Wenstrom Bible Ministries Marion, Iowa Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom wenstrom

1. Wenstrom Bible MinistriesMarion, IowaPastor-Teacher Bill Wenstromwww.wenstrom.org

2. Tuesday August 24, 2010Romans: Romans 16:19-Paul Rejoiced Over The Romans’ Obedience But Warned Them To Be Wise In What Is Good And Innocent With Respect To EvilLesson # 550

3. Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 16:17.

4. This evening we will study Romans 16:19 and in this passage Paul advances upon and intensifies his warning to watch out for the legalistic teaching of the Judaizers and his command to avoid them.

5. In this verse, he states that he warned them because even though their obedience was known to all and he rejoiced over this obedience, he still wanted them to be wise with respect to what is good and innocent with respect to evil.

6. Romans 16:17, “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.

7. 18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

8. 19 For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.”

9. Romans 16:19 advances upon and intensifies Paul’s warning in verses 17-18 to watch out for the legalistic teaching of the Judaizers and his command to avoid them because they are not slaves of Christ but to the dietary regulations of the Mosaic Law and they deceive the hearts of the naive.

10. “The report of your obedience” is composed of the genitive second person singular personal pronoun su (σύ) (see), “your” and the articular nominative feminine singular form of the noun hupakoe (ὑπακοή) (ee-pa-koe-ee), “the report…obedience.”

11. The noun hupakoe refers to the obedience to the gospel by the Roman believers not only when they exercised faith alone and Christ alone and as a result were declared justified by the Father but also it refers to their obedience to the gospel after their conversion and their advance to spiritual maturity.

12. “Has reached” is the third person singular aorist middle indicative form of the verb aphikneomai (ἀφικνέομαι) (ah-feek-neh-owe-meh), which is used of the Roman believers obedience to the gospel and its object are those believers throughout the Roman Empire who have heard of their faith.

13. Thus, Paul is acknowledging the fact that the Roman believers’ obedience to the gospel has become known to the majority of believers throughout the Roman Empire “as a result of having this information reach them” by reports from other Christians.

14. “To all” is not referring to each and every believer throughout the Roman Empire in the first century but rather it denotes a large and representative number of Christians in the Roman Empire in 57 A.D. and refers to the majority of Christians in the Empire at that particular time in history.

15. Romans 16:19, “For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.”

16. “Therefore I am rejoicing over you” is the result of an inference from the previous statement that the obedience of the Roman believers to the gospel had itself become known to many Christians in the Roman Empire.

17. “But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil” presents a contrast with Paul’s previous statement that he was rejoicing because of the obedience of the Roman believers to the gospel.

18. “I want you” is composed of the first person singular present active indicative form of the verb thelo (θέλω) (theh-low), “I want,” which is followed by accusative second person plural form of the personal pronoun su (σύ) (see), “you.”

19. The verb thelo means “to desire something” indicating that Paul desired that the Romans be wise in what is good but innocent in what it evil.

20. “To be” is the present active infinitive form of the verb eimi (εἰμί) (ee-mee), which means “to possess a particular characteristic,” which is identified by the adjective sophos, “wise.”

21. “Wise” is the accusative masculine plural form of the adjective sophos (σοφός) (so-foce), which means “wise ones” rather than “wise.”

22. This word indicates that Paul desires that the Romans possess God’s wisdom in their soul with respect to sound teaching.

23. It denotes that he wants them to have keen understanding and discernment regarding that which is sound doctrine.

24. God’s wisdom resides in the mind and thinking of Christ, which appears in the written Word of God.

25. Colossians 2:3, “in whom (Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

26. The believer acquires the wisdom of God by letting the Word of Christ richly dwell in his soul, which gives him the capacity to glorify God in whatever circumstance or relationship in life.

27. Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

28. Romans 16:19, “For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.”

29. “In what is good” is composed of the preposition eis (εἰς) (eece), “for” and the articular accusative neuter singular form of the adjective agathos (ἀγαθός) (ah-ga-thoce), “good.”

30. The adjective agathos is describing teaching that is in accordance with the Father’s will indicating that Paul desires that the Roman believers be wise ones with respect to teaching that is in accordance with the Father’s will.

31. It denotes that they are to have keen discernment and deep understanding as to what is sound teaching.

32. This interpretation is indicated by the fact that in verses 17-18, Paul warns the Romans about false teachers who cause divisions.

33. Agathos describes teaching that is in accordance with the Father’s will as being “intrinsically valuable, intrinsically good, inherently good in quality but with the idea of good which is also profitable, useful, benefiting others, benevolent.”

34. The Father’s will is described as agathos because it is in accordance with His perfect holiness or character and nature.

35. “Innocent” is the accusative masculine plural form of the adjective akeraios (ἀκέραιος) (ah-keer-de-oce), which denotes the absence of evil or satanic viewpoint in the souls of believers.

36. Akeraios describes the believer whose soul is uncontaminated with satanic viewpoint.

37. The adjective describes the souls of the Roman believers as being pure or clean and suitable for fellowship with God and fit for the Father’s purpose as a result of avoiding false teachers such as the Judaizers.

38. Matthew 10:16, “Remember, I am sending all of you (disciples) as sheep in the midst of wolves, therefore, be wise as the serpents and pure(akeraioi) as the doves.”

39. “In what is evil” is composed of the preposition eis (εἰς) (eece), “for” and the articular accusative neuter singular form of the adjective kakos (κακός) (kah-koce), “evil.”

40. The adjective kakos means “evil” and describes teaching which is in disobedience to the will of the Father and not accordance with the Father’s will.