Slices
Prepare
Something to consider: are you as sensitive to the Word of God as you are to the words of your friends?
Bible passage
17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
21 Timothy, my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings.
Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.
25 Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith – 27 to the only wise God be glory for ever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Explore
Watch out for scammers, we are told. Such people phone us or email us and they sound genuine but they’re not. It’s all very convincing. They pressure us to do what they say. But it’s a scam. They are trying to steal our money. We need to be alert and hang up.
‘Watch out’ is Paul’s final practical message. Watch out for those who are divisive and obstructive in the fellowship. They may be able to talk convincingly, but they deceive those who are easily swayed. Steer clear of them. By contrast, Paul is glad about his Roman friends. They are well-practised in following good teaching and have little experience of evil. Paul wants them to keep it that way (vs 17–19).
Paul makes room for sending greetings to Rome from the believers who are gathered around him in Corinth (vs 21– 23) before his momentous journey to Jerusalem (Acts 20–26). The end of the letter (vs 25,26) echoes the beginning (1:1–5), reminding us of our debt to Paul for the sublime truths that he laboured to bring us – the good news of Jesus Christ, the eternal purposes of God, the revelation of the Scriptures and the obedience of faith for all peoples. May we be immovable, firmly ‘established’ (v 25) on these truths.
Respond
Erastus (v 23) was a Christian with considerable civic responsibility in Corinth. Pray for those who work in government locally in your city, town or district.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Job 31,32; Psalms 86,87
Pray for Scripture Union
Join Sarah Davison, Research and Innovation Lead, in praying that as thousands of children and young people game online during the school holidays, they will rest and relax. Pray that as churches catch SU’s vision to engage with them in the digital world, they will discover something about the love of Jesus.
