VERSE 5: THE MARK OF A LOCAL CHURCH–HARMONY
“Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus.”
That the same God Who gave the O.T. saints, and the apostles, endurance and comfort of the Scriptures, may grant that we may be like minded, and united in brotherly love. Paul returns to his point in a prayer: the God of the patience and comfort just spoken of grant unto you, etc.
“now the God of patience and consolation”
Literally: “And may the God of patience and encouragement–May that God who endowed them with patience, and gave them the consolation that supported them in all their trials and afflictions, grant you to be like-minded-give you the same mode of thinking, and the same power of acting towards each other, according to the example of Christ.
The God Who is Himself long-suffering, Who bears patiently with the errors and faults of His children, and Who can give patience, may He give you of His Spirit, that you may bear patiently the infirmities and errors of each other. The example of God here, Who bears long with His children, and is not angry soon at their offences, is a strong argument why Christians should bear with each other. If God bears long and patiently with our infirmities, we ought to bear with each other.
“grant you to be like-minded one toward another”
Literally: “Give to you the same to mind among one another.”—To think the same thing; that is, to keep from divisions and strifes. to be like-minded (see on 12:16), one with another according to Christ Jesus: that you may with one accord with one mouth glorify the Godand Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
Alike in views and feelings, in obedience to and imitation of Christ. Hence differences of Christians on lesser points need not mar their unity in feeling. Paul does not pray that they may be of the same opinion, but that there be harmony of feeling. Some have mistakenly thought that Paul means that everyone in the church have some sort of dogmatic sameness; but nothing could be further from the truth. What it does mean is that there should be a unity in the basic essentials of the faith, while in the non-essentials there is to be liberty, and in all things, Christian love. Unflinching dogmatism can lead to lack of compassion and hardness of heart.
“according to Christ Jesus”– According to the example and spirit of Christ.
Or, according to what His religion requires. His was a spirit of peace. The name of Christ is sometimes thus put for His religion, (II Cor. 11:4; Eph. 4:20). If all Christians would imitate the example of Christ, and follow His instructions, there would be no contentions among them. He earnestly sought in His parting prayer their unity and peace, (John 17:21-23). Let each be so conformed to Christ that all may be of one mind (see Phil. 2:5).
VERSE 6: THE MARK OF CHRISTIAN UNITY–PRAISING GOD
“That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“that ye may with one mind
Literally: “That with one accord.”–Thinking the same things, and bearing with each other, after the example of Christ; and one mouth, in all your religious assemblies, without un-pleasantness or contentions, glorify God for calling you into such a state of salvation, and showing himself to be your loving compassionate Father, as he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
THAT: (Grk.–hina)—“so that; in order that;” This word introduces the purpose of this unity among the believers; namely, to glorify God.
“that ye”–Both Jews and Gentiles, believing with one mind, and confessing with one mouth. “Ye” is an old English word denoting a plural form of “you.” In our modern English we do not differentiate between a singular and plural form of “you; but in old Elizabethan English, “you” is singular, and “ye” is plural.
WITH ONE MIND: (Grk.–homothumadon)—Literally: “with one accord; united; with one purpose; without contentions, or strife.” This word is used only here in Paul’s writings, but it is used eleven times in Acts.
Regarding this Christian unity, people make either one or the other of two main mistakes.
1. They either believe that there must be absolute unanimity of opinion on all points of doctrine; or else,
2. They think that there must be external unity of all Christian bodies.
This latter idea has led to the so-called ecumenical movement that attempts to bring all denominations together and negates or downplays doctrine. This train of thought goes totally against what the Jewish prophet Amos had to say about this bringing together all shades of doctrine and all isms, wasms, and spasms that worldliness has created in churches. Amos said: “Can two walk together except they be agreed” (Amos 3:3)? This bringing together every shade of belief (and unbelief) may bring all people together with people, but it certainly brings them away from God and true Bible teaching.
“and one mouth glorify God”
Literally: “With one mouth you may glorify {the} God.”
ONE MOUTH: (Grk.–heni stomati)–That is, being in full accord you may with one voice (“mouth”) utter the praises of God. By displaying those dispositions or actions which are the fruit of His Spirit, and which He requires.
GLORIFY GOD: (Grk.–doxazete ton Theon)—Literally: “You may keep on glorifying the God.” This refers, doubtless, to their prayers and praises.
That they might join, without contention or unkind feeling, in the worship of God. Divisions, strife, and contention in the church prevent union in worship. Though the body may be there, and the church professedly engaged in public worship, yet it is a divided service; and the prayers of strife and contention are not heard, (see Isa. 58:4). This would be done by their union, peace, and harmony; thus showing the tendency of the gospel to overcome the sources of strife and contention among men, and to bring them to peace.There should be such a harmony in praise in the church that it will reveal the unity of believers.”
1. Thinking the same things;
2. Bearing with each other, after the example of Christ;
3. With one united voice in all your religious assemblies;
4. Without unpleasantness or contentions, glorifying God.
It is likely that Paul is referring to religious acts in public worship, which might have been greatly interrupted by the discentions between the converted Jews and the converted Gentiles. These differences he labors to discourage, and, after having done all that was necessary in the way of instruction and exhortation, he now pours out his soul to God, (Who alone could rule and manage the heart), that he would enable them to think the same things, to be of the same judgment, and that all, feeling their obligation to him, might join in the sweetest harmony in every act of religious worship.
“even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Literally: “And Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.”–This is an addition designed to produce love.
1. He is a Father; we then, being His children, should regard Him as pleased with the union and peace of His family.
2. He is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, our common LORD; Who has commanded us to be united, and to love one another. By the desire of honoring such a Father, we should lay aside contentions, and be united in the bands of love.
“That with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ;” the mind and the mouth of all giving harmonious glory to His name. What a prayer! And will this ever be realized on earth?
VERSE 7:
“Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.”
“Wherefore receive ye one another”
Literally: “Because of this, receive one another.–Have the most affectionate regard for each other, and acknowledge each other as the servants and children of Almighty God.
Let the strong receive the weak, all receive each other into full fellowship, even as “Christ has received us.” Acknowledge one another as Christians, and treat one another as such, though you may differ in opinion about many smaller matters (see 14:3).
WHEREFORE: (Grk.–dio)—“Therefore; because of this.” For the reasons mentioned above. In view of all the considerations, tending to produce unity and love, which have been presented. He refers to the various arguments in this and the preceding chapter.
RECEIVE: (Grk.–proslambanesthe)—“To take to one’s self; to grant one access to one’s heart,” and acknowledge each other as the servants and children of God Almighty.
“as Christ also received us”–That is, received us as His friends and followers. To fellowship with Him, that God by this Christian union may be glorified. In order to promote His glory.
He has redeemed us, and renewed us, in order to promote the honor of God. (Comp. Eph. 1:6). As Christ has received us in order to promote the glory of God, so ought we to treat each other in a similar manner for a similar purpose. The exhortation in this verse is to those who had been divided on various points pertaining to rites and ceremonies; to those who had been converted from among Gentiles and Jews; and Paul here says that Christ had received both.
In order to enforce this, and especially to show the Jewish converts that they ought to receive and acknowledge their Gentile brethren, he proceeds to show, in the following verses, that Christ had reference to both in his work. He shows this in reference to the Jews (v. 8) and to the Gentiles (verses 9-12). Thus he draws all his arguments from the work of Christ.
Christ receives men and women—both strong and weak, high and low, Jew and Gentile. Therefore, let both receive each other in fellowship in the same manner, and with the same cordial affection, as Christ has received us into communion with Himself, and has made us partakers of such inestimable blessings, condescending to be present in all our assemblies.
“to the glory of God.”
Literally: “to {the} glory of God”–The glory of God should be our supreme objective. The union of Christians glorifies God. They should receive and treat as Christians all who give evidence that they are such, and do it in obedience to the will, and in imitation of the example of Christ. All must be done so as to glorify God. So Christ has done.
And as Christ has received us thus to the glory of God, so should we, Jews and Gentiles, cordially receive each other, that God’s glory may be promoted by our harmony and brotherly love.
Here Paul concludes the argument which he had begun in the previous chapter, namely, that all Christians, both strong and weak, should mutually forbear one another, and that both Jew and Gentile should receive each other into fellowship and communion, without contention about things of an indifferent nature: And to enforce his exhortation, Paul uses the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, Wherefore receive ye one another.
VERSES 8-9: Go together to express on complete thought.
In these two verses Paul defines our Lord’s character in His earthly life as a “Minister.”
VERSE 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.”
“Now I say Jesus Christ
Literally: “And I say, Jesus Christ has become a minister of circumcision.”–He was born as a Jew., lived as a Jew., and died as Jew. He came as the Messiah to the Jews, exercised His ministry among the Jews, and died to redeem the Jews, in fulfillment of the promises which a Jew. made to their fathers.
To show the Gentiles the correctness of bearing with the scrupulous Jews, Paul shows them here that they were under the greatest obligations to this people; to whom, in the days of His flesh, Jesus Christ confined His ministry; giving the world to see that He allowed the claim of the Jews as having the first right to the blessings of the Gospel. And He confined His ministry thus to the Jews, to confirm the truth of God contained in the promises made to the patriarchs; for God had declared that it should be. But this salvation was not exclusively for the Jewish people; as God, by His prophets had repeatedly declared.
The force of Paul’s reasoning would often be more striking if he retained the word Messiah, and not regard the word Christ as a mere surname. It is the name of His office; and to a Jew the name Messiah would convey much more than the idea of a mere proper name.
“was a minister of the circumcision”
Literally: “has become a minister of circumcision”– Paul tells us, that Jesus was their Minister; that is He was circumcised like any Jew, conversed generally with them, and exercised His ministry among them,
WAS: (Grk.–gegenêsthai)–Literally: “has been made” or “has become” a minister to the Jews.
MINISTER: (Grk.–diakonos)–Literally: “one who serves.” This is the same word that is translated in Acts 6 as “deacon.”
It was really the Greek term for slave.
As to the Gentiles; Paul affirms that according to the several prophecies and promises in the O.T., they were called and received to mercy by our Lord Jesus Christ, the partition-wall being broken down by Him, and Jew and Gentiles alike become one sheepfold under one Shepherd. To confirm or establish the truth of the promises of God.
To establish, or to show that the promises were true. The promises referred to here, are those particularly which related to the coming of the Messiah. By thus admit-ting that the Messiah was the Minister of the Circumcision, Paul conceded all that the Jew could ask, that He was to be peculiarly their Messiah.
“for the truth of God”
Literally: “for {the} truth of God,”–For the sake of it; to secure its vindication. “The Truth” had foretold that the Redeemer should be of the seed of Abraham, Judah, David. “The truth of God” refers to His covenant faithfulness by which God remains true to His covenant promises of salvation for the Jews.
Jesus confined His ministry thus to the Jews, to confirm the truth of God, contained in the promises made unto the patriarchs; for God had declared that thus it should be; and Jesus Christ, by coming according to the promise, has fulfilled this truth by making good the promises: therefore, salvation is of the Jews, as a kind of right conveyed to them through the promises made to their fathers. But this salvation was not exclusively designed for the Jewish people; as God by His prophets had repeatedly declared.
“to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.”
Literally: “To confirm the promises of the fathers.”—To make good the veracity of God towards His ancient people. Had Jesus not been of the circumcision (that is, a Jew), the promises would not have applied to Him.
VERSE 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.”
“And that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy”
Literally: “And for the nations to glorify God for mercy.” —As the Jews were to glorify God for His truth, so then the Gentiles were to glorify God for His mercy. The Jews received the blessings of the Gospel by right of promise, which promise God had most punctually and circumstantially fulfilled.
The Gentiles had received the same Gospel as an effect of God's mere mercy, having no right in consequence of any promise or engagement made with any of their ancestors, though they were originally included in the covenant made with Abraham; and the prophets had repeatedly declared that they should be made equal partakers of those blessings with the Jews themselves; as Paul proceeds to prove.
The benefits of the Gospel were not to be confined to the Jews; and as God designed that those benefits should be extended to the Gentiles, so the Jewish converts ought to be willing to admit them, and treat them as brethren. That God did design this, Paul proceeds to show.
“might glorify God
Literally: “to glorify God.”–For them to praise, or give thanks to God . This implies that the favor shown to them was a great favor.
“for {His} mercy”
Literally: “For mercy.”–The mercy of God also to them in sending them the gospel and inclining them to receive it.
A number of quotations from the O.T. here follow, to show that from the first, God's Plan of Mercy embraced, the Gentiles along with the Jews. The prophet Micah illustrates this distinction between the “truth” of God toward Israel and God's mercy” toward the Gentiles (Micah 7:19-20)—“Thou will perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which Thou has sworn unto oru father from the days of old” (Micah 7:20). To Jacob the blessings were announced by God (above the ladder of Gen. 28:13); but to Abraham (who was still a Babylonian Gentile) it was sheer mercy. His father was a Babylonian idolater, and perhaps Abram had even been so (Joshua 24:2-3, 14-15). But the God of Glory appeared to him out of hand, without cause, right in the midst of Chaldean iniquity there at Ur. This was mercy, (Acts 7:1). Jehovah “redeemed” Abraham (Isa. 29:22). It is interesting that in verses 9-29, Gentiles are named 10 times, (the number 10 is the Number of Legal Completion). Five times (the number 5 is the Number for Grace). Paul quotes from the O.T. prophets. These instances are from the O.T. prophecies—from Psa. 18:49; v. 10, from Deut. 32:43; v, 11, from Psa. 117:1; v 12, from Isa. 11:10).
“As it is written”
Literally: “Even as it has been written.” (In Psa. 18:49). This an expression of David's. He says that he will praise God for His mercies among the heathen (Gentiles), or when surrounded by the heathen; or that he would confess and acknowledge the mercies of God to him, as we should say, to all the world.
Originally spoken by David in view of his triumphs over all his enemies. These typified the higher triumphs of Christ, in the benefits of which the Gentiles are to share. Paul uses it here in this sense, that the Gentiles would participate with the Jew in offering praise to God, or that they would be united. This does not appear to have been the original design of David in the psalm, but the words express the idea of Paul’s.
Four quotations from the O.T. are mentioned by Paul: one from the Law, two from the Psalms, and one from the prophet, in confirmation of God’s purpose that Gentiles are to glorify God.
1. Verse 9: (Psa. 18:49), this verse shows Christ is among the heathen (Gentiles), praising God.
2. Verse 10: (Deut. 32:43), shows that Gentiles are to join in praise with “His people”, the Jews.”
3. Verse 11: (Psa. 117:1) shows that God would bring Gentiles generally to His worship “All” occurs twice; “people” is plural, meaning Gentiles.
4. Verse 12: (Isa. 11:10)–The LXX (Septuagint)–the Greek version of the O.T. is quoted. The prophet declares that He who comes in the Davidic line, the root from Jesse, shall also be King over Gentiles—“in Him shall the Gentiles trust;” or better, “In Him will Gentiles hope.”
“‘For this cause I will confess to thee’”
Literally: “Because of this I will confess to You.” This quotation, taken from Psa. 18:49, and shows that the Gentiles had a right to glorify God for His mercy to them.
We shall see the strength of this saying farther, when we consider a maxim of the Jews delivered in Megillah, “From the time that the children of Israel entered into the promised land, no Gentile had any right to sing a hymn of praise to God. But after that the Israelites were led into captivity, then the Gentiles began to have a right to glorify God.”
Thus the Jews themselves confess that the Gentiles have a right to glorify God; and this on account of being made partakers of His grace and mercy. And if we have a right to glorify God , then it follows that our worship must be pleasing to Him; and if it be pleasing to Him, then it follows that this worship must be good, otherwise God could not be pleased with it.
“and sing unto Thy Name.’”
Literally: “And I will give praise to Your name.” Celebrate Thy praise. This supposes that benefits would be conferred on them, for which they would celebrate His goodness.