IV. DUTIFUL (PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS)--12:1-16:27 (Part II)

    This web page consists of two parts:  B. Separation of  the Gospel--14:1-15:3 (immediately following) and C. Spread of the Gospel--15:4-33 (If  you want this section, click here.).

B. Separation of  the Gospel--14:1-15:3
     1. Conviction--14:1-5
          a. Personal--vv .1, 2
               (I) Receive the weak in faith
                    (A) Does not necessarily refer to an official reception, but a reception in spirit
                    (B) The weak brother has faith, but may be weak because of  lack of  knowledge of  their position in Christ.
                    (C) "The 'stronger' brother is not called upon to settle all the scruples of  the 'weak' brother."--Robertson,
                         412
                    (D) Newell, 501--"No one's conscience but his own can direct him.  He may be taught the Word, however,
                         and God will bring him along.  He must not be forced."
                    (E) "When faith in Christ in the least degree is found, we should be thankfully delighted, and should welcome
                         such believers.  All believers have not the same knowledge, nor the same freedom from tradition, nor the
                         same strength of  appropriating faith.  We have no right to say to believers, 'Sit back, until we are satisfied
                         about you.'  This puts your will between believers and fellowship with God's saints."--Newell, 501-502
               (II) The strong in faith
                    (A) Can eat or drink all things
                    (B) "'Faith' here means knowledge and heart-persuasion that Jewish distinctions of  meats do not exist in this
                         dispensation."--Newell, 502
                    (C) Although Paul is specifically talking about food and drink here, by application we can include many
                         other things that many Fundamentalists consider sinful.
                         (1) This is not to say that anything goes.
                         (2) There are many things that are more or less neutral, but should be avoided for the sake of  one's
                              testimony.
                    (D) Paul gives only two requirements.
                         (1) Thanksgiving--v. 6
                         (2) Not to judge the weaker brother --v. 3
               (III) The weak in faith
                    (A) He has scruples about certain foods and drinks.
                    (B) Vegetarians and other food-fadists, who are often most insistent that others follow their fads, are
                         particularly in view here (This is not condemning a weak brother who is a vegetarian.) 
                    (C) When this writer was in seminary, the president of  the school had scruples against coffee and tea; he did
                         not, however, insist that other could not drink them.
                    (D) "To make distinctions of  meats where God has set aside such distinctions, is sad weakness indeed."
                         Those in view here are "simply those whose faith is not strong enough to enable them to eat the food they
                         have been accustomed to regard as 'forbidden.'"--Newell, 503
                    (E) One must distinguish here between things now acceptable to God and things expressively forbidden by
                         God's Word.
                    (F) We that are strong in faith must not set at nought the weaker one.
          b. Charitable--vv. 3, 4
               (I) The solemn charge to the strong
                    (A) Do not set at nought the weaker.
                    (B) The strong one in the liberty of  faith is to be like the strong father taking the weak child by the hand upon
                         crossing the street.
               (II) The solemn charge to the weak
                    (A) He is not to judge the strong in faith.
                    (B) Newell, 503-504--"It is much more difficult for us really to believe in our hearts that God approves a
                         man of  wide Christian liberty, than to believe that God approves a man of  many conscientious scruples."
               (III) God receives them both.
                    (A) The man with few scruples or wide Christian liberty
                    (B) The man with many scruples
                    (C) As said before, this does not mean anything goes.
               (IV) Judgment forbidden
                    (A) First, because we are all house-servants with one Master, Jesus Christ
                    (B) Second, because each is personally responsible to the Master
                    (C) Third, because Christ is our support--i. e., Christ makes us to stand whether strong or weak
          c. Complete--v. 5
               (I) The day question
                    (A) Still very much with us
                    (B) The issue
                         (1) Negatively
                              (a) Not the Jewish sabbath versus the Lord's day
                                   ((I)) The sabbath has not been changed.
                                   ((II)) Only one sabbath is known in Scripture, the seventh day.
                                   ((III)) The reasoning behind the Seventh Day Adventists and Seventh Day Baptists
                                   ((IV)) The Lord's day has been mistakenly called "the sabbath" for many years.
                                   ((V)) The sabbath is Jewish, not Christian.
                                   ((VI)) Of  all the 10 commandments restated in positive terms for the church, the one omitted is
                                        "Thou shalt keep the sabbath day holy."
                              (b) Issue is not, therefore, whether Lord's day is Saturday or Sunday.
                         (2) Positively
                              (a) The real issue here, and for today, is the manner of  observing of  this day by Christians.
                              (b) THIS MATTER IS FOR CHRISTIANS ONLY AND SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE
                                   PRESCRIBED BY LAW. (This does not mean we should fight to get rid of  so-called "blue laws.)
                              (c) Some regard the Lord's day above any other day, as a specially sacred day.
                              (d) Others regard each day alike; no day is holy in itself.
                              (e) The Lord's day is a privilege, not a duty.
                              (f) We are not under Law.
                                   ((I)) Romans 6:14f.
                                   ((II)) 2 Corinthians 3
                    (C) NOTE:  We are so prone to judge those who do not come out to evening services or prayer meetings
                         (granting that many could who don't); rather we should be praying for them.
               (II) FULL persuasion in each one's own mind
                    (A) This speaks of  full liberty.
                    (B) This requires a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led life--cf. Galatians 5:18
                    (C) The importance of   Romans 12:2 becomes clear here.
                    (D) Alford, 452; italics and caps are his.--"The Apostle decides nothing; leaving every man's own mind to
                         guide him in the point.  He classes the observance or non-observance of  particular days, with the eating or
                         abstaining from particular meats.  In both cases, he is concerned with things which he evidently treats as of
                         absolute indifference in themselves.  Now the question is, supposing the divine obligation of  one day in
                         seven to have been recognized by him in any form, could he have thus spoken?  The obvious inference
                         from his strain of  arguing is. that he knew of  no such obligation, but believed all times and days to be,
                         to the Christian strong in faith, ALIKE.  I do not see how the passage can be otherwise understood.  If  
                         any one day in the week were invested with the sacred character of  the Sabbath, it would have been
                         wholly impossible for the Apostle to commend or uphold the man who judged all days worthy of  equal
                         honour,--who as in ver. 6 paid no regard to the (any) day.  He must have visited him with his strongest
                        disapprobation, as violating a command of  God.  I therefore, infer, that sabbatical obligation to keep
                        any day, whether seventh or first, was not recognized in apostolic times."
                   (E) Any rules set up by a branch of  the Church, such as a given local assembly, should be observed, but one
                        must not think that such rules are necessarily of  God.
                   (F) The important things
                        (1) To be fully convinced in your own heart and mind concerning your observance or non-observance of
                             the day
                        (2) Not to judge another true believer in regards to his observance or non-observance
     2. Conscience--14:6-23
          a. Legality versus liberty--v. 6
               (I) Each is evidence.
                    (A) Legality, of  weakness
                    (B) Liberty, of  strength
               (II) Each requires thanksgiving
                    (A) Those who regard a day or food do so with thanks.
                    (B) Those who regard not a day or a food do so with thanks.
                    (C) "Let those of  legal tendencies mark this, that a man may regard not what we regard, and do so 'unto
                         the Lord.'"-Newell, 507; italics are his.
                    (D) Scriptures
                         (1) Ephesians 5:20
                         (2) Philippians 4:6
                         (3) Colossians 3:15-17
                         (4) 1 Thessalonians 5:18
                         (5) 1 Timothy 4:4
                    (E) Let this be your criterion in judging things for yourselves--Can I do it and still give thanks to the Lord.
          b. Live unto the Lord--vv. 7-9
               (I) Not lords over each other or each other's faith
                    (A) We belong to Christ alone and are responsible to Him.
                    (B) Elders are warned about this--1 Peter 5:3.
               (II) Whether living or dying we are the Lord's.
                    (A) The inference is that if  these two are involved than so is eating, drinking, and days.
                    (B) Based on the death and resurrection of  Jesus Christ, i. e., the rulership of  Christ
               (III) Live in the light of  your liberty.
                    (A) NOTE:  Liberty is not license.
                    (B) The person who.is really living unto the Lord will have no problem deciding the limits of  his liberty in
                         Christ.
          c. Judgment forbidden--vv. 10-12
               (I) In view of  the fact we are not judges--v.10a
                    (A) Presumptuous to think we could judge
                    (B) What is the basis for judgment?
               (II) In view of  the Judgment Seat of  Christ--vv. 10b-12
                    (A) Some say that the better rendering is "Judgment seat of  God."
                         (1) However , keep in mind
                              (a) Jesus Christ is God the Son.
                              (b) All judgment belongs to the Son.
                                   ((I)) John 5:22
                                   ((II)) Romans 2:16
                                   ((III)) 1 Corinthians 4:5
                         (2) This rendering is better in accord with the quotation as well as verse 12.
                    (B) The Judgment Seat of  Christ
                         (1) Not the white throne judgment of  Revelation 20
                         (2) This judgment has to do with rewards, not salvation.
                         (3) Since Christ will judge each one, the accountability of  each believer is to Christ alone, as God.
                         (4) Scriptures
                              (a) 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
                              (b) 2 Corinthians 5:10
                    (C) The passage quoted--Is. 45:23
                    (D) NOTE:  "EVERY ONE OF  US--i. e., believers--SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT OF  HIMSELF TO
                         GOD."
          d. Charitable living-.vv .13-20
               (I) STOP JUDGING OTHER BELIEVERS--vv. 13.
                    (A) Be determined not to judge another brother.
                    (B) This is to be your judgment.
                         (1) You will not be a stumbling block--"something in us that grieves a weaker brother."--Newell, 510
                         (2) You will not be an occasion of  falling--"signifies that which we may freely do, but which another,
                              undertaking, may in doing act against his own conscience, and therefore sin."--Ibid.
               (II) The mature in faith--vv. 14-16
                    (A) Such know nothing is unclean of  itself.--v.14
                         (1) The order is first knowledge and then persuasion of  conscience.
                         (2) Both knowledge and persuasion of  conscience are needed to walk in Christian liberty.
                         (3) Cf. Philippians 1:21
                    (B) Duty to the weak--v. 15
                         (1) Do not cause him to grieve.
                              (a) When one "sees another do that which his own conscience condemns, it causes him pain."--Newell,                                    511, footnote
                              (b) Grief of  this kind can lead to stumbling, and stumbling to falling.
                         (2) Do not cause him to fall.
                              (a) The word here is destroy.
                              (b) When a weak brother is led further on from being grieved "to do himself what his conscience
                                   condemns, he is in danger of  a worse fate; he is morally ruined and undone (destroyed)."--Ibid.;
                                   italics are his.
                              (c) This is not to imply the loss of  salvation, for the believer is sealed unto the day of  redemption, but
                                   by such is meant a wound from which one rarely recovers.
                              (d) Recovery is not impossible, but it may take years to overcome what happened.
                    (C) Let not your good be evil spoken of--v.16
                         (1) Literally, "Let not your good be blasphemed."
                         (2) In view here is the liberty of  the strong in faith.
                         (3) Christian liberty is good, but Christian love is better.
               (III) The nature of  God's kingdom--v. 17
                    (A) The great reason for the careful walk of  the mature believer
                    (B) The negative aspect
                         (1) Not eating or drinking
                         (2) Not founded on the tradition of  men
                              (a) Whether Popish with its no meat Fridays
                              (b) Whether extreme Fundamentalist with his don't do this or don't go there, etc.
                              (c) Or any other man or woman ( such as Mrs. White of  Seventh Day Adventism)
                             (d) This is not to negate rules of  any local church which has the right to establish its own criteria,
                                  particularly for those who are in positions of  authority.
                    (C) The positive aspect
                         (1) Righteousness
                              (a) Refers to our walk in the Spirit
                              (b) Cf. Galatians 5:16
                         (2) Peace
                              (a) Christ is our peace.
                              (b) Not abstaining from certain things
                         (3) Joy
                              (a) In the Holy Spirit
                              (b) Newell, 513; italics are his.--"We cannot too strongly emphasize this fact--that 'the kingdom of
                                   God, now. is altogether in the Spirit!  This leaves forms and ceremonies, days and seasons, unclean
                                   meats and clean meats absolutely out!  Such things are not Christian."
                              (c) When a person is truely walking in the Spirit, he need not have a set of  rules of  "dos" and "don'ts"
                                   to follow, for the Holy Spirit will be his rule and his behavior will be adjusted accordingly.
                         (4) Notice the results of  this kind of  walk--v. 18
                              (a) "Serving Christ" shows a practical walk is in view.
                              (b) "Acceptable to God"
                                   ((I)) Literally:  well-pleasing to God
                                   ((II)) Cf. John 12:26
                              (c) Approved of  men
                                   ((I)) Acceptable to men in the sense that it "stands the test for men."--Robertson, 415
                                   ((II)) Newell, 513--"Men will not always admit it, but they approve a believer who walks
                                        righteously . . . ."
               (IV) The exhortation--v. 19
                    (A) The verb means "to follow hard after," i. e., pursue.
                    (B) Twofold
                         (1) Follow after things which make for peace.
                              (a) Literally:  the things of  peace
                              (b) "the negative side--refusing to engage in selfish conflict"-- Newell, 514
                         (2) Follow after things which one may edify another.
                              (a) Literally:  the things of  edification for one another
                              (b) "the positive side. You must study the state and need of  others. and build up their need."--Ibid.
                              (c) Cf. Ephesians 4:29 (margin)
               (V) The purity of  all things--v. 20
                    (A) Do not overthrow for food's sake the work of  God.
                         (1) Verb:  do not loosen down
                         (2) Work of  God here is probably "the operations of  the Spirit of  God within the soul."--Ibid.
                    (B) All things are pure.
                         (1) All things clean
                         (2) Cf. Peter's dream--Acts 10: 9ff.
                    (C) The evil of  offending the weak brother
                         (1) This is addressed to the strong in faith rather than the weak.
                         (2) The sense is that "the 'strong' brother" is "not to cause a stumbling-block by the way he eats and
                              exercises his freedom."--Robertson, 415
                         (3) The phrase here could possibly refer to the weak brother in which case the idea would be "to him that
                              eats with a bad conscience, everything is evil."--Newell, 514
          e. Self-sacrifice--vv. 21-23
               (I) Abstinence--v. 21
                    (A) We who are mature in faith should avoid doing certain things because of  the weak brother.
                    (B) Notice the apostle goes beyond the mere eating and drinking to anything.
                    (C) Exhortation is threefold.
                         (1) Don't cause the weak to stumble "the use of  thy liberty, or in any conduct of  thine," to the point of  a
                              "fatal fall"--Newell, 515.
                         (2) Don't be a snare--"Do not even obstruct his Christian course by doing what might act as a snare to
                              your brother, inducing him to act beyond his conscience."--Ibid.
                         (3) Don’t make your weak brother weaker--"Do not use your liberty, if  your weaker brother, although he
                              sees you are right, is not yet strong enough to follow you: and would therefore become disappointed
                              and discouraged if  he see you do so."--Ibid.
                    (D) In other words, the strong in faith should conform to his weakness and accommodate the strong's walk to
                         his.
                    (E) Scriptures
                         (1) 1 Corinthians 8:13
                         (2) 1 Corinthians 10:23, 24
               (II) Responsibility--v. 22
                    (A) To God
                         (1) Faith
                         (2) Cf. 1 Corinthians 10:31
                    (B) To oneself
                         (1) No qualms of  conscience
                         (2) Happy is the man that realizes the liberty he has, even if  he does not exercise that liberty.
                         (3) "Allows"--put to the test
                    (C) To others
                         (1) Do not insist on your liberty.
                         (2) "It is much more blessed to have a liberty before God which we do not use on account our brother's
                              weakness, than to insist on our liberty, though it be distinctly given." (Sanday quoted by Newell, 515)
               (III) Sin defined--v. 23
                    (A) Doubt leads to condemnation
                         (1) Not condemned of  God, but the "state of  conscious condemnation into which one falls who goes
                              beyond his faith in the exercise of  his liberty."--Newell, 516
                         (2) Such a person is double-minded--James 1:6f.
                    (B) The definition
                         (1) Whatever is not of  faith
                         (2) Does not involve blind faith, but rather if  you doubt something to be proper, then it is not of  faith
                              and, therefore, it is sin if  you do it.
                         (3) Newell, 516--"The apostle's definition of  sin here . . . is most searching.  It will drive us to our knees.
                              It reaches everything in our lives concerning which our conscience is not at rest, in which we do not
                              have faith to proceed, in which we cannot walk with God."
                         (4) This definition can even be applied to proceeding in the Lord's work.
                    (C) Consider again
                         (1) 1 Corinthians 10:31
                         (2) Colossians 3:17
     3. Consideration--15:1-3
          a. To the weak--v. 1
               (I) .An exhortation to the strong in faith
               (II) Bear the infirmities of  the weak.
                    (A) Verb:  "are in debt to bear"
                    (B) Infirmities
                         (1) "The weaknesses"
                         (2) Refers to their scruples
                    (C) The weak is literally "the not strong."
                    (D) Notice: we are to bear the infirmities , not bear with the infirmities. (SO LIKE THE LORD)
                    (E) Cf. Galatians 6:2
               (III) Not to please ourselves
                    (A) The result of  pursuing love and the things which make for peace--cf. 14:19
                    (B) Paul is a good example--1 Corinthians 10:33.
          b. To the weak for his good--v. 2
               (I) This is not exhorting to be men-pleasers, but to please them for their good.
               (II) Again it is edification that is in view--cf. 14:19.
               (III) Newell, 519--"A studied care for others; laying aside our own preferences, and pleasing them in every
                    way that will in the end benefit them spiritually."
               (IV) The word "neighbor" here seems out of  place in view of  the fact that the Apostle is talking about the
                    weaker brother.  However, he may have used this term in order to make the reference broader than just our
                    weaker Christian brother.
               (V) Consider 1 Corinthians 10:32-11:1
          c. In the light of  Christ's example--v. 3
               (I) The chief example of  absence of  self-pleasing
               (II) The Lord did not just bear with our sins, He bore them.
               (III) Quotes Psalm 69:9
                    (A) This is the great "Reproach" Psalm.
                    (B) Consider vv. 7, 9, 10, 19, 20
                    (C) Cf. 1 Peter 2:21

C. Spread of  the Gospel--15:4-33
     1 .The preliminaries to the spread of  the gospel --15:4-14
          a. The purpose of  the Word of  God-vv. 4-7
               (I) For our learning--v. 4
                    (A) All things in God's Word are for our learning.
                         (1) Not all things are for this Church age.
                         (2) All things to lead to hope.
                              (a) Through patience--i. e., waiting for God to work.--cf. Newell, 521
                              (b) Through comfort
                         (3) Cf. 1 Corinthians 10:11
                    (B) The comfort of  the Word
                         (1) Those of  us who have gone through deep waters of  trial know the comfort of  the Word of  God.
                         (2) Scriptures
                              (a) Romans 5:3-5
                              (b) 2 Corinthians 1:3-5; 13:11
                              (c) 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
               (II) To lead us to unity--vv. 5-7
                    (A) General considerations
                         (1) Not by outward organization
                              (a) Professing Christians in today's "get-togethers" which includes theologies of  all stripes
                              (b) Wants to include
                                   ((I)) Rome
                                   ((II)) Well-meaning Jews
                                   ((III)) Liberals
                                   ((IV)) Charismatics
                              (c) This does not necessarily exclude getting together for some civic or political moral need such as the
                                   fight against abortion (although caution is needed even in these situations).
                              (d) Does not exclude being active in a political party to try to influence that party along righteous lines
                                   or to get people in office who will do the righteous thing.
                         (2) By inward organism
                              (a) By the Holy Spirit
                              (b) Christ-centered
                              (c) Bible-centered
                              (d) Gospel-centered, instead of  social-centered
                              (e) Cf. Ephesians 4:3
                         (3) The two errors concerning unity
                              (a) Number 1--Unanimity of  opinion on all doctrine
                              (b) Number 2--External unity
                              (c) Groups having errors
                                   ((I)) Rome--both, but unity of  doctrine is more apparent than real
                                   ((II)) National Council of  Churches--#2, but even here their unity is very shaky, largely because
                                        there is no unanimity on truth
                                   ((III)) American Council of  Christian Churches--#1 to some extent.
                                   ((IV)) National Association of  Evangelicals--mostly #2, but do have some unanimity on doctrine
                                        (although it has become less and less over the years)
                    (B) God's Will--vv. 5, 6
                         (1) God is patient.
                         (2) God is the source of  comfort.
                         (3) The like-mindedness is dependent on God-given patient and comfort, not upon wisdom and
                              knowledge (important as they are).
                         (4) Newell, 523--"When the Spirit of  God is freely operating among a company of  believers, the eyes of
                              all of  them, first, are toward Christ Jesus.  They are thinking of  Him, of  His love, of  His service, and
                              of  what will please Him.  They are conscious of  their blessed place in Him. Then follow, naturally,
                              patient dealing with one another, comforting one another.  Some of  the company may know much
                              more truth than others; many may hold varying judgments or opinions concerning particular matters.
                              But this does not at all touch their unity--their conscious unity, in Christ; and it does not in the slightest
                              degree hinder their being of  one mind, and working together with one accord, . . . ."
                    (C) The exhortation--v. 7
                         (1) He still has in his mind the strong and weak brother.
                         (2) He may also have in mind Jewish and gentile believers.
                         (3) "Wherefore"--In the light of  God's desire for unity
                         (4) Receive one another--not just the formal acceptance into the fellowship, but the far deeper acceptance
                              to the exercising of  careful love to each other
                         (5) To be done "with a view to the glory of  God!"--Newell, 523; italics are his.
          b. The ministry of  Christ--vv. 8, 9
              (I) Christ's earthly ministry primarily to the Jew--v. 8
                   (A) For the truth of  God--to show forth the truthfulness of  God and His faithfulness
                   (B) To confirm the Abrahamic promises
                   (C) Scriptures
                        (1) Micah 7:19, 20
                        (2) Genesis 28:13
              (II) Mercy extended to Gentiles--v. 9
                   (A) Newell, 525; bold type is his.--"God had made no promises, no commitments, to the Gentiles.
                        Consequently, upon Israel's rejection of  their Messiah, mercy, sovereign mercy, flows out to us Gentiles
                        . . . .”
                   (B) Quotation
                        (1) 2 Samuel 22:50
                        (2) Psalm 14:49
                   (C) NOTE:  This is not to imply that nothing Christ taught is for us.  Let us be aware of  Bullingerism
                        (ultra-dispensationalism) which would throw out everything except the Pauline Prison epistles as Jewish.
                   (D) Cf. Ephesians 2:11-13
          c. Rejoicing in the Gospel--vv. 10-12
               (I) The quotations
                    (A) Psalm 18:49 (from v. 9)
                    (B) Deuteronomy 32:43
                    (C) Psalm 117:1
                    (D) Isaiah 11:10
               (II) The source of  the quotations
                    (A) Cf. Luke 24:44
                    (B) the sources
                         (1) The Law
                         (2) The Prophets
                         (3) The Writings (the Psalms)
               (III) The progression of  the quotations
                    (A) Christ Himself' gives praise to God
                         (1) Verse 9
                         (2) See
                              (a) Psalm 18:49
                              (b) Psalm 22:22
                    (B) The Gentiles to rejoice with His people, Israel
                         (1) Verse 10
                         (2) Deuteronomy 32:43
                         (3) Possibly fulfilled in the early church--Acts 2-15
                    (C) Gentiles to Praise God
                         (1) Verse 11
                         (2) Psalm 117:1
                         (3) Here the Gentiles are praising God without reference to Israel.
                         (4) This is the universal praise of  God for sending His Son as seen in all true churches throughout the
                              world.
                    (D) The millennial aspect
                         (1) Verse 12
                         (2) Isaiah 21:10
                         (3) Here is set forth the Root of  Jesse, the Lord Jesus Christ, as reigning over the Gentiles.
                         (4) This is, in no sense, being fulfilled now, for the church is not gentile, but a separate entity--cf. 1
                              Corinthians 10:32.
          d. The Fulness of  the Spirit-led Life--vv.13, 14
               (I) The source
                    (A) The God of  Hope
                         (1) What a precious Name!
                         (2) Hope always looks ahead.
                         (3) Other passages
                              (a) Romans 5:2
                              (b) Romans 12:12
                              (c) Ephesians 2:7
                    (B) The God of  Peace
                         (1) The world and individuals long for peace, yet will not come to "The God of  Peace."
                         (2) Scriptures
                              (a) Romans 15:33
                              (b) Romans 16:20
                              (c) Philippians 4:9
                              (d) 1 Thessalonians 5:23
                              (e) 2 Thessalonians 3:16
                              (f) Hebrews 13:20
                    (C) The power of  the Holy Spirit
                         (1) Not something we stir up within ourselves or something we get by fatalistic resignation
                         (2) From "the direct, inworking energy of  the Holy Ghost."-- Newell, 530
               (II) The results
                    (A) Joy--even in times of  sorrow
                    (B) Peace--even when the world seems at loose ends
                    (C) Hope--which is unchangeable and not dependent on circumstances
                    (D) Goodness--for God alone is the giver--James 1:17
                    (E) Knowledge--God wants us to know and He alone is able to tell us through His Word
               (III) The means
                    (A) By believing
                    (B) More than the initial faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour
                    (C) Here the believing is the life of  faith, the life of  trust
                    (D) Scriptures
                         (1) John 6:28, 29
                         (2) Romans 1:5
                         (3) Romans 3:27
                         (4) Romans 16:26
                         (5) Galatians 2:20
                         (6) Ephesians 3:14-21
                         (7) Hebrews 11
     2. The procedure of  the spread of  the Gospel--15:15-33
          a. Ministers of  the Gospel--vv. 15-18
               (I) Paul, a special minister to the Gentiles--vv. 15, 16
                    (A) Peculiarly the Apostle to the Gentiles
                    (B) Paul was concerned for the Church.
                         (1) 2 Corinthians 11:28, 29
                         (2) 2 Corinthians 12:15
                         (3) Colossians 2:1
               (II) Can boast in God
                    (A) Verse 15
                    (B) No other source of  boasting
                    (C) Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:31
                    (D) Paul had a right to so boast of  his ministry.
               (III) Official administrators of  the Gospel of  God
                    (A) Paul was peculiarly so.
                    (B) All true ministers today are in that capacity.
                    (C) People have a tendency to despise evangelistic meetings, but it is still the great means of  winning people
                         to Christ.
               (IV) To teach--vv. 17, 18
                    (A) Twofold
                         (1) Only what God has given them
                         (2) By deed as well as word
                    (B) Teaching can be cause for the teacher to glory in Christ Jesus.
               (V) Key verses--15:18-20
          b. Spread of  the Gospel to be thorough--vv. 19-21
               (I) By the power of  the Holy Spirit
               (II) Gospel to be fully preached
               (III) Calls for zeal
               (IV) To be to those who have not heard
          c. Spread of  the Gospel to be world-wide--vv . 22-33
               (I) Seen in Paul's desire to go to Rome and then on to Spain-vv .22-24
               (II) Seen in his anticipated journey to Jerusalem--vv. 25-29
                    (A) Paul sets forth here his purpose of  going to Jerusalem--to take the love-gift of  the Macedonian and
                         Greek saints to those believers in Palestine.
                    (B) This gift to these saints sealed to those saints the reality of  the gentile confession of  Christ.
                    (C) Cf. 2 Corinthians 9:13--Newell, 545:  "Confession of  Christ that does not result in ministering to others,
                         is not an obedient confession."
                    (D) Verse 29 should silence those who say that Paul was out of  God's will in going to Jerusalem. (NOTE:
                         Difficulty in a situation is not evidence of  being out of God’s will, but rather may be evidence of  Satanic
                         opposition.)
               (III) The need of  prayer for missionaries-vv .30-33
                    (A) Paul's solemn appeal for the supplication of  believers
                         (1) The problems he faced
                              (a) The hatred of  the Jews towards Paul for his turning to Christ and preaching Him.
                              (b) The possible refusal of  the gift on the part of  Jewish believers due to prejudice and pride
                              (c) Roman governors willingness to curry favor with Jews might yield to their demands in religious
                                   matters
                         (2) Paul asks them to strive in prayer--literally, agonize in prayer.
                         (3) Pray together with him
                    (B) His requests are typically missionary.
                         (1) Deliverance from the disobedient
                         (2) Administration be acceptable
                              (a) In his case of  the gift to the Jerusalem saints
                              (b) Of  missionaries today that the gift of  grace, the gospel of  salvation, might be accepted
                         (3) Return to these believers in joy through the will of  God to be refreshed in fellowship
                    (C) Prayer and peace
                         (1) The emphasis here is prayer.
                         (2) But connected with it is the peace of  God.
                         (3) Cf. Philippians 4:6, 7, 9
                         (4) See also 1 Thessalonians 5:23
               (IV)  "The beautiful benediction of  verse 33 [a fitting end to this section], The God of  peace be with you all,
                    shows how fully at peace was the Apostle's heart, and how fully in God's will!  Also, his overflowing love for
                    the saints.  For the 'God of  peace' to be with us, is more than salvation:  it is to be conscious of  him--in
                    peace!  Amen!"--Newell, 547; bold type and italics are his.