"For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Romans 15v4
No sooner has Paul quoted from the Old Testament in support of his teaching than he reflects on the value of the holy scriptures in our Christian lives. The requests that he makes of all of us are not easy to put into practice; however Paul is suggesting here that the way to it is to read the sacred writings and allow them to change our lives. It seems that today God's people are not reading the scriptures as much as they ought, and consequently find Christian life difficult. Individually, and collectively, we need to develop the habit of the scriptures controlling our behavior. There are only two things in the bible that are described as "God- breathed." We human beings are God breathed (Genesis 2v7) and the holy scriptures are God- breathed (2nd Timothy 3v16). God breathed people will profit greatly from reading and studying the God breathed scriptures. Paul's method of teaching and preaching was to quote the holy scriptures and to explain them. More than forty times in the Pauline epistles do we read the phrase (or something similar) IT IS WRITTEN. No less than nineteen times in this letter to the Romans does he use this means of communication:
Chapter 1v17: 2v24; 3v4: 3v10: 4v17: 4v23: 8v36: 9v13: 9v33: 10v15: 11v8: 11v26: 12v19: 14v11: 15v3: 15v4: 15v9: 15v15: 15v21.
The importance of the scriptures for the people of God cannot be overemphasized. The New Testament states at least five major purposes of the scriptures in the lives of believers:
- For salvation...........2nd Timothy 3v15 "From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus.
- For preparation for service...............2nd Timothy 3v16 "All scriptures is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
- For revelation ..............Luke 24v27 " And beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself"; and in Luke 24v44 "All things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning Me." The scriptures whether in narrative of in poetry or in prophecy are a revelation of Jesus Christ.
- For admonition.......... 1st Corinthians 10v11 "They are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come." In the lessons of holy scripture there are warnings for God's people that to dabble in the things of an ungodly world is to risk our spiritual health.
- For instruction......... Romans 15v4 "The things which were written aforetime were written for our learning."
Thus the use of the holy scriptures by the people of God is vital for every department of our spiritual lives. In this particular context in Romans 15, what we get from the scriptures is instruction and illumination as to how we ought to behave. He speaks of two aspects; the patience of the scriptures and then the comfort of the scriptures. There we find two aspects of life that we will all need if we are to live our Christian lives to the full. From the scriptures we must derive patience (the word is endurance). Through reading the scriptures we learn of the amazing patience of God with the world at large and with His people in particular. We also learn by example through reading real life stories of how we can develop this quality of patience for ourselves. In the context of dealing with our weak brethren, we will need every ounce of patience that the scriptures can instill into us. The other aspect is the comfort of the scriptures (the word is consolation). On our way through life we will need every ounce of comfort to be able to cope with the demands of Christian living; this quality we derive from the scriptures; from learning how the faithful of old coped with things that came their way and how God brought comfort and consolation across their pathway.
As always, the supreme example is God Himself; and so in verses 5 - 33 of the remaining verses of the chapter the apostle speaks of :
- The God of patience and consolation Romans 15v5
- The God of hope Romans 15v13
- The God of peace Romans 15v33
True godliness is becoming like God Himself, thinking like Him, acting like Him. We only learn the qualities of our God as we read the holy scriptures which in essence is a revelation of God. Only by reading and learning and imitating from the holy scriptures will the purpose of God be fulfilled in us whilst here on this earth. The Bible is the only tangible thing we have here on earth of God. We should read it, study it, understand it, preach it, teach it, discuss it and, above all, live it! By the end of our lives we will not have exhausted it.
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