The second part of the introduction to Romans.
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Romans 1:1
Never Fear, Grace is Here! – II Timothy 1:7-12
Summary:
Paul was about to be executed in prison (2:9;4:6), and Timothy was fearful (1:7) he’d be next. Paul told him not to have “the spirit of fear” caused by fear of punishment under the law (Rom.8:15) because Timothy was wondering if God was chastening Paul for trying to offer a sacrifice to please Jews (Acts 21:26), and that God might chasten him for any missteps he might make in his zeal. But God only allowed that riot to break out (v.27-32) to stop Paul from offering it.
But God allowed him to be arrested because He knew it’d lead to furthering Christ in “all other places” (Phil.1:12,13). That’s why Paul calls himself “the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,” and not the prisoner of Christ for wanting to offer a sacrifice. It took time to reach “all other places,” so instead of breaking Paul out of jail (cf.Acts 16:26), He left him there, “that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear” (IITim.4:16,17).
Paul told the Ephesians his imprisonment was “their glory” (Eph.3:13) because he was suffering it for them, so they shouldn’t “faint” because of it—as Timothy was doing. His timidity (ICor.16:10) made it so he didn’t just fear going to jail under God’s chastening. He feared it for any reason. So Paul told him God has given us the spirit of “power” (IITim. 1:7), the power grace gives us (IICor.12:9,10) of knowing that even if we get locked up like Paul that God could use us more as prisoners than as free men—as He was using Paul.
If Timothy needed more incentive not to fear distresses like jail, Paul told him God’s given us the spirit of “love” (IITim. 1:7). Love gives us the power to glory in tribulations (Rom. 5:2-8) when we remember His love was shed abroad in our “hearts” when He saved us, not in our lives by saving us from distresses. That love motivates us (IICor.5:14,15).
A “sound mind” (IITim.1:7) is a mind filled with the “sound
words” (v.13) given to Paul. It’s a mind that knows that when we’re distressed, God is not punishing us. Timothy was “ashamed” (v.8) of the “testimony” of grace (Acts 20:24) because when he thought God was punishing Paul, he thought grace was doing something it said it wouldn’t do.
The Jews were saved with a holy calling, but according to their works. If their works were good, God kept them out of captivity. Our holy calling is “not according to our works” (IITim.1:9), “but according to His own purpose and grace.” Part of that purpose was to teach angels to serve Him out of love (Eph.3:8-11), instead of fear of eternal fire (Mt.25:41).
That purpose was kept a secret until the “appearing” (IITim. 1:10) of Christ to Paul (Acts 9:17;26:16), who explained that God “abolished death” (IITim.1:10) for Gentiles, i.e., made it null and void, by having Christ die for them too (ITim.2:6). Death will “end” later (ICor.15:24-26; Rev.20:14). The gospel of the 12 brought this life and immortality to light for Jews, but the gospel “whereunto” Paul was made an apostle (IITim.1:11) brought it to light for Gentiles.
It was for that “cause” that Paul was unashamed to be in prison (IITim.1:12), and not for the cause of being ashamed of being chastened of God. You see, he knew “who” he believed (v.12). He believed the Lord when He said he was in prison for the Gentiles. If he’d believed Moses instead, he’d be persuaded he was in prison for displeasing the Lord. Believing the Lord also persuaded Paul He would “keep” his soul (cf.IPet.4:19). The souls of kingdom saints were kept “in well doing,” i.e., in good works, for the law said Jews had to keep doing good works (Jo.8:31). Paul couldn’t know that the Lord would keep his soul in well doing, for he hadn’t been doing well in wanting to offer that sacrifice. But under grace, Paul was persuaded the Lord could keep his soul “against that day” (IITim.1:12), the day of the Rapture. “Against” means in preparation for (cf.Esther 3:13,14).
A video of this sermon is available on YouTube: “Never Fear, Grace Is Here!” 2nd Timothy 1:7-12
Romans Introduction
This is part 1 of our introduction to Romans.
Paul Meets Up With the James Gang – Acts 21:18-30
Summary:
Paul met with James (v.18), who had clearly replaced Peter as head of the 12 apostles, and head of the Jewish kingdom church. This shows the saints were no longer filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:4), and that the kingdom program was breaking down now that the Jews had rejected the kingdom Peter offered them in Acts 3:19-21. They probably replaced Peter with James simply because he was the Lord’s brother.
But God still loved the Jewish kingdom church, so He decided to honor their decision, and even let James write a book of the Bible. He knew this was coming, and pictured it when James’ namesake supplanted his brother (Gen.27:36), which means he replaced him by questionable means. His father honored it though (Gen.27:33), and accepted that Jacob would be head of Israel’s 12 tribes. That pictures how God accepted James would be the head of the 12 apostles. God even inspired him to write that he was His servant (Jas. 1:1).
Paul reported to James (Acts 21:19), who was glad to hear his report (v.20), but was quick to boast about what he’d done. He didn’t even want to hear about Paul’s ministry. He had summoned Luke, and Paul came with him (v.18).
But someof what James heard about Paul was true, and some wasn’t (v.21). He didn’t tell Jews to “forsake” Moses. He told them Christ was the answer to the law of Moses (Acts 13:38,39). The law needed an answer because it required keeping “all” the law to be saved (Deut. 6:25), and no one can keep it all. Jews got saved under the law by believing their sacrifices were the answer to the law. Paul was just out there giving Jews God’s new answer to the law (Rom.10:4).
But after Jews got saved, Paul did tell them not to circumcise their sons or walk after the law. So Paul didn’t know how to answer that charge. But James suggested he answer it by taking the Nazarite vow (Acts 21:22-24 cf. Num.6). But first, he told Paul in verse 25, as it were, “I’m not talking about Gentiles you lead to Christ. We decided in Acts 15 they don’t have to keep the law, and wrote and told them so. I’m talking about Jews you lead to Christ.” They hadn’t discussed that in Acts 15, so James didn’t know that Paul wasn’t wrong in telling Jews he led to Christ they weren’t under the law.
Paul took the vow (Acts 21:26), even though it required the “offering” of an animal sacrifice. He did it to try to win the Jews to Christ (ICor.9:20), but God providentially stopped him by allowing a riot to break out (v.27-30).
Unsaved Jews were always giving Paul grief, but these Jews “of Asia” that incited this riot (v.26) were provoked to jealousy when Paul reached the Gentiles they hadn’t (Acts 19:8-10 cf. Rom.11:11). So they charged him with speaking against the “people” of Israel (v.28), when all he ever did was lift Gentiles up “with” the people (Rom.15:10). They also charged him with being against the law, when he wasn’t. And they said he brought a Gentile into the temple, which shouldn’t be done (Lam.1:8,10). And not just any Gentile, an Ephesian Gentile (Acts 21:29). Everyone back then knew Ephesus was the epicenter of idolatry (19:35), making Trophimus a pagan of pagans, and a heathen of heathens.
The Jews closed the temple door (21:30) so Paul couldn’t run to the altar for mercy like Adonijah (IKi.1:50). But in closing the doors to Paul, they also closed them to themselves. In keeping him from God’s mercy, they were also symbolically keeping themselves from it. They were symbolically pounding another nail in their nation’s coffin, and this was another sign God was closing the book on Israel. This was especially so when you consider that Joab didn’t get mercy at the altar (IKi.2:28,29) because he killed two men. Israel had killed two men also, the Lord and Stephen. And there was no provision in the law for mercy for murderers. Israel’s only hope was Christ!
A video of this sermon is available on YouTube: “Paul Meets Up With The James Gang” Acts 21:18-30
Paul Sets Sail for Jerusalem – Acts 21:1-17
Summary:
Once Paul got away from the hugs of the elders (20:37cf.21: 1), he found a ship (v.2) and launched with it (v.3). The Spirit spoke through some prophets to tell him not to go to Jerusalem (v.4 cf. 20:22,23). But he was in a hurry (20:16), and only stayed in Tyre seven days because he was traveling on a freighter that needed to unload and reload (21:3). But a mere week with those saints prompted as tearful a goodbye as he had with those elders who he’d known 3 years (20:36-38). Grace believers work their way into each other’s hearts fast.
Next, they left (21:7) and found a man who served God so humbly earlier (v.8 cf.Acts 6:1-5) that God rewarded his him by making him an evangelist (8:5-40cf.Mt.25:21). Paul says we should honor humble servants equally with great ones (ICor.12:23). But if Paul stayed with an evangelist instead of a prophet because he was tired of prophets telling him not to go to Jerusalem, he was out of luck (Acts21:9). But despite his hurry, he listened to those women for days (21:10). Sometimes women can influence men more than other men.
But when he eventually ignored them too, God sent him another prophet, who predicted bonds and afflictions would befall Paul in Jerusalem, and illustrated his prediction (v.11) with his belt (v.11cf.IKi.1:8). Prophets often illustrated their predictions (cf. IIKi.11:29-31). It was God who prompted such “similitudes” (Hos.12:10), so it’s okay for preachers to use them. If God had a prophet use one on a saint as great as Paul, He must expect they’ll be effective on the best of us.
But Agabus clarified what the prophets in verse 4 meant when they told Paul he “should not” go to Jerusalem. He meant only to warn him of what would happen if he went, as when God told the wise men they “should not” return to Herod (Mt.2:12). That was more of a warning than a commandment. But Paul disobeyed because he wanted to be there for Pentecost (Acts 20:16) to preach to that huge crowd of Jews who must attend that feast every year by law. He didn’t care if he had to be beaten and arrested to do it.
But his friends cared—even Luke (21:12). He replied he was ready to die in Jerusalem—and probably expected to (cf.20: 25). The friends trying to talk him out of dying were like the Lord’s friend Peter (Mt.16:21-23). We shouldn’t act irresponsibly in serving God, but at some point, we must agree with what Paul said in Acts 20:24. Satan thinks we’ll give whatever we have to save our lives (Job 2:4), but Job taught him better—and so did Paul. Why not be like them, and the man who served God in humble ways with no regard for his life (Phil.2:25-30). Women can too (Esth.4:16; Rom.16:3,4).
In Acts 21:14, Paul’s friends weren’t saying, “Whatever is going to happen, will happen.” The prophets told them what would happen—he’d be beaten and arrested. They were saying, “If that’s God’s will, let it happen.” What they didn’t say was, “Paul, you go get beaten, we’ll stay here.” They joined him (Acts 21:15), just as Thomas said he and the rest of the 12 should die with the Lord (Jo.11:7,8,16). God needs more of that kind of spirit in His people (cf. IISam.15:21)!
Those “carriages” were like what we would call carry on baggage. Luke notes them because they were filled with the money Paul collected from the Gentile churches for “the poor saints” in Jerusalem (Rom. 15:26). They brought along a saint who had been a disciple so long that all the other saints in Jerusalem were sure to know where he lived (Acts 21:16). So when word got out Paul was distributing money from his house, they’d all know where to go to get some. This is why Paul was hasting to get there by the feast! He knew that when those Jews heard him preach Christ, knowing he was also there to help the people of Israel, that they would be much more apt to listen to him. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he wasn’t about to miss it!
A video of this message is available on YouTube: “Paul Sets Sail For Jerusalem” Acts 21:1-17
