Bible Study on Romans Session 25

Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans;

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

Study Guide – March 10, 2020 – Romans 13.11-14 – Homily 24

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 13, Verses 11-14

  • The time of judgement is NOW, but we are asleep. SJC “That is, the resurrection is near, near is the dread judgment, the day which burns like a furnace is close by, and now we must free ourselves from our sluggish indifference.” (Pg 1, #2)
  • This life is all we have to be prepared. SJC “If, then, you are prepared, if you have done all God has commanded, it is the day of salvation. But if you have done the opposite, there is no salvation for you on that day.” (Pg 1, #3)
  • Instead of easing up, we should be more eager as time goes by. SJC “The closer the King comes to them, all the more should they prepare themselves for his coming. The closer the prize is, all the more must they rouse themselves for the contests. For when they are close to the end of the race and to capturing the crown, all the more must they exert themselves.” (Pg 1, #5)
  • Do not fear the battle, because you have Christ. SJC “Do not be afraid when you hear words like battle-line and weapons. For it is a hard and hateful task to put on the visible suit of armor. But here it is a desirable task and one for which we should pray, for the armor is the armor of light. Therefore, it makes you shine more brightly than the rays of the sun, it sends forth many a glistening flash, and it keeps you safe and sound. For your armor consists of weapons, and they make you glitter and shine since they are weapons of light.” (Pg 2, #9)
  • Paul urges us toward moderation. SJC “Paul is not forbidding men to drink but to drink beyond the bounds of moderation. He does not forbid one to enjoy wine but he forbids anyone to become drunk from his enjoyment of it (=in excess, meta; paroiniva”). In the same way, then, he sets forth what follows with the same caution for moderation when he says: “Not in sexual excess and lust.” For he does not forbid intercourse with wives, but he does forbid fornication.” (Pg 2, #12)
  • We should clothe ourselves in Christ in every way. SJC “When Paul says: “Put on,” he is bidding us to be clothed with Christ in every way, just as he said earlier: “If Christ is in you,” and again: “That Christ may dwell in the inner man.” For Christ wishes our soul to be a dwelling for himself; he wishes to surround us as a garment, so that he may be all things to us, inside and out. For he is our fullness. Surely: “He is the fullness who fills all with all.” He is the way, the husband, and the bridegroom. “For I betrothed you as a chaste spouse to one Husband.” And he is the root, the drink, the food, and the life. For Paul said: “It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me,” He is Apostle, Brother, Joint-Heir, Sharer of the tomb and the cross. For, as Paul says: “For we were buried with him,” and: “We were united with him in the likeness of his death.” He makes supplication for us. “We are acting as ambassadors on behalf of Christ.” He is our advocate to the Father. For Paul says: “Surely he intercedes for us.” He is our home and dwells in it with us. “He abides in me and I in him.” He is our friend. “For you are my friends.” He is our Foundation and Corner-stone. And we are his members, the crop he cultivated, his building, his branches, and his fellow-workers.” (Pg 3, #15-16)

Life Application – Limit Your Provisions to What is Necessary

  • We are asleep – “Still, we all seem to be like men who are sleeping and snoring in the dead of night. And if it were possible to see a bodiless being, I would show you how most men are snoring while the devil undermines and slaughters us as we lie asleep and then steals what is within the house. And he does all this without fear as if all this were going on in the depths of darkness.” (Pg 4, #24)
  • Wake Up! – “If I am wrong when I say this, and if you are standing there wide awake, tell me what has happened here today, tell me if you have not heard my words as if in a dream. I know that some will tell me, for I am not aiming what I am saying at all of you. But you who are subject to my accusations, you who have come here with no good purpose, tell me what prophet, what apostle has been speaking to us today, and what subjects have been under discussion. You could not tell me. For you have been talking here on many things as if in your dreams; you have heard nothing of the realities.” (Pg 5, #26-27)
  • Sin is a slippery slopeFor from such tables at which Christ is not present, evil lusts and desires arise. At them your wives come to be despised and you hold harlots in high regard. Families are upset, and countless evils are there. Everything is turned topsy- turvy. You leave the pure fountain and rush into a muddy sewer.” (Pg 6, #33)
  • Sex is for marriageWhy do you sow seed in a field which is eager to destroy the fruit, when there are many drugs to produce abortions, where there is murder before birth? For you do not permit the harlot to remain only a harlot, but you even make her a murderess. Do you not see that drunkenness leads to harlotry, harlotry to adultery, and adultery to murder?” (Pg 6, #36)
  • Be “totally into” Christ – “Therefore, let us flee from all these evils, let us put on Christ, let us be with him at all times. For this is what putting on Christ means. It means never to be taken away from him; it means that he is seen in us in every way because of our holiness and the moderation of our lives. So it is, too, in the case of friends that we say: “So-and-so is all wrapped up in So-and-so.” And what we mean by this is their great love for each other and their constant companionship. For he who is wrapped up seems to be the one in whom he is wrapped up.” (Pg 7, #40)
  • Imitate Christ – “Therefore, let Christ be seen in every part of us. And how is Christ seen? He is seen in you if you do what he did. What did Christ do? He said: “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Do you imitate him in this. When Christ needed to take food, he ate barley loaves to sustain him. When he had to make a journey and there were no horses or beasts of burden, he went on foot until he grew weary. When he had to sleep, he lay on a cushion in the stern of the ship. When he had to recline to eat, he ordered them to sit on the grass. His clothes were cheap. Many a time he stayed by himself with no one trailing after him.” (Pg 7, #41)

Send Off – Limit your Possessions to what is Necessary Therefore, let us not seek for ways by which no one may treat us despitefully and insult us. Rather, let us look for ways in which no one will be able to abuse us even if he should wish to do so. And there is no way of achieving this other than keeping our possessions to what is necessary and not coveting more than we need. (Pg 8, #46)