Romans 15:7 (with comments), Part 2

Romans 15:7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

CROSS REFERENCES FOR FULL-TEXT STUDY, PART 2:

receive. Mt *10:14, 15, 40-42. 18:5. 25:35, 40, 43, 45, 46. Mk 6:11. *9:37-41. Lk *9:5, 48. 10:8, 10, 38, 39. 15:2. Jn 13:20, 34. Ac *9:26-28, 43. *11:25, 26. *16:15. 17:7. 2 C +*6:9. 7:2, 15. Ga 6:1. Ph 2:29. Col 4:10. 1 T 5:17. Phm 12, 17. He 13:1, 2. 1 P 2:17. 3:8. +*4:8-10. 1 J 3:14. 2 J %10. 3 J %8-10.

CROSS REFERENCE TEXTS

Matthew 10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
Matthew 10:15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Comment. It would appear from these verses that failure to receive one another is a very serious matter, serious enough to be addressed on Judgment Day.

Matthew 10:40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
Mat 10:41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
Mat 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Comment: Again, the issue of receiving one another is most important. To receive another brother or sister in Christ is to receive Christ, and to receive him that sent Christ, who of course is God himself. Jesus clearly promises a reward to those who receive others.

Mat 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
Mat 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Comment: All of us who truly believe on Christ are considered children of God (Galatians 3:26). I think, therefore, that “receiving one such child in my name” applies to receiving another believer no matter what age. Jesus said that receiving “one such little child” in his name” means receiving Jesus himself.

Just think what not receiving another believer means.

Jesus describes the offense of not receiving “one of these little ones which believe in me” in terms that are most severe.

Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Being accepting of, and welcoming strangers, newcomers to church, for example, is surely a part of “receiving one another.”

Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

The way we receive others surely reflects upon what we have done to Christ himself.

Matthew 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Here Christ is speaking of those who have not properly “received one another.” Our Lord speaks of this in a most frightening and serious manner, and we all need to wake up to the fact that this is not a small matter, but a most major matter with eternal consequences.

Matthew 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

The manner in which you or I treat “one of the least of these” is crucial. Jesus said the way we treat someone else is the way we treat him. If we fail to receive one another, Jesus said that is what we did to him.

This leads directly into one of the greatest classic doctrinal texts in the Bible that establishes absolutely the doctrine of eternal punishment for the lost or unsaved.

Eternal punishment is as everlasting as eternal life will be.

Unpleasant as this Bible doctrine is to some who think otherwise, eternal punishment is eternal not merely in effect, but in duration.

If we can successfully argue that “everlasting” does not mean “eternal” in the same sense as eternal life does, language has lost its ability to communicate accurate doctrine in the Bible. But this is not the case at all. The words “eternal” and “everlasting” translate the same Greek word. Elsewhere, this very same Greek word is used to describe God as eternal in Romans 16:26. Furthermore, grammatically, these words are used here in two connected parallel clauses, so the meaning for one must be the same as the meaning for the other. Don’t kid yourself by falling for false doctrine which argues otherwise. It is most dangerous to tamper with or diminish the warnings given by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Some go to great length to argue that the punishment threatened here by our Lord Jesus Christ is not truly everlasting or never-ending. Those who argue this way do so in an effort to bolster their mistaken notion of justice and their mistaken view of the character of God.

Some quibble over the meaning of “eternal,” arguing from the fact that the word in Scripture is sometimes used in a finite sense, and sometimes used in an infinite sense. From this fact they justify providing a limited sense to the duration of everlasting punishment.

The answer to this objection is simple. Jesus spoke of two ages, this age, and the age to come. In the King James Version these terms are translated “this world” and “the world to come” in Matthew 12:32. When the word “eternal” is applied to things restricted to this age it is used in a finite or limited sense. When “eternal” has reference to things in “the age to come,” it is used in an infinite sense. Clearly God is eternal and will continue to exist in the age to come, just as eternal life and eternal punishment pertain to and exist in the age to come, so “eternal” is used in the infinite, never-ending sense in reference to them.

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57 Responses to Romans 15:7 (with comments), Part 2

  1. ken sagely says:

    mr way thank you for your comments.eternal security is the work of god which guarantees that the gift of salvation,once received cannot be lost rom 8/31-39, eph 4/30. it does not deny that there may be times of backsliding,icor 3/1-4. but it stresses the need for demonstrable fruit throughout the christian life. eternal security teaches that a true believer will not lose his salvation. i pe 1/5 jn5/24.tit 3/5-6. one of the great benfits of our salvation is that it is also the basis for the believers family fellowship. i jn 1/5-10. in it john lays down vital principles for daily christian living, and this fellowship is based on the death of christ v7. this passage refers to family fellowhip. salvation, of course,brings a perfect complete,and eternal forgiveness eph 1/7.but christians sin and therefore need continual forgiveness in order to enjoy fellowship within the family relationships. but believers do need to forgive and to ask for forgiveness lk 11/4, ii cor 2/10 eph 4/32,col 3/13.

  2. Jerry says:

    Dear A. Way,

    You state:

    Eternal life – yes, you did say everyone has eternal life, so has jerry. If the wicked have conscious torment without end, then yes, they are conscious, they have life. This is contrary to what the Bible teaches.

    Here is the Scripture that verifies what I have said:

    Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
    Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

    There are thus two separate resurrections specified by Jesus:

    (1) The resurrection of life

    Luk 14:14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

    (2) The resurrection of damnation

    Resurrection Number 2 in this listing is according to both Old Testament and New Testament Scripture separated in time by a long period, specifically designated in Scripture as 1000 years.

    If the resurrection of life is also termed the resurrection of the just, perhaps it is not too far out of line to say the resurrection of damnation is the resurrection of the unjust.

    Both events are resurrections. In the Bible resurrection is never a resurrection of spirit or soul, but a resurrection of the body, for only the body has experienced physical death. Therefore, only bodies can be raised from the dead.

    Both the just and the unjust are slated to experience bodily resurrection, therefore, according to the statement of Jesus in John 5:28, 29.

    Now, when the resurrection takes place, are those bodies raised dead, or are they alive? Clearly, they are raised to life.

    The just shall live in resurrection in their resurrected bodies forever to enjoy eternal life in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    The unjust or unsaved shall live in resurrection in their resurrected bodies forever to experience eternal punishment, during which they are very much alive, for all eternity.

    This is most clearly and assurredly the teaching of Scripture.

    Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

    Neither I nor Ken nor Scripture have applied the term “eternal life” to the unsaved wicked dead. That is terminology you have supplied for us as if it were our own. Eternal life is reserved for those very few who have truly placed saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in accordance with John 5:24,

    Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

    With regard to those who are dead and their bodies lie in the grave, Jesus said the hour was coming when all who are in the grave will hear his voice, and those that hear will live. But Jesus did not say this of the righteous dead alone: he affirmed the same truth in this very same context of the unrighteous as well:

    Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
    Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

    Remember that Jesus said:

    Joh 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

    Since the wicked in their turn will hear and be raised bodily from the dead, they are included in those Jesus declares that hear and shall live.

    Unfortunately the eternal accommodations of the living unsaved are not pleasant like the accommodations of those that are truly saved. But they do continue to live in their final destination for as long a time as the righteous live in their final accommodation according to the grammar and syntax of the statement declared by Jesus:

    Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

    In the Greek text, the same word is used for “everlasting” punishment as is used for life “eternal.”

  3. A. Way says:

    ken – it is a false idea that you are once saved, always saved. Hebrews 6:4-6 ESV For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

    How can one “fall away” in your scenario? You can’t. Yet the Bible teaches that you can. And the worse sin of all is the sin against the Holy Spirit. Matthew 12:31 ESV Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

    What is sin against the Holy Spirit? Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, or the unpardonable sin, consists of progressive resistance to truth that culminates in a final and irrevocable decision against it, deliberately made in the full knowledge that by so doing one is choosing to pursue his own course of action in opposition to the divine will. The conscience is seared by continued resistance to the impressions of the Holy Spirit, and one may hardly be aware that he has made the fateful decision. There may, indeed, be nothing more than continuing failure to reach a decision to act in harmony with God’s will.

    1 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,…

    You see ken, “some will depart the faith”. Once saved, always saved is a false teaching.

    Those saved will be “sealed” as it says in Revelation 12:7. There is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved.

    One who claims to be saved, but then goes on an hates his brother, is demonstrating he is a changed person. 1 John 3:14 ESV We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

    Yes, 1 John 1:5-10 is an excellent passage of scripture: 1 John 1:5-10 AKJV This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (6) If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: (7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans us from all sin. (8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

    vs 5: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. WHY then do we say that He will torture sinners for eternity. That is utter darkness.

    vs 6: Many say they have fellowship with Christ, yet walk in darkness. This is exactly what I’ve been writing about. You can not claim to be a follower of Christ, claiming eternal salvation, and hate your brother. It is a lie.

    vs 9: It says if we confess our sins. Read that again, IF we confess our sins… It continues, he will forgive our sins, and in Hebrew style repeats this and says, cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You see ken, again, the HEALING model. The cleansing of unrighteousness. And the word forgive is the Greek term “apheimi”. This is not something that is done in God, but something done in us. God is forgiveness personified. That is not the question, the English fails in this verse to express what is really going on. This “forgiveness” is something done in us, remission of sin. Healing. Ephesians 1:7, same word again, forgiveness – aphesis (G859) – remission of sin. This forgiveness is something done in the offender, not the offended, God.

    Forgiveness is not just a legal term, it is a healing term. If a sinner continues to sin, knowing that he is sinning, working against the conscience, that is grieving the Holy Spirit, and once the conscience is seared to the point that it no longer convicts of sin, the sinner is lost. That is the unpardonable sin. A christian (so called) who claimed to be saved and does not love his brother, is a liar.

    An interesting thing about the Bible is that the names of people often represent their character. The 10 C says, do not take the name of God in vain. Those who claim to be Christians, and do not live as Christ lived, by give Christ a bad name, they misrepresent the Character of God, and thus take the name (Christian) in vain. It is not just using the name verbally, but how one also lives their life. Again, and ken, please note I’ve said this over and over, doing the right things, does not save you. Did you hear me? In fact, doing the right things because you have a sense of obligation to do those things, is NOT obeying the law. Only doing the right things, because it is the right thing to do, is obeying. Do you see the difference?

  4. ken sagely says:

    mr way thank you for your comments. i standing on jn 5/24 for my eternal salvation verily, verily, i say unto you, he that heareth my word,and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemantion:” on christ the solid rock i stand all other ground is sinking sand” eph 1/6 to the praise of the glory of his grace,wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 1/7 in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according the riches of his grace: salvation is by grace through faith eph1/7. heb 6/4-6,i tim 4/1 really brings out there is a difference between” possessors and professors” in those who say they are saved. possessors are true born again belieivers i pe 1/3, ii tim 1/12 they whom they believed and are persuaded that he is able to keep that which he has committed against that day. ii cor 5/17 therefore if any man be in christ, he is a new creature;old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. a professors the lord talks about the sowing of the word in mens hearts mk 4/16 and these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground;who,when they have heard the word,immediatedly receive it with gladness; vs 17 and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time:afterward,when affliction or persecution ariseth for the words sake,immediately they are offended vs 19 and the cares of this world, and deceitfulness of riches,and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. professors have a head knowledge but not a life change ii cor 5/17 at the same time a true believer is not perfect. heb 6/4-6,i tim 4/1 are talking about professors those were never true believers in the beginning. in rom 7/18 paul said in my flesh dwelt no good thing he talking about as believer he struggles with flesh and sin. ph 2/12 not as though i had already attained,either were already “perfect”: but i follow after,if that i may apprehend that for which also i am apprehended of christ jesus. 13 brethren, i count not myself to have “apprehended”:but this one thing i do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,vs 14 i press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of god in christ jesus. paul is the great example of a”possessor” of eternal life. also mr way the holy spirits primary work in the world today is brought out in jn 16/8-11 vs and when he is come,[the holy spirit], he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:vs 9 of sin, because they believe not on me;vs 10 of righteousness, because i got to my father, and ye see me no more;vs 11 of judgment,because the prince of this world is judged. vs9 defines sin as simply as unbelief!!! what is the problem in the world today? sin!unbelief, unwillingness to believe that jesus christ is the christ the son of god: and that believing ye might have life through his name jn 20/31. i jn 5/11 and this is the record, that god hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his son. vs 12 he that hath the son hath life: and he that hath not the son of god hath not life. there are 2 ways men seek to go to heaven either by works or by grace through faith. from what you say i think you depending totally on your works for salvation!! rather on what christ did on the cross. divine order salvation works! amazing grace how sweet the sound!

  5. A. Way says:

    Me thinks you say that Hebrews 6:4-6,1 Timothy 4:1 are saying that those that fall away were not true believers so you discount them. We then, they could not then fall away. But then that would be contrary to the statements in these verses.

    ken said, “there are 2 ways men seek to go to heaven either by works or by grace through faith.” I might restate it this way, there are 2 ways men seek to go to heaven, God’s way or Man’s way.

    Philippians 2:12-13 AKJV (12) Why, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (13) For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Work our your own salvation? Works? What? That fact is that God is not a coercive power. He gives us free choice, to choose which way we will go. God gives us commandments to follow. We can choose to do them or not. When we choose to follow the plan as God has laid it out, then He gives us the Divine power to do those things. But we can choose to not follow and we can actively work against our own salvation.

    Here ken, is the crux of what I’ve been saying with respect to works: The man who attempts to keep the commandments of God from a sense of obligation merely–because he is required to do so–will never enter into the joy of obedience. He does not obey. When the requirements of God are accounted a burden because they cut across human inclination, we may know that the life is not a Christian life. True obedience is the outworking of a principle within. It springs from the love of righteousness, the love of the law of God. The essence of all righteousness is loyalty to our Redeemer. This will lead us to do right because it is right–because right doing is pleasing to God.

    Read that paragraph again ken. If you consider the law of God, that law which defines sin, as a burden to keep, then you need to reconsider your motives. Keeping the law is NOT what saves you. Read that again ken, keeping the law (works) is not what saves you. But if you find the law a burden, then perhaps you need to reconsider what your motives are. Read Romans 7.

    Oh – you said above that salvation is not healing. Have you done any more research on this? I see jerry is not going to step in. So let me just give you a couple verses from Jeremiah. Jeremiah 17:14 ESV Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. Jeremiah 3:22 ESV “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to you, for you are the LORD our God.
    Jeremiah 33:6 ESV Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. And the Psalms: Psalms 6:2 ESV Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled. (See – God grace, graciousness, will heal) Psalms 103:1-3 ESV Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, (All disease is caused by sin – all!) Psalms 41:4 ESV As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!”

  6. ken sagely says:

    mr way thank you for your comments. i do think that christians can backslide,fall away, commit sin. i jn 1/7-10 the difference between a saved person and unsaved person he doesnt live in sin as a life style any more. the christian can be a defeated christian like paul was struggle with in rom 7 the word” i” is used over 20 times in that chapter he is trusting in himself . why is paul talking about his struggles? because the lord had to bring him to end of hisself rom 7/24 “o wretched man that i am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? rom 7/25 a breakthrough for him and a lesson for true believers, ” i thank god through jesus christ our lord. so then with my mind i myself serve the law of god; but with the flesh the law of sin.” rom 8 paul learns” not i but christ” through the holy spirit, v2 for the law of the spirit of life in christ jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. healing in the sense of sin yes i believe he does heal and can our scars from sin but it first starts with an act of faith in jesus christ jn 5/24. we then start a life of growth in the christian life ii pe 3/18. the bible is filled with human failure from sin. men of god failed to do what was right abraham, david, peter, are just name a few. thats why we need the grace of god some much. it was given to us at the cross of jesus christ when he demonstrated his own love for us while we were yet sinners he died for us rom 5/8. “on a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffring and shame; and i love that old cross where the the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain. so i’ll cherish the old rugged cross,till my trophies i lay down; i will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown! lk 4/18 he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,to preach delieverance to the captives,recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

  7. A. Way says:

    ken – I agree that we can not save ourselves. That does not mean we have nothing to do. We must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, Philippians 2:12. Quoting this verse: Philippians 2:12 NRSV Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; And read this is light of John 5:24 NRSV Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life.

    “Hears my word”, “Hear my voice” is often translated “obey”. You hear and act on what you hear. In Philippians 2:12, Paul is commending them to doing what is right always, not just as a show before men. Doing right, because it is right.

    ken said: “i do think that christians can backslide,fall away, commit sin. i jn 1/7-10 the difference between a saved person and unsaved person he doesnt live in sin as a life style any more.” But ken – the wages of sin is death. True, where sin abounds, grace abounds more. Romans 5:20 AKJV Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: There is that law again, pointing out our offenses. You say, once you are saved, you can not be lost. Question – was Satan ever perfect? Was he then lost? If he is lost, then did God create him that way, or did he loss his perfection? If Satan, a perfect being created by God can loss his state, how is it we can say that a sinner can not loose his position? 1 Corinthians 15:31 – Paul says, “I die daily”. t contains the secret of Paul’s victorious experience. Throughout his life of faithful service for the Saviour he had met on the Damascus road, Paul found that his old, unregenerate nature struggled for recognition and had to be constantly repressed! (Romans 8:6-8; Romans 8:13; Ephesians 4:22) It is a daily struggle.

    Christians can sin, and sin leads to death. 1 John 2:1 NRSV My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

    Who did Jesus die for? 1 John 2:2 NRSV and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

    If Jesus dies for the sins of the whole world, will the whole world be saved? After all, all sin is covered by the death of Christ.

    John 17:3 NRSV And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

    How do we know that we know Him? 1 John 2:3 NRSV Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments.

    1 John 2:4-6 NRSV Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; 5 but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: 6 whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk just as he walked.

    If a Christian claims to be saved, and walks not as Christ walked, he is a liar. He is deceived.

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