Bible Study on Romans Session 26

Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans;

A Bible Study Based upon the Homilies of St John Chrysostom (SJC)

Study Guide – March 31, 2020 – Romans 14.1-13 – Homily 25

Prayer before reading of the Holy Scriptures: Shine within our hearts, loving Master, the pure light of Your divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds that we may comprehend the message of Your Gospel. Instill in us also reverence for Your blessed commandments so that, having conquered sinful desires, we may pursue a spiritual life, thinking and doing all those things which are pleasing to You. For You, Christ our God, are the light of our souls and bodies, and to You we give glory, together with Your Father who is without beginning and Your all holy, good and life giving Spirit, always now and forever and to the ages of ages.

Chapter 14, Verses 1-4

  • Many converts didn’t have courage to leave The Law behind. SJC “Then, so as not to be easily detected as abstaining only from the flesh of swine, they refrained, as a consequence, from eating any flesh and ate only vegetables. They hoped in this way that their action would seem to be fasting rather than observance of the Law. But there were other converts [from both Judaism and paganism] who were stronger in the faith and who abstained from none of these foods. These stronger converts became burdensome and oppressive to those who were observing the old rules; they reproached them, accused them, and drove them to despondency.” (Pg 1, #3)
  • St Paul was worried that weaker Christians would be led astray on more important matters.
  • St Paul directs his argument against the strong in faith. SJC “Do you see, however, that straightway he aims a blow at the man who is weak? For when Paul said that the man was weak, he showed that he was sickly. Then, he adds a second blow when he says: “Receive him.” For again he shows that the unhealthy man requires considerable care. And this is a sign of extreme weakness.” (Pg 2, #8)
  • Both strong and weak were judging each other. SJC “He did not say: “Let him,” nor did he say: “Let him not blame him,” nor did he say: “Let him not correct him.” What did Paul say? “Let him not reproach him, let him not utterly despise him,” showing that they were doing something that was most ridiculous. For those of more perfect faith despised the abstainers because their faith was weak, their wounds were healed only on the surface, their Christianity spurious, and they were still Judaizers. So, too, did the abstainers pass judgment on those of stronger faith as Law-breakers and devoted to gluttony. Since it was likely that many of the faultfinders were converted pagans, Paul added: “For God has received him.” (Pg 2, #11-12)
  • St Paul is actually attacking the weak by addressing the strong. SJC “See, again, another blow. Paul’s indignation seems to be against the strong man, but he is attacking him whose faith is weak. When he goes on to say: “But he will stand.” Paul is showing that the servant is shaken and requires much attention. He needs such care that Paul even calls in God as a physician to attend to his ailment. For Paul says: “For God is able to make him stand.” And that is an expression we use in cases where we have given up all hope. Then, so that the abstainer may not despair, Paul calls him whose faith is weak a servant when he says: “Who are you to judge the servant of another?” And here, Paul is again reproaching him without arousing his notice. What he means is this: “Abstaining from meat does not exempt him from deserving to be judged, but I am bidding you not to pass judgment on him because he is another’s servant. That is, he is not your servant but God’s.” (Pg 3, #15-16)
  • All are God’s servants – weak and strong – so don’t judge. SJC “If God, who suffers the loss, meanwhile does nothing, how could you fail to be untimely and meddlesome beyond measure when you are throttling and harassing the one who abstains from meat?” (Pg 3, #18)

Chapter 14, Verses 5-13

  • This section is about fasting
  • Not all St Paul’s words are taken equally. SJC “Therefore, let us not apply to all situations Paul’s words: “Let everyone be fully convinced in his own mind.” For when Paul is speaking of matters of faith, listen to what he has to say: “If anyone preach a gospel to you other than the one you have received, let a curse be upon him, even if he be an angel.” And again: “I am afraid that, just as the serpent deceived Eve, so your minds may be corrupted.” And when he wrote to the Philippians, he said: “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the circumcision.” (Pg 4, #22)
  • Fasting is not a dogmatic issue. SJC “The question does not involve vital matters. The question is whether the one man and the other are acting the way they do to honor God; whether both of them end up giving thanks to God. Surely, the one and the other do give thanks to God. Therefore, if both give thanks to God, there is not much difference between them.” (Pg 4, #24)
  • St Paul leaves the question unresolved for now.
  • We are not free. SJC “What, then, does Paul mean when he says: “No one of us lives to himself?” He means that we are not free, we have a Master who wishes us to live, and who does not will for us to die. And both of these make a greater difference to the Master than they do to us. By these words Paul shows that God cares more for us than we do for ourselves; he considers that our life is his gain and our death is his loss.” (Pg 4, #27)
  • Christ is Lord of the living and the dead. SJC “Therefore, let this convince you that Christ is always concerned for your salvation and correction. If he did not have this great care for us, what need was there for his covenant with us and his Incarnation? Did he not show such great eagerness for us to become his that he took the form of a slave and died? Will he despise us after we have become his? This certainly cannot be!…For if Christ is concerned for the dead, it is quite clear that he also cares for the living. For Christ has omitted nothing from his dominion; he has prepared for himself more just claims than any humans can, so that he may show concern for us beyond all others.” (Pg 5-6, #30, 33)
  • Our new life is a great blessing. SJC “Paul says what he does to shame the Judaizer and to urge him to recall how great a blessing is his. He was dead, but he came alive. He gained no benefit from the Law. He would be utterly without gratitude to abandon Christ, who had shown such great concern for him, if he were to run back again to the Law.” (Pg 6, #34)
  • St Paul sets both weak and strong as equal brothers. SJC “First, by the use of the title “brother,” he rules out rivalry. Then, he does the same by mentioning the dread day of judgment.” (Pg 6, #35)
  • Nobody shall avoid the judgment of Christ. SJC “Therefore, be concerned when you see the Master of all seated on his judgment seat. Do not cause schisms and divisions in the Church by breaking away from grace and running over to the Law. For the Law is also God’s. Then, why do I say “the Law?” Both those subject to the Law and those who lived before the Law are God’s. Yet the Law will not demand an account from you, but Christ will–both from you and from the whole human race….Therefore, it can fit both, namely, the stronger, who is being scandalized by the dietary observances, and the weaker, who is stumbling because of the strong rebuke given to him.” (Pg 6-7, #38, 40)
  • Causing others to sin is more dangerous. SJC “What punishment will we deserve when we put a stumbling block in his way, even though we are making no correction? For if our failure to save others is a crime (and the man who buried his talent proves that), what will be the result of our being a stumbling block to him as well?…For not only must we give an account of our own sinful acts, but also for those in which we caused others to stumble. …Therefore, when you are the cause of destruction for others, you will suffer more grievously than those whom you tripped up. For committing sin does not cause destruction as much as leading others to sin does.” (Pg 7, #41, 42, 44)

Life Application – Suffer Now or Suffer Later (but worse)

  • Helping others out of sin helps us tooHence, when we see certain people committing sins, let us not only avoid pushing them into their sinful acts, but let us drag them out of the mire of evil, so that we ourselves may not endure punishment for destroying others. Let us constantly bear in mind the dread judgment seat, the river of fire, the chains which are never loosed, the total darkness, the gnashing of teeth, the venomous worm. (Pg 7, #45)
  • Judgment is realBut then are these mere stories? Did that rich man who ignored and despised Lazarus undergo punishment? Were not the foolish virgins locked out of the bridal chamber? Did not those who refused to feed Christ depart into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels? Was not the guest who was wearing an ordinary garment bound hand and foot? Did he not perish? Was not the servant who demanded his hundred denarii handed over to the torturers? Was not that which was said of the adulterers true, namely, that “their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched?” (Pg 8, #46)
  • Some judgment will happen nowDo you not see the calamities which occur every day? Have these things not happened? Do you not see even now people wasting away because they are starving? Do you not see those in the grip of elephantiasis or some other disease? Do you not see those who live in unending poverty? Do you not see those who are suffering ten thousand irreparable evils? (Pg 9, #52)
  • God is just and fairHow, then, would it be reasonable for some to be punished and for others to go unpunished? For if God is not unjust–and surely he is not unjust–you will certainly pay the penalty for your sins. But if he does not punish because he is a merciful God, then there was no need for those who were punished to have paid the penalty for their sins. (Pg 89 #53)
  • Judgment happens either now or laterListen to Christ himself when he offered a defense on these matters. After some men died when a tower collapsed on them, our Lord had this to say to those who were questioning him on the incident: “Do you think that these men were more guilty than all the others? I tell you that they were not. But unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.” Jesus was urging us not to feel overly confident when we pay no penalty for our many crimes, although others have paid the price. For if we do not change our lives, we certainly will be punished. (Pg 9, #57)
  • Punishment that happens “now” is for correctionI am telling you these things, not to make you grieve, but to make you more cautious. I do not wish to delude you nor to prepare you to endure punishments more than you can stand. Tell me this. If you commit sin, why do you not deserve to be punished? Did Christ not tell you everything beforehand? Did he not threaten you? Did he not frighten you? Did he not do countless things to accomplish your salvation? Did he not give you the gift of the bath of regeneration? Did he not forgive all of your former sins? And after remitting your sins and after the bath of baptism, did he not give you the help of repentance in the event that you again fell into sin? Has he not made the way to the forgiveness of sins easy for you? (Pg 10, #61)
  • Salvation is easier than you thinkListen, then, to what Christ has enjoined. He says: “If you forgive your neighbor, I forgive you.” What is hard about that? “Plead for the orphan and obtain justice for the widow. And come, let us reason together, says the Lord. And if your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow.” What is difficult about that? “Do you first tell your transgressions that you may be justified.” What is hard about that? “Atone for your sins by alms.” Does this cause you to toil and sweat? (Pg 10, #62)
  • Believe in judgment or suffer later And yet, since there is a Gehenna, if the devil persuades you to think and speak as you do, how could the demons admit its existence if it does not exist? Surely the demons are most concerned that we have no suspicion of Gehenna’s existence. Then, we would have no fear of Gehenna, we might become more careless and sluggish. and, together with the demons, we might fall into that same fire. Someone might wonder how it was that the demons did admit the existence of Gehenna at that time. It was because they could not endure the necessity laid upon them. (Pg 11, #69)
  • We avoid suffering through repentanceDo you, who have such a wide experience in facts, scorn all I have told you in words? Therefore, quite the opposite will happen to you. The Ninevites feared the prophet’s words and did not undergo the punishment he foretold. But because you scorn the threat contained in the prophetic words I have cited, you will undergo the punishment of the deeds which were prophesied. If now you think the words I spoke are fables, you will not think that when you suffer in deeds what the words predicted. (Pg 12, #71)

Send Off – Repent now and experience blessings later Persuade your souls to fear and tremble so that you may be freed from Gehenna in the future life by living a chaste and sober life in this world. Then may you obtain the blessings of the life hereafter by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Pg 12, #76)