• Paul has explained his recent travel route and current situation.
• From Jerusalem to Illyricum - (Eh-lyric-come)

 
PAUL’S TRAVEL PLANS
22 That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you. 23 But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you 24 whenever I travel to Spain. For I hope to see you when I pass through and to be assisted by you for my journey there, once I have first enjoyed your company for a while.

• Paul is in the midst of wrapping up his 3rd missionary journey (maps).
• He plans on heading to Spain but will stop in Rome for a season to visit with believers there and raise support for his ministry.

25 Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem to serve the saints, 26 because Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

• He is returning to Jerusalem to give them all the funds he collected from the churches he visited on this 3rd journey.

27 Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits, then they are obligated to minister to them in material needs. 28 So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds to them, I will visit you on the way to Spain. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
30 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf. 31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 and that, by God’s will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you.

• There is some hesitancy and doubt that the Jews will accept Paul, his ministry to the Gentiles and even the funds from the Gentiles.
• He wants them to be acceptable so it will be an encouragement to him as he continues his ministry.

33 May the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.[1]

• Reminder that God is the God of peace and He is with us always now.

 
PAUL’S COMMENDATION OF PHOEBE
16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae (sen'kre-a – aport in Corinth/Greece). 2 So you should welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever matter she may require your help. For indeed she has been a benefactor of many—and of me also.

• Paul here has the longest series of greetings to Christians that he has anywhere in the letters, which comes as something of a surprise when we recall that Paul has never visited the Roman Christian church before.
• Phoebe who apparently is the one who is carrying the letter for Paul from Corinth where he was writing to the church in Rome.
• Phoebe was probably a wealthy businessperson who has business in Rome and is therefore traveling that direction and so, of course, a great candidate to carry the letter on behalf of Paul.
• What’s particularly interesting is that Paul calls Phoebe two things: a prostatis (benefactor) (a Greek word) and a diakonos (servant).
• The first one has been translated by some people in the sense of “leader.” This is unlikely, however. The term was widely used in the ancient world to talk about what we would call a “patron” or “patroness.”
• Patronage was a very significant part of the social fabric of the Roman empire.
• Patrons were people who would, by their influence and money, help sponsor the work of others.
• Usually to succeed in that culture meant to find someone who would be a patron and who would help you advance in career or say a good word in the ear of an important person on your behalf. We call this “networking” today, don’t we?
• Phoebe then is described here by Paul as a wealthy Christian woman who is a patroness—that is, one who has used her money and perhaps her influence in the city to advance the cause of Christ.
• How about the word diakonos? The difficulty here is that this word is used in two very different ways throughout the nt. On one hand, it’s often used simply to describe someone who is a servant of Christ or a minister in a very broad sense. In this sense, of course, all Christians are diakonoi; that is, each of us is a servant of Christ called to minister on behalf of the church in certain ways.
• But diakonos was also used in a more technical way, translated in that sense “deacon,” a sort of officer officially recognized as one of the leaders in the early Christian church.
• Is Paul calling Phoebe simply a servant, or is he calling her a deacon?
• Let’s remember that in the early Christian church, deacons were not sort of the top leaders in the local Christian church.
• Those leaders were called “elders.” Deacons served under elders, helping with the financial affairs of the church, occupying themselves in the visitation of the sick, the ill, those who couldn’t get to church, as we see people doing in our day as well. So I think what Paul is saying here is Phoebe, because she is a wealthy woman sponsoring the Christian movement in Corinth (and specifically Cenchrea, the seaport of Corinth that Paul mentions here) is also recognized by the church as a deacon—that is, by someone who has a recognized role in the church under the elders to assist these kinds of ministries.[2]

 

• In addition to Phoebe in verses 1–2, Paul goes on to greet 25 different Christians by name, mentioning also others like the household of so-and-so or brothers and sisters within a certain house church.[3]

 
GREETING TO ROMAN CHRISTIANS
3 Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life. Not only do I thank them, but so do all the Gentile churches. 5 Greet also the church that meets in their home. Greet my dear friend Epaenetus (Epi-neet-us), who is the first convert, to Christ from Asia., 6 Greet Mary, who has worked very hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus (and-dron-icus) and Junia, my fellow Jews and fellow prisoners. They are noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles, and they were also in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus (Amp-lea-tus), my dear friend in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our coworker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys (stock-iss). 10 Greet Apelles (apple-less), who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus (air-iss-tob-you-lus). 11 Greet Herodion (hair-rode-ion), my fellow Jew. Greet those who belong to the household of Narcissus (Nar-siss-us) who are in the Lord. 12 Greet Tryphaena (Tri-fin-a) and Tryphosa (Tri-fosa), who have worked hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother—and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus (ass-sync-rit-us), Phlegon (Flee-gon), Hermes, Patrobas (Pat-row-bus), Hermas (Her-moss), and the brothers and sisters who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus (Fil-lol-o-gus) and Julia, Nereus (knee-roos) and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

• There are men and women. There are people who are Jewish and people who are Gentile.
• There are people who are from very low social classes (slaves or slaves who had recently gained their freedom) and people who were from fairly high social classes as well.
• In other words, these names give us a kind of window into the early Roman Christian church as a community of Christians that was very diverse with all of the wonderful things that come with that, but also, as we’ve seen in Paul’s argument in Romans, some of the problems that come with that.[4]

16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings.

• Our equivalent to a hand shake or elbows in a pandemic.

 
WARNING AGAINST DIVISIVE PEOPLE
17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them, 18 because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites., They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.

• The house churches at this time did not have the Bibles we have today.
• They had the stories of the apostles that were compared and passed along.
• False teachers with agendas and selfish intent were common in the day.
• Sadly, we have Bibles on our phones and the same things is happening today.
• I like to refer to them as penalty flags.
• Can you recognize penalties in teaching as we filter what we read and hear?

 
PAUL’S GRACIOUS CONCLUSION
19 The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

• Paul believed that Jesus was going to return any day and he lived his life/ministry accordingly.
• A preterist view believes the word “soon” means 70 AD with the destruction of the temple.
• A futurist believes that Jesus is still to come.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
21 Timothy, my coworker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater (So-sis-pater), my fellow countrymen, greet you.
22 I, Tertius (Tert-e-us), who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

• Tertius is the scribe to Paul.
• Papyrus was rare and expensive.
• Scribes were able to write small and efficiently.

23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus greet you.
 
GLORY TO GOD
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ,

• Paul’s Gospel was the good news of Jesus Christ.

according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent for long ages 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures,

• The Old Testament prophesied about what was to come and now Jesus has fulfilled this prophecy.

according to the command of the eternal God to advance the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles--

• Once again, Paul is confirming his ministry and calling to the Gentiles.
• Obedience is equivalent to hearing.

27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to him be the glory forever! Amen.[5]

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 15:22-33). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[3] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[4] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 16:1–27). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

• August 2 – Acts 18:1-11 – We talked about Paul’s ministry in Corinth on his 2nd missionary journey.
• Present in Corinth about 12 months in 51-52 AD
• Now Paul is in Ephesus on his 3rd Missionary Journey in 55 AD.

1 CORINTHIANS
GREETING
1 Paul, called as an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Sosthenes our brother:

• You didn’t have to wait until the end of the letter to see who this letter was from.
• God called Paul and it was God’s will
• The difference between call and will.
• One who was distinctly called out for a mission with a theological context.
• Apostles were typically directly connected to the life of Jesus on earth.
• Paul’s apostleship came as he was walking on the road to Damascus.
• Sosthenes was the synagogue leader in Corinth that believed in Jesus on Paul’s 1st trip to Corinth on his 2nd Missionary Journey.

2 To the church of God at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord—both their Lord and ours.

• To the believers in Christ Jesus.
• Not a body or small group that gathered in one home… but to all those who believed in Jesus.
• Sanctified – Set apart – past tense – already occurred.
• “Sanctified” is not considered present tense and in the process of “being sanctified”.
• Although both terms are Biblical, how do we reconcile the difference?
• Paul is talking about what has already occurred and this is what matters.
• Because of your belief, you have not only been sanctified (set apart) you are now a saint (holy one).

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

• Grace first – Grace in salvation, but more importantly, moment by moment grace.
• The ability to live life with God doing it through you.
• Living by grace then brings you real peace even in the midst of the chaos.
• Let His peace be your peace.

 
THANKSGIVING

• A Thanksgiving section was a common part of Paul’s letters.
• Rarely did he just get down to business without talking about his thankfulness.
• It also serves as a reminder and encouragement to keep doing what he knows they have already been doing.

4 I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in him in every way, in all speech and all knowledge. 6 In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, 7 so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Paul is thankful for their giftedness.
• He later has to instruct them on the misuse of these gifts in Chapters 12-14.
• Describe the difference between gifts and talents.
• What are some personal Leavener gifts?

8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• We walk this earth in a flesh suit.
• We have already been made blameless by Christ’s sacrifice and blood poured out in the cross.
• There is nothing more that has to happen for forgiveness of all sin.
• No forgiveness, no confession, no repentance.
• Now forgiveness is a done deal on the cross.
• Confession is a done deal in terms of God/Jesus
• Confession is still encouraged as we walk in our flesh suits as a form of transparency and encouragement to one another.
• Dak Prescott – Skip Bayless – Shared vulnerability and was told it was an error.
• Repentance is a change of mind that comes from God and is still part of our walk as we live in this flesh suit.
• Someday, when Christ returns, we are done with this flesh suit and even our actions are made blameless.

9 God is faithful; you were called by him into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

• Fellowship is a word that we relate to one another as in community.
• Churches fight for good fellowship.
• If they just understood how to have good fellowship with Jesus Christ, they would have good fellowship with one another. Stay focused.
• In Paul’s thanksgiving section we can conclude 4 things:
• 1. He is, unlike so many teachers in his world, not concerned, first of all, with his own welfare.
• 2. He is not giving a message of human manufacture but emphasizing God’s grace.
• 3. He has what we might call an “eschatological perspective” on each event that he introduces; that is to say, he is looking at this life from its end goal and from God’s promises about the end of the world and human destiny.
• 4. And he does so all with a pastoral concern, not simply reflecting the philosophical and oratorical interest of so many in the Corinthian community.[1]

 
DIVISIONS AT CORINTH
10 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.

• Again, unity comes from them being focused on what the content is rather than how the content is presented.
• Sometimes the interpretation is skewed.
• I’m going to teach it one way… others in our community will teach the same thing and use different terms/words.
• Go outside of our community and you hear a similar message but with slightly different understandings.
• Then sometimes you have to use the 66 book filter on other teachers of the Word.
• Jeff Pokone, is my counselor of choice.
• He is as close as it gets. But even then you have to filter.
• I will still use Jeff and trust the Spirit to work in the believers that attend Leavener.
• But the only way we stay unified is focus on the basics… Jesus Christ is the Son God, came to earth as a sacrifice for our sins and gives us the opportunity to be redeemed.
• The division comes when we try to learn how to live out of our new hearts.
• Because we have been taught differently.

11 For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by members of Chloe’s people, that there is rivalry among you. 12 What I am saying is this: One of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”

• This week, I had a Zoom meeting with 5 other pastors in Fishers.
• Grace Church, Fishers (Kevin Roth)
• Northview, Fishers (John Smith)
• St. George Orthodox Church (Deacon Joseph)
• St. Louis De Montfort Catholic Church (Jeff Oelker)
• Cornerstone Lutheran Church (Scott Giger)
• These are my friends… we teach Jesus
• We teach Jesus with major different interpretations and practices…
• We have many different followers…
• but we believe he is the Son of God and our Savior.
• We are united in our faith in Jesus.

13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name? 14 I thank God, that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. 16 I did, in fact, baptize the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t recall if I baptized anyone else.

• Paul can’t even remember who all he baptized.
• I wouldn’t either if there weren’t pictures.

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ will not be emptied of its effect.

• Paul is not encouraging or referring to an unbaptized Christian, but if baptism will lead to the kind of divisions that the church in Corinth is experiencing, then he wants little to do with it.
• The key for Paul is preaching the gospel of Christ crucified. He says, literally, “Not in the wisdom of a word.” It’s not human love of word crafting.[2]

 
CHRIST THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD

• Verses 18–25 contrast what Paul calls the foolishness (by human standards) of the story of Jesus crucified with the so-called wisdom (the best that humans on their own can manufacture) of this world.[3]

18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. 19 For it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent., (Isaiah 29:14)

• This is in reference to worldly wisdom, knowledge and experience.

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? 21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached.

• The key word in this paragraph is wisdom; it is used eight times.
• The key idea that Paul expressed is that we dare not mix man’s wisdom with God’s revealed message.
• The entire section on wisdom (1 Cor. 1:17–2:16) presents a number of contrasts between the revealed Word of God and the wisdom of men.[4]

22 For the Jews ask for signs

• This was the attitude of the Jews, because their emphasis is on miraculous signs and the cross appears to be weakness.
• Jewish history is filled with miraculous events, from the Exodus out of Egypt to the days of Elijah and Elisha.
• When Jesus was ministering on earth, the Jewish leaders repeatedly asked Him to perform a sign from heaven; but He refused.
• Because the Jews were looking for power and great glory, they stumbled at the weakness of the cross.
• How could anybody put faith in an unemployed carpenter from Nazareth who died the shameful death of a common criminal? But the Gospel of Jesus Christ is “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16).
• Rather than a testimony of weakness, the cross is a tremendous instrument of power![5]

and the Greeks seek wisdom,

• The Greeks emphasized wisdom; we still study the profound writings of the Greek philosophers.
• But they saw no wisdom in the cross, for they looked at the cross from a human point of view.
• Had they seen it from God’s viewpoint, they would have discerned the wisdom of God’s great plan of salvation.
• Paul called on three men to bear witness: the wise (the expert), the scribe (the interpreter and writer), and the disputer (the philosopher and debater).
• He asked them one question: Through your studies into man’s wisdom, have you come to know God in a personal way?
• They all must answer no! The fact that they laugh at the cross and consider it foolishness is evidence that they are perishing.[6]

23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. 24 Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, 25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. [7]

• The things of God are not of this world.
• Whatever the world is doing… that is not of God.

What seems logical in debates… that is not of God.

[1] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[2] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[3] Blomberg, C. L. (2017). NT334 Book Study: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 570). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[5] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 570–571). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[6] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 571). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Co 1:1–25). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.