In Romans lecture number 30, Romans chapter 14, we're on verse 19, remember verses 18 to 21, Paul says that it is good not to eat meat or drink wine if that causes the weaker brother to stumble. In verse 18, Paul said that not causing the weaker brother to stumble is an act of service to God. It is service that is acceptable to God. So it is an act of righteousness, and it is approved by men. In other words, it brings peace with other men. Remember, righteousness and peace are kingdom issues. The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Verse 19, Paul tells us to pursue peace and build up the weaker brother. Verse 19. So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. So we should pursue peace again because peace is a kingdom issue. Peace among the brethren is much more important to the kingdom of God than whether or not you eat the meat that you have the freedom in Christ to eat. So pursue peace, it's a kingdom issue, and then build up the weaker brother. The maturing of a weaker brother takes priority over what we eat, so we don't want to lead the weaker brother to stumble and fall. Verse 20, do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. Verse 20 tells us that we are not to tear down God's work. God is working on the weaker brother. Don't tear down his work by your eating habits. Again, Paul says all food is clean, but if a weaker brother considers eating certain foods a sin, then for him to eat that food is sin because he goes against his conscience. And so therefore, don't tear down God's work by causing this weaker brother to go... You see, this weaker brother is sincerely trying to serve God. But if we lead him astray and say, hey, it's alright for you to eat meat, If he really is convinced that it's wrong to eat meat, and we encourage him and lead him to eat meat, while he still in his conscience believes it is wrong to eat meat, then we're causing him to lose that sincere service of the Lord that he had. And he begins to sin against his conscience, and he begins to say, hey, it's alright for me to do things that I really think are wrong. Verse 21, It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. So Paul says it is good not to eat meat or drink wine. Now they are clean, we are free to eat and drink, but don't do it in the presence of the weaker brother. Because it might cause him to sin against his conscience. Now, it is not a sin to drink wine. It is a sin to get drunk. Ephesians 5.18, and do not get drunk with wine, for this is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit. So it's a sin to get drunk, but it's not a sin to drink. I mean, John chapter 9, John chapter 2, the first 11 or 12 verses there, Jesus attends the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee, and The people are drinking wine there, and it's assumed that Jesus is drinking wine as well. And then they run out of wine, so Jesus turns the water into wine. Now we need to recognize Dr. Pentecost's work, the words and works of Jesus, gives some real good information here. Wine, in ancient terminology among the Hebrews, among the Jews, wine would equal three parts water and one part wine. So we think of wine as wine. In fact, they considered strong drink one part water and one part wine. And if it was just straight wine, they considered you a barbarian. So we need to recognize that you can drink a decent amount of diluted water and still not get drunk. But if you did get drunk, then you have sinned. But Paul is saying that even though it's okay to eat meat and drink wine, you're not to do it in the presence of the weaker brother because it might cause him to sin against his conscience. Do not use your freedom to cause a brother to stumble. If a weaker brother goes against his conscience by eating meat, it will be easier for him to act against his conscience in other areas as well. Remember, the weaker brother really thinks it's wrong. to eat certain foods, or to drink wine. You know, I believe it's okay to drink alcohol, but I do not drink alcohol. Because, number one, there's a lot of weaker Christian brothers and sisters in the Lord who think it's a sin to drink alcohol at all. So if they see me drinking some beer, it's going to cause a stumbling block for them. But also, there's many people who think it's okay to get drunk, non-believers. And if they see Pastor Phil Fernandez with a bottle of beer in his hand, they might think that that's the green light for them to get drunk. And that's not the case. I just don't have a desire to drink alcohol. I'm not going to condemn another person for doing something that Jesus did. At the same time, I don't have a need for it. It could be a stumbling block to others. So I just choose not to exercise that freedom that I have in Christ. Verses 22 and 23, Paul talks about the faith which you have. Look at verse 22. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. So the word faith here in verse 22 is spoken of as our convictions before God. What we believe is the right way to serve God. Paul says, happy is the man who understands his freedom in Christ. Our freedom therefore is an issue between us and the Lord. Now obviously we are not free to sin, Paul, again, the weaker brother isn't somebody who's immoral, doing things that the Bible says not to do, but instead he throws extra restrictions upon himself, which the Bible does not teach. But happy is the man who understands his freedom in Christ, still our freedom is between us and the Lord, but our convictions, what we believe is the right way to serve God, that's the important issue here. Paul says in verse 23 that whatever is not from faith is sin. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and whatever is not from faith is sin. So whatever is not from faith is sin. The weaker brother doubts his freedom to eat meat, and therefore he is condemned if he eats meat. not because eating meat is wrong, but because his eating is not from faith. He has acted against his convictions, he has acted against his conscience, and whatever is not from faith is sin. Take a look at Romans 1.17. Romans 1.17. Paul says, for in it, the gospel that is, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, but the righteous man shall live by faith. So the righteous man shall live by faith. Paul's saying now, whatever is not from faith is sin. See, we uphold God's laws by faith. Romans 3, see we're not only saved by through faith and not of works, but we are sanctified by faith and not through works. Romans 3.31, after saying that we're not saved by the works of the law, Paul then asks the question, do we then nullify the law through faith? Then he says, may it never be. On the contrary, we establish the law or we fulfill the law by faith. And so whatever we do, If it is not of faith, in other words, if we are not trusting in God for guidance, it is sin. His faith, his convictions before God tell him that something is wrong, even if it's okay to do it. If he does it really believing that he's disobeying the Lord, then it is going to be sin for him. But whatever we do, if we are not trusting in God for guidance, if it is not a faith, it is sin. In conclusion to Romans chapter 14, God tells us, do not judge the weaker brother. We are not to exercise our freedom in Christ without responsibility. Do not let your freedom cause the weaker brother to sin. Righteousness, peace among believers, and joy, they are kingdom of God issues. Food and drink are not kingdom issues. Therefore, we are to walk according to love. And we are to look after the weaker brother. One of the passages we didn't look at that I want to close with, and that's Colossians 2. Colossians 2, verses 16 and 17. Paul says there, therefore no one is to act as your judge in respect to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day, things which are a mere shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. So all things are clean now. We don't have to worry about worshipping on Saturday. We don't have to worry about certain foods being unclean. They were types of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has come, they are fulfilled. At the same time, even with that new freedom in Christ, we are to look out for the weaker brother, we are not to judge the weaker brother, and we are definitely not to cause a stumbling block for the weaker brother to trip over and to fall into sin. And so we are to live a life of love toward one another, especially the weaker brother. Okay, moving on to Romans chapter 15. Romans chapter 15. This deals with putting the needs of others first. Brief introduction. Remember Paul said we are not to judge the weaker brother. We are not to cause the weaker brother to stumble. We are to put others needs before our own. Now Paul says in verses 1 and 2 that we should please our neighbor. Verses 1 and 2. Look at verse 1. of Romans 15. Now, we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. So we are to bear the burdens of those who hurt. Those who are strong, their strength is from God. Ephesians 6, 10, Paul says, finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. You can find many other passages that deal with our strength coming from God, Nehemiah 8.10, the joy of the Lord is your strength. Zechariah 4.6, not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Then in Isaiah 40, and I want to read that passage. Keep in mind, a stronger brother is not a strength inherent in himself or herself, but it is a strength that comes from God. Speaking about God in Isaiah 40 verses 29-31 it states, He gives strength to the weary and to him who lacks might, He increases power. Though youth grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will not get tired, they will walk. and not become weary. Also Psalm 28 and verse 7 says, the Lord, this is the Psalm of King David, the Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him and I am helped, therefore my heart exults and with my song I shall thank Him. But he says that the Lord is his strength and his shield. So keep in mind, those who are strong, their strength is from God, And the stronger brother, specifically in the context that Paul uses in Romans 14 and 15, the stronger brother recognizes their freedom in Christ. Those without strength, the weaker brother doesn't understand his freedom in Christ and lacks the knowledge that Christ is sufficient to meet all his needs. So, what Paul is saying is that we should bear the burdens of the weaker brother, especially at times when he hurts, and don't just please yourself, please others first. Galatians 6-2, Paul touches on this. Galatians 6-2, bear one another's burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ. In Philippians 2, Philippians chapter 2 verses 3 and 4. Paul says, do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, let each of you regard one another as more important than himself. Do not merely look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others. Have this attitude in yourselves, which was, oops, I'm going too far. But he basically put the needs of others before your own. and regard others as more important than yourself. Don't just please yourself. Bear the burdens of those who hurt. Place others first. Paul says in Romans 15 verse 2, build up your neighbor. Paul says, let each of us please his neighbor for his good to his edification. And so build up your neighbor. Paul is, you know, letting us know we should, just like Jesus said in Mark 8, verse 34, that if you want to follow Christ, then you are to pick up the cross and follow the Lord in obedience, but you are to deny yourself, lay aside your own desires, do that which helps build the weaker brother. And so Paul is saying when you have an encounter with the weaker brother, the stronger brother is to place the spiritual and physical needs of the weaker brother above his own. And we are to be willing to give up those freedoms in Christ. Now our example, the example that was set for us is found in verse 3 of Romans 15. For even Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of those who reproach thee fell upon me. So our example is Christ himself. He did not come to please Himself. In fact, the Gospel of Mark, chapter 10, verse 45, Jesus stated that, He said, for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. He did not come to please Himself, He came to serve others. Now, Paul is quoting in this passage, Psalm 69, verse 9, which obviously was fulfilled by Christ, that He took our suffering for us. Philippians 2, verses 5-8, Paul tells us that we should have the same attitude that Christ had. That even though He existed in equality with God, He did not cling to His equal rights and His equal privileges as God but he chose to veil his glory. He chose to temporarily and voluntarily lay aside his privilege to use certain divine powers and to become a man for the sole purpose of dying on the cross for our sins. And so Christ did not come to please himself, he came to serve others and we are to follow Christ's example. The purpose of scriptures, Paul discusses this in verse 4 of Romans 15. For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction that through perseverance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. So the scriptures were written to instruct us. The Scriptures instruct us how to be saved. John 3.16, For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. So the Scriptures instruct us how to be saved, but then they also tell us how the saved should live. Remember in 2 Timothy 3.16-17, that passage is very clear that the Word of God contains everything that we need, that the godly man needs to live a godly life. 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17, all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. So the purpose of scripture is to instruct us. It instructs us how to be saved, but it also instructs us how the saved should live. And because of this, Paul says, we have hope through perseverance. You see, the strength from God... Perseverance is basically the strength from God that enables us to endure trials. Perseverance is the strength from God that enables us to endure trials, and that is through the encouragement of scriptures. God gives us the strength through the encouragement of scriptures. So, the purpose of the scriptures was to instruct us and to give us the strength to persevere through the encouragement found on the pages of the scriptures. Paul tells the stronger brother that we are to accept the weaker brother, we are to accept one another, verses 5 to 7. Take a look at verse 5 first of Romans 15. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus. And it states here that God gives us perseverance and encouragement. God gives us perseverance and encouragement. In the Scriptures, again, the Lord is our strength. In 2 Corinthians 12, verses 7-10, Paul asks three times that the Lord would remove a thorn from his flesh. And the Lord did not answer that prayer, and finally the Lord told him that, My grace is sufficient for thee, in your weakness I am made strong. And so the Lord is our strength, and He gives us perseverance and encouragement. God can give us one mind. We are one body, the body of Christ, and we are supposed to have one mind, which is the mind of Christ. So since we are one body, we need one mind, not multiple personalities. Jesus is the head of the body, He is the mind. Look at Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5. And verse 23, For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, he himself being the Savior of the body. So Christ is the head of the church. And therefore we should have the mind of Christ. Look at 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 16. Paul says, for who has known the mind of the Lord that he should instruct them, but we have the mind of Christ. And so Christ is the head of the church, the church is his body, but Christ should be the mind of the church. We have access to the mind of Christ, to the views of Christ in his scriptures, the attitude of Christ, the teachings of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12, verses 12 and 13, tell us that the church is the body of Christ. For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." And again, Philippians chapter 2, verses 1 to 8, Paul In that passage, he's speaking about the same things that he's discussing here in Romans 15. Because in this passage here, he starts out, verse 1, if therefore there is any encouragement, Philippians chapter 2, verse 1, if therefore there is any encouragement of Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind. Maintain the same love, united in Spirit, intent on one purpose. And so God can give us one mind, the mind of Christ. We have the body of Christ, He can give us the mind of Christ, the attitudes of Christ. And then Paul says in verses 3 and 4 of Philippians 2 that we should do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit. But with humility of mind, let each of you regard one another as more important than himself. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. And then he says, have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus. I believe the word there for attitude in the Greek is the word for mind. Have this mind in yourselves, which is also in Christ Jesus. And then it talks about the humility that Christ had where he put the needs of others before pleasing himself. He didn't come to earth to please himself, he came to earth to meet the needs of others. And so in verse 5 we see that in the scriptures God gives us perseverance and encouragement, but God can also give us one mind, the mind of Christ. Our unity in Christ should be outwardly expressed, verse 6 of Romans chapter 15, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So our unity in Christ should be expressed with one accord, that means in agreement, and with one voice, in other words, in harmony. There should be peace and harmony among the brethren, and we should, as we glorify God, in other words, put the spotlight on God, rather than putting the spotlight on ourselves. Verse 7, of Romans chapter 15 tells us that we are to accept one another. Wherefore, accept one another just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. So we are to accept one another just as Christ accepted us. We should follow His example. Keep in mind, Christ accepted us even though we did not deserve to be accepted by Him, He is perfect and holy and we are sinful. At the same time, We imperfect people have a hard time accepting other imperfect people. But if the perfect God can accept us, we should have no problem accepting our brethren in the Lord. But we should follow Christ's example of acceptance. He was willing to accept all who would come to Him and forgive all who would come to Him. And He loved all, even those who would reject His gospel message. Ephesians 4.32 speaks along the same lines here, another one of Paul's Letters, Ephesians 4, verse 32, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ has also forgiven you. So we should forgive others just as God in Jesus Christ has forgiven us. And then John 15, 12, passage that we're all familiar with, John 15, 12, Jesus tells His disciples, this is my commandment that you love one another just as I have loved you. So we are to love fellow believers just as Christ loved us. We are to forgive fellow believers just as Christ has forgiven them. We are to accept other believers just as Christ has accepted them. And Jesus accepted us so that God would be glorified. When we get to heaven, it isn't to put the spotlight on us, to show how great we were, because we don't deserve heaven, it's to show how great God is, that His grace enabled Him to save miserable sinners like ourselves. And so, verses 5-7 speak about, of Romans 15, we are to accept one another. Verse 8, Paul says that Christ is the Savior of the Jews, and then verses 9-12 of Romans 15, Paul says Christ is the Savior of the Gentiles. So Christ is the Savior of the Jews, verse 8. For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision, that's the Jews, they were circumcised, on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers. So Christ is the Savior of the Jews. Circumcision, that equals the Jews. They were the Jews, the ones who were circumcised. And God kept His promises to them concerning the Messiah. God is true to His Word. And so the promises given to the fathers, the Hebrew fathers, the Hebrew patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and down through the history of the Jewish nation. But it says there that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision. The Savior served not only the Jews, but the Gentiles as well. Mark 10.45, for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. So Christ is the Savior of the Jews, but He's not only the Savior of the Jews, but He's also the Savior of the Gentiles. Verses 9 to 12. Take a look at verses 9 to 12. And for the Gentiles, so he became a servant for the Gentiles, to glorify God for His mercy, as it is written, Therefore I will give praise to thee among the Gentiles, and I will sing to thy name. And again he says, Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him. And again Isaiah says, There shall come the root of Jesse. And he who arises to rule over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles hope." And so Christ is not only the Savior of the Jews, but the Savior of the Gentiles as well, to bring glory to God. for His mercy, because God removed the judgment that we deserve. God gets all the glory when we are saved. We do not deserve salvation, therefore we do not get the glory. Paul quotes from the following passages again, over and over again he emphasizes the point that his salvation message, the gospel that Paul preaches is not something new, he found it saturating the Old Testament. The Old Testament was filled with passages teaching the Gospel message that was made more clear through Christ when the Savior had come. But in verse 9, 2 Samuel 22, verse 50, and Psalm 18, verse 49. Paul also quotes Deuteronomy 32, verse 43, and verse 10. In verse 11, he quotes Psalm 117, verse 1. And in verse 12, he quotes Isaiah 11 and verse 10. But Paul states that God gave the... that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior of the Gentiles. And we need to remember that when the Jews rejected their Messiah, salvation came to the Gentiles. Before Christ came on the scene, in order for a Gentile to be saved, he had to become a Jew by faith to accept the God of Israel, who would someday send a Redeemer. But once the Jews rejected their Messiah, a Gentile no longer had to become a Jew to basically be saved. In other words, There was no longer this break between Jew and Gentile. In the Old Testament, if a Gentile wanted to be saved, he would have to accept the God of Israel who was promising to send the Messiah. But now the salvation message came directly to the Gentiles, so you don't need to get circumcised and then accept Christ and that type of thing. I'm not saying... finding it hard to express myself, I'm not saying circumcision was essential to salvation in the Old Testament because it was not but a person had to basically align themselves with the Jewish faith in order to accept the Messiah but once the Jewish faith apostatized the true faith was then proclaimed to the Gentiles many Many passages could be brought up here, proving Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, such as Isaiah 53, that the Messiah would be rejected by the Jews. Isaiah 11, verse 10, and Isaiah 42, verses 1 to 4, that he would be accepted by the Gentiles, or have a wide Gentile following, or his death by crucifixion before 70 AD, when the Temple was destroyed. Psalm 22 talks about the Hands and Feet Pierce, Daniel 9, 24-27 speak about the Messiah executed before 70 A.D. in Micah 5-2 that he would be born in Bethlehem. Now, obviously out of those Jews, those who claim to be the Jewish Messiah, who were executed before 70 A.D., rejected by the Jews and received a wide Gentile following. There was only one person who fits, fulfills all the criteria, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 13 of Romans 15 talks about the source of our strength. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. So the source of our strength is the God of hope. The reason why he is the God of hope is because he controls the future. Titus 2.13, Paul refers to the second coming of Christ as the blessed hope of the church. God controls the future. Jesus will return. God ultimately at the end of the millennial kingdom will defeat evil. And God is the only hope that mankind has. The only guarantee that evil will be defeated is the God of the Bible. That's why He is the God of all hope. God is the only hope that mankind has for peace on earth as well. So He is the God of hope. He is the source of our strength. He can fill us with joy and peace. Paul says here in verse 13, and remember joy and peace were two aspects listed as part of the kingdom of God in Romans 14, 17. Love and joy and peace. But he can fill us with joy and peace that we may abound in hope. And again, hope is the opposite of despair. And this is all brought about by the power of the Holy Spirit. First Corinthians 4.20 Paul says, for the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power. So our strength comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit. So these first 13 verses of Romans 15, Paul tells us to put others' needs before our own, and to come to the aid of those who are weak. He tells us that we are to follow Christ's example by serving others. and that we receive perseverance and encouragement from God's Word, that we are to unite with and accept other believers because we are one body and that we are to share one mind with them. We are to be united. Christ united the Jew and the Gentile, Paul says, and then we are to trust in the Lord for strength, peace, and joy. Now from Romans chapter 15 verse 14 to Romans 16 verse 27, the end of the book of Romans, we come to the final section in our outline, part 6, the closing remarks. So take a look at Romans 15, and we'll start with verse 14. From Romans 15 verse 14 to verse 33, Paul discusses his plan to visit Rome. Now, remember, Paul has completed his explanation of the gospel, now he discusses personal matters with the Roman believers, and Paul speaks on his plan to visit Rome. Paul is convinced of the Romans' spiritual maturity in verses 14-16. Look at verse 14 of Romans 15. And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another." So Paul is convinced of the Romans' spiritual maturity. Now, when you read 1 Corinthians, you find that Paul doesn't say this to everybody. In 1 Corinthians, he told them, you know, okay, you guys got all the spiritual gifts, 1 Corinthians 1.7, but then in 1 Corinthians 3.1, he still refers to them as babes in Christ. And he talked about them being carnal as well. But as far as the Roman believers here in verse 14, Paul is convinced that they are full of goodness. They were morally good. They were living in obedience to the Lord. They were full of knowledge. They knew the gospel. It makes you wonder, why in the world did Paul write that? Why not write the Corinthians the gospel message? When the Corinthians were all messed up, instead Paul The gospel according to Paul is the book of Romans. Why write it to them when the Roman believers were full of knowledge and they knew the gospel? Well, the fact was, Paul was confident that they knew the gospel, but he never preached it to them. He preached the gospel message to the Corinthians, so he knew that they knew the gospel message inside out. Now, they might have problems accepting it, But they knew it inside out. He told them face to face with the Romans. He never met them face to face, so he wanted to give them his gospel message. But he felt fairly confident that they were full of knowledge, that they knew the gospel message. And he knew that he was convinced that the Roman believers were able to admonish one another or warn one another. In other words, they were knowledgeable enough in the scriptures to spot heresy and to spot dangers within the church and false teachers, and to warn one another, and admonish and correct one another, and they were knowledgeable enough to correct one another in moral matters as well. Still, Paul had written boldly to them, verse 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. So even though Paul's convinced that they're morally good, that they knew the gospel, Still, Paul had written boldly to them to remind them of certain points, even though they probably already knew these points. And Paul did this because of the grace that God gave him. That was the grace, God's charity given to him, not for salvation in this context, but the gift of God to enable Paul to be an apostle and a leader of the early church. And Paul used that gift and that authority that he had to remind them on certain key points of the gospel message, even though he felt confident that they already knew the gospel message itself. Paul states in verse 16 of Romans 15 that he was a minister of Jesus. Look at verse 16. He talks about, "...the grace that was given me from God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, that my offering of the Gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit." So Paul was a minister of Jesus. A minister, we get a word deacon from it, and it just means a servant. So leaders in the Christian church, read Mark chapter 10 verses 35 to 45 when you get a chance, to be first in God's kingdom you must learn to be the servant of all. If you want to be first, you must learn to be last. You must learn to be a servant of all. The leaders in God's kingdom are servants. But Paul is a minister or servant of the Gentiles, the non-Jews. The other apostles primarily ministered to the Jews, and then later on, because of persecution, they took the Gospels to the Gentiles. But Paul was specifically sent out by Christ to get the gospel message to the Gentiles, although he did preach to Jews as well. Paul refers to himself as a priest. A priest stands between God and man and represents man to God, whereas a prophet represents God to man and proclaims God's word to man. Paul here says that he plays the role of a priest. He stands between God and man. He represents man to God. Now a priest does two things. He intercedes for others. He prays for others. and he offers offerings. And Paul prayed for the Gentile believers, you see that throughout his writings. He prayed for the Gentiles, but he also offered his Gentile converts to God as an offering. So Paul interceded and offered his Gentile converts to God as an offering, and he said his offering was acceptable to God, and that the offering was sanctified by the Holy Spirit. To be sanctified means to be set apart, so the Holy Spirit set apart these Gentile believers for God's purpose. So Paul played the role of a priest by praying for the Gentiles and offering his Gentile converts to God as an offering. Paul's reason for boasting is found in verses 17 to 19. Look at verse 17 of Romans 15, "...therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for both things pertaining to God." Paul only boasted in the Lord. Whenever he boasted, he would never brag on himself. He would only boast in the Lord. 2 Corinthians 10 and 17, but he would boast, let him boast in the Lord. That's why when Paul would start, when it would sound like he was bragging on himself, he would say things like, I am what I am by the grace of God. He would let you know these are the changes that God made in me. This is not something I did in my own power. Paul's conversation, what Paul talked about, is mentioned in verse 18 in Romans 15. 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. So Paul's conversation, what he talked about, was only what Christ accomplished through him. And this resulted in the Gentiles obeying the gospel in word and in deed. In word, they accepted the gospel. That meant their beliefs. They accepted the beliefs that they held to, the gospel. But in deed, they not only accepted the beliefs of the gospel, they also lived the gospel. It influenced their lifestyle and changed them through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul's ministry is mentioned in verse 19 of Romans 15. in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit, so that from Jerusalem and round about, as far as Ilaricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." So Paul's ministry was confirmed by signs and wonders done through the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember, in 1 Corinthians 4.20, Paul says, "...for the kingdom of God is not consisted in words, but in power." Then in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12, this is an important passage, I want you to look at this one. 2nd Corinthians, and Benny Hinn needs to read this, 2nd Corinthians chapter 12, verses 11 and 12, Paul says this, I have become foolish, you yourselves compelled me. Actually, I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody." So he's saying he's the same level of authority in the early church as the original apostles. Verse 12, "...the signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance by signs and wonders and miracles." So, the original apostles, that's the reason why the tremendous miraculous works were performed through them. I'm not saying God can't perform miracles today, but I'm saying I doubt very much that God's going to perform miracles through Benny Hinn, that he would perform through Peter and John and Paul, because God was confirming their message as his authoritative witnesses, and any believers today, whether it's the Catholic Pope or Benny Hinn, if Benny Hinn is a believer, that is, and if the Pope is a believer, for that matter, They do not have the signs of the true apostles. Apostolic succession is not true. The apostolic age died out when the last of the original apostles died out. But the signs of the apostles proved his ministry.