Final Instructions and Greetings
For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. Rom 16:19
For your obedience... You can always detect true leaders from the false by their godliness, unselfishness, and faithfulness.
but yet I... I desire you to show your wisdom by discerning and choosing good from evil.
1Kgs. 3:9 “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”
It takes great understanding to be able to run a church.
1Cor. 14:20 “Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.”
This is the way to keep from being deceived by a talebearer.
Eph. 1:15-17 “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,” “Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;” “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:”
Do not listen to talebearers, but check out all things with the word of God.
Paul hastened to assure the Romans that he did not consider them naive. Their obedience (to Christ; cf. Rom. 1:5; 15:18; 1Pet. 1:2) was well known and Paul was glad for them. But he was concerned that they be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil (kakon). The word for “innocent” is akeraious, “unmixed, simple, pure.” In Greek it was used of wine that was not diluted and of metal that was not weakened in any way. The word is used in the New Testament in only two other places: Mat. 10:16 (“innocent”) and Phlp. 2:15 (“pure”). Christians should be innocent about evil, not following the ways of the world (Rom. 12:2).
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