Joshua 1:8
"...[B]ut you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8).
"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." (John 5:39).
"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13).
"It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. Rather, as it is written:
ReplyDelete“Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.”
This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you."
Exactly what does this mean??
Hey Joel, I think Paul's just referring to church building. He wanted to go to those who hadn't yet been preached to - to spread the good news to those who had yet to hear it - to Gentile nations.
ReplyDeleteI liked how this chapter emphasised living not to please yourself but to encourage your neighbor. Verse 5 is both practical and funny; I agree how we need to be steadfast and encouraging to be around one another. It's REALLY hard to be around the same people all the time and not grow weary and bicker or gossip - just ask my wife!
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting article that somewhat pertains to this topic if anyone cares to read it:
http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/20506
Ha... Yes Josh it doesn't take me long to grow weary of people. If I had it my way I'd go be a hermit in the mountains far away from anybody... except my wife and kids. But as evidenced by Paul here and the article you posted God clearly wants us to involved in relalationships with other believers and the world around us, putting them first. Another convicting chapter. Ouch!
ReplyDeleteYep. I agree, Joel. Isn't Romans great! ;)
ReplyDeleteI (Karyn) never seem to have the depth and in site that Joel and Josh have, but I am a huge fan of Romans. If we are convicted that means God is working in our hearts. He is making us more aware of how we live our lives every day. I agree that the routine of life sometimes gets stale, but that is all the more reason to keep friendships and to really engage with people. I think that many people, Christians included seem to expect a lot to be given to them when it comes to friendships. When in actuality God wants us to give of ourselves and expect absolutely nothing in return. That is the hardest part for me, I think that I am a very generous and giving person and then I find I have to check myself to make sure I am doing it because my heart truly wants to, not in hopes of something in return. (This includes encouraging my friends, family etc) I need to learn to do things how Christ did not the Karyn sees best.
ReplyDeleteBack to the earlier comments - what about preaching to those who have heard but chose to not listen? Or those who have built their faith upon a faulty foundation? And then I think of the Radical book and his ministry in New Orleans - didn't it take him 50 days before anyone "heard him", and they explicitly stated that they had heard about this Jesus guy before... So while I see how this verse speaks to church building - does it take away from the importance of mentoring those new in their faith? Or steering some in the right direction?
ReplyDeleteUm - Josh what are implying exactly? :-) I NEVER get tired of people. Especially my own blasted dramatic family. Was that whining? But I do have to remind myself (more so in the last couple days) that I need to at least be a fraction as patient with others as God is with me. I'm sure that I have neglected to hear him on several accounts, therefore who am I to be frustrated with others? Kind of like Josh getting mad when someone doesn't use their blinker (or is late to use it), because he NEVER does that. *thick sarcasm
And Karyn there are philosophy classes on that! I had a Prof who is solidly convinced that all charity and good deeds are performed solely out of selfishness. For our own satisfaction (devout atheist/lusted after Darwin). I have to remind myself that our relationships are to glorify God, so if I am anything less than supportive and encouraging I am not doing my job (definitely a work in progress).
Okay. Going to bed before midnight. 7 hours of sleep is my goal. Hopefully the content of my posts will improve proportionally to the amount of sleep I'm getting...
Mary, I think your comparing apples to oranges. Everyone has a faulty foundation until they accept Christ (remember the parable that Jesus taught of the fool who built upon the sand?) - that's not really the point. The point is Paul establishing foundations (churches) built on Christ where there weren't any, which if you recall from Acts, was everywhere except Israel. And if you recall, Paul certainly stayed some places longer than others and made many disciples but for the most part was ran out of town. Paul didn't have the luxury to just hang out in one spot for a long period of time - that was the job of the churches established in those areas, and the purpose of this letter to the Romans that we are reading now, along with the many other letters making up the rest of the New Testament.
ReplyDelete*as a side note, be careful to remember that building churches doesn't mean erecting a building but making disciples that in turn gather together regularly and spread the word of God.
Karyn, you have a great point! It's not truly love if you expect something in return. As Mary pointed out, the world doesn't understand this which is why it's so important for christians to understand what true love looks like. The display of true love baffles the world and points them to what life in Christ looks like.
Great posts!