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Romans 14:5-6 “Why Don’t Christians Follow the Sabbath? “
Kurt Steinbrueck
0

Romans 14:5-6 “Why Don’t Christians Follow the Sabbath? “

Romans Bible Study

Romans 14:5-6 "Why Don’t Christians Follow the Sabbath? "

One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

Video Notes: 

  • Holy Days
    • Sabbath – Mark 2:23-28, Hebrews 4:1-11 – Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath and the fulfillment of the Sabbath. He is rest…our Sabbath.
    • Passover – 1 Corinthians 5:7 – Jesus is our Passover lamb.
    • Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) – 1 John 2:2 – Jesus atoned for our sins
    • Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets) – Call to repentance. This call is continual in Christ.
    • Sukkot (Feast of Booths) – John 7:37-39 – Harvest festival. God’s provision of food (harvest or manna) and water (rain or from a rock). Jesus is our provider and our living water.
  • The Holy Days of Israel served three main purposes.
    • They point back. The Sabbath pointed back to the 7th day rest of creation. The Passover pointed back God’s saving work in the exodus. Sukkot pointed back to when Israel lived in tents in the wilderness.
    • The focus in the present. The Sabbath focuses on God’s rest and worship. The Passover reminded Israel they were God’s chosen people. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, focused the people on God’s forgiveness and grace.
    • The point forward to Jesus who fulfilled the purpose and meaning of these Holy Days.
  • Would it be wrong to worship on Saturday and follow the rules of the Sabbath? No. In fact, this is what many Messianic Jews, Jews who believe in Jesus, do. 
    • That is why Galatians has such a different tone than Romans on this topic. In Romans, all members of the church still believed they were saved by grace through faith in Jesus. In Galatians, people had come in teaching that the Christians had to follow the Jewish laws in addition to believing in Jesus for their salvation.
  • So, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Sabbath and our Sabbath rest. All foods are now clean. And Jesus was the fulfillment of the Passover. So, Christians are free to worship on Sundays…or Mondays, or Tuesdays, etc.
  • Why do Christians worship on Sundays? Easter. Every Sunday is an Easter celebration.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 14:1-12 “The Worship Wars”
Kurt Steinbrueck
0

Romans 14:1-12 “The Worship Wars”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 14:1-12 "The Worship Wars"

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
    and every tongue shall confess to God.”

12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Video Notes: 

  • Our passage for today and throughout this week is Romans 14:1-15:7 which addresses things of Christian freedom in the church and how we are to deal with them when we disagree about what to do with our freedom. Specifically, in Romans 14 and 15 it addresses the day of worship, special holy days, and food (clean or unclean), but the concepts discussed apply to any matter of Christian freedom within the church where God has neither commanded nor forbidden something. So, I thought it would be helpful to address a topic related to this, the “worship wars”.
  • This generally refers to the battle between traditional and contemporary worship. Within the Lutheran church, this largely focuses on music, but also includes elements of the liturgy. 
  • Formula of Concord Ep X 7 – We believe, teach, and confess that no church should condemn another because it has fewer or more external ceremonies not commanded by God, as long as there is mutual agreement in doctrine and in all its articles as well as in right use of the holy sacraments, according to the familiar axiom, “Disagreement in fasting does not destroy agreement in the faith.”
  • Our unity is in our doctrine and administration of the holy sacraments, baptism and communion. Beyond that, the elements of the worship service are to some extent what is referred to as adiaphora.
    • Adiaphora refers to things not commanded or forbidden by God and thus things that are in the realm of Christian freedom.
      • Think of things like how often you pray the Lord’s Prayer, whether you read the ESV, NET, NIV, or King James Bible, etc. 
      • On the one hand, we should rightly condemn forcing matters of adiaphora as though they were commanded by God. We should not burden people’s conscience where God gives freedom.
      • On the other hand, adiaphora doesn’t mean we just turn off our minds. We are to think carefully about these things, seek God’s wisdom, and think beyond ourselves. Part of that careful thought is how our doctrine speaks to our worship practices and other matters of adiaphora/Christian freedom as well as the context in which we minister, both the context of our larger church body and the context of our local church and culture in an around it.
  • I’m going to try to talk about this in general in a way that would apply to all Christians bodies, but will use the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod as the example because that is my context and I’m most familiar with it.
  • I’m also going to focus on how we can have the conversation in a Godly and helpful way, maintaining Biblical unity as we discuss matters of Christian freedom as well as conversation determining whether things are adiaphora.
  • Since much of the focus of the “worship wars” was music, let’s start there.
  • We tend to use terms like contemporary and traditional, but does that mean the only issue is the how recently a song was written or where it was written?
  • So, what questions can we ask?
    • Are the songs or styles of songs we sing commanded in the Bible? If not, then this is adiaphora/Christian freedom which means we need to think and pray carefully about the songs we sing.
    • We know the New Testament churches sung psalms and spiritual songs, but we don’t know what the spiritual songs were.
      • As you think through these things, it’s important to note the difference between descriptions and commands in the Bible.
    • How does our doctrine guide us in the songs we sing? What are we singing in the lyrics? Does it agree with our doctrine? Does it teach our doctrine? Does our doctrine speak to a style of music?
    • It’s also good to consider how singable the song is and whether it lends itself to corporate singing.
    • With each aspect of the worship wars we consider, we also need to keep in mind what Romans 14-15 tells us. We need to consider how our choices affect our brothers and sisters in Christ and, at least for a time, those comfortable in their Christian freedom (the strong) may need to sacrifice for the sake of the those who aren’t (the weak).
    • So, when choosing the songs we use in worship, we want to consider the lyrics and our doctrine, whether the song is singably good for corporate worship, our cultural context, and how the use or lack of use of certain kinds songs effects our brothers and sisters in Christ.
  • Are the instruments we use to play songs or hymns commanded by God?
    • What instruments have been used in the past?
    • What about the cultural context of the local church? I think of churches in Africa which may have some different song styles and instruments. It may seem more obvious there, but a poor rural area in the South isn’t the same cultural context as a wealthy suburb of the North East which or the inner city in Chicago or church in San Francisco. What about the contexts of different generations?
    • When considering the instruments (or lack thereof) we use in worship, we should consider the practicality of its use, whether it is conducive for a worship setting, our cultural context, and how the use of the instruments will affect our brothers and sisters in Christ.
  • What about liturgy, the order of service?
    • Even non-liturgical churches have some form of liturgy.
    • Are the parts of the worship service commanded? Are there parts of the service described in the Bible (keeping in mind the difference between commands and descriptions)?
    • How does our doctrine inform our worship? For example, in the LCMS, we hold a high view of confession and absolution/forgiveness, so we have that as part of our worship service.
    • What liturgy are other churches in your denomination using and how important is it to use the same liturgy in every church? 
      • Is there already diversity in the liturgy?
      • Do all elements of the liturgy need to be included?
      • Does the context of the local church matter? How might local culture affect what would be good for the liturgy or should it?
    • When considering the liturgy of our service we should look at what the Bible describes in worship, let our doctrinal beliefs guide us, consider our context, and consider the affect of including or excluding something from the liturgy on our brothers and sisters in Christ.
  • Regardless of where each one of us stands on the use of liturgy, hymns, songs, and instruments, we should start with the assumption that the people who disagree with us are not the enemy, they are brothers and sisters in Christ who want what is best for the church. With that attitude, we can then have loving conversations that seek to reach agreement. Where the Bible speaks plainly, we should be in agreement submitting to God’s Word. Where God has not commanded or forbidden, we should allow for Christian freedom with prayerful, thoughtful, wisdom. Where we can’t find agreement, let’s learn to disagree agreeably with love and respect and realize that, if this is truly a matter of Christian freedom, both practices can be God pleasing, just as in Romans both those who followed the food laws and those who ate freely, those who observed the Sabbath and holy days and those who worshipped on Sundays with different holy days were both done in faith and were both pleasing to God.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 14:1-12 “Do Not Judge?”
Kurt Steinbrueck
0

Romans 14:1-12 “Do Not Judge?”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 14:1-12 "Do Not Judge?"

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
    and every tongue shall confess to God.”

12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Romans 14:15-15:3

For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”

Video Notes: 

  • Not “weak” as in about to fall from the faith, but weak in that they lack understanding or feel unable to move away from, in this case, the Jewish practices, practices they may well have done their whole lives.
  • Welcome him, doesn’t quite encompass the idea here. It’s to fully integrate them into the worship life of the church.
  • The issues at hand are the O.T. Jewish laws and customs, like clean foods and holy days. Thus, the “weaker” Christians are likely Jewish or Greek proselytes who are having difficulty letting these go.
    • This is similar to, but not the same as the issue in 1 Corinthians and Galatians.
  • The “strong” were not to despise (hold in contempt) the “weak” and the “weak” were not to judge the “strong” (judge as lawbreakers).
  • They were all to receive the other unto themselves because God had received them unto Himself. IT’S GOD’s CHURCH!!
    • In fact, God didn’t just receive them unto Himself, He do so at great cost in Jesus Christ’s suffering and death. How much more should we be willing to suffer in order to receive our brothers and sisters in Christ.
    • Romans uses the language of servants. The person is God’s servant, not yours. That person’s standing, therefore, is God’s choice, not yours, and is solely determined by whether God establishes them…which He has.
  • Both practices can be God pleasing, just as in Romans both those who followed the food laws and those who ate freely, those who observed the Sabbath and holy days and those who worshipped on Sundays with different holy days were both done in faith and were both pleasing to God.
  • We belong to Jesus whether we live or die. We also belong to each other in Christ (Romans 12:5) This was accomplished in Jesus death and resurrection which resulted in all authority in heaven and earth being given to Him.
    • The point here, however, is more than the universal lordship of Christ. It is the relationships, both our relationship with God and with each other. What is true of me is true of you, even if we disagree on something.
  • So, there is no judging each other.
  • We are then reminded that we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. This is not about “facing the consequences.” It’s reminding us who the judge is. Jesus is the judge…not you or me.
  • Isaiah 45:23
  • All will stand before the judgment seat of God. For those in Christ, their sins having been forgiven, their righteousness coming from Christ, and their works made pleasing to God through the Holy Spirit will hear Jesus say, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34). Those who do not believe, who have rejected God’s salvation in Christ, and still stand in their sins, will hear Jesus say, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). It’s not our place to judge someone’s salvation.
    • Keep in mind also that this is about judging according to our own standards, not God’s. We are to judge actions as good or evil based on God’s Word. That judgment is appropriate and commanded. We are not to judge where God has given freedom.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 13:11-14 “Living in the Light”
Kurt Steinbrueck
0

Romans 13:11-14 “Living in the Light”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 13:11-14 "Living in the Light"

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Video Notes: 

  • The time is now. We live in a significant and decisive time where God’s salvation has come to us in Jesus Christ. The next big event is Jesus’ return.
  • Right now, “The night has advanced toward dawn” This is a beautiful illustration of our current state. It points to that time when the sky is turning from night to day, but the dawn has not yet come. It’s a beautiful “now, but not yet” illustration.
  • So, what do we do? What do you do when you wake up? You take off your pajamas, your night clothes, and you put on your day-time clothes. We live in the light, not the darkness.
    • Darkness and light are an image the Bible uses several times.
      • To love God, obey His commandments, and walk in the newness of life is light.
      • To love the world and live in sin is the darkness. It finishes by saying to make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. So, all sin is included. Also, the sense of making provisions has to do with providing for the opportunity and strengthening.
    • Instead of the works of darkness, we are to put on the armor of light, put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
      • Love.
      • Ephesians 6:11-20.
    • In fact, it says that we are to walk as in the daytime, meaning we are to live as though Christ’s return had already happened.
  • This is not “I have to”, this is “I get to”.
    • The Bible describes Christ’s return and the eternal life to follow as the marriage feast. So, when we are told to “wake up” think of it as a friend waking you up on the morning of your wedding.
    • Galatians 3:27
    • This means our lives can look different than the life of the non-Christian.
    • If you reflected on your life as you heard these things and realized that your life doesn’t look all that different, it’s time to wake up. Life can be so much more. You have been given the newness of life in Christ, walk with Him. The morning has dawned. The sun/Son has risen. Open your eyes. This is the day the Lord has made. You have the promises of God. You have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you. You have love, peace, joy, hope, and eternal life. Let us rejoice and be glad!

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 13:11 “Salvation Is Nearer than You Think”
Kurt Steinbrueck
0

Romans 13:11 “Salvation Is Nearer than You Think”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 13:11 "Salvation is Nearer than You Think"

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

Video Notes: 

  • Besides what? Besides loving others by following the Law out of love.
  • You know the time (Kairos). Not just any time, but a significant time, a point of change, an opportune and decisive time.
  • Wake from sleep.  This isn’t the sleep of unbelief as this passage is being written to Christians, but it’s encouraging Christians to walk in the new life we have been given in Christ.
  • Why? Because the significant time has come and Salvation is nearer than us now than we first believed.
    • The salvation that is nearer than we first believed is the imminent return of Jesus Christ and our full salvation where death is destroyed, sin is no more, and we dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
    • Matthew 25:1-13 We don’t know the day or the hour.
    • So, there’s the encouragement that Christ’s return is near. It’s the next big event in God’s salvation story. This spurs us on to love and holy living. However, it’s not just the future event of Christ’s return.
    • It says we’re in the Kairos, the significant time. It is now. It was ushered in by Jesus’ death and resurrection. God’s salvation is at hand now! We live like this because we are living in that salvation time, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, because we have been given new life, even now.
    • This is a now, but not yet passage. Yes, our the fullness of our salvation is coming at Jesus’ return, it’s the next thing, but even now we live in that salvation.
  • This is the mindset of the Christian. We are living in our salvation which motivates us to live for Jesus. Jesus’ return is soon, too, which adds urgency to our life of faith. We don’t know the day or hour. So, it’s time to wake up. It’s time to start living the new life Jesus has given us.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 13:8-10 “Love Fulfills the Law”
Kurt Steinbrueck
0

Romans 13:8-10 “Love Fulfills the Law”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 13:8-10 "Love Fulfills the Law"

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Video Notes: 

  • This ends the section on what genuine love is.
  • The Law is only truly fulfilled when it’s done out of love for God (in response to what God has done) and in love for others. This is different from obeying the Law under coercion or to get righteousness/eternal life.
  • This is not saying that anyone does fulfill the Law, but that the Law is love. Only one person has fulfilled the Law, Jesus. He is Love.
  • The commands are indicative, not imperative, further indicating these are voluntarily done by the believer out of love and in response to the love God showed us in Jesus Christ.
  • The order is different than we are used to, but the same as in James and many other writings. It may have been a popular order. Also, there are no references to commands on what we do towards God. This makes sense, though, because this whole section of Romans is about how we treat other people.
  • I think it’s worth pointing out that it says, love your neighbor as yourself. This, clearly, doesn’t mean you should love your neighbor and not yourself, both are included.
  • So, love fulfills the Law. The reciprocal may be easier for us to understand. If we follow the Law, we are loving our neighbor. This helps because the concept of what love is can be difficult. Our culture has some very different definitions of love from what the Bible teaches love is. (Romans 12:9-13:10, 1 Corinthians 13).
  • Finally, we need to remember the “therefore” of Romans 12:1 is still in effect. All this talk about what love is and how we ought to do it is not how we get right with God or stay right with God. That’s already done through faith in Jesus.
  • This is what we call the 3rd use of the Law. God’s Law guides the us in how to live out the new life we have in Christ. It’s a blessing for us and our neighbor, but does not contribute to our salvation.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 13:8 “Owe No One Anything?”
Kurt Steinbrueck
0

Romans 13:8 “Owe No One Anything?”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 13:8 "Owe No One Anything?"

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Video Notes: 

  • Romans 13:8 – NIV “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.” 
  • The key phrase that helps us interpret the entire passage is found in verse seven, “Render to all what is due them.” The rest of the passage simply clarifies this concept.
  • This doesn’t mean we can never borrow money, but that we should never have outstanding debts.
  • Exodus 22:25 and Psalm 15:5
  • Matthew 5:42
  • We were just told to give to everyone what they are owed, honor, respect, taxes, and revenue. Now, we are told to pay all other debts on time and that the only thing which remains outstanding is our love for others. We “owe” that to everyone in Christ and there is always more love to give.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 13:1-10 “Politics in the Church”
Kurt Steinbrueck
0

Romans 13:1-10 “Politics in the Church”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 13:1-7 "Politics in the Church"

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Video Notes: 

  • The passage of Romans 13:1-7 addresses the primary purpose of the secular governments and our responsibility as Christians to live subject to these authorities as individuals. Notice that while individuals are addressed, there’s no mention of the church as a whole or as an organization doing something. 
  • The Two Kingdoms (estates, governments, authorities) – Both are the reign of God. (Not left and right politically)
    • Kingdom of the Right
      • Gospel, grace, forgiveness, love, etc.
      • Spiritual
      • Eternal
      • Sacred
    • Kingdom of the Left
      • Law, order, rules, discipline/punishment
      • Physical
      • Temporal
      • Secular
    • The church largely operates in the Kingdom of the Right, though there are some elements of the Kingdom of the left (finances, etc.).
    • The state largely operates in the Kingdom of the Left. The state’s primary concern is peace and the well-being of its citizens.
    • Christians exist in both Kingdoms and seek to honor and serve in both Kingdoms.
  • When it comes to politics in the church, there are two ways in which politics can exist in the church that I want to talk about today. Politics from the church as an organization and politics from individuals within the church.
    • Let’s start with politics from the church as an organization.
      • The church has no mandate or Biblical example of engaging in politics. We also aren’t forbidden from it. So, we must seek wisdom.
        • It ties the church to things of this earth which it can’t control rather than the things of God.
        • The church already has a mission. It isn’t political. It’s to make disciples of all people. To spend our efforts on temporal politics rather than the eternal matters of God’s Word, would be to miss the mission.
        • When the church engages in secular politics, the two Kingdoms are blurred. This almost always ends in the church being associated with Law rather than Gospel. This makes the mission of the church harder.
        • Politics are divisive. The Gospel is for all people. When the church becomes political, it starts to push away those of differing politics once again making the real mission harder.
      • I think the wise thing, generally, is for the organizational church to avoid politics with one very important and clear exception…where the Bible addresses the issue clearly.
        • The reality is that there are many moral/Biblical issues which have also become political issues. The church needs to teach and preach the full council of God’s Word. We cannot stop teaching about a part of the Bible just because it’s become a political issue. The church can and should address these issues, but address them within the context of the real mission of the church, to make disciples of all people, baptizing them and teaching them all that God has commanded.
    • What about politics with the people of the church?
      • Christians are going to have political opinions like any one else. Participating in our political system or serving in a position of the government is something that can be good and beneficial and means by which we serve our neighbor, though isn’t required. What should we do with those political opinions, though? I think there is room for these discussions, but again, we need to seek wisdom. 
        • Remember that you are ultimately a citizen of heaven. The politics of the day will come and go, but heaven is eternal.
        • The Bible ought to inform our opinions on topics addressed in the Bible.
        • Remember you are an ambassador of Christ. More important than winning a debate or changing someone’s mind about a political issue, is that the person know Jesus.
        • Assume the other person loves the country and wants good things.
        • Remember that we are to give honor and respect the people in authority due to their position.
        • Treat the other person/people with love and respect in your words and actions.
        • It’s good to come to an agreement, but that’s not always going to happen. When it doesn’t, disagree agreeably. 

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 13:1-10 “Does the Bible Argue for a Specific Form of Government or Economics?”
Kurt Steinbrueck
0

Romans 13:1-10 “Does the Bible Argue for a Specific Form of Government or Economics?”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 13:1-10 "Does the Bible Argue for a Specific Form of Government or Economics?"

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Video Notes: 

  • The New Testament does not endorse any specific kind of government or economics, however, it does affirm the goodness of governments in general.
  • The Old Testament does tell us about a government, Israel. We can look at that governmental structure to maybe glean some principles, but we need to be careful. Only Israel was Israel. Also, just because God gave certain laws and systems to Israel doesn’t mean different laws or systems are necessarily bad.
    • Israel at times was a Theocracy, at times a Monarchy, and at times a combination. 
    • Neither were perfect. There are times when this goes pretty well (David, the judges) and times when it does not go well (Ahab, Midian’s false prophets). The primary determining factor was whether the king or ruling priests truly loved and followed God, not the form of government.
    • There were other times Israel was in anarchy. This never went well and always led to spiraling sin and violence.
  • God establishes governments for the good of the people. No government is perfect because it’s run by imperfect people, but the lack of government would be much worse. Judges.
    • As such the people in the government should obey God’s commands (as should all people). Where they fail to do so corruption appears.
    • The government’s primary role is to punish evil behavior and praise good behavior.
    • The government should not lead people away from God nor prevent people from worshiping and serving God.
  • Economies are unavoidable. We have to have some way of obtaining what we need to survive.
    • When God established Israel as a nation, He had to address the economy and there were many laws dealing with the economy.
      • Do not steal, etc. – These require an economy where individuals has the ability to own property themselves, even though everything was ultimately seen as God’s.
      • Laws about fairness. – These demonstrate that trade was allowed, but fraud and corruption were not.
      • Taxes – This required people to give to the government.
      • Deuteronomy 15:1-11, 26:12-13, Leviticus 19:9-10 – People were to care for the poor, however, it’s interesting that the onus was put on the people, not the government. 
        • Proverbs 14:31, 17:5, 19:17 – When the government is mentioned or it’s possibly applying to the government, it is condemning the oppression of the poor rather than requiring the care for the poor. The implication is that you should not prevent someone from providing for themselves or prevent individuals from caring for those in need.
      • Proverbs 13:11, 14:23, 16:26, 20:13, 28:19, 20, 22, 25 – While Proverbs doesn’t include economic laws, it does include wisdom related to economics. In particular, it is wise to be diligent and take the initiative to work and you should avoid being lazy and relying on others if you are able to work.
      • The 7-year sabbath and Jubilee – This was intended to prevent permanent loss of family land, too much debt, and prevent tribes from taking over each other.
    • What about the church? Acts 2
      • First, this describes what the church did (initially). It’s not a prescription and doesn’t seem to have lasted long. In fact, later we see people taking advantage of this and Paul saying, “You don’t work, you don’t eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10
      • Second, this is entirely voluntary.
      • Third, this says nothing of the means of production.
      • Trying to connect this to communism or socialism just isn’t accurate. The government isn’t involved. People are choosing to share with others as well as to give out of what they have and what they earn to provide for those in need.
  • So, we end up back where we began.
    • Simply put, the Bible does indicate that God establishes government for our benefit, but it does not endorse any specific form of government. All governments are corrupt because people are corrupt, but the it seems that a government’s level of corruption is connected to the people love and obedience to God. It also is clear that if we serve in the government, we are to serve God and our fellow citizens in love and that, as citizens, we are to submit to the government except where the government’s laws conflict with God’s laws. We’ll talk more about that tomorrow.
    • Additionally, while economies are unavoidable, the Bible does not endorse any specific form of economics. However, the Bible does tell us as Christians that we deal fairly with others, not steal, help the poor (especially orphans and widows), be generous, and work diligently as we are able.
    • God didn’t choose to reveal the best form of government or economics…if such things exist. God chose to tell us how to act within whatever government or economic system we live. He also told us to love one another and speak with gentleness and kindness towards one another, that includes people who disagree with your political and economic ideas. We’ll talk more about that on Monday.
  • Just as importantly, God reminds that us that is not our home. Ultimately, we sojourners in this place and our home, our citizenship is with God for all eternity and it’s our desire to see as many as possible join us in heaven. Let’s keep that perspective 

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Romans 12:21 “Overcome Evil with Good”
Kurt Steinbrueck
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Romans 12:21 “Overcome Evil with Good”

Romans Bible Study

Romans 12:21 "Overcome Evil with Good"

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Video Notes: 

  • First, we must keep in mind the beginning of Romans 12, “therefore”. This passage and all the passages in this chapter and going forward are written to Christians who already stand in the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. These actions and commands do not make us right before God, rather we get to do them because we are already right before God.
  • Evil is all around us. It’s tempting to give into it. When evil is done to us, it’s even more tempting to respond with evil and get revenge or hold a grudge. When we so, it starts to consume us. There is a better way.
  • Overcome evil with good.
    • It starts among the believers. We can love one another with the love of God and see a truly different way of living in the church. We can forgive. We can be humble. We can serve. We can honor each other.
    • Then it spreads out. We can love those outside the church as well, even those who hurt us, trusting that God will ultimately deal with any injustice. This frees us to love and show kindness, to pray for and genuinely hope for people’s reconciliation both with us and with God.
  • This conquering of evil with good is firmly grounded in the victory Jesus Christ has already accomplished. Jesus overcame evil with good. He made his enemies His friends by His loving sacrifice. That good and indeed the Good News of the Gospel continues to overcome evil every time a heart is turned in repentance.
  • God loved us first and so now we can love others, reflecting that same gracious love of God on each other and out into the world around us, bringing peace and reconciliation.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

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