Bible Study on Romans Session 29

Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans;

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

Study Guide – April 28, 2020 – Romans 15.8-13 – Homily 28

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 15, verses 8-13

  • St Paul expresses Christ’s concern for us. SJC “Along with this, he proves that other point, namely, that the gentiles who have the faith are indebted to God for greater blessings. And if they are indebted for greater blessings, they ought in justice to put up with those Jews who are weaker in faith.” (Pg 1, #1)
  • God made a promise and it is going to be fulfilled one way or another. SJC “Abraham’s descendants became subject to punishment. For all their transgressions of the Law aroused God’s anger against them and took away from them for the future that promise made to their fathers. However, the Son came and worked with the Father so that those promises might come true and reach fruition.” (Pg 1, #3)
  • Christ broke the curse by fulfilling the Law. SJC “Christ came, he fulfilled the whole Law, he was circumcised, and was born a descendant of Abraham. In this way he destroyed the curse, he made God’s anger to cease, and made those destined to receive the promise fit to receive it in the future, because they were once and for all freed from offending against the Law.” (Pg 1, #4)
  • St Paul urges Gentiles (and therefore us) against pride. SJC “The Jews would have had the promises even if they were unworthy of them. You did not even have this blessing. But you were saved by Christ’s loving-kindness alone. Even if nothing more would have come to the Jews from the promise if Christ had not come, Paul mentions the promises to tone down the pride of the gentiles and to prevent them from rising up against those who were weak in faith.” (Pg 2, #7)
  • God is glorified in our unity. SJC “Paul cited all these texts to show that Jews and gentiles should be united together and glorify God.” (Pg 2, #9)
  • St Paul ends in prayer. SJC “That is, that you may be freed from this want of heart for one another and may never be cast down by temptation. And this will be the case if you have hope in abundance. This is the cause of all good things. This comes from the Holy Spirit.” (Pg 2, #10)
  • We are urged to have abundant hope. SJC “Paul did not say: “If you hope,” but, “If you have hope in abundance,” so as not only to find comfort in troubles, but also to have joy, because of your abundance of faith and hope. In this way, you will draw the Spirit to yourselves. In this way, after the Spirit has come, you will continue to keep all your blessings.” (Pg 3, #11)

Life Application – The Psalms are a Resource for Good

  • The Scriptures reinforce good works – Therefore, we have need of David’s harp, so that we may charm our soul with divine incantations, both those which come from the singing and those which come from good works. Why both? Because if we do only the one, if, while we listen to the song, our actions wage war on him who is singing, as Saul did in bygone days, the cure will become a charge leading us to condemnation and our madness will become more savage. (Pg 3, #13)
  • Sing (pray) the Psalms to fight the devil – Therefore, let us sing the psalm of good deeds so that we may drive out sin which is worse than the demon. For the demon will certainly not deprive us of the Kingdom of heaven, but it will sometimes be of help to a soul which is sober and watchful. (Pg 3, #14)
  • Allow the Psalms to teach your soul – For if we teach the tongue to sing, the soul will be ashamed to desire what is contrary to the song the tongue is singing. Nor is this the only blessing we will gain. We shall also come to know many of the things which bring us to perfection. For David tells you of things present and things to come, of the creation which is seen and that which is unseen. (Pg 3, #16)
  • Allow the Psalms to teach your mind – If you wish to busy yourselves about the foundations of the earth, David does not hide them from you, for you will hear him singing in a psalm: “He has founded it upon the seas.” If you wish to learn from where the earthquakes come, he will free you from your whole difficulty when he says: “Who looks upon the earth and makes it tremble. (Pg 4, #18)
  • The Psalms teach about “The End” – And David also teaches that there will be an end in death when he says: “God will free my soul from the hand of Hades when he shall receive me.” He also tells us where our body came from: “He remembered that we are dust. (Pg 4, #21)
  • The Psalms teach about Christ  – Make a start from the texts I have mentioned and you will come to know all the rest about Christ, the resurrection, the life to come. You will learn about resting, punishment, moral matters, and everything about doctrines. You will find the book filled with countless blessings. (Pg 5, #24)
  • The Psalms bring comfort and hope – Does your heart grow faint and are you despondent? Listen to David when he says: “Why, my soul, are you so exceedingly sorrowful and why do you disturb me? Hope in God; for I shall praise him and thank him; he is the health of my countenance, he is my God. (Pg 5, #27)

Send Off – Be Thankful for the Scriptures So let us give thanks to God for these lessons and let us keep our treasure in hand so that: “Through the patience and consolation afforded by the Scriptures we may have hope,” and enjoy the blessings of the life to come. (Pg 6, #30)