Having expounded many of the central, saving doctrines of the gospel (see Romans 1–8), Paul then focused on the application of the gospel in Church and civic life (see Romans 9–16). In Romans 9–11, Paul dealt with Israel’s election, rejection of the gospel, and eventual salvation. Though God had made His covenant anciently with Abraham and his posterity, God’s chosen people were determined not primarily by lineage but by faithfulness to the covenant. Church members could prepare the way for those outside the Church to accept the gospel by being faithful, humble, and merciful. In Romans 12–15, Paul counseled Church members to live the gospel in order to foster peace and Church unity. This requires willingness to sacrifice, to trust the Lord, and to subordinate self-interest to the interests of others. Paul closed his epistle with an account of his future plans, a request for the prayers and assistance of the Saints in Rome, and a plea for those same Saints to continue obeying the gospel.
Paul sorrowed over the rejection of the gospel by many of his fellow Jews. He wrote of Israel’s election (foreordination). God’s purposes were not thwarted by Israel’s rejection of the gospel but were furthered by the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles. Both Gentiles and those of Israel must seek salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul taught that Jesus Christ was the end, or fulfillment, of the law of Moses. Righteousness and salvation come to those who place their faith in Jesus Christ.
In Paul’s day, some Jews (a “remnant” of Israel) had accepted the gospel. Paul taught that Gentile Christians, who were grafted into the house of Israel, should be humble, faithful, and merciful to the Jews. Paul foresaw “the fulness of the Gentiles” and the day when “all Israel shall be saved.”
Paul encouraged the Roman Saints to live in a way that promoted harmony and peace in the Church—presenting their bodies as living sacrifices, being humble, using gifts received through God’s grace, showing brotherly love, and living peaceably with all men.
Paul counseled the Roman Saints to be subject to authorities. He taught, “Love thy neighbour as thyself,” and he encouraged the Saints to cast off works of darkness.
Paul taught principles to guide Church members in matters of personal discretion: avoid judging one another, follow after the things that make for peace and edification, and be willing to abstain from activities that might cause a fellow Saint to stumble spiritually.
Strong Saints are to bear the infirmities of the weak. Paul expressed hope and encouragement to Gentile and Jewish members of the Church. Paul recounted his missionary labors and asked for the prayers and assistance of the Saints in Rome.
Paul commended Phebe to the Roman Saints and sent greetings to various Saints in Rome. He encouraged the Roman Saints to remain obedient to the gospel.
Israel’s Election, Rejection, and Eventual Salvation
Ask students to raise their hands if anyone with whom they have shared the gospel has not yet accepted it (perhaps a family member, a friend, or someone they taught on their mission). Call on one or two students to describe their feelings about that situation and their hopes for that person.
Explain that the Apostle Paul faced a similar situation in his ministry. Ask a student to read Romans 9:1–5, while the class looks for how Paul felt about the Jews who had not yet accepted the gospel.
What details in these verses might explain why Paul was so sorrowful that many Jews were rejecting the gospel? (Students might mention that Paul’s fellow Jews were his “kinsmen according to the flesh” and that they had received “the covenants” and “the promises,” including the ministry of Jesus Christ.)
Ask students to read the first sentence in Romans 9:6. Point out that it may have seemed to some people that “the word of God,” which was the gospel message about Jesus Christ and “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16), did not seem to be having a powerful effect on the very people who had been given the promise of the Messiah.
Explain that Romans 9–11 contains Paul’s discussion about the Jews’ rejection of the gospel. In the course of his discussion, Paul made several main points. Write the following statements, scripture references, and student manual commentaries on the board, or present them in another way. Prepare this material before class to save time during the lesson.
Assign students to work in small groups of three to five students each. Assign each group to study one of the scripture passages listed on the board. If your class is large, more than one group can be assigned to study a scripture passage. Ask students to study the assigned verses, looking for details that illustrate the statements written on the board. Encourage students also to consult the student manual commentary for their assigned verses. After students have had sufficient time to study, call on students to report to the class (1) specific details in their assigned verses that teach the points on the board and (2) explanations of key terms or ideas in their assigned verses.
Because this is one of the best places in the scriptures to discuss the doctrine of election, as student groups make their reports, you may want to have the entire class read the student manual commentary for Romans 9:11; 11:5, 7, 28, which discusses the doctrine of election.
To invite students to discuss personal applications of the doctrines and principles listed on the board, consider asking questions like the following:
What does the doctrine of election teach you about the importance of personal faithfulness?
How can the teachings in these chapters help you as you consider preparing someone to be taught the gospel?
To help students understand the relevance of Paul’s teachings in Romans 12–15, ask:
What are some aspects of life that sometimes cause conflict between Church members and those who are not members of the Church? (Answers may include culture, entertainment, and moral issues.)
After a few students have replied, ask students to turn to Romans 12:18, and call on a student to read it aloud. Explain that many of Paul’s teachings in Romans 12–15 focus on how Saints can encourage harmony within the Church and peace with those outside the Church. Ask a student to read Romans 12:1–3 aloud, while the class follows along looking for teachings that would help Church members “live peaceably with all men.” Invite students to share their observations. Help students analyze these verses by asking:
What do you think it means to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God”? (If students struggle to answer, consider referring them to the student manual commentary for Romans 12:1–2.)
How can being willing to sacrifice help us live in peace and harmony with others?
Paul encouraged the Saints to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). What specific ways of thinking did Paul encourage in Romans 12:3? Why is his counsel essential to living “peaceably with all men”?
What principle do you think Paul teaches in Romans 12:1–3 about how to live peaceably with all people? (Students may suggest several principles. As part of the discussion, make sure they understand this principle: A willingness to sacrifice and to be transformed by the Savior helps us to live peaceably with all people.)
Divide the class into three groups, and assign each group to read one of the following sets of verses together, looking for further teachings about how Saints can “live peaceably with all men”: Romans 12:9–21; Romans 13:1–7; Romans 13:8–14. You may want to write these references on the board. You may also want to encourage the group assigned to study Romans 13:1–7 to read the student manual commentary for Romans 13:1–7. After students have had time to study, ask them to report on what they found and explain how those teachings promote peace and harmony. To help the students apply what they learn from these scriptures, ask the following questions:
When have you seen an example of how one of these teachings promotes peace and harmony? What effect has that example had on your desire to live peaceably with others?
How is the entire Church affected when individual members seek to live peaceably with all people? (As students respond, help them to understand this truth: Individual Church members strengthen the entire Church by seeking to live peaceably with all people.)
Paul Taught How to Deal with Differences in Matters of Personal Discretion
This part of the lesson is designed to help students understand eternal principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ taught by Paul that can guide them in making decisions about matters of personal preference. The lesson will also help students respect the decisions that other members make regarding such matters of personal preference.
Give your students a brief quiz, asking them to raise their hands if they would answer yes to any of the following questions. You might change some of these questions so that they better reflect the culture in which you live. If you do so, make sure you select examples that are matters of personal conscience, not matters of obedience to clearly defined commandments. (The answer to all these questions should be yes.)
Is it acceptable for a Latter-day Saint to (1) eat meat? (2) follow a strict vegetarian diet? (3) wear shorts? (4) decide not to wear shorts in public, even modest shorts? (5) adapt the way he or she fasts because of health concerns?
Help students recognize that while some behaviors are clearly required or forbidden by commandment from the Lord, others, such as the examples above, are left to the discretion of individual members. Tell students that the members of the Church in Paul’s day faced similar choices about matters of personal conscience.
Ask students to look at Romans 14:2 and identify one such matter of personal discretion. (Some people in Paul’s time observed no dietary restrictions, while others abstained from meat and ate only vegetables; see Romans 14:2, footnote a.) To help students better understand this issue, ask a student to read aloud the first paragraph of the student manual commentary for Romans 14:1–15:3.
Ask students:
What problems do you think could have arisen within the Church as members made different personal decisions in these matters?
After a few student responses, ask students to look in Romans 14:3 for some of the problems early Christians were experiencing. (Some members of the Church were judging and despising other members whose choices differed from theirs.)
What are some areas in which Church members today make personal choices? (Students might mention choices about entertainment, clothing, diet, details of Sabbath day observance, parental rules for children, and political activities.)
You might tell students that President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency stated that Church leaders and teachers teach doctrines and principles of the gospel. He then said:
Image
President Dallin H. Oaks
“Teachers … should generally forgo teaching specific rules or applications. For example, they would not teach any rules for determining what is a full tithing, and they would not provide a list of dos and don’ts for keeping the Sabbath day holy. Once a teacher has taught the doctrine and the associated principles from the scriptures and the living prophets, such specific applications or rules are generally the responsibility of individuals and families” (“Gospel Teaching,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 79).
Point out that since “specific applications or rules are generally the responsibility of individuals and families,” Church members will inevitably choose to apply certain gospel teachings differently. We all have different circumstances, needs, and experiences. Ask:
Why is it a problem when Church members look down on or condemn other Church members who make different choices in matters where no commandment requires or forbids certain behavior?
Explain that in response to this problem among the Roman Saints, the Apostle Paul taught some principles that should guide all Church members in making personal decisions and respecting the decisions of others. Write Romans 14:6–12 on the board. Ask students to silently read it and identify some of these guiding principles Paul taught. As students report their findings, write a summary on the board beside the scripture.
List three more passages on the board: (1) Romans 14:13–15, 20–22; (2) Romans 14:17, 19; 15:2; (3) Romans 15:1. Ask each student to select one of the passages to study and identify more guiding principles Paul taught. Make sure that each passage is read by at least one student. As students identify the principles, list them on the board. Your completed list may look like this:
Principles to Guide Our Decisions in Matters of Personal Discretion
Romans 14:6–12. We are accountable to God for our choices in matters of personal discretion. We should not judge or condemn others for such choices but should leave judgment to the Lord.
Romans 14:13–15, 20–22. We should consider the effects of our personal choices on others and be willing to forgo some things if they might cause someone to stumble spiritually.
Romans 14:17, 19; 15:2. Promoting peace and edification in the Church is a higher priority than following personal preferences. We should live with Christlike unselfishness.
Romans 15:1. Those who are strong in the faith should bear with the needs of those who might be weaker in the faith.
How would you summarize what Paul taught in Romans 14–15 about how we promote peace and edification in the Church? (As students share their answers, be sure they understand this truth: In matters of personal discretion, we promote peace and edification in the Church by being aware of how our actions affect others and by refraining from judging others.)
To help students more deeply understand these principles and think about their application, share with them the following true story, or another story you know that illustrates the principles Paul taught. In the following story, Sister Camille Fronk Olson referred to Paul’s teachings found in 1 Corinthians 8:4, 8 and Galatians 3:26–28, where he taught the same principles about matters of personal discretion that he taught to the Romans.
“A student [in a New Testament institute class] shared what I have thought is a perfect illustration of Paul’s meaning for our culture. The incident occurred while the student was serving his mission. He was with his companion at McDonald’s, enjoying a chocolate shake in the heat of the day. A man entered the establishment, immediately recognized the young men as Mormon missionaries, and came over to taunt them, saying, ‘You Mormons think you are so good! Do you know there is more caffeine in that chocolate shake than in several cups of coffee?’
“The missionaries could have attempted to explain the principle of the Word of Wisdom to justify their choice of treat; but they wisely did not. This man had no intention of being taught, let alone understanding a revelation from God. Instead of debating or arguing, the missionaries simply looked at each other, communicating silently; looked down at their shakes; then calmly threw the remainder of the drink away as they nodded a kind thank you to the man and exited the restaurant.
“Because of the missionaries’ example, I like to think that the next time that man encountered Mormon missionaries, he would think of a topic of greater consequence than discussing with them caffeine in chocolate. I marvel at the wisdom of those young men. I doubt that such a situation was ever discussed in the MTC or in their Sharing the Gospel institute class. However, the Spirit gave them direction in a unique circumstance.
“These young men knew the principle that you don’t let the nonessentials deter you from focusing on the essentials. … Some things really don’t matter” (Camille Fronk Olson, “Be One; and If Ye Are Not One Ye Are Not Mine” [address given at Brigham Young University Education Week, Aug. 17, 1998], byutv.org/watch).
Ask students:
Look again at Romans 14:1–15:3. What principles taught in these verses did the missionaries exemplify?
Invite students to share experiences about the importance of the principles taught by Paul by asking:
When have you seen Church members live one of the principles Paul taught? How did this affect you or other Church members?
As you close the lesson, bear your testimony and invite students to “live peaceably with all men” by applying the principles they have studied and following the promptings they have received.