Welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Bible study in the book of Romans. Tonight is study 26 of Romans, chapter 1, and we are going to read Romans 1:11-15:

For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

I will stop reading there. In our last study, we were looking at Romans 1:11. We looked at the word “long,” and we saw that it was translated “long after” or “greatly desiring,” expressing just that – great desire.

He said, “For I long to see you,” and keep in mind this has to do with Paul’s journey to Rome, which identifies with the elect children of God coming out of the churches at the time of the end during the Great Tribulation, so that would account for that strong desire: “For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established.” The Apostle Paul, who was a pattern of the believers, was expressing this great desire within him to see them, the Romans. The Romans represent those believers out in the world, so coming from Jerusalem is a picture of the elect coming out of the churches and going out into the world, and we had a great desire to find the lost sheep of the house of Israel and to minister the Word of God to all that we could. We shared it far and wide, and then left it to God whom He would save, and He did just that. In that way, we were able to “impart some spiritual gift” to these chosen people that God had scattered among the nations of the world. That is the overall spiritual picture, but we are going to look at the words a little closer.

We looked at the word “long,” where it said, “For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift…” The Greek word translated as “impart” is also found in Romans 12:5-6:

So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us…

By the way, this word “gifts” is #5486 in the Greek concordance, and it is the same word that is found in our verse in Romans 1:11: “…that I may impart unto you some spiritual gifts.”

Again, it says in Romans 12:6-8:

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

The word “giveth” is the word translated as “impart” in our verse. So in order to understand what God is saying here, we have to understand some principles. I acknowledge that this is one of the words I was not too familiar with as far as its meaning. What does it mean? “…he that giveth (imparteth), let him do it with simplicity.” The word “simplicity” is translated a few different ways. It is Strong’s #572, and we are not going to look at them all. It is translated as “bountifulness” in 2Corinthians 9:11. I will read 2Corinthians 9:6-8, but this word will not be used in these verses, but it is necessary to for us to read them to understand what it points to later in this chapter. It says in 2Corinthians 9:6:

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

By the way, that is a Biblical principle that we should have full expectation of in the Day of Judgment. What I mean is that leading up to Judgment Day which began on May 21, 2011, the Word of God, the Gospel, was sown bountifully while it was still the day of salvation, like never before in the history of the world. It was shared bountifully through the electronic medium and through a pure form of the Gospel, primarily through Family Radio and Mr. Camping’s teachings. And it was shared far and wide, with bountiful sowing of the Word of God.

Where is the reaping? The reaping is taking place at this time. God has saved everyone to be saved, and over the course of these next few years that lead up to the conclusion of all things (according to the Biblical evidence, that points to the year 2033), we can expect that “great catch of fish” to be drawn, which John 21 tells us about. “Bring of the fish which ye have now caught,” as Christ said after they had dragged or drew those fish to land. Then after a delay, there was the command to bring them, and they were drawn directly to Christ. That is what we should be encouraged by, as there is that principle that if there has been abundant sowing, there can be an expectation of abundant reaping.

Let us go on in 2Corinthians 9:7-8:

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

We see in these verses that the Gospel is in view, and the idea of abounding and being bountiful is also in view. Then if we go down to verse 10, it says in 2Corinthians 9:10-11:

Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

And the word “bountifulness” is our word that is translated as “simplicity” in Romans 12. So, again, it says in 2Corinthians 9:11-13:

Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

The word “liberal” is the same word that was translated “bountifulness” in verse 11, and which also was translated as “simplicity.” Then it says in 2Corinthians 9:14-15:

And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

The translation of the word “long” is the same as we looked at in Romans, and which we discussed last time. And there is the “gift” that is ultimately in view regarding what we are reading in Romans 1, although it is not the same Greek word.

This helps us to see that in the context of 2Corinthians 9, the “bountifulness” and the “liberal distribution” has to do with the Gospel and sowing the seed, which applies to the day of salvation and sharing the truth of the Word of God. And this was done “unto them, and unto all men,” as it says there.

If we go back to Romans 1, it says in Romans 1:11:

For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift…

There is a great desire to give bountifully (a liberal distribution) of some spiritual gift. Regarding “spiritual gift,” we first have to think about the word “spiritual.” It is Strong’s #4152, and it is pronounced “phyoo-mat-ik-os'.” It is from Strong’s #4151, “pnyoo'-mah,” and #4151 is the typical word for “spirit” or “ghost,” as in Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit. It is also translated as “life” one time in an odd place, in Revelation 13, in speaking of the image of the beast and its power to give “life” unto the image – it is actually the word “spirit.”

So we can see that the word “spiritual” is related to and derived from “spirit.” And, of course, it is obvious that God is a Spirit. The Bible is a spiritual book, and anything “spiritual” must come forth from the Spirit of God. God is the giver of spiritual things, especially when we understand that because of man’s sinful condition and his fall into sin in the Garden of Eden, God judged mankind and slew him in his spirit, causing him to die in his soul existence, having a dead spirit within. So human beings were created in the image of God (created good) and created with a living spirit, then became dead in our spiritual existence. Therefore, being dead in spirit, man cannot possess spiritual things. It does not make any sense to think that a spiritually dead sinner can experience spiritual attributes that come forth from the spirit. And we do know from Scriptures, such as Galatians 5, that God speaks of the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

These are fruits of the Spirit, so they are spiritual fruits. They are spiritual characteristics and attributes that can only come forth from a spirit being. Someone who has “life” in the spirit can impart spiritual things. God the Holy Spirit is the essence of life and the fulness of everything spiritual. And that is the idea the Apostle Paul is being moved to express under “inspiration of God.” It is God-breathed, making it “quick and powerful.” It is “quick,” meaning “alive,” and it is powerful in the spiritual realm, because we know the Bible tells us that the Law is spiritual. We also read that in the book of Romans, in Romans 7:14:

For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

The Law of God is the Bible, the whole Bible and all sixty-six books with every word, jot and tittle. It is spiritual. And because it is spiritual, it is alive in that realm of existence. It possesses power in the spiritual realm. Power to do what? “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The Word of God went forth in its proper “time and season” as determined by God regarding when He would save and when He would stop saving. Within the boundary of the day of salvation, God sent forth His Word. The Word was heard first with the physical ears of a person, and if they happened to be one of God’s chosen predestinated before the foundation of the world, at some point, God would use that Word to create a new heart and a new spirit in the dead soul of that sinner. The seed was sown from God Himself. He is the Sower. We were just messengers of the Gospel to carry out God’s salvation program. Christ is the Sower. He is the Word, and His Word is Spirit, and He sowed the seed upon “dead” hearts, the hard, stony, cold ground of the dead spirit of man. And, in a miraculous way in the life of only the elect children, God sparked life and brought the dead soul back to a living condition. There was a resurrection in the spiritual realm in the soul or spirit condition of these certain individuals. Then they came alive. They may not even have known it for a while, but they came alive and they began to hear the voice of Christ, as it says in John 10:27: “My sheep hear my voice.” The people of God hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, and we are given to ears to hear and we have eyes to see, and we are able to “stand” on our feet and walk in God’s commandments. Just as Lazarus came forth out of the tomb, we are given the ability to keep His commandments and show love unto Christ who has granted us such grace and mercy. There are now spiritual activities going on inside the people God has had mercy upon, and this is all part of the great desire: “For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift.” It is the gift of eternal life, the gift that is mentioned in Romans 6:23:

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Of course, that is the greatest desire. There can be no other flowing forth of spiritual gifts without this gift. There must be the gift of eternal life, of salvation, of the “gift of grace,” as God describes it in the wonderful verses found in Ephesians 2:4-8:

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

This is the gift that Romans 6:23 speaks of, and once we have this gift, we have everything. We have everything we need. You know, we are constantly distracted by the things of this world and by the world telling us, “You need this, or you need not! Hey, look over here! Look over there! Would it not be great to have that?” They attempt to prompt us and spark lust within us to have this thing or that thing, but all we need is God’s salvation. Everything else is fine, should God want to bestow it upon us, but all we truly need is salvation, and if we have that, we have everything we need.

Going back to this verse, again, it says in Romans 1:11:

For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

The word “established” is a word that is translated a couple of different ways. For example, it is translated as “strengthen” in Luke 22:32:

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

He is to strengthen them or establish them. This is what Christ is saying.

Or, we read in Luke of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus is in Abraham’s bosom or the kingdom of God, and the rich man is in “hell” or the condition of death, it says in Luke 16:26:

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

It is “fixed” or “established,” and that is the same word.

Or, we read in Romans 16:25:

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ…

Let us look at one more verse in 2Peter 1:12:

Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

They are established in the present truth. One reason that it says “the present truth” is because we understand the Gospel to be the truth of the Word of God in its proper time and season. In the Old Testament, that was God’s truth, and to be faithful you had to follow the ceremonial laws, the sacrificial laws, and so forth. Do we have to follow that now? No – because it is not “the present truth.”

At the time of the church age, if we wanted to be faithful to His Word, we would have been part of a church, and we would have partaken of the Lord’s Supper and be baptized and have our children baptized. Do we do these things now? No – the church age is over, and it is not the present truth. These things have been fulfilled. It is a very interesting way of putting it: “…be established in the present truth,” but according to God’s proper time and season. The day of salvation was a present truth for its time period which stretched over many centuries, and we firmly stood for it and encouraged people to be faithful in that teaching while it was still active, but now the door is shut. The light of the Gospel is out. The waters have dried up. (And there are other figures the Bible uses.) It is no longer the present truth because the time and season has changed, from the day of salvation to the Day of Judgment.

Let us go back to Romans 1:11:

For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

The word “end” is really not in the text. Then it says in Romans 1:12:

That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

This is a very unusual verse. Why is it unusual. It speaks of being “comforted together,” so that carries the idea of “two.” Then it says, “by the mutual faith,” and the word “mutual” also conveys the same idea of it being both your faith and my faith. Then it says, “both of you and me,” and the word “both” and the words “you and me,” are also saying the same thing. It is a very strong emphasis on the idea of “you and me.”

We do not have time to get into this at this point, but it is something we can think about before our next Bible study.