Warning
Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. And by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Because this section of the letter sounds different from the surrounding sections, some have questioned whether this section belongs here. The solution to that supposed problem lies in observing how Paul has structured the material under discussion.
It is essential to realize that Paul starts verse 17 with the connecting word but. Unfortunately, many translations drop that conjunction, including the NIV. When we take that conjunction into account, the progression of thought between verses 1 to 16 and 17 to 20 becomes clear. After listing numerous people whom the Roman readers were to greet, the apostle then continues, “[but] watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way.”
Note whom Paul is warning against. These are not people of different political persuasions or different cultural practices. They are religious people—but religious people who teach false doctrine, doctrine “contrary to the teaching you have learned.”
Also, the original makes it clear that these are not people who have simply become a little confused in their thinking and would be willing to correct their teaching if their errors were pointed out to them. No, they are people who may fairly be described as regularly and intentionally causing divisions and questioning beliefs. They have an agenda; they are teachers seeking to win others to their point of view.
Paul is very definite in his advice concerning false teachers: Watch out for them and keep away from them! Or to cast it in the terminology of the first 16 verses of this chapter, Don’t greet them as if they were brothers in the faith.
Avoiding fellowship with false teachers ourselves and warning others against them is not a popular message, particularly in our age of false ecumenism. But as Paul points out, such avoidance of false teachers and false teaching is very necessary, for two reasons.
First of all, “Such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.” A standard assumption on the part of the ecumenicists is that unity of doctrine is neither possible nor necessary. Thus they follow their own inclinations (“their own appetites”) rather than our Lord, who sent his heralds out with the commission to teach all nations “to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Ignoring some doctrines or incorrectly teaching what Christ has entrusted to us is simply unacceptable to our Lord.
But there is another very practical reason to steer clear of false teachers and false teaching. False doctrine is a grave danger to saving faith! Or as Paul says, “By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.” This “naive people” is not just other people; it includes us as well. False doctrine is nothing to trifle with. “Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?” Paul warns (1 Corinthians 5:6). “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
Although Paul feels the need to warn very earnestly, he is not being critical of the Romans or implying that they have not been avoiding false teachers. Quite the contrary! He commends their faith and their faithfulness. With his usual generosity toward others and enthusiasm over any growth and maturity in the faith of his readers, Paul says, “Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.”
With a promise and a benediction, the apostle now concludes his letter. “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”