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The objective of this lesson: to illustrate the importance and power of motives to God by considering Christian-Christian relationships.
The struggle to establish Christianity in the first century was a difficult challenge! Likely the easiest of the difficult challenges was God's part. In no way is the last statement intended to indicate that Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection were not demanding and costly. However, that was a definite known. It resulted from thousands of years of planning on God's part!
Stress to your students that the existence of Christianity in the first century was not a simple matter. Perhaps talk about some of the disadvantages [there were advantages] of beginning any movement in that age. Note the personal sacrifice of some Christians in the first century. Note prejudices that existed at that time against Jews and prejudices that many Jews held toward gentile peoples.
Human beings are horribly unpredictable! We often refuse to surrender to what is truly best for us! We especially refuse to surrender to what is best for us if it fails to meet our expectations. We commonly have specific expectations regarding God's actions. When we hear from God matters that do not meet our expectations, we are tempted to confront or deny rather than listen and learn.
Humans usually are specific in their expectations of how things should be or how things should occur. Ask your students to help you illustrate that fact by using any type of example they wish: failed marriage expectations; failed educational expectations; failed patriotic expectations; etc.
In the first century [and long before] the Jewish nation was very small (consider Deuteronomy 7:6-8). They viewed themselves in a way we American Christians should understand: "If we place our faith in God, God is thrilled! We are all God wants!" Early Jewish Christians simply could not understand how God could be interested in people who were not Jews! If you never considered that attitude, pay careful attention to Acts 11:1-3; 15:1-5; and 21:17-26. Jewish Christians [and devout Jews in general] did not deny or reject the reality of God's grace. However, they could not imagine accessing divine grace by a means that did not go through their nation and obedience to the law. Not even God would produce an avenue to divine grace that did not primarily involve the Jewish people! [Consider Romans 6:1.] Jewish Christians declared Jesus Christ was wonderful, but he was no substitute for Jewish proselytism!
Discuss the fact that many people think, "God likes us best!" or, "All it takes to satisfy God is having us!" How would such views affect our expectations in being evangelistic? How would such views affect other peoples who are not "a part of us."
Note the truth that God's actions are not dictated by human expectations. God can function in ways we do not expect or appreciate!
The body of Paul's letter to the Romans falls naturally and obviously into two parts: chapters 1-11 and chapters 12-15. Chapters 1:16-11:36 dealt basically with how God saves people. Chapters 12:1-15:33 discussed how Christians in Rome's environment [at the time Paul wrote] would act if they lived in Jesus Christ.
This letter addresses two primary issues: (1) How does God work in saving people? (2) How do people who accept that salvation behave in their daily actions?
Do stress that this was written to Christians who lived in the capital of the Roman empire at a specific time. In that environment, how should Christians act in daily life?
People who were devout Jews and people who were not Jewish lived quite differently. Consider examples. Devout Jews believed in one God (Exodus 20:3-6; Deuteronomy 6:4). Gentiles [any people who were not Jewish] commonly believed in many gods represented by idols. Devout Jews worked six days a week, but did no work on the Sabbath [Saturday] (Exodus 20:8-11). To gentiles, each day demanded work if people were to survive. Devout Jewish people followed a strict dietary code for religious reasons. There were numerous things a devout Jew would not eat! [Read Leviticus 11.] Gentiles were not as discriminating in their diets. Jews ate no pork; gentiles did. Jews ate no camel meat; gentiles would. To make the food subject even more complex, Paul said all food was sanctified to the Christian if he gave thanks to God (1 Timothy 4:1-5). Thus Jewish Christians were busy teaching gentile Christians how to do things the Jewish way ["our way is right because it is the proper way (or only) way].
Discuss and illustrate the difficulty of accepting Christians who are not "like us" in emphasis, practice, and traditions. What do you look for when you moving requires you to search for a congregation of Christians to worship with?
The background of the letter is understood to be as follows. The Emperor Claudius banned all Jews from Rome (Acts 18:1,2) because of riots they caused in Rome concerning "Chrestus" [thought by many to be Jesus Christ]. When Jewish Christians left Rome, the church [Christian community in Rome] did things in agreement with Jewish ways and traditions. When Claudius died, the ban automatically ended, and Jewish Christians returned expecting to find Jewish ways and traditions honored in the Christian community. However, matters changed in their absence. The Christian community survived well under gentile Christian leadership. The end result: a significant confrontation among Christians about the way the Christian community did things--the Jewish way or the gentile way?
A common expectation: "Things will not change." Yet, everything changes. Illustrate that often is a noticeable fact when a man or woman lives away from his or her culture for a period of time. When Jewish Christians returned to Rome, they expected to find things being done exactly as they left them in the Christians community. Just consider the difference it would make to be a community structured around the synagogue and a community structured around house churches.
In Paul's instructions are the admonitions of Romans 14. Note several things. First, the purpose of conversion to Christ WAS NOT to pass judgment on the weak. Instead Christians had a responsibility to accept the weak. Interestingly, the weak in this statement are Jewish Christians (which likely made them unhappy--no one wants to be considered weak), not gentile Christians. At this moment in the history of the Christian community in Rome, the gentiles rather than the Jews dominated that community.
Even today, how the church [Christian community] should treat "weak" Christians is a challenging issue. How should we determine who is weak? Romans 14 considered Jewish Christians who always knew the one God, always had written scripture, and always lived by at least some Christian morals as the weak.
Second, practices often were contradictory. One Christian was a vegetarian. He [or she] could not know if the meat sold in meat market came from an idol's temple and its sacrificial worship. So he [or she] thought it was best to be safe and eat no meat! Another Christian ate anything the meat market sold. However Paul's directions are clear! The Christian who ate all meat was not to hold in contempt the Christian who was a vegetarian [likely a gentile Christian was not to hold a Jewish Christian in contempt]. Nor was the vegetarian Christian to judge the Christian who ate all kinds of meat [likely a Jewish Christian judging a gentile Christian]. Both were God's servants! Neither was the other's property! God owned both! God could and did accept both!
God accepted vegetarian Christians who were vegetarian for religious reasons and Christians who ate any kind of meat without even inquiring if it was from a sacrifice to an idol. Those two religious views were truly opposite views. Yet, God accepted both as His servants, and they should accept each other.
Since they as Christians practiced opposite expressions of their faith in the Lord, how could God own both? MOTIVES! Read carefully 14:5, 6. Both the one who ate all meat without asking its source and the one who abstained from eating meat sacrificed to idols acted for the same reason--to express their faith in God!
Stress it was their motives, not their Christian acts, that made them acceptable to God. Correct motives could make opposite acts in Christian behavior acceptable to God!
Third, consider Paul's second example in their current circumstances--their recognition of special days as religious days. Some recognized religious days and some did not. The principle was this: make certain you are convinced of what you do, and be sure your conviction it is an act of a conscience that honors God.
The second example was also a common matter among Christians far more so than today. If you want a "today illustration" among Christians, consider attitudes toward Christmas, Easter, etc. DO NOT ARGUE, JUST ILLUSTRATE!
Fourth, in matters of "religious views" of diet and observing holy days (Sabbaths, Passover, Pentecost, etc.???), remember each Christian honored God in what he or she did. Even though the acts were opposite, those doing the acts or abstaining from the acts were, to that Christian, appropriately honoring the Lord.
The key consideration among Christians: does the act [action] occur because the person honors God?
Fifth, consider Paul's instructions. (1) Remember to accept, not judge, Christians. (2) Remember every Christian belongs to and serves God, not you. (3) Therefore, remember you are God's servant, not God's evaluator of other Christians. (4) God has the power to make both stand, and will. (5) The same motive motivates both of you.
Simply note the instructions. If other things stand out to you in your study, certainly note them.
The supreme principle: as a Christian, you exist to show faith in God; you do not exist to please yourself. Christians do not exist to evaluate God's practices--we exist to honor God whether physically alive or dead. Christ died to be Lord of your life! You died in baptism to be in Christ and belong to God! Let Jesus be Lord! Let God be God! You do not allow that to occur in your life IF you judge Christians or hold Christians in contempt. Christians will explain themselves to God! Realize that fact as you responsibly demonstrate your faith.
The core of the 'supreme principle' is expressing faith in God. The only qualified judge is God because He knows hearts! We do not! If we are not extremely careful, we will condemn a Christian whose heart belongs to God. God saves. God condemns. We serve.
For Thought and Discussion:
In the discussion should be the fact that we tend to approve of Christians who agree with our understanding. We should approve of Christians who are in God's grace because they yielded by faith and obedience to Jesus Christ.
In this discussion, ask the students to share their understanding of the instructions in Romans 14. Guide the discussion. Resist any temptation to adopt a debating mentality. If you want your students to listen to you, listen to them.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 13
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