‘For your obedience is come abroad to all men. I rejoice therefore over you, but I would have you wise to what is good, and simple to what is evil.'

In contrast to the teachers who ‘serve not our Lord Jesus Christ' are the Roman Christians whose ‘obedience' is spoken of everywhere. This obedience is ‘the obedience to faith among all nations' (Romans 1:5). It indicates that he does not see the church in Rome as having as yet been much affected by such teaching, but is warning them of possible dangers. Thus they are to be wise with regard to what is good, including of course his own letter, but with regard to evil teaching they are to be ‘simple' or ‘innocent'. That is, they are to let it pass over them without it affecting them.

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