Sunday School Lesson

2. Romans 15:14-21 & 30-33
Reach
May 31, 2020
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi 39216
USA

3. What’s the number one thing?
The Glory of God!
1 Corinthians 10:31 NASB
31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do,
do all to the glory of God.

4. Focus of Today’s Lesson
•See the conclusion of chapter 14’s “Principles of
Conscience” evolve into “Self-denial on Behalf of
Others” with examples from the life of Christ.
•See Paul explain his reason for writing to Rome and his
attempt to gain their support for subsequent mission
activities.
•Gain familiarity with the Greetings and Love Expressed
in chapter 16.

5. Romans from 30,000 feet.
•Paul’s letter to the Roman churches provided
them much needed details about the theology of
salvation by faith (Chapters 1-11) “The great
exposition.”
•The final chapters explained how to live out that
faith in relation to other people (Chapters 12-
15:13) “The great exhortation.”
•Conclusion (Chapters 15:14-16:27).

6. The Christian Churches in Rome in 57 AD
•The churches were struggling with unity of Jews
and Gentiles coming from very different
backgrounds.
•Christians converted from Judaism had trouble
letting go of the dietary and ceremonial laws.
•Christians were struggling with understanding the
freedom and liberty found in Christianity.

7. “passing judgment on disputable matters”
•“disputable matters” – Eating meat, drinking wine and
observance of Sabbath and festivals.
•“Adiaphora” – Things neither prohibited nor required
by the Christian faith.
•“non-salvation issues” – Activities not prohibited by
Scriptures, and therefore, not affecting salvation.

8. Reminders from Romans 14 (NASB)
1 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for
the purpose of passing judgement on his opinions.
4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his
own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the
lord is able to make him stand.

9. Reminders from Romans 14 (NASB)
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself
to God.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but
rather determine this―not to put an obstacle or a
stumbling block in a brother’s way.

10. Self-Denial on Behalf of Others
Romans 15:1-2 NASB
1 Now we who are strong ought to bear the
weaknesses of those without strength and not just
please ourselves. 2 Each of us is to please his neighbor
for his good, to his edification.
•These words continue the idea of Chapter 14.
•They take it from the specific to the general.

11. Self Denial on Behalf of Others
Romans 15:7
7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also
accepted us to the glory of God.
•Much of the New Testament is devoted to exhorting
us to love one another and to live our lives in such a
way as to maintain unity.

12. Self Denial on Behalf of Others
John 15:12 & 17 NASB
12 “This is My commandment, that you love one
another, just as I have loved you.”
17 “This I command you, that you love one another.”

13. Self Denial on Behalf of Others
Ephesians 4:1-3 NASB
1 Therefore, I the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to
walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you
have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness,
with patience, showing tolerance for one another in
love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace.

14. Self Denial on Behalf of Others
Ephesians 4:31-32 NASB
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor
and slander be put away from you, along with all
malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted,
forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has
forgiven you.

15. Self Denial on Behalf of Others
This type of message flows throughout the New
Testament, particularly in the writings of Paul. Having
grown up as a Pharisee, Paul knew what it was to
judge others and their behavior against the standard
of himself. He knew the capacity for judgement to
become persecution. He was himself a persecutor.

16. Self Denial on Behalf of Others
But in Christ, Paul had experienced forgiveness and
restoration. He knew the love of God that was
revealed in Jesus, and he wanted nothing less for all
men.

17. Conclusion of the Great Exhortation
Romans 15:13 NASB
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by
the power of the Holy Spirit.
• This benediction concludes the exhortation of
Romans 12:1-15:13.

18. Conclusion of Romans
When Paul recognized the opportunity to write to the
church at Rome (afforded by a pending trip by
Phoebe) he saw a chance to encourage and instruct,
but also a chance to recruit their goodwill and
support for a future mission to Spain.
Paul began to lay this out to them in Chapter 1:8-13.
In 15:14, he returns to that objective in earnest.

19. Conclusion of Romans
Many scholars believe Paul realized that he had been
very direct and possibly harsh in his correction and
instruction to the Roman house churches. He may
have felt a bit awkward considering he add not
founded this church, nor had he even visited it.
He begins this section by commending them, and
then takes them into his confidence.

20. Conclusion of Romans
Romans 15:14 NASB
14 And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am
convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness,
filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish
one another.

21. Conclusion of Romans
Romans 15:15-16 NASB
15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points
so as to remind you again, because of the grace that
was given me from God, 16 to be a minister of Christ
Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the
gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may
become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

22. Conclusion of Romans
Romans 15:17-19 NASB
17 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for
boasting in things pertaining to God. 18 For I will not
presume to speak of anything except what Christ has
accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience
of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19 in the power of
signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that
from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I
have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

23. Conclusion of Romans
Romans 15:20-21 NASB
20 And thus I aspire to preach the gospel, not where
Christ was already named, so that I would not build
on another man’s foundation; 21 but as is written,
“They who had no news of Him shall see,
And they who have not heard shall understand.”

24. Conclusion of Romans
In Romans 15:22-29, Paul expounds his plans and
reasoning, eventually stating his intent to spend time
with them on his way to ministry in Spain.
To further seal the bond of fellowship with them, Paul
asks them to intercede for him through prayer.

25. Conclusion of Romans
Romans 15:30-33 NASB
30 Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ
and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with
me in your prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be
rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and
that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable
to the saints; 32 so that I may come to you in joy by the
will of God and find refreshing rest in your company.
33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

26. Conclusion of Romans
Chapter 16 is filled with greetings and benedictions.
It seems that there may be too many for just one
letter. This has prompted numerous theories to try
and account for all of them.
The fact remains that in the manuscripts we have, all
of these appear. Why they are all there is not
something we will be able to resolve.

27. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
John 3:16-17 NASB
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish,
but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into
the world to judge the world, but that the world might be
saved through Him.”
John 14:6 NASB
6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the
life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

28. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 3:23 NASB
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a NASB
23a For the wages of sin is death,
• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this
life to pay the penalty for our sin.
• The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the “second death”
explained in Revelation 21:8.

29. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Revelation 21:8 NASB
8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and
immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in
the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
• Anyone who’s lifestyle is one or more of the sins listed in Revelation 21:8,
will experience the “second death,” if they do not repent.
• To Repent means to turn around, to go in the opposite direction, to
turn away from sin and believe in Jesus.
Romans 5:8 NASB
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.

30. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 6:23b NASB
23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
Revelation 21:7 NASB
7 “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will
be his God and he will be My son.”
•Romans 10:9-10 explain to us how to be overcomers.

31. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 10:9-10 NASB
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you
will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting
in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting
in salvation.
Romans 10:13 NASB
13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

32. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Do you have questions?
Would you like to know more?
Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900
or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/