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I. In imitating the apostle to bring the local churches into the fellowship of the Body of Christ — Rom. 14:3; 15:7-9, 25-33:
А. Not despising or judging others in their doctrines or practices according to doctrinal concepts, religious practices, and anything that is unrelated to our basic faith.
B. But receiving people according to God’s receiving, not being more narrow than God, thereby demonstrating and maintaining the oneness of the Body of Christ, and receiving people according to the Son of God, according to God, not according to doctrine or practice, thus maintaining a condition of absolute peace, smoothness, and order, without any deviation and discord, in the fellowship of the Body of Christ to the glory of God (14:3; 15:7); Christ being a servant of the circumcision to fulfill and confirm all the promises God gave to their fathers and a servant of the Gentiles so that they may glorify God for His mercy (vv. 8-9).
II. In following in the apostle’s footsteps to bring all the saints into the blending life of the entire Body of Christ — ch. 16:
А. Following in the apostle’s footsteps to bring us into the blending life of the entire Body of Christ by recommendations and greetings in order that the God of peace may crush Satan under our feet and we may enjoy the rich grace of Christ — vv. 1-16, 21-24, 20.
B. Carrying out the mystery kept in silence in the times of the ages concerning the complete salvation of God in the fulfillment of the eternal economy of God for the Gentiles to have the obedience of faith unto glory to the only wise God through Jesus Christ — vv. 25-27.
In this chapter, the third chapter on reigning in life, we want to see our reigning in life in imitating the apostle to bring the local churches into the fellowship of the Body of Christ and in following in the apostle’s footsteps to bring all the saints into the blending life of the entire Body of Christ. In this chapter our particular stress is on the universal fellowship of the church, the Body of Christ.
The last three chapters of Romans show that we need to reign in life particularly in two crucial matters. The first matter is in imitating the apostle to bring the local churches into the fellowship of the Body of Christ (14:3; 15:7-9, 25-33); the second matter is in following in the apostle’s footsteps to bring all the saints into the blending life of the entire Body of Christ (ch. 16).
I hope that we all can see that reigning in life is not a matter of position; rather, it is a practical living. All the things mentioned in Romans 14 through 16 are related to reigning in life in our practical living. To experience reigning in life, first, we must imitate the apostle in bringing the local churches into the fellowship of the Body of Christ. It is only by practically entering into the fellowship of the Body of Christ that we can have the genuine experience of reigning in life.
In imitating the apostle to bring the local churches into the fellowship of the Body of Christ, we must learn not to despise or judge others in their doctrines or practices according to doctrinal concepts, religious practices, and anything that is unrelated to our basic faith. Concerning this matter, the co-workers and serving ones in all the places must be willing to learn, and all the brothers and sisters must have clear insight.
Our basic faith refers to the most important and fundamental truths. These are the truths concerning Christ’s person and work and those related to our salvation. All other matters, such as eating and the keeping of days mentioned in Romans 14, are secondary truths, not the basic faith. The Bible definitely gives us some clear principles concerning foods. First Timothy 4:1 and 3 tell us that forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from certain foods are teachings of demons. God permits us to eat meat, but if someone who is weak in faith eats only vegetables, he is still saved as long as he has believed in the Lord and has received Him as his Savior. His eating of vegetables does not make him an unsaved person. Therefore, eating is not a matter of our basic faith. The same is true concerning the keeping of days. We should not argue with people concerning whether we should meet on Saturday or on the Lord’s Day; that is a secondary truth. We should not despise or judge others according to doctrinal concepts and religious practices, including the doctrinal concepts and practices we have in the Lord’s recovery. Nor should we despise or judge others according to anything that is not related to our basic faith. As long as one is a genuine Christian, we should not exclude him, even though he may differ from us with respect to doctrine; rather, we should receive him in the same one Lord.
We should receive people according to God’s receiving, not being more narrow than God, thereby demonstrating and maintaining the oneness of the Body of Christ. Furthermore, we should receive people according to the Son of God, according to God, not according to doctrine or practice, thus maintaining a condition of absolute peace, smoothness, and order, without any deviation and discord, in the fellowship of the Body of Christ to the glory of God (Rom. 14:3; 15:7); Christ is a servant of the circumcision to fulfill and confirm all the promises God gave to their fathers and a servant of the Gentiles so that they may glorify God for His mercy (vv. 8-9).
We have much to learn concerning receiving people according to God and according to His Son. Because of our negligence in this matter in the past, we have offended the Body of Christ and many brothers and sisters in the Lord. For this reason I had a deep repentance before the Lord. Brothers and sisters, I hope that we can see our past mistakes by getting into this chapter through pray-reading, studying, reciting, and prophesying. Of course, sectarianism in the denominations is wrong; it is something very much condemned by God. Nevertheless, those who are genuinely saved in the denominations are children of God and have been received by God. Hence, we also should receive them, but we would never participate in the division in which they are.
Romans 14:3 tells us that we should receive people according to God; this is to receive all those whom God has received. Romans 15:7 says that we should receive one another, as Christ also received us. Those whom God has received and those whom Christ has received are actually the same group of people. It is not that God receives one group of people and Christ receives another group of people. God is very liberal and not narrow. When we receive people according to God and according to His Son, Christ, we demonstrate, show forth, and maintain the oneness of the Body of Christ. If we receive people according to doctrine and practice, there is no way for the oneness of the Body of Christ to be maintained and demonstrated.
We must receive people according to the Son of God. This is to receive others according to the Son of God in His being unbiased and balanced in taking care of both the Jews and the Gentiles. Our Lord is a Lord who is balanced, without any bias. On the one hand, He is a servant of the circumcision (the Jews); on the other hand, He is a servant of the God-chosen nations (the Gentiles). What the Lord does is always balanced and even. His balanced ministry, on the one hand, enables the fellowship of the Body of Christ to be kept in absolute peace and smoothness to the glory of God and, on the other hand, causes the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy. To glorify God is to participate in the New Jerusalem. If we do not participate in the New Jerusalem, whatever we do is not a glorifying of God but of ourselves, an expression of ourselves. It is only when we express God in the New Jerusalem that He is truly glorified in the universe.
The last three chapters of Romans show the blending and fellowship of the Body life brought forth through the apostle’s receiving according to God and Christ; such an explanation was not seen by the Bible expositors throughout the generations. Romans 16 gives us an excellent pattern of the apostle in bringing all the saints into the blending life of the entire Body of Christ. It is in such a life that we can truly reign in life.
We must follow in the footsteps of the apostle. He brought us into the blending life of the entire Body of Christ by recommendations and greetings in order that the God of peace may crush Satan under our feet and we may enjoy the rich grace of Christ (vv. 1-16, 21-24, 20). In Romans 16 the apostle Paul greeted the saints one by one, mentioning at least twenty-seven names, including Phoebe, a deaconess of the church in Cenchrea, and Prisca and Aquila. Moreover, he greeted the saints generally. This shows that he had a considerable amount of knowledge, understanding, and care with regard to every one of them. Such recommendations and greetings show both the mutual concern among the saints and the mutual fellowship among the churches. It is by the churches’ fellowship in the Body that the God of peace will crush Satan under our feet and we will be able to enjoy the rich grace of Christ. This grace is the manifestation of the Triune God in His embodiment in three aspects — the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
Through the fellowship in the Body, the crushing of Satan, and the enjoyment of grace, we can carry out the mystery kept in silence in the times of the ages concerning the complete salvation of God in the fulfillment of the eternal economy of God for the Gentiles to have the obedience of faith unto glory to the only wise God through Jesus Christ (vv. 25-27).
We must have the reality of the fellowship and blending of the Body of Christ. Otherwise, regardless of how much we pursue and how simple and humble we are, sooner or later there will be problems, even divisions, among us. Hence, we must be governed by the vision of the Body and follow in the footsteps of the apostle by bringing all the saints in all the churches into the blending life of the entire Body of Christ. This is to reign in life, and by such reigning, we give glory to God. This glory is the New Jerusalem, the universal incorporation of the union and mingling of divinity with humanity, in which God will be completely glorified and His economy will be fully accomplished.
In its conclusion Romans, which gives a general discussion of the Christian life, gives glory to the wise God. This unveils that all the matters discussed in this book are planned, managed, and accomplished by God’s wisdom in order that He, the immeasurably rich Triune God, may be glorified, that is, that His incomparable glory may be completely and fully expressed through us who have been perfected eternally by Him and who have become His Body and have been joined to Him as one. The focus of God’s wisdom is the working of His Divine Trinity into the three parts — spirit, soul, and body — of our redeemed being in order that in His redemption, sanctification, and transformation we may have a full union in the divine life with Him and His desire for the mingling of divinity and humanity, the joining of humanity to divinity, may be fulfilled in eternity. This truly is worthy of our appreciation and worship. This is worthy of our unceasing singing and praise for eternity. We should have this as the center and purpose of both our Christian life and our church life. May all of us who have been chosen and perfected by Him experience His organic salvation in full and reign in His life to be His consummate expression in eternity.
