Romans at Morning Prayer (18 Aug 2010): Ch.15.8 to the end

Chapter 15. “Luther: In chapter 15 [Paul] sets up Christ as an example: we are to tolerate those other weak ones who fail in other ways, in open sins or in unpleasing habits. We are not to cast them off,, but to bear with them until they too grow better. For so Christ has done with us, and still does every day; he bears with our many faults and bad habits, and with all our imperfections and helps us constantly.

“Then, at the end, he prays for them, praises them, and commends them to God. He speaks of his office and of his preaching, and asks them kindly for a contribution to the poor at Jerusalem. All he speaks of or deals with is pure love.” (LSB, 1939)

15.8-13. The OT, the Abrahamic covenant, as well as numerous OT prophecies viewed the day when Jews and Gentiles--strong and rich, educated and less so, humble and contrite, men, women, teen-agers, children and baptized infants in Christ's peaceable and merciful covenant--of multi-national and multi-cultural backgrounds would come together and worship together on God’s holy hill, Zion. That's the historic, catholic, and holy church since Eden. Paul reminds the Ephesian Gentiles that previously--once dead in sins and trespasses, servants of the prince of the power of the air—that they had been hopeless, Godless, without Christ and outside the visible and invisible Church of history (Eph.2.11-22). But, being quickened or made alive in Christ (Eph.4.4-6), the partition wall between Jews and Gentiles had been torn down. Chapters 14-15.13 deals with some remaining tensions, culturally and theologically, between Jewish and Gentile believers. Christ is the Hope, Savior, and Lord over an international church.

15.14. my brothers. Interestingly, Paul speaks of my brothers. They are filled with goodness and ability to teach one another. Teaching, encouragement, and admonition constitute churchly behaviors. He speaks in the plural, brothers, a congregation of faithful men. We give you a once-upon-a-time-Constitutional document for Anglicanism.

We cite Article XIX of the XXXIX Articles (http://www.eskimo.com/~lhowell/bcp1662/articles/articles.html#20 ) :

XIX. Of the Church.

The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure word of God is preached and the sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same. As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch have erred: so also the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of ceremonies, but also in matters of faith.

The church is a “congregation of faithful men.” However, the congregation includes households as evinced in the books of Acts wherein entire households were baptized into Christ Jesus. So, while Paul speaks of my brothers, namely, male leadership in the church, the congregation surely includes wives, teens, children and baptized infants.

More largely and quite effectively, we find a sterling description of the life of this community entitled “Of the Communion of Saints,” Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XXVII. http://www.reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/

I. All saints [DPV, all men, women, teens, children and baptized infants], that are united to Jesus Christ their Head, by His Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship with Him in His grace, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory: and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other's gifts and graces, and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man.

II. Saints by profession are bound to maintain an holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God, and in performing such other spiritual services as tend to their mutual edification; as also in relieving each other in outward things, according to their several abilities and necessities. Which communion, as God offers opportunity, is to be extended unto all those who, in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.

Families are in communion with Christ, His blessed benefits, their common worship and share in their differing gifts, sovereignly and divinely-given gifts. (1 Cor.1.5-7; Rom.12.3ff.)

15.15-19. Paul is reminding the Jews and Gentiles of their equal footing in the Church of Rome and of the communion of the saints. Justification is equal to, at, and upon all—Jew and Gentile—while sanctification and progress is varied—again, to Jew and Gentile alike.

We are reminded of this by the distinction and clarification in the Westminster Larger Catechism, namely, (Q. 77). Wherein do justification and sanctification differ? Answer: Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ; in sanctification of his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof; in the former, sin is pardoned; in the other, it is subdued: the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation the other is neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but growing up to perfection.

Whether Jew or Gentile, all boasting has been utterly excluded.

15.16. a minister of Christ Jesus…priestly service…offering. Paul’s calling was evangelism by teaching, preaching and writing, particularly to Gentile audiences.

15.17. I have reason to be proud of my work for God. Previously, Paul had taught that all boasting was excluded because of the gracious, gratuitous, merciful and kind imputation of Christ’s righteousness apart from/without/solely without one’s works-obedience and legal efforts. (Rom.3.21-4.12). There is a sense in which boasting is permissible, e.g. Rom.5.2, namely, that of rejoicing and thanksgiving. Rom 15.2: “…through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” (NASB) I Corinthians 1.29-31: “..so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." We boast, exult and give thanks because of Christ our righteousness, santification and redemption. Jeremiah 9.22-23: “Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD. This forms that sum and substance of the Christian life.

We have "fixed in mind" (the value of "fixed prayers") the much-valued prayer for Evensong, lest we might ever lean to, accept or permit Pelagianism, semi-Pelagianism, boastful or--often--the quite hidden inclination to "grab the headlines (even privately and duplicitously)" in self-sufficiency. This "fixed" prayer "fixes" and ends that pompous boast every evening. (http://www.eskimo.com/~lhowell/bcp1662/daily/evening.html ) :

The Second Collect at Evening Prayer

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee, we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

It is Augustinian, like the rest of the Prayer Book.

Having spoken of St. Paul's effectual and extensive ministry as well as the communion of the saints, we do well to pray for all Pastors and other Ministers in Christ's congregations.

Or this suitable "fixed prayer," having reflected on St Paul and all faithful Churchmen (http://www.eskimo.com/~lhowell/bcp1662/daily/prayers.html):

"ALMIGHTY God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed divers Orders in thy Church; Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all those who are to be called to any office and administration in the same; and so replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and endue them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name, and the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

We do well to remember all these good things done upon, to, at, for, in, through and—yes—by us through God.

Romans 15.8-end, St. Paul, his ministry which shaped Western Churches, our Pastors, families and Christ's Word and Sacrament form the basis of thanksgiving and praise. Let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation. Psalms at Morning Prayer (Daily): Venite, Psalm 95 http://reformationanglicanism.blogspot.com/2010/08/psalms-at-morning-prayer-daily-venite.html May the singing of this "fixed" and ancient Psalm continue to inform and govern our praises.