Second Sunday In Advent
Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy Son hast revealed to us that heaven and earth shall pass away, that our bodies shall rise again, and that we all shall appear before the judgment seat: We beseech Thee, keep us by Thy Holy Spirit in Thy word; establish us in the true faith, graciously defend us from sin and preserve us in all temptations, that our hearts may not be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, but that we may ever watch and pray and, trusting fully in Thy grace, await with joy the glorious coming of Thy Son, and at last obtain eternal salvation, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
KJV Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: 9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. 10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. 13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
KJV Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. 29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
The God of Patience and Consolation
KJV Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Introduction
The Apostle Paul had a special ministry in his work with Jews and Gentiles. The Christian Church was established by the ancient Old Testament Scriptures. In the Apostolic Age, congregations were built upon the Promises of the Old Testament, which were simply called "The Scriptures."
The New Testament was being written and copied before all the Apostles died, and that was very early. In spite of persecution, the Bible was completed by 100 AD. Although heretics tried to insert their own opinions and falsehoods - as they do today - the Bible was preserved carefully. No other ancient document has so many copies (leather - parchment, and paper - papyrus) - and so much in agreement. The modern money-making Bibles do not agree with each other, yet they charge customers a high price for their constantly changing paraphrases - which they call translations - RSV, NRSV, NIV, ESV, Beck, etc.
Paul is writing in verse 4 about patience and comfort. As Lenski says, patience is objective and refers to God's Promises making us patient, so the result is comfort based on what God has revealed about the future - and its meaning.
When the times are terrible, as they are now, it is easy to give up hope. Everyone can cast scenarios about what will happen in the next few years. The limits of human wisdom are revealed quickly as the latest fads turn into follies - and consequences follow.
Centuries before it happened, the prophet Isaiah predicted the coming of Christ, being born of a Virgin, divine, having Two Natures, human and divine (Isaiah 7 and 9). Many more predictions were established, read, and remembered. That is why the people were elated, excited, and fearful when the Promises were fulfilled - the Star of Bethlehem, John preaching Isaiah 40, the miracles performed by Jesus Christ.
5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Christians in Rome and other cities had the blessing to know witnesses of the Resurrection of Christ, not only the Apostles, but those who saw and heard Him before He ascended to Heaven. However, there were conflicts about meat offered to idols and about eating kosher foods. Even today, when we are supposed to be so wise about everything, one can find congregations and sects where there are absolute laws about the most trivial issues.
The glory of the entire Bible is the Gospel Word, not customs that vary from place to place, or age to age. The New Age churches are full of bitterness and strife because they imagine they have discovered new truths (laws, actually) that must be obeyed. That is why so many big churches of the 1950s and 1960s are now theatres, restaurants, and low-cost housing.
7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
This is one of the great but overlooked verses from Paul. Another way to say this is - Welcome one another, just as Christ welcomed us to the glory of God. We are not gathered by the Savior grudgingly, but in the spirit of the Beatitudes, blessed and encouraged many different ways through the grace revealed in the Scriptures. There is no sorrow or trouble that is omitted from the help of God's Word.
When someone is spiritually beaten and robbed on the road to Jericho, the Good Samaritan (Jesus) helps him in every way possible, going to him, tending to his wounds, carrying him to a place to rest and recuperate. And the Good Samaritan promises to return and help even more.
The Savior's work is helping, healing, caring, and forgiving.
8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
The strangest thing is to go back and try to imagine how a small nation became a vassal to Alexander the Great's general and then to Rome, yet their religion and language continued, with all the faults humans could lay upon it.
Jesus Christ was rejected by the religious leaders even though He was sent for them first of all. The most unlikely person to teach this was the very man who persecuted Christians. That meant he lost his friends and had to deal with the Christians who doubted him.
Paul did not abandon Judaism and even did his work as a Christian rabbi, thus being a tangible reminder of the Good Shepherd, who gathers the sheep and chases away the ravenous wolves.
9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
52. All the good we can do to God is to praise and to thank him. This is the only true service we can render him, according to his words in Psalm 50:23: “Whoso offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his way aright will I show the salvation of God.” We receive all blessings from him, in return for which we should make the offering of praise. If anything else purporting to be service to God is presented for your consideration rest assured it is erroneous and delusive. For instance, the distracted world attempts to serve God by setting apart houses, churches, cloisters; vestures, gold-trimmed, silk and every other kind; silver vessels and images; bells and organs, candles and lamps; the money for which expense should have been appropriated to the poor if the object was to make an offering to God. Further, it keeps up a muttering and wailing in the churches day and night. But true praise and honor of God, a service that cannot be confined to place or person, is quietly ignored the world over. The pretenses of priests and monks about their system of exercises being service to the Lord, are false and delusive.
This is proven repeatedly with clergy making a great show of themselves, filling the air with incense smoke, trying to be as Roman or Eastern Orthodox as possible, and yet being shallow and repetitive about Biblical doctrine, as if a few slogans are a sermon.
10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
Faith, prayer, and praise go together. As a country we overlook the fact that God carved out a section of the world for us
- where the climate was ideal,
- water abundant, rivers and lakes for navigation and food criss-cross the land,
- minerals were found on the surface, like copper in Jerome, Arizona and anthracite coal on bluffs in the East,
- buffalo and prairie grass produced the incredible deep soil of the Great Plains.
1776 not only marked the Declaration of Independence but also the publication of Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, which was completed in 1789, when our Constitution was published. This historical masterpiece, equaled only by Thucydides, had a great, positive effect on our Founders.
The Bible began in two languages barely used today - and especially avoided in seminaries - Hebrew and Greek. Those who speak the modern versions of Hebrew and Greek today are among the smallest populations of the world, but their languages are the bedrock of God's revelation and the basis for Christian teaching everywhere. Britain's use of the KJV took English around the world. Slavery was excused by many who used the Bible for that purpose, but it was also the Bible that set the slaves free in America through Christians in America and Wilberforce in England.
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
This is such a beautiful statement and exhortation. God is the God of hope, because there are no boundaries for His power and compassion. We often do not see it in the moment but this becomes true and thrilling over time, when we see the feelings of fear and despair replaced by joy, peace, forgiveness, and comfort.
The substance of this one verse is founded in a few basic truths -
- Joy and peace come from believing in Jesus Christ - there is no substitute for this, which is created only by the Holy Spirit in the Gospel Word. We believe because this implanted Word has grown in our hearts.
- Joy is from knowing we have forgiveness and eternal life from the Gospel Promises. Peace comes from the victory over our sinfulness and anxiety.
- The result is hope - which means relying on the mercy, love, and grace of God's Word.
85. The way we possess peace and joy we have before spoken of; the secret is in perceiving the will of God, how he gave Christ to bear our sins, which we are under obligation to believe. The more clearly we perceive his will, the stronger will be our faith, our hope and love. Hence we must continually preach the Gospel - receive it and meditate upon it. For faith comes through no other medium than the Gospel.
The apostle says, in effect; “May God, who through the Gospel effects hope, grant you grace, enabling you to appropriate the Gospel and believe.
Through believing, you first perceive Christ. Thereupon follow perfect peace and an assured conscience. These are blessings common to all, and you will have harmony among yourselves.” The Christian’s peace and joy is something received, not as the gift of the world is received, through mortal sense, but through faith. He who is the source of your good, and from whom you derive your peace and joy, is not recognized by sight or touch. However, in the world you will have disquietude and grief. But learn that Christ is the common blessing of all and you will enjoy blessed peace. For all being alike rich, no one can begrudge another anything. This is what it means to have peace and joy through faith or in faith.
86. “That ye may abound in hope,” continues the prayer. In other words, “that your hope may ever increase.” Now, suffering and persecution contribute to the increase of hope. We are not given increased hope to decrease adversity; no, adversity is increased that hope may not rely on human power, but be established through the power of the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit aids us, fortifying our hope and enabling us not to fear nor to flee from the disasters of the world; but to stand firm even unto death, and to overcome all evil; so that evil must flee from us and cease its attacks. Remember, it is hope in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in human weakness, that must do all this through the medium of the Gospel. As before said, “Through patience and through comfort of the Scriptures we have hope.” Where the Gospel is not, there is neither hope, comfort, peace, joy, faith, love, Christ, God, nor anything good. Evidence of this fact is before us in the wretched, spiritless, carnal clerical orders, notwithstanding their much praying and holding of masses. From these things, O thou God of hope, of patience and of comfort, graciously preserve us. Amen.
