This lesson provides an outline of Romans chapters 12 to 16. In these chapters Paul exhorts the Romans to faith and obedience and speaks of his ministry.
Outline of Romans 12 to 16(Part 1)
“And I urge you” —Paul discusses the obedience of faith.
1 To live rightly.
Be a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1-2).
We should use our fleshly bodies as a holy sacrifice of service.
We should conform our minds to God's perfect will not to this world.
Serve according to your gifts (Rom 12:3-8).
We should free ourselves of hubris and be humble, yet recognise our gifts.
Many members in one body work together having different functions.
Some examples of our various gifts and the attitudes with which we use them.
Practise love with sincerity (Rom 12:9-21).
An intense description of unhypocritical love.
Special emphasis on not repaying evil for evil.
Be subject to civil authorities (Rom 13:1-7).
Civil authorities established for the good of the community ought to have our respect and obedience.
We should support these authorities by paying our taxes.
Practise love and live in light for the end is coming (Rom 13:8-14).
Love is all we should owe to others. (A worldly society runs on debt whereas a spiritual society runs on love).
Love is the fulfillment of the law (cf Mtt 22:34-40).
We are to practise love as a preparation for the coming end of our days on earth.
Love is not lust, and we should especially keep away from sexual immorality.
2 To be united
Don't judge on matters of opinion (Rom 14:1-13).
Acceptance and tolerance of those who have scruples about things which are not matters of faith.
Christ the Master should judge on these matters, not us.
Our own convictions must not be allowed to become a stumbling block to others.
Opinions about food are especially dangerous (Rom 14:14-23).
All foods are declared clean by Christ, and we should hold this as our own conviction.
However people have other convictions about food and they are personally accountable to Christ for these.
We should keep our convictions to ourselves so as not to encourage others to do something they believe is wrong.
Conscience is not the master, but we must be tolerant and nurturing while the true Master educates the weak consciences
with the faith and knowledge he imparts.
So we make no issue of our good convictions about food in order to further the spirit of peace and joy.
All food is clean but if eating and drinking harms a soul, that is evil.
We may even see a need to practise some form of discretionary abstinence ourselves for the sake of the weak.
Put unity before your personal opinions (Rom 15:1-7).
The strong should help the weak and not please themselves.
Even Christ did not please himself as foretold in prophecy (Psa 69:9)..
These ancient scriptures teach and encourage us to be joined as one in hope and perseverance.
So we should accept one another warts and all, just as Christ accepted us.
Even Jews and Gentiles should be able to glorify God together in unity (Rom 15:8-13).
Christ became a Servant to the Gentiles to confirm the very promises given to the ancestors of the circumcision (the Jews). So Jew and Gentile should embrace each other as one.
Paul cites such promises in the Old Testament scriptures. (Psa 18:49, Deu 32:43,Psa 117, Isa 11:10).
Outline continued