Nice and Gentle Paul. Really? Yes. Romans 12 and 13.

This is unexpected. Paul is done ranting and his urging becomes much more gentle in last chapters of Romans. If this seems weird to you, these chapters are also misused by Christians for some pretty aggressive things that Paul never intended. Paul urges unity and understanding, but people often use Romans 12:2 for exclusion and separation and Romans 13:1-7 for bullying. Knowing what they really say and how some people use them can show you how people use the Bible badly to support their ideas. In this helpful episode, I celebrate the beauty of these chapters while showing you the pit falls. It’s important to be a skeptical reader, especially when something doesn’t sound right. If you do it well, you can really enjoy and feel uplifted by Paul is really saying in these chapters. 

Transcript

Copy

SPEAKER_00 0:18

Welcome to the Real Bible Rob teamcast. Well, is Paul a good guy or a not such a good guy? And a lot of people uh really wonder about Paul. And um in this episode, I'll tell you about um how people use Romans 12 and Romans 13. And actually, this kind of shows Paul being quite nice and gentle, especially after the earlier parts of the book. Um, sometimes people think that Paul's very harsh, but that has a lot more to do with how they want to use the book. And that's what I'll show you here is that this uh Paul had maybe did do some and he did do some ranting and urging and things like that in the other parts of the of Romans, but then when you come to 12, 13, and then the rest of the book, 14, 15, and 16, you really see kind of a different Paul. And um, but then you go, well, you're crazy. Why would you think that Paul is uh nice and gentle about these chapters? Because in these two chapters, people use certain verses for some pretty aggressive things. So I'll describe what those aggressive things are so that you can see them, but then I want to celebrate how really wonderful uh these are, and how if you read it with an open mind and a little bit differently, you can see uh how the these two chapters, but also just really all of the book of Romans with a lot more comfort and support and celebrate how beautiful it is. Um, it's really uh it's a good example of how you can use scripture. A lot of people go, well, why do I spend so much time as a pastor uh talking about these things? Well, I really want people to look and love the the scriptures uh again, because there are so many people who use the scriptures in order to bully others, uh to push agendas, to to do these things that are really pretty bad to separate people. When Paul really isn't talking about that, he's talking about in these uh chapters, he's talking about unity, understanding, people getting along, people putting up with each other, but more than putting up with each other, uh loving each other in spite of their differences. You especially see that in chapter 14, but chapter 12 and chapter 13 lead up to chapter 14 and um and toward the end of the book. So if you can read these differently, I promise you'll start going, oh, I get it. This is much nicer. Paul is a much more gentle and encouraging person than he's often uh portrayed. A lot of people look at Paul, especially if you're a um uh uh a woman, a young woman, you might look at this and go, Oh, that Paul guy, I really don't like him. He is so mean to women. Well, that is completely false. And I do have, um, and I will talk about more this more as how um actually Paul really depended on women a lot and really uplifts them in ways that um uh people don't realize. But in these two chapters, Paul uplifts um people that are from very different backgrounds in really great ways. So let's get into it. I'll mention a couple of different places where um these chapters are misused, and then I'll uh walk through a couple of the things to kind of celebrate how they should be read and uh how you should how you can look at them without getting that um angry pit in your stomach that a lot of people do when they read the scriptures. Uh sometimes that angry pit in your stomach, sometimes that uh uh this doesn't feel right, a lot is an indication, is a sign that maybe you should take a little bit deeper look. And when you take that little bit deeper look, then you go, oh, I see why, I see why I feel this way. It's it's not because of what Paul said, it's because what people say that Paul said. So let's get started. I'll start with um uh chapter 12. There is uh the first three verses are just amazing. Actually, the first two verses, I'll just I'll just read those. They're just amazing, and then I'll tell you how they're misused, and then I'll tell you what they really mean. Okay. So starting with verse one, chapter 12, I appeal to you, therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God's mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you might discern what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable, and perfect. Now, there's some tough language here, but um, it really just means um because God is so merciful, because God is so loving and comforting, which is what that word mercy really means in this case, Paul's urging us to and saying, you know, not only can you you can offer yourself as a in your body to God for worship, for uh for goodness, for God's purpose. And then it says, Don't be conformed by this age. In a lot of translations, maybe the one that you have in front of you, if you have an ESV or an NIV or a King James, some of the older ones, it'll say, Do not be conformed to this world. And I'm reading from the very newest uh one here, the NRSV updated edition. But um most of the older translations say, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed, in other words, be changed by the by your mind renewing, thinking differently and new, being transformed. And that because you're transformed and you see things a little bit different, then you can understand what God's doing, that what that means is the will of God. What is God, what's how's God acting uh in us? And then you can understand what's good about it, what's acceptable about it, what's perfect about what God is doing with us in the world. So let's talk a little bit about how this is misused and used very badly. Because older versions of the Bible say, do not be conformed to this world, and you probably have heard this. If you listen to any preacher preach on this, they'll say, Don't be part of the world. And what they mean is they don't be part of the world outside of church. They'll sometimes use words like, don't be part of the secular world. You know, don't listen to the music of the world. You know, you should only listen to Christian music. Um, don't be afraid or worry, wary of those friends of yours that aren't Christians. Um, don't trust the government, don't trust uh the people uh that you meet in school and things like that. Maybe you can be kind and good to them, but don't be conform to them. You're separate, you're different, you're better. That's what they really mean. And that's not what this means at all. That word world in it comes from a very old tradition, and it's not what Paul says. Paul uses a Greek word here. Now, remember, all of the New Testament was written in Greek. So what we're reading is we're bringing an English translation of the Greek, and Paul uses a word called Ioni. And Ioni means age or era or time, um, sometimes can even mean for forever. But it what it really means is kind of like the way people are thinking. He's saying don't uh shape yourself, don't be shaped by the way people are thinking in this time. And um, and you can say, well, well, that does that mean I should pull away. No, what it really means when he's talking about this group of people that he's talking to, because he's talking to the Christians, he's not talking about not Christians or anybody else, he's talking just to the his Christian communities, and he's saying, Don't, he's not saying separate or don't listen, you know, don't listen to other people. What he's saying is don't be caught up in their arguments, don't uh don't lose faith because things are are so bad around. And and and just and think differently. Think in in godly ways, think in the ways that God thinks, uh, be transformed by that in the renewing of your mind. It doesn't really even say be spiritual, although you can do it this way. It's really kind of like uh in use your mind in a different way. And there's nothing bad about that. That's good. We want to do that. So, how does that work for us then to be in this age, uh this age, not to be conformed to this age? Is you know, we're living in a time where there's lots of politics, there's lots of people arguing about a lot of things, and you know, it's exhausting, it's tiring. Well, that's what was happening in Paul's time, too. These were two groups of or two or three, maybe more groups of Christians who were fighting constantly, and they were fighting over what to eat, what to wear. Um, they were fighting over doctrine, meaning um, you know, the rules of the church. They kept fighting. And Paul said, stop it. You you can relax, you don't have to be caught up in this. And that can mean in this era, and it can mean it's in the church and outside the church. So the outside the church, that you know, these were Roman people and they were uh in a world filled with all kinds of um different ideas and stuff like that. And he's saying don't you it doesn't say anything about separating from them, it doesn't say anything about being exclusive and saying you only can listen to a certain kind of music or you can only um uh you know be in a certain kind of school or something like that. Not at all. He's saying, you know, be part of the world, be part of everything around you, just don't be shaped by the arguments, and and he's kind of saying, just relax a little bit because you've given up your your body over to God, but you know, not literally, but in a way like, you know, you you aren't just for yourself, you're also for God, and you're a living sacrifice to God in your body. And then in verse two, it's also in your mind. You've you you you're thinking at a different level. And that's good. So sometimes when you see these arguments that people will have about, well, no, it you should act this way and you should be this way, and you should do that, and you should do that. And then you have another group of people saying, no, you shouldn't be, you shouldn't be, you shouldn't be. What Paul's saying is that you don't have to get involved in that. Don't be shaped by those arguments. Just, you know, look to God, be transformed. Transformed just means to be changed by God, um, and the renewing of your mind. So just you can kind of pull away, back away. And I think this is really great advice because a lot of times we get stuck in arguments, we feel terrible, we think we're wrong, we we think that the um uh the world is trying to pull us into a direction that the church won't doesn't want us to, or you can even say the church is trying to pull us into a direction that just doesn't isn't right. Step back. That's what Paul's saying. Step back, take a bigger view. So that's why I I this is a big verse because uh a lot of churches they'll talk about this, a lot of Christians will talk about this, that they're not to be part of the world. And uh it doesn't mean that at all. It just means think bigger, think bigger, and Paul says that over and over again. So then let's and if you go very to the very next parts here, and the part I love most about chapter 12 is let love be genuine, he says in verse 9. Hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good, love another, love one another with mutual affection, and do outdo one another in showing honor. So, in other words, be good. Don't being good is the best thing you can do, and where you really see that is at the end of the chapter. Now, this is another place where it gets misused a little bit, misunderstood, and I want you to do that is because he'll say, Bless those who persecute you. So remember, these are people um in the Roman Empire that are being really mistreated by the authorities and by other by other groups. And he said, you know, don't curse them, just rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep, live in harmony with one another, don't be arrogant, but associate with the lowly, the people who are pushed away and shunned. Spend time with them. Don't claim to be wiser than you are. Such great advice. Don't let them, don't let the turkeys get you down, is something sometimes people say. Don't let the people push you down. Um, and just just be good. So at the end of the chapter, people get a little bit upset by this is that um, because Paul quotes Moses way back in Deuteronomy, and where it says, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. And what he's saying there is um that it's God's job to take care of the differences and the anger and the and the badness. It's God's job to judge who's right and who's wrong, not you and me. Not so much. I mean, we we have to be smart, you know. We have to say, well, that doesn't make sense, that's not good, that's not not that's bad, that we have to do that for sure. And I'm not saying you don't do that, but just to step back again. That's what that means. That's what the beginning of chapter 12 means. Step back, just let people let them do what they're gonna do. But you can the best way you can do things is by being good. And if your enemies are hungry, feed them, he says. If they're thirsty, give them something to drink. For by doing this, now there comes a bat again, you'll be heaping burning coals on their heads. Well, you know, I that that's also an old phrase, too. It's just you know, just love people with kindness. Sometimes people will say, kill them with kindness. Um that, you know, again, but that doesn't mean to be arrogant and stand above them, say, oh, I'm just so much better than you. No, it just says be really assume the best of people, be kind to them, take care of them, even if you're at they're your enemies. How many times has that happened to you? It's happened to me a lot, especially as a pastor. Um, people will be really angry, they'll be uh they'll say mean things to me. I mean, some of the meanest things you can imagine, other Christians do this to me. But a lot of times, uh, if I just am gentle and I'm kind, sometimes I'll push back, but other times when I'm gentle and kind, and I just, you know, a lot of times they'll come around and say, Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so mean to you. Or even if they don't say they're sorry, at least they'll go, they'll respect me for being kind. So that that's where you should be too. I really think that instead of getting into petty, stupid fights, which is what Paul was dealing with, remember, he was dealing with people who are getting into dumb fights, just you know, what what what to eat, how to eat, how to dress, you know, stuff like that. And um, and they were at each other's throats. And he's just saying, don't do that. And don't you know, it you might think they're your enemy, but well, you know, if they're wrong, let God deal with it. That's what he's saying. And then this is the best part because we we do live in evil times, we live with evil all around us, and you have to wonder, what do I do? How do I deal with that? Do not be overcome by evil. This means don't despair, don't give up, but overcome evil with good. Such great advice. Sometimes people will say, Don't go the low road, take the high road. And I know that's hard, especially in things like politics, especially in things, and I'm not saying you don't fight back sometimes. You do have to fight back. You have to say, no, you're wrong, and this is why. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And you do have to fight back. But that's but don't use, don't be evil to them, don't repay evil for evil. Instead, overcome evil with good. What fantastic advice. So you can see that just in these few verses that I talked about, Paul is saying be gentle, be kind, be care, you know, just be caring. You don't have to fight silly fights. Isn't that a different view? Maybe a different view that you might have had of Paul, or certainly it's a different view than um when people say you should separate from the world or you should um be exclusive and sit and act like you're better than the world. Because he doesn't say that. Instead, he's just saying take it easy, relax, be genuine, be good. I mean, it's just really just like that, and it can be so helpful. Now come to a little bit more difficult one, and that is Romans uh 13. The first part of Romans 13 is used uh really badly by some Christians, um, because uh it's very political. And uh Paul probably uh didn't mean it to be political. We have to it it it's a little bit hard to figure out what Paul means here, but if you take it in the same way that you take Romans 12 about sit back, relax, let God handle things. Um again, it doesn't mean you don't oppose them, or it doesn't mean that you don't stand up, but don't be evil, don't repay evil for evil, because that's the very last um uh verse of chapter 12, and he goes right into talking about the authority of the government in chapter 13. Says, let every person place themselves under the authority of the government. There isn't any authority unless it comes from God, and the authorities are there, have been put there by God. So anybody who opposes the authority of standing against what God has established, people who take this kind of stand will be punished. Wow, that sounds really awful. Well, and guess what? What's awful about it is the way people use this. What you'll find is it depends a lot on where you stand politically. So where you what you'll see is because we have a per a Republican president right now, um, you'll see that Republicans really love these few verses. Here. God put them in place there. Therefore, you need to obey, right? Well, you know what? When that when that changes, and it did back, you know, in 2020, and it will change again sometime in the future. Um, they will take these verses and say, Matt, well, that doesn't really apply anymore. And then, you know, people who are are Democrat will probably do the same thing to say, see, look, the scriptures support my person. Um, we live in a time where people are very divided, and they when people use scripture to um say, this is my side, God is on my side, then that's what they do, especially with chapter 13, verses 1 through 7. Paul is speaking generally here. Paul is talking about the government in Rome that could not be changed by voting. Paul was not able to, and the people that Paul's talking to were not able to change the government through voting, it just didn't exist then, right? They were under the government. Paul's saying, relax, uh you the and and and to say God has a purpose here, right? When we use it in our time to uh uh to say that our government that's in place right now is there because of God, well, that may or may not be true, but the thing is, is then we when we take that away when the people we don't like are in government. So if you're a lot of people don't like the American government right now at all, and that's true throughout the world. Are you saying that they're not listening to or um believing in Romans 13? No, that's not what they're saying. They're just saying, no, we think this is a bad government. Same thing has happened over and over again in other parts and in other and all around the world. Is that, you know, what do you say and how do you use it? Paul is making a general argument here. He's saying, you know, you you you just have to realize that take time. It's kind of like what I said before about, you know, don't be conformed or don't be shaped by this age. Saying be patient, things will change, that the things of the moment don't last forever. Boy, that's such good advice today. Because if you're not happy with what's going on right now, just be good. Be, you know, be careful, be vigilant, do the right things, things will change. Nothing lasts forever. That's kind of the tone in which he's talking. But the most important thing about here is you have to go down a little bit. If because the government or the way people do, especially if the government is good or doing good things, sometimes they do good things, sometimes they do bad things, then God has a purpose in this. And also that it's important that you know, sometimes punishment does happen because people commit crimes, people do bad things. We we need a government in order to be able to regulate how people are, right? That's just what he's saying. The most important thing about here, though, is that because it's used so badly, that these verses here, it's used in order to say, my government's good and your government's bad, or my candidate's good and your candidate's bad, my president is good and your president's bad, so much, and people misuse it for that reason. They forget the most important part. Down in verse six, it kind of gives you the idea because he's talking about something really practical. He's saying, follow the law, pay your taxes. That's all he's saying. He's saying, you as a Christian, you can't separate yourself from the world. This is like what I talked about at the beginning of chapter 12. You know, to this idea that, you know, be uh apart from the world, don't let the world. He's not talking about that at all. But people will say, then, therefore, um uh I shouldn't pay taxes. And some people do say that. But verse six says, you should also pay taxes for the same reason. What? Paul is saying pay taxes? Yes, because the authorities are God's assistants concerned with this very thing. So pay everyone you owe them. Huh. In other words, don't cheat people, right? That also means don't cheat the government, right? Pay your taxes, whether you agree or not, you gotta do it, because that's what Paul's saying. Pay the taxes you owe, okay? Pay the duties that you are charged, okay, which are basically the same thing. In other words, if you have an obligation or you are supposed to do something, just do it. Don't stop fighting it, right? But then I think the two really important sentences here are respect those who you should respect and honor those who you should honor. There is there is a little bit of a two sides here, but the people who you should respect should be respectful, and the people you should honor should be deserving of honor, too. So it's not saying just be blind, it's also to say um that you know you've got your eyes open, and it's it's you can oppose, you can speak for yourself, but don't be dishonorable, don't be disrespectful. Then and so in a way is that Paul is saying again, just like he said in chapter 12, just be good, right? Don't and I I kind of if I look at this, I say uh in sometimes in politics, politics is very rough, right? People really fight. That's not necessarily bad because people need to um uh not just uh uh roll over, they do need to talk, they do need to vote, they do need to do all these things. I would say that if Paul were living today in a in our world, he would also write in here vote. Vote every time you can, because voting is the way that our will becomes the will of the government. You know, um, and and and just be a good citizen. That's what he's saying here. There was so much movement, there were so many people in this time in Paul's churches that were saying, I don't have to be a citizen, I don't have to do my obligation, I don't have to follow the law of the Romans, I don't have to do any of that because I've got Jesus, right? You've got you kind of hear that today, don't you? You say, well, I'm washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. Remember when uh the my uh the I think a great example was a few years ago for public health reasons, in order to keep get people keep people from dying, we were strongly urged to get the uh COVID vaccine, to wear masks, to do things to uh uh to do that. Uh some Christians were very, very much against this. And you and sometimes they were um right in that they were saying that maybe the restrictions were worse than the benefit. Okay, and you can have that argument, right? But a lot of Christians made it all about uh God and just that you know that that uh these vaccines are going to uh you know uh be against God and things like that. It's just totally ridiculous. They're saying I don't have to follow the law because I'm washed in the blood of Jesus. I'm protected by the blood of Jesus. Did you hear that? If you did, then you gotta say to yourself, you go, wait a minute. Maybe they're misusing scripture. Maybe they're saying the opposite of what Paul is saying here. Paul is saying, be a good citizen, care about other people, um, follow the law, pay your taxes, give honor to those who deserve honor, give respect to those who deserve respect. That's all he's saying. So you can't use you can't use it to support your side and then put it away when it doesn't support your side. That's that's really the worst thing about this chapter 13. So let's step back. Once you get through that part, people fight about um verses one through seven in uh Romans 13 a lot. Then we go to verse 8. Don't be in debt to anyone except for the obligation or the need to love one another. Whoever loves another person doesn't say certain people at all, just another person has fulfilled the law. The commandments are fulfilled. You must love your neighbor as yourself, he says again. Love doesn't do anything wrong to a neighbor, therefore, love is what fulfills the law. So here we heard all of this stuff about government, here we heard all of this stuff about authority, here we heard all of this stuff that people misuse. And then the very next thing says, Don't be in debt to anyone, just love one another. It's so important. Again, notice how he did this again in chapter 13, like he did in 12. He's saying, back off, relax, God's got this, you're okay. This is gentle, this is kind. Even the stuff, the reason why we fight over um verses one through seven isn't about Paul, it's about us. It's because we want to misuse this um chapter for our own purposes. Whereas Paul's saying, no, just let God do it. This is so important. And and as you come toward the end of uh 13, you get this uh um kind this imagery that's actually very beautiful. Now our salvation is nearer to uh than when we first had faith. Now, some people will look at this and go, well, this is about you know the future, about heaven, about the end times and stuff like that. And it might be, but it's really about enlightening because night's almost over, the day is near, you know, things are um if you know, if you're in uh Christ, you're in God, you know, there's hope, there's goodness coming. And that and he's saying, you know, do not spend your time partying and getting drunk and sleeping around and doing all these things. He's not saying don't have fun, don't enjoy life, not at all. He's just saying, you know what, that stuff doesn't matter. That, you know, the that bad stuff that people do is kind of selfish. Not fighting and not obsessing over things, not being jealous of other people. That's what he's saying. Instead, he says, dress yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ and don't just give in to your selfish desires. I think that these are really, really helpful because it it just again, it just says, relax, be humble, do your thing, be good. And you can enjoy life, yeah, sure. In fact, you can be much more relaxed about life. So that's what I hope that you can get from looking at these chapters a little bit differently. Instead of being tense and use them for fighting, Paul is saying the exact opposite of what people use these chapters for. These chapters are about getting along, agreeing, being a good person, being having the right ideas and the right motives. That's what Paul is doing here. He's not it. If I would think that if he ever or if he knew what how people use his words today for fighting and for anger, he'd go, no, no, you're just you're not getting what I'm saying here. I'm saying the opposite. I'm just saying love one another, be together, you know, even if you disagree, get along, you know, be gentle, be kind. So this is gentle and kind, Paul. I know that's hard to believe, and a lot of people don't use Paul for gentleness and kindness, but that's exactly what he's doing here. And you'll really see that if you make it to the end of the book, if you go to chapter 14, 15, and 16. I love chapter 16, actually. Uh, and I was talking to a biblical scholar about this. I really love it the most because what does Paul do? He just thanks everybody, he's he just lifts people up. He says, you know, all of his co-workers, and he doesn't mean necessarily people that you know are under his authority, he just means all of those other people out there doing the good work, you know, supporting each other. What a, you know, here's this guy who's very passionate, very, I mean, he Paul doesn't stand back from an argument. If you look at especially things like, you know, um 2 Corinthians or something, he's fighting like crazy. He's pushing back like crazy. But he's saying, you know, be gentle, be kind, take care, God'll take care of things. And I hope that that's what you can get from this too. That you can get peace from this. If you read Romans, um, and you read it through with care, enough care to try to really understand it, you you can come to the end. And there are lots of scholars that have said this. I was talking to one last week, and she said, if you re if you reach Romans 14 especially, and you've been through everything, the ups and the downs and the and the difficult parts of it, and you come to Romans 14 with a sense of peace and gratitude and gentleness, then you got the right message from Romans. Wow, what a difference than what we often hear in uh in church world today. So, this is what I'm hoping that you can do too, is that you can fall in love with these books. You can fall in love with this letter and not let it make you stressed out. Don't be stressed out. Now, Paul's saying the exact opposite. Sit back, enjoy God, enjoy your life, enjoy what God has for you. So, with that, I'll just say thanks so much for listening. This is a really important topic, and I really hope that you, you know, take the time to reach this sense of peace in your life. It'll serve you well for the rest of your life. So, with that, I say thanks be to God, and thanks thanks to you. God bless you.