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Dr. Doug Brown concludes his series on Christian liberty by examining Romans 15:1-13, which contains two parallel paragraphs following a pattern: exhortation, Christological statement/example, Old Testament citation, and prayer wish. This passage addresses both church unity and God's redemptive plan for Jews and Gentiles.

Scripture Text

Romans 15:1-13

Main Points or Ideas

First Paragraph: The Strong Must Serve (15:1-6)

Exhortation (verses 1-2)

• Paul identifies himself with the strong party (first person plural)
• Don't exercise liberty selfishly or flex your rights—instead, build up the body of Christ
• Think of others more highly than yourself
• Promote the kingdom virtues: righteousness, peace, and joy (from 14:17-18)

Christological Statement (verse 3)

• Christ's entire mission was to serve, not to be served
• In His passion, Christ was reproached, railed upon, spoken poorly of, and lied about
• Don't respond in kind when the weak rail against you—act like Christ who didn't respond in kind

Old Testament Citation (verse 4)

• The Old Testament produces both instruction and hope for believers

Prayer Wish (verses 5-6)

• Paul prays for unity—a oneness of mind and attitude that reflects Christ

Second Paragraph: Welcome One Another (15:7-13)

Exhortation (verse 7)

• If a person is justified by God, we must accept them—who are we to reject whom God has received?
• Welcome (lambano) means more than tolerance—it means welcoming into your home with no reservations
• On a personal level, have fellowship with every believer who is justified in Christ

Christological Statement (verses 8-9)

• ”Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy”

Old Testament Citations (verses 9-12)

Four passages proving it was God's plan all along to save both Israel and Gentiles:

1. ”Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles” (Psalm 18:49)—Israel praises God among the Gentiles, who then join the chorus
2. ”Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people” (Deuteronomy 32:43)—Gentiles praise God alongside Israel
3. ”Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles” (Psalm 117:1)—the shortest psalm, clearly calling Gentiles to worship
4. ”The root of Jesse will come…to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope” (Isaiah 11:10)—Christ will rule over all peoples who willingly offer praise

What unifies a church? Glorifying God and praising God together through the gospel, which is the great uniter.

Prayer Wish (verse 13)

• Echoes the kingdom virtues from 14:17-18: righteousness, joy, and peace
• These virtues produced by the Holy Spirit generate hope for both Jew and Gentile

Five Controversial Issues in Our Churches (Gray Areas)

1. Alcohol — Many churches have dropped it from church covenants; creates division between social drinkers and teetotalers
2. Bible versions — A big issue in Baptist fundamentalism and independent Baptist circles
3. School choice — Homeschool vs. Christian school vs. public school; can be very divisive
4. Modesty — Everyone agrees on biblical modesty, but disagreement on degree and application
5. Worship styles — Must be careful not to judge others' motives or assume they're not worshiping God with thanksgiving

Conclusion

The strong are essentially right theologically but were not implementing truth in a loving way. Paul asks them to recapitulate the servant-heartedness of Christ—to be theologically accurate while practicing truth in love. Both sides contributed to the problem, but the strong must take the lead in accommodating the weak.