Bible Study on Romans Session 27

Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans;

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

Study Guide – April 7, 2020 – Romans 14.14-23 – Homily 26

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 14-18

  • Saint Paul put an end to brother judging brothers. SJC “To prevent anyone who did not believe him from saying: “What is it to us if you are persuaded? For you are not so worthy of belief that you could take a stand against such a great Law and the oracles sent down from heaven,” Paul went on to add: “In the Lord.” What he means is this: “I learned it from the Lord; it is he who makes me confident.” Therefore, his judgment does not depend on the human mind.” (Pg 1, #2)
  • Nothing is unclean by nature. SJC “It becomes unclean by the intention of him who draws near and uses it. Therefore, it is unclean for him alone, and not for all.” (Pg 1, #3)
  • Overwhelming a man with grief is worse than depriving him of food. Love corrects all things. SJC “Do you see how meanwhile Paul is making the weaker man his friend? He does this by showing that he holds him in such high regard that, to avoid causing him to grieve, he does not make bold to enjoin on him things which are very urgent. Rather, Paul draws him to himself by agreeing with him and showing him love.” (Pg 1, #5)
  • Don’t allow food to ruin anyone. SJC “Do you not have enough regard for your brother that you would not purchase his salvation by abstinence from meats? Christ did not beg off from becoming a slave or even from dying on his account. Will you not even scorn meats to save him? Although Christ did not win over and gain all souls, yet he died for all and, in this way, he fulfilled his obligation.” (Pg 2, #7)
  • Christ died for the weak and the strong. That’s how much He loves us. SJC “Will you not give one that is less? And Christ was Master, while you are only a brother. These words are enough to reproach the stronger brother.” (Pg 2, #9)
  • Arguing about trivial matters is a cause of blasphemy. SJC “For when you fight, when you quarrel, when you cause grief, when you split the Church asunder, when you revile your brother and are at enmity with him, non- believers will speak evil of you and utter blasphemies. The result is that no correction comes from such actions but quite the opposite.” (Pg 2, #10)
  • These things lead people to the Kingdom: SJC “For “the good you have received” is charity, brotherly love, being united, being bound together, living at peace, living a life of gentleness….What, then, are the things which lead us into the Kingdom? Justice, peace, joy, a virtuous life, peace with one’s brother (to which contentious quarreling is opposed), the joy which comes from unanimity (the lack of which Paul’s reproaches should have removed). For Paul did not utter these only to the one or the other but to both the weaker and the stronger. For the time was right to chide both groups.” (Pg 2, #11, 13)
  • Pride causes us to judge others. SJC “For men will not marvel at you for your state of perfection so much as everyone will admire you for your spirit of peace and concord. For they will reap joy from this blessing, but no one will find pleasure in your state of perfection.” (Pg 3, #16)

Chapter 14, Verses 19-23

  • Without peace, it is not easy to edify others. SJC “This edification and improvement apply to the weaker in faith, so that they may be at peace. Things which make for peace apply to the stronger, so that they may not destroy their brothers. Nonetheless, Paul has again made both apply to either group when he says “each other.” This shows that without peace it is not easy to edify and improve.” (Pg 3, #17)
  • Do not destroy the work of God. SJC “Not only do you fail to edify and improve, as you maintain that you are doing, but you are even destroying it. What you are destroying is not an edifice built by man but the work of God. And you are doing this for no important reason but because of a matter that is insignificant, namely, “for the sake of food.”…For it is not the eating which makes a man unclean, but the intention with which he eats….Therefore, if you do not correct his conscience, all you have done is to no avail.” (Pg 3, #18, 19, 20)
  • Nothing is as important as the salvation of a brother. SJC “Paul makes a greater demand. You must not only not force your brother but you must come to his aid and give in to him. Surely, Paul himself has done this on many occasions. He did it when he circumcised Timothy, when he had his head shaved, when he offered that Jewish sacrifice….Christ made this clear when he descended from heaven and, for our sake, suffered all the torments he endured. And please consider how Paul comes down on the stronger man when he says: “Your brother is offended or scandalized or weakened.” What Paul means is this. Do not say that your brother is acting unreasonably but that you can correct him. Surely, his weakness gives him a sufficient claim for being helped, and you incur no hurt or loss if you come to his aid….Then you will have at a later date the means of sowing the seeds of correct doctrine in his mind without his noticing what you are doing. But if he once comes to hate you, you have blocked off all entrance to his power of reason.” (Pg 4, #21, 23, 24)
  • Keep your faith to yourself. SJC “Here, I think, Paul is giving a gentle hint to the stronger group on the matter of their vanity. What he means is something such as this. Do you wish to show me that you are perfect and complete? Do not show it to me; let your conscience be your guide.” (Pg 4, #26)
  • Destroying a soul is worse than destroying a building. SJC “For if destroying a church is a grievous and unholy sin, it is much more grievous and impious to destroy a spiritual temple. For a man is holier than a church building. Christ did not die to save the walls of a church. He did die to save these human temples of the Spirit.” (Pg 5, #33)

Life Application – Focus on Correcting Yourself

  • Don’t depend upon ignorance if you know better – Let each of us examine his own actions from every angle. Let no one provide any man with a handle for argument. The present life is a race-course. We ought to have thousands of eyes on every side. We must not think that ignorance is enough to excuse us. For certainly it is possible to pay a penalty for ignorance when the ignorance is inexcusable. The Jews were ignorant but their ignorance deserved no excuse. The gentiles were ignorant but they had no excuse for being so. (Pg 5-6, #34)
  • You know only your own heart – First, it is not possible for men to know if someone is simple and sincere. This can be known only to God, “who fashioned their hearts one by one.” (Pg 6, #37)
  • If you defend yourself in physical matters, why not spiritual? – Someone may ask: “Do you demand these things of a rude and savage barbarian?” Yes, and not only from him but from all men, even if they should be more savage than those of today. Tell me, why is it that, in matters of everyday life, today’s savage knows how to answer when he is wronged, how to resist those who would do violence to him? He does everything and takes every trouble to avoid ever being threatened with even the slightest abuse. But he does not use these same skills in spiritual matters.  (Pg 6-7, #39)
  • Times never change, but we can still know God – In those former times most men were uninstructed and were ruled by sin. There was no Law to teach them, no prophets, no doctrines, no education or training, no group of men who knew God, nor anything like these. Everything lay in deep darkness, in a night where no moon shone, and storms raged. Nonetheless, even then Abraham, that wonderful and noble man, even though the obstacles were so great, knew God. (Pg 7, #42)
  • Don’t ask God about others – Let us not demand from God his reasons, let us not question him as to why he let this man go and called that man. Surely, we would then be doing the same thing as a servant would if, after he had quarreled with his master, he should meddle with the way the house was being managed. (Pg 7, #46)
  • Beware of hypocrisy  –When he sees you probing after knowledge of the Kingdom but still frightened by the things of the present life, when he sees you in dread fear of Gehenna but still trembling at the evils of life on earth, then reflect and be concerned. For when he sees this, he accuses you and says: “If your love is for the Kingdom, why do you not ignore things of the present life? If you expect the dread tribunal, why do you not despise the terrors of this world? If you are hoping for immortality, why do you not laugh death to scorn?”  (Pg 8, #48)
  • Evil living is a blasphemy – So if you are concerned over your own salvation, make your defense on these matters and win your acquittal by deeds and not by words. No one ever blasphemed God because he was asked those questions on examination. But many blasphemies have arisen from every side because of an evil way of living. (Pg 8, #50)

Send Off – Correct Yourself So, if you wish to free him from being scandalized and to enjoy countless rewards yourselves, correct your own life and make it shine from every side. Do this so that “men may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” For in this way, we, too, shall enjoy that great and ineffable glory. (Pg 9, #54)