Devotional Notes Romans 15

 

B1 What does this mean?

C1 Helping Our Weaker Christian Brother and Sister

D1 We must always be considerate and aware of others. Everyone is offensive in some way, but this is referring to an attitude of doing or saying something that is not necessary. We must also take a stand of respect for God regardless if that is offensive.

E1 Exodus 1:17 NLT but because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king's orders. They allowed the boys to live, too.

E2 Sometimes being offensive can save a life: Ezekiel 3:18-19 NLT If I warn the wicked, saying, 'You are under the penalty of death,' but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. 19 If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me.

E3 The attitude of the Apostle Paul: 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 NRSV though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8 So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

E4 Even the Lord Jesus did not seek to please himself. This is a quote from Psalm 69:9.

E5 Matthew 11:29 ESV Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

D2 Verse 4 is one reason we read and study the Old Testament. In the Old Testament

E1 We learn about the character traits of God, His decisions, His management of His kingdom, principles of right and wrong, prophecy, what pleases and displeases Him, etc.

E2 We learn from the people lives and choices examples of success and failure.

E3 We have a source of absolute truth.

E4 We have God’s promises to encourage us.

E5 Spiritual growth as in Matthew 4:4 NRSV but he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (This is a quote from Deuteronomy 8:3 NRSV He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD).

D3 From the Bible Illustrator on God’s patience:

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded. —

The God of patience: — When we say God is patient four things are implied.

I. PROVOCATION. Where there is nothing to try the temper there can be no patience. Humanity provokes God. The provocation is great, universal, constant. Measure His patience by the provocation.

II. SENSIBILITY. Where there is no tenderness or susceptibility of feeling, there may be obduracy and stoicism, but no patience. Patience implies feeling. God is infinitely sensitive. "Oh, do not this abominable thing," etc.

III. KNOWLEDGE. Where the provocation is not known, however great, and however sensitive the being against whom it is directed, there can be no patience. God knows all the provocations.

IV. POWER. Where a being has not the power to resent an insult or to punish a provocation though he may feel it and know it, his forbearing is not patience, it is simply weakness. He is bound by the infirmity of his nature to be passive. God is all powerful. He could damn all His enemies in one breath. (D. Thomas, D. D.)

D4 Likeminded, seeking to be agreeable to all. Ephesians 4:3 NIV Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

D5 Our whole being—body, soul, and spirit is to praise and bring glory in our thoughts, desires, words, and deeds. This should be our attitude, motive, and goal.

E1 Hebrews 4:16 ESV Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

E2 Hebrews 13:9 NLT So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God's grace, not from rules about food, which don't help those who follow them.

C2 Praising God Together

D1 Christians do disagree on trivial things, as has been mentioned, so let us put up with these trivial things without fuss. God doesn’t fuss about us in these things either.

D2 Verse 8 shows Christ Jesus’s ministry to those who are circumcised (Jews) for truth confirming the promises to Israel.

D3 Verse 9-12 shows Christ Jesus’s ministry of mercy to Gentiles. He is Messiah of all people, not just Jews. Deuteronomy 32:43 Brenton Rejoice, ye heavens, with him, and let all the angels of God worship him; rejoice ye Gentiles, with his people, and let all the sons of God strengthen themselves in him; for he will avenge the blood of his sons, and he will render vengeance, and recompense justice to his enemies, and will reward them that hate him; and the Lord shall purge the land of his people.

D4 True joy and peace can only come from God. Happiness is not mentioned because being happy depends on the circumstances. Our hope is increased by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, because sometimes we are sooo discouraged that only God can help.

C3 Paul Reminds Them God Choose Him to Be Their Apostle

D1 Continuing from the previous verse, the apostle mentions the work of believers for each other. We do have work to do for God.

D2 Romans 15:14 WEL I, myself, am also persuaded about you, my brothers and sisters, that you are also full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, also able to caution one another.

D3 3 ministries of believers to each other. How are we doing?

E1 Goodness

F1 The Greek word is ἀγαθωσύνη agathōsýnē. It means uprightness of heart and life, goodness, kindness.

F2 It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work and ministry in our lives (Galatians 5:22).

F3 God’s light in us produces wonderful changes in our life which can transfer to a better society. Ephesians 5:8-9 NLT for once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

F4 We need God’s power to do these good things (2 Thessalonians 2:11).

E2 Knowledge

F1 The Greek word is γνῶσις gnōsis. It means knowledge.

F2 Here the knowledge is the doctrines and life rules for the Christian life.

F3 ISBE has this comment:

A large part of the usage necessarily relates to natural knowledge (sometimes with a carnal connotation, as Gen 4:1, 17), but the greatest stress also is laid on the possession of moral and spiritual knowledge (e.g., Psalm 119:66; Proverbs 1:4, 7, 22, 29; 8:10, etc.; Luke 1:77; Rom 15:14; 2Pet 1:5-6,). The highest knowledge, as said, is the knowledge of God and Christ, and of God's will (Hosea 6:6; Romans 11:33; Ephesians 1:17; 4:13; Philippians 1:9; 3:8; Colossians 1:9-10, etc.). The moral conditions of spiritual knowledge are continually insisted on ("If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God," John 7:17). On the. other hand, the pride of intellectual knowledge is condemned; it must be joined with love ("Knowledge puffeth up, 1 Corinthians 8:1).

E3 Caution

F1 The Greek word is νουθετέω nouthetéō. It means to put in mind, i.e. (by implication) to caution or reprove gently.

F2 A few verses of our ministry to each other.

G1 1 Corinthians 4:14 NLT I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children.

G2 Colossians 3:16 NLT Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

G3 1 Thessalonians 5:14 NLT Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

F3 Let us be open to when others come to us and give us warning. Let us listen. We don’t have to bow our knee to them, but we need to listen and not argue, justify ourselves, or make excuses. Let God confirm it to us.

D4 Paul calls himself a priest. It is only in the sense of teaching new converts, especially Gentiles, to give spiritual sacrifices to God.

E1 Sacrifice of our bodies to serve God by living and talking pleasing to God as in Romans 12:1-2.

E2 Sacrifice of praise includes thankfulness and giving God credit for what He has, is, and will do as Hebrews 13:5.

E3 Sacrifice of help includes (as we are able) financial, physical, etc. helps as in Hebrews 13:16.

E4 Sacrifice of martyrdom as in 2 Timothy 4:6.

D5 Verse 17, we always rejoice when God’s work is done, people place their faith and trust into Jesus, and God’s blessings.

D6 Paul is excited that God has used him for many to believe. He gives God the credit.

D7 Verse 22, sometimes God hinders us from something. Paul was hindered from going to Rome for the purpose of preaching the Gospel to those who have never heard.

C4 Paul Plans to Visit Rome

D1 Verses 23-25, Paul has preached in many areas, laid the foundation for the faith, and now on his journeys he has the opportunity for some fellowship with the Roman believers. Compare 1 Corinthians 16 and 2 Corinthians 8-9.

D2 Verses 26-27, part of the reason is financial assistance to the brethren in need. His rationale is that they have helped us spiritually, so we should have them financially.

D3 Verse 28 is Paul’s plan. He will deliver the gifts to the brethren in Israel then come back and stop for a visit in Rome.

D4 Verse 29-30, Paul asks for their prayers so that he will have a safe journey for many Jews wanted Him dead.

D5 Verse 33 teaches that we are to refresh, encourage, bring joy and common hope to each other.

C5 Questions

D1 Define weaker brother or sister.

D2 How can we help them?

D3 What is our motive to help them?

D4 List some reasons for reading and studying the Old Testament.

D5 What are 4 facets of patience?

D6 Name 3 ministries of believers for and to each other. Can the sisters do this for men?

D7 What are some spiritual sacrifices?

B2 How do I apply this to my life? Give me grace O Lord to do these things.

Devotional Notes Psalm 117+John 5

10 Apr 20

MORNING

Psalm 117

B1 What does this mean?

C1 All people are to praise Yahweh.

D1 God is not just God of Israel but all the universe and beyond.

D2 Nations are Gentiles.

E1 The Hebrew word for nations is גּוֹי gôwy. It means people who are not Jews, that is, the heathen.

D3 The people is a parallelism for all humans (nations as in the first part of verse 1).

C2 We are to praise Him in who He is (His attributes) and what He does (creation, laws, decisions).

C3 Verse 2 gives 2 specific reasons—His mercy and His faithfulness (the word has the ideas of truth, faithful, right, and sure).

C4 Adam Clarke comments: And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever - Whatsoever he has promised, that he will most infallibly fulfill. He has promised to send his Son into the world, and thus he has done. He his promised that he should die for transgressors, and this he did. He has promised to receive all who come unto him through Christ Jesus, and this he invariably does. He has promised that his Gospel shall be preached in every nation, and this he is doing; the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever. Therefore, Praise ye the Lord!

C5 The Old Testament Biblical Illustrator has: In God's worship it is not always necessary to be long; few words sometimes say what is sufficient, as this short psalm giveth us to understand.

B2 How do I apply this to my life? I need to do it. I need to make it a priority.

EVENING

John 5

B1 What does this mean?

C1 Jesus Heals the Man at Bethesda Pool

D1 It is not known which feast this is but most accept that it is the Passover.

D2 In John Lightfoot’s commentary, he writes: The other evangelists speak but sparingly of Christ's acts in Judea; this of ours something more copiously. They mention nothing of the Passovers from his baptism to his death, excepting the very last; but St. John points at them all. The first he speaks of chapter 2:13; the third, chapter 6:4; the fourth, chapter 13:1; and the second, in this place. It is true he does not call it by the name of the Passover here, but only a feast in general. However, the words of our Saviour mentioned above, chapter 4:35, do give some kind of light into this matter.

D3 Verse 6 seems like a dumb question.

E1 But I have taken care of patients who did not want to get well, for they used their sickness for sympathy.

E2 Lightfoot considers it an appropriate question being that it is the Sabbath.

E3 Perhaps the sick man may have become discouraged and simply gave up hope.

E4 Jesus may have wanted him to focus his attention on Himself (JFB).

D4 After the man answers, Jesus commands him to get up, pick up his mat, and walk. All of these things are considered work under the interpretations of the Scribes of Jesus’s time.

D5 Verse 10-12, immediately the man is healed and the Jewish teachers criticize Jesus.

D5 Verse 14, the man goes to the Temple probably to pray, thanking God for his healing. Jesus warns the man to not sin any more. Good advice for anyone.

C2 Jewish Leaders Start to Persecute Jesus

D1 Verse 17, Jesus teaches 2 things. One is that God is His father (see verse 18) and that since His Father is working, so will He. The Father may have finished creation in 6 days, but He has never stopped governing creation.

D2 Jesus teaches that as the Father has life and can give life, so Jesus can do also. We have been given life but cannot give life ourselves.

D3 Jesus is THE judge. See Daniel 7:10 and Revelation 20:12. So we must respect and fear this judge. Psalm 2:12 NLT Submit to God's royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities--for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!

D4 Verse 23, if you Jews do not honor me now, you don’t honor the Father either.

D5 Verse 24 emphasizes faith and trust (believing) Jesus for salvation, not human effort as the Jews taught. The dead might be those dead in sins. I think if refers to 2 resurrections (see verse 29), the first for believers and the second for nonbelievers. Daniel 12:2 CSB Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt.

D6 Jesus does not seek His own will, but the Father’s will. So should we.

C3 Jesus Has Witnesses to His Identity

D1 The witnesses are Scripture (prophecies), John the Baptist, God the Father, and what He does (miracles authenticating that He is The Messiah).

D2 Verse 38, Jesus warns the listeners that they are not believers. It is a time of repentance and believing God. Note again, how Jesus deals differently with individuals. He wants all to believe the Gospel.

D3 Verse 40, it is not God who prevents them from believing (which would tend to be a Calvinist idea), rather it is people themselves.

E1 Numbers 14:11 NIV The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?

E2 1 John 5:10 NKJV He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.

E3 Isaiah 53:3 NIV He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

D4 John 5:44 WEL How is it possible for you to believe when you get praise from one another and are not seeking praise from the only God? We learn

E1 If we praise ourselves (compare Luke 18:9-14), we cannot praise and believe God.

E2 If we are seeking praise for ourselves, we cannot believe either, for we think we are good enough for God.

D5 Verse 45, the Jews did not believe Moses, that is, take him at his word. We see this in what the Jews do. They add to God’s law their own commandments. Matthew 15:9 LEB and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

D6 We are to read and study the Scriptures in its plain, normal sense.

B2 How do I apply this to my life? As above.

I hope to have a devotional every day on John’s Gospel starting with the last chapter of Luke’s Gospel. This is the way I do my devotions. You may notice grammatical and spelling errors. It is my hope you will also start or continue in your daily reading and thinking about the Scriptures. I do this Monday through Friday. It is a 3 year plan of reading and thinking on 1 chapter in the Old Testament, which takes 3 years, and reading and thinking on 1 chapter in the New Testament once a year for a total of 3 times. So, I read through the Old Testament 1 time and the New Testament 3 times over a period of 3 years. I do this Monday through Friday and use Saturday and Sunday for other devotions.

Devotional Notes Psalm 115+John 3

8 Apr 20

MORNING

Psalm 115

B1 What does this mean?

C1 Among many reasons to praise God are His love and faithfulness.

C2 Note the difference between “gods” and Yahweh.

C3 God is living, thinks, acts, talks, decides, moves, etc.

C4 Verses 9-11 speak to those who should praise God: Jews, Priests, and everyone else.

C5 The opposite of praising God is seen in Romans 1:

D1 Romans 1:21 NET For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened.

D2 Most often people do not give God the credit for what He has done, is doing, and will do.

D3 Not only that, but they are not thankful either.

C6 The fear of God is

D1 Recognizing that He is the Judge.

D2 Thanking Him for forgiveness and salvation, for perfect love cancels fear. 1 John 4:18 GNB92 There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear. So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment.

C7 Verse 17

D1 The dead refers to those who cannot praise God in the flesh, because the flesh has composted.

D2 Others

E1 Adam Clarke: The dead praise not the Lord - המתים hammethim, those dead men who worshipped as gods dumb idols, dying in their sins, worship not Jehovah; nor can any of those who go down into silence praise thee: earth is the place in which to praise the Lord for his mercies, and get a preparation for his glory.

E2 Dake (exercise discernment):

dead praise not the LORD The dead-those who are dead physically. Only the body dies at physical death (James 2:26). It returns to dust at death and can't praise the Lord (Gen 2:7; 3:19; Eccl 3:19-21). This doesn't refer to soul-sleep (see No Soul-Sleep Taught in Scripture). This could also refer to the spiritually dead-the idolaters of Psa 115:8 who don't worship God in life or praise Him after death. One must meet God's terms of salvation in this life if he expects to be saved, for there will be no opportunity in the intermediate state or after the resurrection. After this, the judgment (Heb 9:27).

go down into silence This refers to physical death, not spiritual (Psa 94:17). In Sheol/Hades there is no silence (see Hell).

E3 J. I. Packer on Why Annihilationism Is Wrong

E4 Yes, Hell Is Real and It Is Eternal (Roman Catholic)

E5 Will the Unbelieving Dead Become Non-Existent? (Annihilationism)

D3 Scripture never teaches the temporary existence of humans.

D4 Death is not extinction, it is living in a different mode (earth versus hades and finally heaven versus lake of fire (hell)).

D5 Most who believe in annihilationism/conditional mortality redefine eternal, soul, justice, punishment, etc. We must believe God and interpret the Bible in its plain, normal sense.

B2 How do I apply this to my life? Read and study the Bible in its plain, normal sense. Praise God. Give God credit.

EVENING

John 3

B1 What does this mean?

C1 Nicodemus

D1 A respected leader of the Sanhedrin. See John 7:50-52.

D2 He was a Pharisee. William Barclay (exercise discernment) describes the Pharisees, their devotion to the Law of Moses, and examples of how they changed the law by adding their ideas. Keeping their definition did not and could bring citizenship in the Kingdom of God.

D3 Along with Joseph of Arimathaea, he did not vote to condemn Jesus. See John 19:38-39.

D4 Didn’t understand exactly who Jesus was.

E1 He acknowledged that he did miracles and that he could not have done so unless God was the source.

E2 That’s better understanding than the others who claimed the source of miracles was the devil (Matthew 9:34).

E3 There were others also who acknowledged Jesus as being from God (John 9:16-17).

C2 Born again

D1 Physical birth (especially as a Jew) does not guarantee a place in the Kingdom of God.

D2 The Kingdom of God is where God reigns. The Jews of that day expected a warrior messiah who would overthrow the Romans and re-establish the Kingdom of Israel.

D3 Verse 5 is explained by verse 6. There is a physical birth and there needs to be a spiritual birth as well.

D4 2 Corinthians 5:17 CSB Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

D5 Verse 8: The new birth from above (God) is from the Holy Spirit.

C3 Jesus begins to describe the importance of belief in God. We have the Scriptures (to be understood in it plain, normal sense) which teach us God’s ways, His standards, He desires, His decisions, He deeds, etc. We must be God. Jesus is God, and we must believe Him. Nicodemus struggled with the idea here.

C4 Verse 13 is questioned by many people, so they teach that this was teaching that Jesus is not in heaven and earth at the same but after His ascension, He was in heaven. Wilbur Pickering writes in his Bible translation:

About 1% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, omit "who is in Heaven" (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). Presumably those copyists couldn't figure out how Jesus could be on earth and in Heaven at the same time, so they altered the Text. But let's stop and think about what this verse says—Jehovah the Son came down out of Heaven all right, but when did He go up? If "the Angel of Jehovah" in the O.T. was Jehovah the Son, as I believe, then He had been back and forth many times. In Joh 5:19 Jesus said that He could only do what He saw the Father do—so when and how could Jesus see the Father? Even though Jehovah the Son was in the human body of Jesus Christ, evidently there was some sense in which He was also in Heaven; He existed there. Well, that's what 1:18 says, "who exists in the bosom of the Father."

C5 Verse 14. Believing God when they were bitten by serpents would mean those who looked at the bronze snake would be healed. Those who didn’t would die. One believed; the other did not. See Numbers 21. As the bronze snake needed to be lifted up, so Jesus would be lifted up on the cross. Those who believe are saved; those who refuse are not.

C6 Verse 21: we have to acknowledge we are sinners, we are not good in God’s sight, and we need God’s salvation because we cannot do it ourselves.

C7 Jesus and John the Baptist baptizing.

D1 John’s disciples had a question about Jesus and His baptizing.

D2 John explained that he had testified that Jesus was the one who is greater, so we should expect these things.

D3 Verse 32: those who believe Jesus’s testimony affirms that God (Jesus) is true.

D4 Verse 34: God (the Father) sent God (the Son), who is Jesus. Jesus teaches the words of God. Those who believe have everlasting life and those who do not have God’s fierce anger. We have been warned.

B2 How do I apply this to my life? We have not reason to not believe, so I believe. Jesus’s existence, teaching, deeds, etc. are a reasonable faith.

I hope to have a devotional every day on John’s Gospel starting with the last chapter of Luke’s Gospel. This is the way I do my devotions. You may notice grammatical and spelling errors. It is my hope you will also start or continue in your daily reading and thinking about the Scriptures. I do this Monday through Friday. It is a 3 year plan of reading and thinking on 1 chapter in the Old Testament, which takes 3 years, and reading and thinking on 1 chapter in the New Testament once a year for a total of 3 times. So, I read through the Old Testament 1 time and the New Testament 3 times over a period of 3 years.