All right, today we'll be in Romans chapter number 15. This is Romans class number 46. Romans class number 46. We're almost finished with the book of Romans, and no doubt we could go back and start over and get a lot more material. Book of Romans seems to me an inexhaustible well and we could draw from it often, but at any rate, here we are in chapter number 15 and chapter number 15 especially the first couple of verses of scripture here is a continuation of the thought that was carried out in chapter number 14 about different convictions, about different standards and things like that. not the moral standards. The moral standards are always going to be the same. Killing, stealing, lying, fornication, whoremongering, all that kind of stuff is never going to be permissible by God. But the book of Romans tells us in chapter number 14 how to deal with things that are legitimate issues between people who disagree. And so in chapter number 14 it told us there were some people that were strong in the faith and some that were weak in the faith. And so here in chapter 15 it tells us we then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak. and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification." So this really, to me, harkens back to Paul's intention for the people of Rome, the believers of Rome, all the way back to chapter number one when he said in verse number 11, for I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end ye may be established. So the establishment of weak brethren, the growth of their mind, the growth of their spiritual condition to where they understand things in a light that will give them assurance, that will give them strength in some areas, that will strengthen their not only their faith but their resolve and their ability to see the differences between the law of Moses and the gospel of the grace of God. Many differences there and some of those things definitely do As far as convictions and standards and things like that, they certainly do bleed into one another. They certainly do. God's principles cross all dispensational lines. All dispensational commandments or instructions from God are certainly applicable to the principles of God. The principles of God are certainly applicable to all times and ages that you can define in the Word of God. If it was Noah's day, God expected a certain type of behavior. The men themselves that committed murder in those days knew that it was the wrong thing to do. They understood it as something that needed to be condemned or defended. And so, without going into a ton of detail in regards to that, because we have covered those things, especially in Romans chapter two. We do need to see though that there are standards that will cross dispensational lines. And sometimes people take not only the standards, but the commandments themselves. And you know, somebody that's weak in the faith, may not want to break the dietary laws, but God dealt with Simon Peter about that. You'll remember when he wanted Simon Peter to go and preach to the centurion in Acts chapter number 10. So what we see here in verse in chapter 15 is a continuation of the thoughts from Romans chapter 14. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves. So if there's something that we need to abstain from, something that would be allowable to us and pleasing to us, there will be a time when we'll have to, as he said in Romans chapter 1, have a desire to establish our brethren rather than just flaunt the things that we allow in front of them. So just because you can or can't do a thing doesn't give you the liberty to offend a weaker brother's conscience. So in verse two, he says, let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification, for his good. That's what Paul said in Romans 1 verse 11, for I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end you may be established. Verse three, for even Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproach thee fell on me. Now, Psalm chapter 69, Psalm chapter 69. Let me turn over there. The book of Psalm chapter 69, Psalm chapter 69, and let's read verse number five. Oh God, thou knowest my foolishness and my sins are not hid from thee. Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake. Let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel. Because for thy sake I have borne reproach, shame hath covered my face. I am become a stranger, unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children. For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me." So verse number three here again in chapter 15, begins a great trend in Romans chapter 15, and that is a quotation from the Old Testament. Now, you could go back through the book of Romans, and we did not point out a great deal of these things as we came through these 46 classes, but here in this 46th class, I am going to point it out because it is basically a barrage of Old Testament quotations in this chapter that's being used to underpin this teaching here and i think the fact that he has spent the whole chapter in 14 and a great deal of this chapter in 15 to explain this i think it's a very important point because men once they learn a thing and understand the thing we generally stand on it so so strongly that we often don't care for somebody else who doesn't understand or doesn't have the faith, or like the Bible says, is weak in faith. We don't oftentimes care very much if they get stepped on or offended or anything else. Bless God, this is the truth. I don't care. Well, knowing the truth is a good thing and it ought to be stood It ought to be stood on from a firm position, but at the same time, it ought to be stood, it ought to be upheld, it ought to be stood for with compassion for those you want to bring along with you. You want to have other folks to be as strong as you are. And so sometimes that takes time, that takes ministry. not just proclaiming, but it takes ministry. There is preaching and then there is the ministry of preaching. Those are two different things all together. Now, at some point in preaching and teaching and administering the goodness of the truth, If there's still a measure of unbelief, then perhaps you have to change your tone or change your tune. But you ought to always realize exactly what it says in verse number one, we then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves. And then in verse number three, he begins to quote the Old Testament and he does so for the next several verses in a pretty strong fashion. The reproaches of them that reproach thee fell on me. chapter 69 verse 5 through 10. And then verse number 4 basically just says what I've said for the last three minutes in a very summarized form. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scripture might have hope. So Paul in chapter 15 is using a ton of Old Testament quotations to not only get you to see that you need to help weaker brethren build up their faith. Again, the Old Testament was written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scripture might have hope that's been ministered to you now you need if you're strong in the faith then those those things that were written in the old testament have brought you to this place and now you need to minister it to those who are not as strong as you and so he says verse five now the god of patience that description of god is not It's not by accident. It's not just a word he pulled out of the air to fill up another verse with. The God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus. It was Christ that was patience. It was It was Christ that was patient and it was Christ's consolation that allowed you to get where you are as a strong believer. Now you're going to have to take that same like-minded patience and like-minded desire for consolation in your brethren, you're going to have to apply that very same thing. Now the God of patience and consolation, you're going to have to have patience on weaker brethren. You might have to abstain from some things in front of them until you can teach them what is allowable and what is not allowable in the Christian life, what is important as far as as far as the the commandments of God. Of course, we're not going to begin to bear false witness So that's a very important thing to preach and teach. We're not going to dishonor our fathers and mothers. The Bible in Ephesians chapter number six tells us that's still an important thing. So a lot of principles that are based on the commandments of the Old Testament are going to be very important. eating fish with scales or without scales, that's covered in the law, but the dietary law has been fulfilled. But every person that's familiar with that dietary restriction in the Old Testament is not going to be able to understand those things. Now you're dealing with people who understand the law. Some people are not even going to know that that is a requirement of the Old Testament, that they not eat fish that doesn't have scales on it. But as they begin to study, they'll see that in the Old Testament, and then they'll say, I wonder if this applies to me. Well, then you'll be able to teach them very easily. and you'll be able to deal with them from a different vantage point than you would somebody who understands the Old Testament law. Make no mistake about it, Paul was dealing with people who understood the Old Testament law here in the book of Romans, no question about that. But have patience. Some people you'll have to reconstruct their carnal life into a spiritual life. But for some other people, you're gonna have to reconstruct a religious life that's been dedicated to certain things their whole life. And you're gonna have to reconstruct that. their hearts and in their minds through the Word of God and it's going to take some patience, it's going to take some dealing to get them to that point. So the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You get them to where you are and then both of you together with one mouth can glorify God. It won't just be you praising God while they're wondering what the world they're going to do or should do or can do or can't do. You bring up your brother in Christ, your weak brother, to the place where you are and then you're in a place, you're in a strong place agreement where you can both glorify God without raising your eyebrows at one another. It makes it a lot easier to glorify God with one mouth when you don't have to wonder if the other one's a heretic or not. So that's everything to do. This still in verse five and six has everything to do with what you've read in Romans chapter 14. And so verse number eight, now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. So in verse 9 itself you have a quotation from Psalm chapter 18 verse 49 and Isaiah chapter 42 verse 6 and 7 So again, in verse 10, 11, 12, you're going to have a multitude of these Old Testament quotations. But he's saying, Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. So Jesus Christ's ministry was heavily based on the Old Testament writings. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, but he came to fulfill those things, and when he fulfilled those things, according to Ephesians chapter two, he broke down that middle wall of partition that was between us, and he took that out of the way, and then the Bible says in Ephesians chapter two as well, that we both, the Jew and the Gentile, could have access to God by one Spirit. And so you can read that and maybe I should read that myself because I made the reference. We not only make a lot of references in Romans 15 to the Old Testament, but There are a lot of things that point in this passage of scripture to the New Testament revelation as well. And in Ephesians chapter 2 it says, For he is our peace who hath made both, the Jew and the Gentile, hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, the law, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, touch not, taste not, handle not, according to Colossians. So he says here, as we read on, verse 15, Ephesians 2, 15. For to making himself of twain, Jew and Gentile, one new man, so making peace, and that he might reconcile both, Jew and Gentile, both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh." The gospel is to those who never did have the principles of God as far as the law is concerned, and to those who do have the principles of God. It's going to be very difficult for those who were very familiar with the principles of the Old Testament to just take you at your word that they don't have to worry about what they eat and what they do on certain days, which is exactly what Romans chapter 14 dealt with. The Lord let down in a in a sheet all manner of unclean beast and he said to Peter rise kill and eat and Peter said not so he wasn't he wasn't about to partake of anything he had spent his whole life staying away from those unclean things and so the Lord had to deal with him and build his faith and build his understanding and the same patience that the Lord has. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God. That same, you're still gonna have that, you have to have that same patience to deal with them as the Lord had with them. And then truly the apostles continued to deal with the unbelieving Jews even after the Lord ascended back to heaven. So he says in verse number 10, and again, he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. A reference to Deuteronomy chapter 32. Verse number 43, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laud him, all ye people. A reference to Psalm chapter 117, verse number one. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust. So that's a reference to Isaiah chapter 11 and verse number 1. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. All right, so we're gonna drop off there in verse number 13 because I believe that those first 13 verses are definitely a reinforcement of chapter number 14 and you should become as familiar as you possibly can with those passages of scripture Really, keep it in mind the next time you're having a scriptural argument with somebody about what's allowed and what's not allowed. Be very sure if you're dealing with somebody who has no knowledge of the Old Testament, then you can very easily instruct them in the liberty which we have in Christ. But if you're dealing with somebody that's been connected to Judaism, to the Old Testament scriptures, and they've based their whole life's belief on that, you're gonna have to have patience with them and lead them to the same knowledge of liberty that you were able to pick up as you got saved and began to study the scripture. And as the Bible says, you're strong in the faith, You got that strength not because you were born again with it, but because you were born again and God gave you the scriptures to read and study and find these things out and be convinced in your own mind, as it said. in chapter number 14. Let every man be persuaded. In chapter 14, verse 14, I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself. You're going to have to come to that same assurance. Every man's going to have to come to that same assurance. We'll pick up the chapter in verse number 14. I appreciate you joining us for today's class, and we'll see you in class number 47, I believe. I believe will be the next class. 47 will be the next class. We'll see you then.