does the Old Testament scripture Paul quotes (Psalm 69:9) teach us about Christ’s ministry?
verses 4-6: The Endurance and Encouragement of Scripture
9. Verse 4 is a great statement on the power of Scripture. What does it teach about the ministry of the Word of God in our lives? (4)
10. Specifically, how does Scripture give us “endurance and encouragement”? How does it give us hope? (4)
11. What does verse 5 teach us about God? How does verse 5 give us a different view of God than what Satan wants us to think about Him? (5)
12. What does Paul pray for in verse 5? How do endurance and encouragement relate to the spirit of unity that Paul wants for the Roman church? (5)
13. According to verse 6, what is the end result of the unity that Paul wants for the church? How does praise flow from a truly united church? How do factions and divisions over debatable issues greatly hinder the flow of worship toward God?
yerses 7-13 Christ the Servant to Both Jews and Gentiles
14. How is verse 7 a final summary of what Paul’s been teaching in Romans 14-15? How did Christ accept us? How should that be a pattern of our acceptance of each other? (7)
15. According to verse 7, what was the reason that Christ accepted you? (7)
16. What is the relationship between verse 7 and verses 8-12? (8-12)
17. What does Paul teach about Christ in verse 8? Note that the word here is the same as that from which we get the word “deacon.” How has Jesus been a servant to the Jews? What is the end result of His service to the Jews according to verses 8-9? (8-9)
18. What does Paul mean by “truth” ands “to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs”? (8)
19. How does Jesus’ service to the Jews lead to the conversion of the Gentiles? What do the Gentiles praise God for in verse 9? (8-9)
20. Why do you think Paul strings together the four OT Scriptures of verses 9-12? What is the common link in them? Why is Paul so desirous to root the conversion of the Gentiles in the OT Scriptures? (9-12)
21. The verses involve praise and worship. Who is doing the praise and worship in verse 9?
22. Who is doing the praising in verse 10? Who in verse 11? (10-11)
23. What does verse 12 refer to? (12)
24. If Jewish believers in Christ had been hesitant to accept fully their Gentile brothers and sisters in Christ, how would Romans 15:1-13 help them?
25. How does the doxology of verse 13 serve as a fitting climax to this section of Scripture? What does the verse ascribe to God? What does it ask God to do in our hearts? What does Paul want to be the outcome of this gracious work by God? (13)
III. Summary:
Paul concludes his appeal to the Roman church to be fully united despite the continued existence of issues that may have divided them. Many of these issues had to do with the religious differences between Jews and Gentiles. Paul seeks to resolve them by pointing to the awesome work of God in calling out a people from both Jew and Gentile to worship Him, which He predicted in the Old Testament.
