The Gospel Expressed Week 22 Unity in the Church

 

WORD

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae,

2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. ROM 16:1-2

In the last chapter of Romans, Paul commended a number of people to the church in Rome, and gave some last warnings. The chapter can be quickly read as it seems to be simply a long list of names, like reading the end credits of a movie. But in this chapter, we can learn three things about keeping unity in the church.

1 Honor the unsung heroes of the church.

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae,

2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. ROM 16:1-2

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Every person that Paul named had stories that he mentioned briefly. He asked the church in Rome to greet and welcome them, as they had done so much. These are people that we don’t read about anywhere else in the Bible, and yet from the description, they had given their greatest efforts and even risked their lives for God, the gospel, and the apostles. This sounds a lot like the church community today. There are so many who do so much behind the scenes, who are never seen on stage, and whose names are never flashed on screen. God will indeed reward each person for what they have done, but we can still follow Paul’s example and honor and acknowledge their work. What does Php 2:3 say about how we must treat others?

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. PHP 2:3

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By insolence comes nothing but strife,

but with those who take advice is wisdom. PRO 13:10

By insolence comes nothing but strife—Heb. מצה, controversy.

But with those who take advice is wisdom—But wisdom lies with those who behave with advice.

2 Watch out for those who cause division.

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. ROM 16:17

Paul sent a warning as well to the church in Rome: to avoid those who would cause division in the church. There were those among them who caused dissension by creating religious requirements contrary to sound doctrine. These then became obstacles to unity with others. Paul warned the church in Rome that although they were known for their obedience, he still wanted them to be alert; to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil (Rom 16:19). He reminded them to hope in God, who would crush Satan. In the same way, we are all prone to deception. However, we can be alert to the schemes of the enemy (2Co 2:11) and hope in God, who has won the ultimate victory over death. How do you keep alert in the Spirit?

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For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. ROM 16:19

I will ponder the way that is blameless.

Oh when will you come to me?

I will walk with integrity of heart

within my house . . . PSA 101:2

I will ponder—I will direct my thoughts to the way that is blameless.

When will you come to me—The straight path, to walk upon it, and I will walk with integrity of heart even within my house, in private as well as in public.

. . . so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. 2CO 2:11

1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

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To accuse him—To accuse him because his sons were married to Gentile women, as it is written in the Book of Ezra (10:18): “Now there were found some of the sons of the priests who had taken foreign wives . . . of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, etc.”

2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?”

The Lord rebuke you, O Satan—The holy One, blessed be he, shall rebuke you, O you Satan (and then he repeated and said: The Lord rebuke you, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem Moharaz Margolioth); and he who rebukes you is the One who has chosen Jerusalem, that you shall not enter before him to accuse this righteous man. Is he not fit, and has he not merited this? For he was saved from the consuming fire.

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Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?—It is related in the Aggadah of chapter Helek Helek (Sanhedrin 93a) that he Joshua was cast into the fire with Ahab son of Kolaiah and his colleague.

3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.

Clothed with filthy garments—This is to be explained according to the Targum: He had sons who had married women who were unfit to marry into the priesthood, and he was punished because he did not interfere with the sons’ marriages.

4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” ZEC 3:1-4

Remove the filthy garments from him—Let his sons separate from their wives, and he will be forgiven.

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Pure vestments—A change of beautiful garments; i.e., merits. Since he compared the iniquity to filthy garments, he compares the merit to pure vestments; beautiful, white garments.

3 Rely on the grace of God that maintains unity in the church.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. ROM 16:20

Over and above avoiding divisive people in the church and being alert to the devil’s schemes, how can we maintain unity in the church? Only God can truly keep us united as one body, the body of Christ. It is God's grace in and through us that will bring peace and destroy the division caused by the enemy. How have you witnessed God’s power to overcome divisiveness and uphold unity? What should our response to arguments, gossip, or competition within the church community be?

Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low

and tread down the wicked where they stand. JOB 40:12

And tread down—Heb. והדך, an expression of (Num 11:8), “or beat (דכו) it in mortars.”