Romans 15:4,Patience and comfort of the Scriptures. Just before this passage, Paul enjoins the spiritually strong to follow the example of Yeshua to support those who are spiritually weak (Rom 15:1–3). This can be especially trying when they are of one’s own physical or spiritual household—they are always present and there is no escape from them. Patience or perseverance in such cases is required and is a spiritual test that those who are strong must pass. It may take years or decades to pass this test if one has, for example, a spiritually weak marriage partner or other family member with which one has constant interaction.
In this verse, Paul offers advice on how to cope with this situation.
First, those who would seek the higher ground of spiritual maturity must learn patience, which can become a great jewel in one’s spiritual crown. Patience or longsuffering is perhaps the chief attribute of love (1 Cor 13:4), which is a fruit of the Spirit—doesn’t come easily, but only through the fiery refinement process of hardships brought on by people constantly rubbing us the wrong way. In this passage (Rom 13:4), Paul appeals to the example of Yeshua who endured much and mastered patience as he was reproached for sinners’ (that’s you and me) sake. If we want to strive for the high mark of being like him, we should endeavor to follow his example.
Second, in dealing with weak people, Paul encourages us to find comfort in the Scriptures (Rom 15:4). By immersing ourselves in the Word of Elohim and letting it renew and transform our thinking through the work of the Set-Apart Spirit in our hearts, we can endure the reproaches of weak and difficult people. The Scriptures are a world of their own—a refuge and island of peace in the midst of the roiling seas of adversity, and a firm rock to stand on in the billowing waves of life’s troubles.
May the hope of becoming more like Yeshua and conforming ourselves to the wise instructions of the Scriptures and examples of righteous people found therein give us hope to persevere through our difficulties and come out the other side more conformed to the image of Yeshua who is the epitome of loving patience toward us.
This may be what your pastor and church tell you, but it’s not what the Word of Elohim says!
Romans 14:14,Nothing is unclean in itself. In this verse, is the Apostle Paul declaring that there is no longer a distinction between clean and unclean foods, therefore making void the biblical dietary laws? Let’s analyze the contextual and linguistic aspects of this passage to see what Paul is really saying here.
The word unclean (koinos) in this verse can also mean “common,” and in three places in the Apostolic Scriptures the two words “common” and “unclean” are used side by side; q.v. Acts 10: 14, 28 and 11:8, which says, “But I said, Not so, Master: for nothing common [koinos] or unclean [akathartos] has at any time entered into my mouth. “From this example, we see that unclean in Romans 14 can also mean “common” as we find in Acts 11. The word for unclean in Acts 11:8 is an entirely different word; therefore, akathartos is a reference to unclean meat, as proscribed by the Torah. Koinos, on the other hand, cannot mean unclean meat in Romans 14, or else Acts 11:8 would be a superfluous and unexplainably redundant in using two words that mean exactly the same thing. The word koinos is used elsewhere in the Apostolic Scriptures not to mean “unclean,” as in “unclean meat,” but “unclean” as in unwashed hands (Matt. 7:2), or “common,” as in something that is shared commonly among people (Acts 2:44; 4:32; Tit 1:4; Jude 3). Of the seven places this word is used in the Apostolic Scriptures it never means unclean meat.
In David Stern’s Jewish New Testament Commentary, on Romans 14 he states that Paul is not abrogating the biblical dietary laws. On verse 14, Stern says that Paul is referring to ritual purity, not whether something is unclean (nonkosher) meat or not. What is ritual purity? It is a reference to either how something was slaughtered, and whether it was bled properly, or whether the meat had previously been sacrificed to idols before being sold in the public meat markets—a common practice in that day in pagan cities.
Furthermore, Paul could not have been advocating eating swine, and other unclean meats, without making himself into a total hypocrite and liar, since in several places in the book of Acts he strongly states (toward the end of his life) that he was a Torah-observant Jew and walked orderly and kept the Torah (Acts 21:20), and that he had not broken any of the Torah laws (Acts 25:16), which would have included the dietary laws contained in the Torah.
Let’s also keep an important point in mind when speaking of YHVH’s biblical dietary commands: When someone gets born again or regenerated spiritually neither does their digestive system change nor Elohim’s standards of holiness and righteous living. Eating unclean or biblically unkosher meat is, from a purely medical standpoint, deleterious to one’s health regardless whether one is a believer in Yeshua or not, and Scripture still refers to eating unclean meat as an unholy, sinful act and an abomination, and the Word of Elohim does not change yesterday, today or forever!
Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? (Ps 94:16)
If there is anyone in the NW Oregon area who would like to join me in taking a stand at our state capital building for Yeshua the Messiah tomorrow afternoon, June 21,against the Satanists/Luciferians who will be holding an Anitchrist rally there please email me at hoshanarabbah.org with your phone number. I will then call you with the details. — Natan
Psalm 42:4, I used to go. The psalmist declares that as a result of his deep hunger and thirst for the Living Elohim (vv. 1–2) that he used to go with the multitude to the house of Elohim—with those who kept the pilgrims feasts (i.e. Passover/Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles. It says that “he used to go…” implying that he no longer goes. Why? There could be many reasons for this, but for whatever reason, he is no longer able to go. This is not because he doesn’t desire it, but evidently because the opportunity no longer presents itself for him to go with the multitude to worship at the house of Elohim.
I can easily relate to the psalmist’s dilemma. Many of us today find ourselves in the same situation. I, for example, live in a large city of millions of people. When my wife and I were leading a congregation, for many years we—almost single-handedly with little outside help—organized numerous gatherings of the saints year after year around the YHVH’s feasts. Once we retired from this ministry due to age, health and weariness, no one else in our region picked up this anointed mantle, this righteous burden and yoke, this mitvah. So my wife and I are now alone with nowhere to go on YHVH’s pilgrim feasts, even though out soul still thirsts for the Living Elohim.
Romans 13:1, Let every soul. Paul is not giving believers a carte blanche mandate to follow evil laws and decrees that civil authorities impose upon their subjects. He is instructing believers to follow civil authorities that are not in conflict with YHVH’s higher laws. Peter was faced with the dilemma of whether to follow man’s laws or to follow YHVH’s laws which conflicted with those of men. He made the well-known statement, “We ought to obey Elohim rather than men,” before the Jewish legal authorities who demanded that the disciples cease preaching in Yeshua’s name.
In General, Obey the Civil Authorities
Elohim in his Word instructs his servants to obey the civil laws and authorities in the lands in which they are living (Deut 17:12; Matt 22:21; Rom 13:1–7; Tit 3:1; 1 Pet 2:13–17).
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. (Rom 13:1)
Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work… (Tit 3:1)
Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme… (1 Pet 2:13)
However, when obeying the laws of men goes against the higher laws of Elohim, Scripture requires the saints to follow Elohim’s laws over the laws of men (Acts 4:19; 5:29).
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of Elohim to listen to you more than to Elohim, you judge. (Acts 4:19)
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey Elohim rather than men. (Acts 5:29)
Examples of Civil Disobedience in the Bible
Here are some examples from the Bible of righteous saints who disobeyed the civil laws when those laws violated the higher laws of Elohim.
The Israelite midwives defied Pharaoh and refused to practice abortion or infanticide (Exod 1:15–20).
Rahab defied the ruling authorities of Jericho and hid the Israelite spies (Josh 2).
Samson rebelled against the Philistines (Judg 14–16).
Mordechai defied Hamon, the king’s agent (Est 3).
David became a fugitive on the run from King Saul (1 Sam 21–27).
Elijah defied the king’s religious establishment and defeated the prophets of Baal (1 Kgs 18).
Elijah became a fugitive fleeing for his life from Queen Jezebel (1 Kgs 19).
Obadiah hid the 100 prophets of Elohim from King Ahab and Queen Jezebel (1 Kgs 18:3–4, 13).
The three Hebrews defied King Nebuchanezzar and refused to worship the golden idol (Dan 3).
Daniel prayed to Elohim against the commands of King Darius (Dan 6).
Yeshua turned over the money changers tables in the temple (John 2:14–15).
Peter and John were arrested and imprisoned for preaching the gospel (Acts 4).
The apostles were arrested for preaching the gospel, put on trial, but refused to stop preaching the gospel (Acts 5).
Peter was arrested again for preaching the gospel (Acts 12).
Paul and Silas were imprisoned for preaching the gospel (Acts 16).
Paul was arrested, tried and imprisoned for preaching the gospel (Acts 21–25).
The end times Babylon the Great, Antichrist, New World Order system will require all the inhabitants of the earth to worship the beast and to take the mark of the beast on their bodies in order buy and sell (or, by implication) or starve to death (Rev 13:11–18). At the same time, there will be those saints who refuse to take the mark of the beast (Rev 15:2; 20:4). To not take the mark of the beast will be an act of civil disobedience.
The Case for Civil Disobedience
Civil governments all around the world—especially in formerly Christian nations—are increasingly removing freedoms from their citizens and demanding that they stop preaching biblical truth and the gospel message, and, in essence, obey and worship the State.
For example, in the U.S. the constitutional right to freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to keep and to bear arms, to practice one’s religion, to raise one’s children in a biblical way, to educate one’s children outside the government approved educational system, to not be forced to immunize oneself or one’s children with harmful pharmaceutical chemicals, the right to privacy, or to circumcise one’s boys (and the list goes on) is being attacked or being infringed upon every day, and increasingly so at an alarming rate. The righteous saint at some point must establish boundaries and mark lines in the sand beyond which they refuse to go in acquiescing to illegal unbiblical governmental demands. Each person, prayerfully, while searching the Scriptures for wisdom and direction, will have to make the decision before Elohim where the line too far is and beyond which they will not pass.
Who Will Rise Up—A Mighty Cloud of Witnesses
The Bible is full of examples of those saints who chose to serve Elohim over man. Some paid with their lives for doing so, while many others were persecuted and suffered great hardship. But one thing is certain. They all received a higher, eternal reward from Elohim as the Epistles to the Hebrews chapter eleven records.
And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
Elohim having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…. (Heb 11:39–12:1)
Therefore the question remains, when done righteously and in accordance with biblical principles,
Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? (Ps 94:16)
The Epistle to the Romans chapter 12 verses six through eight list seven heavenly gifts that Elohim the Creator givers to humans. According to Paul, the author of Romans, Elohim has given one or more of these gifts to every human ever born (Rom 12:3). All humans are born with one or more of these gifts. These gifts can be used for good, if motivated and informed by the higher influences of the mind, will and Spirit of Elohim, or they can also be used for selfishness and evil if motivated and under the control of the lower influences of the world, the flesh and the devil. A human can also use these gifts while under the influence of both the upper and lower influences.
These divinely imparted gifts are referred to as both motivational or redemptive gifts. Motivational because when they are understood and used properly, they motivate both the gifted person and the recipient of the gift upward spiritually. Redemptive because when they are used as the Creator intended, they will help to bring people into a spiritual relationship with Elohim through Yeshua the Messiah their Heavenly Redeemer and Savior.
Of spiritual gifts imparted to humans, the Bible tells us:
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Pet 4:10)
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us… (Rom 12:1–6)
The seven innate motivational gifts are listed in Romans 12:6–8. They are prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, mercy or (otherwise described) perceiving, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, ruling, and mercy.
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. (Rom 12:6–8)
These seven innate motivational gifts are different than the gifts of the Yeshua, the Son, (Eph 4:7–11), and the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:7–10). The Romans 12 gifts are from the Father (Rom 12:3). The innate motivational gifts were given to each person at birth. The gifts of the Spirit are given once one has been baptized in the Spirit of Elohim as a result of a spiritual relationship with Yeshua the Messiah. We will say more about the purpose of these gifts below. The Ephesians chapter four gifts, which are often referred to as “the fivefold ministry” are specific ministry or leadership offices existing within the congregation of the saints or body of Yeshua. One can grow into the Ephesians chapter four ministry office-gifts through the proper use and spiritual development of the innate motivational gifts. This occurs when one recognizes they are being called by Elohim to be either an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher and this calling is confirmed by one’s spiritual elders. During a period of discipleship and training, one can learn to function in their ministry office-gift on their own, and hopefully raise others up to do the same thus continuing the spiritual process.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Elohim, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable [well-pleasing], and perfect, will of Elohim. (Rom 12:1–2)
Let’s first define some words in verse two.
Prove is the Greek word dokimazo signifying “to test, examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals, to recognise as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy.”
Good is the Greek word agathos meaning “of good constitution or nature, useful, salutary, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent, distinguished, upright, honourable.”
Acceptable is the Greek word euarestos and means “well pleasing, acceptable.”
Perfect is the Greek word teleios (related to telos, see note on 10:4) signifies “a goal-oriented action, that which is complete, whole, brought to its end, lacking nothing necessary to completeness, that which is perfect.”
In this passage of Scripture, Paul’s juxtapositioning of these three words suggests the grammatical construction of the good (the nominative), better (the comparative) and best (the superlative).
What does this teach us? An amazing truth regarding the merciful graciousness of YHVH Elohim! Within the limits of the plan that YHVH has for each of our lives, there are different paths that we can take as Romans 12:2 indicates. The choice is ours. We can take the good path, the acceptable or better path or the best or perfect path that YHVH has for us.
As to which path is the perfect will of Elohim for us, we have a clue in verse one as to which path that is. Let’s unpack verse one, so that we’ll better understand verse two.
What Paul is teaching us here is that to the degree we become a living sacrifice for Yeshua by denying our sinful passions and submitting to the will of Elohim (v. 1), and to the degree that we allow the Spirit of Elohim to renew our minds into conformity with the mind of Yeshua by the “brainwashing” influences of his Spirit and the washing of his word (Eph 5:26) is the degree to which we will find ourselves walking in the perfect will of Elohim. This is a process. As we become deconformed or deprogrammed from the ways and thinking of the world (v. 2), and as we accept the wisdom from above, which is pure, peaceable and gentle and reject the worldly, sensual and demonic “wisdom” resulting in bitter envying, self-seeking and resistance to the truth of Elohim (Jas 3:13–18) is the degree to which we will be able to prove or determine YHVH’s complete or perfect will for our lives (Rom 12:2).
