Rom 16:21-24 | KingComments | STEP | . In Romans 14 you have seen that the brothers and sisters in the church in Rome didn’t think the same about everything. This was about observing certain days and eating or not eating certain foods. In Rome there were brothers and sisters who were not yet completely free of the influences of Judaism. They had to learn to live with these differences and to bear with one another regarding them. But now Paul tells them something about people whom they shouldn’t bear with. Tolerance is a fine characteristic in dealing with weaknesses, but tolerance is definitely wrong in dealing with wrong, sinful, unscriptural things. You cannot tolerate these things. If there are people among the believers who generate division and offenses contrary to the doctrine that has been taught you, you must turn away from them. The devil is always trying to cause divisions and quarrels among believers. He often follows the same approach as the one he followed with Eve at the fall in the Garden of Eden at the beginning of the Bible. He comes with the crafty question: “Indeed, has God said?” ( ). This is how he sowed doubt in Eve’s heart about the things God had clearly said. In the same way satan tries to sow doubt among the believers about “the teaching”. . ”The teaching” is not a dull theory, but the living teaching of the Word of God. Yet there are always people who want to make you believe it’s not really meant as said in the Bible and as you have learned it. You must “turn away from” such people. You hear these people speak more about themselves than about the Lord Jesus. They know exactly how to say or write things to mislead unsuspecting believers. These people don’t serve our Lord Jesus, but their belly. It’s only about themselves. . I hope it can be said of your obedience that it “has reached to all” and that other brothers and sisters have taken notice of it. Then you would not fall prey to those who sow division. To protect yourself from these people you need to be wise in what is good, but innocent in what is evil. Therefore, occupy yourself with good things and not with evil. Occupy yourself with the Word of God and with the Lord Jesus. You don’t have to inquire into the evil practices of this world to know how evil it all is. Rather, keep yourself far away from it. You shouldn’t try out evil. If you do, it will bring you down. A number of young people have played with occult games out of curiosity and have become entangled in the occult step by step. Some started with gambling only once and ended up as addicts. Others smoked one cigarette, with or without marijuana, to be tough, and ended up addicted in the drug scene. Don’t try out sin! Take warning. The world you live in is now in satan’s hands. Maybe you know from bitter experience how corrupt the world is. If you have only recently been converted, you will abhor evil. Then you will keep yourself clear from it. Still, temptations will soon come to get you to join in again. Therefore, take care to be wise as to what is good. Persevere! . Satan may hold sway in this world now; very soon he will be crushed under our feet. Do you know by whom? By “the God of peace”. What satan wants is to bring discord. The God of peace will put an end to it. When you keep this before your eyes, you will keep peace in your heart. In this way the God of peace will remain your aim and satan would not have an opportunity to occupy you with evil. To make this true in your life, you are wished “the grace of our Lord Jesus”. . Some more greetings follow from individual believers to the church in Rome. Tertius is among them. He wrote down what Paul dictated to him. This was how Paul usually did. As a kind of signature he sometimes added a personal greeting at the end, as in 1 Corinthians 16 ( ). In an exceptional case he would write the letter himself. The situation in the assemblies in Galatia was so serious that Paul took pen in hand to write them about it ( ). Whether or not Paul made use of a writer doesn’t diminish the authority of what is written. He, as an apostle, was the author and sender. God wants you to know everything written down in this letter to the Romans. Your justification before God was the main concern. But with this, not everything has been said that God has to say to you. In the last verses of this letter you’ll read some more things that are in God’s heart to make known to you. Now read Romans 16:17-24 again. Reflection: How can you be wise as to what is good?

‏ Romans 16:21-24

Be Wise in What Is Good

Rom 16:17. In Romans 14 you have seen that the brothers and sisters in the church in Rome didn’t think the same about everything. This was about observing certain days and eating or not eating certain foods. In Rome there were brothers and sisters who were not yet completely free of the influences of Judaism. They had to learn to live with these differences and to bear with one another regarding them. But now Paul tells them something about people whom they shouldn’t bear with. Tolerance is a fine characteristic in dealing with weaknesses, but tolerance is definitely wrong in dealing with wrong, sinful, unscriptural things. You cannot tolerate these things.

If there are people among the believers who generate division and offenses contrary to the doctrine that has been taught you, you must turn away from them. The devil is always trying to cause divisions and quarrels among believers. He often follows the same approach as the one he followed with Eve at the fall in the Garden of Eden at the beginning of the Bible. He comes with the crafty question: “Indeed, has God said?” (Gen 3:1). This is how he sowed doubt in Eve’s heart about the things God had clearly said. In the same way satan tries to sow doubt among the believers about “the teaching”.

Rom 16:18. ”The teaching” is not a dull theory, but the living teaching of the Word of God. Yet there are always people who want to make you believe it’s not really meant as said in the Bible and as you have learned it. You must “turn away from” such people. You hear these people speak more about themselves than about the Lord Jesus. They know exactly how to say or write things to mislead unsuspecting believers. These people don’t serve our Lord Jesus, but their belly. It’s only about themselves.

Rom 16:19. I hope it can be said of your obedience that it “has reached to all” and that other brothers and sisters have taken notice of it. Then you would not fall prey to those who sow division. To protect yourself from these people you need to be wise in what is good, but innocent in what is evil. Therefore, occupy yourself with good things and not with evil. Occupy yourself with the Word of God and with the Lord Jesus. You don’t have to inquire into the evil practices of this world to know how evil it all is. Rather, keep yourself far away from it. You shouldn’t try out evil. If you do, it will bring you down.

A number of young people have played with occult games out of curiosity and have become entangled in the occult step by step. Some started with gambling only once and ended up as addicts. Others smoked one cigarette, with or without marijuana, to be tough, and ended up addicted in the drug scene. Don’t try out sin! Take warning. The world you live in is now in satan’s hands. Maybe you know from bitter experience how corrupt the world is. If you have only recently been converted, you will abhor evil. Then you will keep yourself clear from it. Still, temptations will soon come to get you to join in again. Therefore, take care to be wise as to what is good. Persevere!

Rom 16:20. Satan may hold sway in this world now; very soon he will be crushed under our feet. Do you know by whom? By “the God of peace”. What satan wants is to bring discord. The God of peace will put an end to it. When you keep this before your eyes, you will keep peace in your heart. In this way the God of peace will remain your aim and satan would not have an opportunity to occupy you with evil. To make this true in your life, you are wished “the grace of our Lord Jesus”.

Rom 16:21-24. Some more greetings follow from individual believers to the church in Rome. Tertius is among them. He wrote down what Paul dictated to him. This was how Paul usually did. As a kind of signature he sometimes added a personal greeting at the end, as in 1 Corinthians 16 (1Cor 16:21). In an exceptional case he would write the letter himself. The situation in the assemblies in Galatia was so serious that Paul took pen in hand to write them about it (Gal 6:11). Whether or not Paul made use of a writer doesn’t diminish the authority of what is written. He, as an apostle, was the author and sender.

God wants you to know everything written down in this letter to the Romans. Your justification before God was the main concern. But with this, not everything has been said that God has to say to you. In the last verses of this letter you’ll read some more things that are in God’s heart to make known to you.

Now read Romans 16:17-24 again.

Reflection: How can you be wise as to what is good?