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ON LINE Course
'Jude in the end times'
to start soon
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WHEN BATTLES ARE BREWING
TEXT: Romans 16:17-20 BBE
(17) Now, it is my desire, brothers, that you will take note of those who are causing division and trouble among you, quite against the teaching which was given to you: and keep away from them.
(18) For such people are not servants of the Lord Christ, but of their stomachs; and by their smooth and well-said words the hearts of those who have no knowledge of evil are tricked.
(19) For all have knowledge of how you do what you are ordered. For this reason I have joy in you, but it is my desire that you may be wise in what is good, and without knowledge of evil.
(20) And the God of peace will be crushing Satan under your feet before long. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
INTRODUCTION
A. The early church, so often idealized beyond recognition,
certainly had its share of problems.
1. Contention and dissension were not uncommon among the
local congregations.
2. Sometimes these difficulties were caused by infighting
among Christians. On other occasions serious disputes
arose because false teachers gained a foothold in a
congregation and used their position to initiate and
perpetuate divisions. They were spiritual bullies!
B. Whatever the means, the results were often the same: some
Christians fell prey to false doctrine and immoral behaviour.
1. What happened then still occurs today.
2. The tide can be turned, however, if we will consistently
apply the counsel Paul gives in Rom 16.17-20
3. Thru these verses the Lord has provided us with timeless
wisdom. Now, it is up to us to work it out in life.
I. IN THE PAST, TROUBLE HAS OCCURRED
A. We can develop a better understanding of various topics
discussed in Scripture by gaining a historical per-
spective. Let's take a peek at some of these dissensions.
B. In the early church...
1. The N T is replete with references to local assemblies
that were experiencing internal strife.
2. E.g. in the church at Antioch, debate arose over the
issue of the relationship between circumcision and
salvation - Acts 14.26-15.2
3. The dissension created over this matter was so heat-
ed that there was an enormous effort to dissolve and
resolve this issue by assembling together: the whole
church came together - Acts 15.2-35
4. The epistle of Galatians was written to address a
similar problem that had developed among the forgiven
in the region of Galatia.
a. At least two letters were sent to the Corinthian
church attempting to rectify disputes over such
matters as favouritism, the extent of liberty, sex-
ual immorality, divorce and remarriage, the bodily
resurrection, etc
b. Paul exhorted 2 Christian women in the church
at Philippi not to fight one another but "to live
in harmony in the Lord" - Phil 4.2
c. The apostle John spent a few verses in one of his
letters addressing some problems caused by a self-
appointed, bossy church leader named Diotrophes.
Observe carefully with me just exactly was he said:
"I wrote something to the church;
but Diotrophese, who loves to be first among
them, does not accept what we say. For this
reason, if I come, I will call attention to
his deed which he does, unjustly accusing us
with/ wicked words; and not satisfied with this,
neither does he himself receive the brethren,
and he forbids those who desire to do so, and
puts them out of the church." 3 Jn 9-10
d. Tina Meade wrote:
Diotrephes is living;
He's raised his mighty hand.
He's dwelling here among us,
And we must take our stand.
Impressed with his importance,
He throws his weight around.
His words are harsh and brutal
Wherever saints are found.
He won't receive the brethren
Who come to him in love.
He sees a hawk of evil
Where God has placed a dove.
"The church is not for sinners!"
He shouts and casts us out;
And, thinking he's a Christian,
Knows not what love's about.
Yes, brethren, we must hurry
And kill Diotrephes.
We'll cast him from our presence
When we're brought to our knees.
C. In these last days.
1. Since the 1st century, ecclesiastical friction has not
passed away. Churches today still experience dis-
cension over a number of issues.
2. Besides the all-too-common moral and relational
problems that promote divisions, there are a number
of doctrinal concerns that cause waves of disturbance.
3. Some are the inerrancy of Scripture, the role of women
in the church, homosexuality, roles of husbands and
wives, abortion, etc.
a. Each of the matters are vitally important and they
need a resolution based on biblical grounds.
b. In terms of conscience and personal preferences,
often the rage over those has created more heat
that light.
II. IN ROME, BATTLES WERE BREWING
A. As we step back into the 1st century, we discover that the
Roman church was not an exception but the norm. She, too,
experienced the birth pangs of strife. Because Paul was
aware of this, he issued a strong warning to her members
and coupled it with some timeless caution. Let's examine
test - Rom 16.17-20
What was happening? Paul answers this question in
1. v 17.
a. 1st, there were individuals in the Roman assem-
blies who were causing dissensions and division.
1) This term, "dissensions" in the original Greek
language does not refer to disagreements, but it
denotes divisiveness and polarization. The
only other N T reference to this word is in Gal
5.19-20.
2) Here "dissensions" is listed among the "deeds
of the flesh."
3) In this context, Paul forewarns his readers
that "those who practice such things shall
not inherit the kingdom of God" - v 21
b. 2nd, those who were causing dissensions in the
Roman church were also creating "hindrances" -
Rom 16.17a
1) They were setting and baiting traps of offence
for the saints there.
2) Diotrephes is still alive and well.
c. 3rd, these agents of disunity were promoting
doctrines and morals ran "contrary to the teaching"
of sound Christianity - 17b
2. These were instructors of heresy who knowingly sought
to pervert the truth of God.
B. Why was it happening?
1. v 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.
2. The heretics in the Roman church were apparently pas-
sing themselves off as Christians, when in reality
they were enslaved to pleasing themselves.
3. In another letter, the apostle Paul referred to people
like this as "enemies of the cross of Christ, whose
end is destruction, whose god is their appetite and
whose glory is their shame" - Phil 3.18b-19a
4. Returning to the situation in Romans, we are told
that the false teachers were smooth-talking the gul-
lible and naive away from the Christian faith.
5. They were undiscerning believers tho were being led
awry by unbelieving deceivers.
C. How was it to be handled?
1. Paul exhorted the Roman Christians to counteract the
divisive individuals in their midst through two means:
a. He told them to keep a close eye on what these
people taught and how they behaved.
b. The second action these Christians were to take
was discerning separation - v 17b
2. The Roman forgiven free to take whatever steps neces-
sary to block any inroads that had been or could
be made into the congregation by the false teachers.
D. A clarifying comment:
I would be amiss if I were to understand Paul's
instruction to mean that Christians should have not
contact with non-Christians.
This interpretation is flatly contradicted by the
example of Jesus and the teaching of Scripture. Christ
spent a good deal of time with the unforgiven of di-
verse backgrounds and religious persuasions. He
associated with them to such an extent that He gain-
ed the reputation of being "a gluttonous man and
drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners"
Mt 11.19b; Lk 5.29-32
In the Bible, we are encouraged to develop real
relationships with the unforgiven - Mt 28.19, Jn 20.
21-23; Acts 1.8, 8.26-40, 9.1-22
One of the clearest passages in this regard is
1 Cor 5. There the apostle Paul clears up a mis-
conception concerning something he had written to
those believers. Pay close attn:
1 Cor 5.9-11
Christians cannot and should not avoid contact
with non-Christians; rather, they should disassociate
themselves from Christians who persist in living
in sin.
Given all of this, we may understand Paul's in-
struction in Rom 16.17 to be as follows:
1. 1st, Christians should avoid unbelievers who
are genuine threats to the maintenance of their
faith.
2. 2nd, churches should take adequate measures to
protect their members who would attempt to lure
the less discerning away from the fold.
E. How can these battles be overcome?
1. Paul was not a pessimist. He knew that the Christians
in Rome could restore their unity.
2. The solution rested in their enactment of 3 guide-
lines:
a. 1st, they would need to *continue in obedience"
v 19a. As long as they conscientiously sought
to obey and apply Christianity to their lives,
they would be able to undercut the subversive
activities of heretics in their midst.
b. 2nd, they were to *apply moral wisdom' - v 19b
They needed to grow in their practice of good -
another activity that would increase their
unity and decrease their susceptibility to
becoming divided.
c. 3rd, Paul exhorted them to *separate from
evil* - v 19c He did not want the Roman
Christians to even entertain the idea of adopt-
ing the heretics' doctrine and lifestyle. They
were to immerse themselves in truth and good-
ness, not error and evil.
III. IN OUR CHURCHES, BATTLES CAN OCCUR
A. What happened in the 1st century Roman church can occur
in any of our 20th century congregations. How can we
protect ourselves against these situations? Paul sug-
gests a two-pronged defence.
1. Remain alert to the obvious clues = We can know that
battles are brewing when we observe an of these 3
signs:
a. dissensions in the church
b. disobedience to the Scriptures
c. deception from the heart.
2. Start taking the best medicines = here are 3 pre-
ventive prescriptions:
a. gain a working knowledge of the Bible
b. maintain a watchful eye over the flock and
c. grow in our willpower to reject error.
B. Our study has shown that battles occurred in the early
church and they can brew today.
CONCLUSION:
A. Explorer Thos Hearse and his party had just set out on a
rigorous expedition in northern Canada to find the mouth of
the Coppermine River. A few days after they left, thieves
stole most of their supplies. Hearne's response to the
apparent misfortune can inspire all of us, for he wrote:
"The weight of our baggage being lightened, our next
day's journey was more swift and pleasant."
B. Baggage in the individual can brew battles in the church.
C. Do some thinking this week about these critically important
issues.
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