The Devices and Destruction of the Lord’s Adversary
(Romans 16:17-20, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 5, 2006)
TODAY’S PASSAGE:
Romans 16:17-20 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Introduction – The Immediate Context of Today’s Passage
In the midst of this chapter speaking of warm greetings from the church in Corinth to the church in Rome, there is a sense in which this morning’s text of strong warning seems to come out of nowhere. The preceding verses include a long list of Christians in the Roman church that are spoken of in glowing gospel terms. Following verse 21 comes a shorter list of Corinthian Christians eager to be remembered by name to their Roman brothers and sisters in the faith. There is a strong sense of family solidarity here. These folks are going out of their way to affirm that they are on the same team.
But not everyone is on the same team. We know that of course. We don’t expect those who reject faith in Christ to be in lockstep with the church. What does surprise us at times is that there are those who claim to be in the church of Christ who are apparently not on the same team as the Apostle Paul. Not everyone who is wearing the team jersey is actually helpful to the cause. As verse 18 indicates, there are those who might visit the churches in Rome who could easily “deceive the hearts of the naïve.” Paul warns the church about such people because he has encountered their opposition everywhere.
THE ADVERSARY’S DEVICES
Those who cause divisions and obstacles
Behind such adversaries of the true Christian message is a leader who has shown himself to be against God and against God’s people from the opening pages of the Scriptures. This leading adversary uses people to pursue his activities of division and obstruction.
Paul issues a strong warning here that must be heard. He writes these words not because he has heard that the Roman church is weak but because of the danger he has seen everywhere. He speaks of those who cause “divisions” and those who create “obstacles.” The word translated “divisions” is listed in Galatians 5 as a work of the flesh. The same book contains a famous list of the fruits of the spirit. In contrast to these “fruits” there are those works which come from our sinful nature.
Not all divisions are sinful. Sometimes it is necessary to stand up for the faith as a matter of holding fast to clear and central biblical truth. In such a case, it is the one who has departed from the faith who is actually the source of the division, not the one who is defending the faith. But there are many divisions in the church that are plainly sinful, and there are people that cause those divisions.
Paul also uses the word “obstacles.” This is the same word that is often translated “stumbling blocks.” Once again, not every stumbling block is bad. Christ himself is called a stumbling block to those who will not receive His message of faith and repentance. In such a case, He is certainly not at fault. But others would come into the church and plant seeds of trouble, providing occasions for sin that are like traps for the unsuspecting.
In this note on divisions and obstacles Paul is most likely referring to those who are outside the church who bring teaching that is not helpful. We know this because in verse 17 he states that these things are contrary to the doctrine that they have been taught. More on these important words later…
Last week we considered the great team of Prisca and Aquila. Our focus was their time in Corinth with Paul, but I did mention that they went on to Ephesus with the Apostle. They had a house church there and the churches in that city faced plenty of troubles. Paul spent three months in the synagogue convincing those who would listen to the Christian message. But eventually some became so stubborn in their unbelief and were speaking evil of the faith, so Paul withdrew from that setting and took the disciples with him. The Bible tells us that he was “reasoning daily” with them in what was called “the hall of Tyrannus.” We learn that he continued teaching daily there for at least two years.
Eventually he left Ephesus, but he later in his travels came near enough to the city that it was practical to call the elders from Ephesus to meet with him. Acts 20 records his emotional and beautiful appeal to them, convinced as he was that he would never see them again. As he recounts his years of ministry among them we cannot miss the importance that he placed on his daily teaching activities. We see this in the description of the pattern of his own life and also in his instruction for their future ministry, as he commends them to God and to the word of His grace. This is the way for all of us, even today, even here.
Contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught
Paul has labored to teach the doctrines of the faith through expounding the whole counsel of God in the Scriptures. The result of years of daily teaching is that there is a body of doctrine that his hearers should know to be the doctrine that they have been taught. This doctrine was not unique to Paul. He could expect that those who have been diligent hearers in the Roman church had similarly been built up in a body of Christian truth.
His concern in today’s passage is that some might come teaching doctrines that were contrary to the truth that the church had been taught. There are two ways that this might be done. First, there could be those who would directly contradict the doctrines of the faith. If someone came here and told you that the Trinity was not true, that would be a direct contradiction of the faith that you have been taught. I don’t suppose that most of you would fall for that. The second way to attack the teaching of the church is more subtle. You can end up being an enemy of Christian truth by minimizing the central doctrines of the faith. Divisive teachers most often (however inadvertently) achieve this by appealing to your passion for the things that you long for in this passing world – your children finding the right spouse, your nation having the best government, and many other such things.
How would you know it if someone came to you – not denying the doctrines of the Christian faith, but subtly leading you away from them? The text tells us that false teachers would deceive the hearts of the simple. You must not be so simple that you are unaware of where you are, and of the teachings that your church holds to be central to the faith. You must know the doctrines of the faith if you are to have any hope of recognizing appeals that would slowly pull you away from this body of truth. You must study the Bible and understand the doctrinal statements that your church believes are Scriptural.
Watch out… Avoid them.
Paul warns the church here to watch out for false teachers and to avoid them. We all need to be a part of a church that holds to biblical doctrine with a biblical sense of proportion. If the written doctrines of your church are not biblical, find a doctrinally sound church that you can support in good conscience. But if you believe that the teachings of your church are biblical, then you need to stay close to those teachings.
Many of the teachers who seem to be moving people away from the central doctrines of the faith today come to us through a remote location. They do not come in here on Sunday morning and ask to share a message. Instead they produce monthly journals that are mailed to your homes, or tapes and CDs that are passed from friend to friend. Some (both of those who are alive yet today or of others from the past who have left us written materials) would bring you Christian teaching that would actually deepen your knowledge of the doctrines that your church teaches. But others would lead you away from the faith.
You are told here to avoid this second group. Here is a good question that you can ask yourself if you believe that the teachings of your church are solidly biblical:
Will following a new “teacher” lead you away from peace in your church?
If the answer to that question is yes, then do yourself and your church a big favor. Throw out that tape.
By the way, do not expect such diversionary teachers to identify themselves. They seem to be strongly biblical people who just like to focus on other things that the Westminster Divines chose never to write a chapter about in their confession – like tax policy, and educational choices, and courting procedures, and how American morality can be restored. Naturally such a teacher doesn’t say that this tape or book will lead you to hate people who love you – the people of your own church. But the evidence is plain. As you become overly passionate about secondary this-world issues, you will not care very much about “little” things like the Covenant of Grace, and Christ the Mediator of that covenant, and the Cross of Christ, by which our sins have been atoned for. After only a matter of months you may feel that you are especially passionate about other things that the rest of the church does not see to care about the same way that you do, and the dirty deed has been done.
THE ADVERARY’S DESTRUCTION
What will God do?
Thankfully, this is not the end of the story. Our subtle adversary does not have the last word. Just as we learned from the opening of the Bible, the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent. In the process the man that would be a descendant of Eve would himself be hurt.
This has already happened. Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the Covenant of Grace has destroyed the devil through His great work on the cross. A whole kingdom of darkness has been mortally wounded, and a new Kingdom has come. The battle has been won by Christ alone in His atoning death. The justice of God is satisfied. We who were guilty sinners go free. The spotless Lamb of God faced the wrath we deserved, and the plot of Satan to destroy the fellowship between God and man is utterly foiled.
Yet there is also a sense in which this new Kingdom which is already here, is at the same time not yet here. We are told here by Paul that this adversary who would send divisive and entrapping emissaries into our midst will himself soon be crushed under OUR feet. (We must not be surprised when we find that we are badly wounded in the battle, though we shall live.)
Note carefully what Paul tells the church here. Our feet are being used to further defeat the defeated foe. But look who is even now defeating the father of lies who comes to steal and to kill and to destroy. It is the God of peace Himself who will crush Satan under our feet shortly!
Being aware then of the enemy’s devices, and committed to applying biblical countermeasures, we move ahead with confidence in God. So now, brothers and sisters, “I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Stay close to Jesus. Do not move away from the message of the cross. Hold fast to the doctrines that you have been taught. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
TODAY’S PASSAGE:
Romans 16:17-20 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Introduction – The Immediate Context of Today’s Passage
In the midst of this chapter speaking of warm greetings from the church in Corinth to the church in Rome, there is a sense in which this morning’s text of strong warning seems to come out of nowhere. The preceding verses include a long list of Christians in the Roman church that are spoken of in glowing gospel terms. Following verse 21 comes a shorter list of Corinthian Christians eager to be remembered by name to their Roman brothers and sisters in the faith. There is a strong sense of family solidarity here. These folks are going out of their way to affirm that they are on the same team.
But not everyone is on the same team. We know that of course. We don’t expect those who reject faith in Christ to be in lockstep with the church. What does surprise us at times is that there are those who claim to be in the church of Christ who are apparently not on the same team as the Apostle Paul. Not everyone who is wearing the team jersey is actually helpful to the cause. As verse 18 indicates, there are those who might visit the churches in Rome who could easily “deceive the hearts of the naïve.” Paul warns the church about such people because he has encountered their opposition everywhere.
THE ADVERSARY’S DEVICES
Those who cause divisions and obstacles
Behind such adversaries of the true Christian message is a leader who has shown himself to be against God and against God’s people from the opening pages of the Scriptures. This leading adversary uses people to pursue his activities of division and obstruction.
Paul issues a strong warning here that must be heard. He writes these words not because he has heard that the Roman church is weak but because of the danger he has seen everywhere. He speaks of those who cause “divisions” and those who create “obstacles.” The word translated “divisions” is listed in Galatians 5 as a work of the flesh. The same book contains a famous list of the fruits of the spirit. In contrast to these “fruits” there are those works which come from our sinful nature.
Not all divisions are sinful. Sometimes it is necessary to stand up for the faith as a matter of holding fast to clear and central biblical truth. In such a case, it is the one who has departed from the faith who is actually the source of the division, not the one who is defending the faith. But there are many divisions in the church that are plainly sinful, and there are people that cause those divisions.
Paul also uses the word “obstacles.” This is the same word that is often translated “stumbling blocks.” Once again, not every stumbling block is bad. Christ himself is called a stumbling block to those who will not receive His message of faith and repentance. In such a case, He is certainly not at fault. But others would come into the church and plant seeds of trouble, providing occasions for sin that are like traps for the unsuspecting.
In this note on divisions and obstacles Paul is most likely referring to those who are outside the church who bring teaching that is not helpful. We know this because in verse 17 he states that these things are contrary to the doctrine that they have been taught. More on these important words later…
Last week we considered the great team of Prisca and Aquila. Our focus was their time in Corinth with Paul, but I did mention that they went on to Ephesus with the Apostle. They had a house church there and the churches in that city faced plenty of troubles. Paul spent three months in the synagogue convincing those who would listen to the Christian message. But eventually some became so stubborn in their unbelief and were speaking evil of the faith, so Paul withdrew from that setting and took the disciples with him. The Bible tells us that he was “reasoning daily” with them in what was called “the hall of Tyrannus.” We learn that he continued teaching daily there for at least two years.
Eventually he left Ephesus, but he later in his travels came near enough to the city that it was practical to call the elders from Ephesus to meet with him. Acts 20 records his emotional and beautiful appeal to them, convinced as he was that he would never see them again. As he recounts his years of ministry among them we cannot miss the importance that he placed on his daily teaching activities. We see this in the description of the pattern of his own life and also in his instruction for their future ministry, as he commends them to God and to the word of His grace. This is the way for all of us, even today, even here.
Contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught
Paul has labored to teach the doctrines of the faith through expounding the whole counsel of God in the Scriptures. The result of years of daily teaching is that there is a body of doctrine that his hearers should know to be the doctrine that they have been taught. This doctrine was not unique to Paul. He could expect that those who have been diligent hearers in the Roman church had similarly been built up in a body of Christian truth.
His concern in today’s passage is that some might come teaching doctrines that were contrary to the truth that the church had been taught. There are two ways that this might be done. First, there could be those who would directly contradict the doctrines of the faith. If someone came here and told you that the Trinity was not true, that would be a direct contradiction of the faith that you have been taught. I don’t suppose that most of you would fall for that. The second way to attack the teaching of the church is more subtle. You can end up being an enemy of Christian truth by minimizing the central doctrines of the faith. Divisive teachers most often (however inadvertently) achieve this by appealing to your passion for the things that you long for in this passing world – your children finding the right spouse, your nation having the best government, and many other such things.
How would you know it if someone came to you – not denying the doctrines of the Christian faith, but subtly leading you away from them? The text tells us that false teachers would deceive the hearts of the simple. You must not be so simple that you are unaware of where you are, and of the teachings that your church holds to be central to the faith. You must know the doctrines of the faith if you are to have any hope of recognizing appeals that would slowly pull you away from this body of truth. You must study the Bible and understand the doctrinal statements that your church believes are Scriptural.
Watch out… Avoid them.
Paul warns the church here to watch out for false teachers and to avoid them. We all need to be a part of a church that holds to biblical doctrine with a biblical sense of proportion. If the written doctrines of your church are not biblical, find a doctrinally sound church that you can support in good conscience. But if you believe that the teachings of your church are biblical, then you need to stay close to those teachings.
Many of the teachers who seem to be moving people away from the central doctrines of the faith today come to us through a remote location. They do not come in here on Sunday morning and ask to share a message. Instead they produce monthly journals that are mailed to your homes, or tapes and CDs that are passed from friend to friend. Some (both of those who are alive yet today or of others from the past who have left us written materials) would bring you Christian teaching that would actually deepen your knowledge of the doctrines that your church teaches. But others would lead you away from the faith.
You are told here to avoid this second group. Here is a good question that you can ask yourself if you believe that the teachings of your church are solidly biblical:
Will following a new “teacher” lead you away from peace in your church?
If the answer to that question is yes, then do yourself and your church a big favor. Throw out that tape.
By the way, do not expect such diversionary teachers to identify themselves. They seem to be strongly biblical people who just like to focus on other things that the Westminster Divines chose never to write a chapter about in their confession – like tax policy, and educational choices, and courting procedures, and how American morality can be restored. Naturally such a teacher doesn’t say that this tape or book will lead you to hate people who love you – the people of your own church. But the evidence is plain. As you become overly passionate about secondary this-world issues, you will not care very much about “little” things like the Covenant of Grace, and Christ the Mediator of that covenant, and the Cross of Christ, by which our sins have been atoned for. After only a matter of months you may feel that you are especially passionate about other things that the rest of the church does not see to care about the same way that you do, and the dirty deed has been done.
THE ADVERARY’S DESTRUCTION
What will God do?
Thankfully, this is not the end of the story. Our subtle adversary does not have the last word. Just as we learned from the opening of the Bible, the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent. In the process the man that would be a descendant of Eve would himself be hurt.
This has already happened. Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the Covenant of Grace has destroyed the devil through His great work on the cross. A whole kingdom of darkness has been mortally wounded, and a new Kingdom has come. The battle has been won by Christ alone in His atoning death. The justice of God is satisfied. We who were guilty sinners go free. The spotless Lamb of God faced the wrath we deserved, and the plot of Satan to destroy the fellowship between God and man is utterly foiled.
Yet there is also a sense in which this new Kingdom which is already here, is at the same time not yet here. We are told here by Paul that this adversary who would send divisive and entrapping emissaries into our midst will himself soon be crushed under OUR feet. (We must not be surprised when we find that we are badly wounded in the battle, though we shall live.)
Note carefully what Paul tells the church here. Our feet are being used to further defeat the defeated foe. But look who is even now defeating the father of lies who comes to steal and to kill and to destroy. It is the God of peace Himself who will crush Satan under our feet shortly!
Being aware then of the enemy’s devices, and committed to applying biblical countermeasures, we move ahead with confidence in God. So now, brothers and sisters, “I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Stay close to Jesus. Do not move away from the message of the cross. Hold fast to the doctrines that you have been taught. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
posted by Pastor Magee at 2:59 PM
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