Episode 280: Junia the apostle

Romans 12-16

Some good advice

12 ³ Don't think too highly of yourself.

⁸ Be generous in giving, diligent when leading, and cheerful when showing mercy.

⁹ Let your love be genuine. Avoid evil. Do good.

¹⁰ Be kind to one another. Honor others more than yourself.

¹¹ Don't be lazy.

¹² Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation.

¹³ Be hospitable to others.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse.

¹⁵ Rejoice with those who are happy. Weep with those who are sad.

¹⁶ Associate with the lowly. Don't think too much of yourself.

¹⁷ Don't repay evil with evil. Be honest with everyone.

¹⁸ In so far as it's possible, be at peace with everyone.

¹⁹ Don't avenge yourself.

²⁰ If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.

²¹ Don't be overcome by evil. Overcome evil with good.

Obey those who are in power

13 ¹ Obey whoever is in power. Because all power is ordained by God.

² Whoever resists that power, resists God, and will be damned by God.

³ Rulers are a terror to evil works, not good works.

If you do good things, the rulers will praise you.

⁴ The ruler is God's minister, to execute wrath on evil doers.

⁵ You should obey the ruler, not out of fear, but because it's the right thing to do.

⁶ So pay your taxes.

⁷ Pay whatever you are required to pay. Fear those you're supposed to fear.

Honor those who you're supposed to honor.

⁸ Don't owe anyone anything. Love one another. Whoever does that fulfills the law.

Obey the five commandments

⁹ Don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't kill, don't lie, don't covet. If there's another commandment, it’s included in "Love your neighbor as yourself."

¹⁰ Love does nothing wrong to your neighbor, so love is the fulfilling of the law.

The end is nearer than we thought

¹¹ It's time to wake up. The end is nearer than we thought.

¹² The night is nearly over. The day is nearly here.

¹³ Walk honestly. Don't have wild parties or get drunk.

¹⁴ Don't try to satisfy your lustful desires.

Some dietary advice (be fully persuaded in your own mind)

14 ¹ Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not those who are doubtful disputers.

² Some believe they can eat anything. Others who are weak, eat herbs.

³ Don't criticize people for what they eat or don't eat. God doesn't care what they eat.

⁵ Some prefer one day to another. Others value each day the same.

Let each person be fully persuaded in their own mind.

¹⁰ Don't judge others.

¹⁴ Jesus has persuaded me that nothing is unclean.

But if you think it's unclean, then it's unclean to you.

¹⁵ If you're with people who don't eat meat, don't destroy them with meat.

Christ died for them too.

¹⁷ Because the kingdom of God is not meat and drink.

¹⁹ Do things that make peace and help to edify one another.

²⁰ Everything is pure. But it's evil to offend people by what you eat.

²¹ It's good to neither eat flesh or drink wine or anything else that disturbs your weaker friends.

²³ Those who doubt are damned if they eat things they're doubtful about.

Whatever isn't faith is sin.

I'd like to come visit you

15 ²² I've wanted to come to visit you for a long time.

²³ And now that I don't have much to do around here, I plan to stop by Rome on my way to Spain.

³³ See you all then. The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Give everyone a holy kiss

16 ¹ I praise Phoebe, who is a servant of the church.

² Help her in any way you can.

^3-4 And say hello to my helpers, Priscilla and Aquila, who have risked their lives for me.

⁶ And Mary, who worked so hard for us.

⁷ And Junia, who is among the apostles.

¹⁶ Greet one another with a holy kiss.

Shun those who disagree (they server their own bellies)

¹⁷ But shun those who cause divisions by believing things contrary to what you've been taught.

¹⁸ They serve their own bellies, not Jesus.

²⁰ The God of peace will soon bruise Satan under your feet.

^25-27 God, thorough my gospel and the scriptures of the prophets, is revealing the mystery about Jesus that was kept secret from the beginning of the world. Amen.