Romans Lesson 13: 15.14-21, 30-33 - REACH
LAST WEEK: In Rom. 14:1-12, Paul examined the problem of the tensions that sometimes arise between Christians because of conflicting opinion. Not every issue in our lives is given an explicit boundary in the Bible and this can lead to differences of opinion about how we should use our freedom in Christ. In the lesson text, Paul focused mainly on the differences in opinion regarding rules about food and special days between Jews and Gentiles in the Roman Church. Paul was more concerned about the way in which Christians dealt with these differences than the fact that they had them. Christ does not require us to agree on every issue, but He does call on us to love one another. Today, the issues that divide Christians are different than those of the First Century but the fact remains that we are still divided, yes? The guidance that Paul gives here to the Roman church will serve us today if we can bring ourselves to hear it and apply it. First, Paul calls on us to welcome those with whom we have differences and not to hold one another in contempt or judge each other. Instead, he calls on us (that's you and me, too) to recognize our essential bond as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all connected.
THIS WEEK: In Rom. 15:14-21, 30-33, we come to a new section that forms the conclusion to Paul's epistle to the Romans. After 14 chapters of exposition on doctrine and application, Paul returns to the autobiographical comments that he began in the first chapter. Here, we will see a much more intimate side of the apostle that gives us a personal look at Paul the missionary. In verses 14-16, we will learn Paul's reasons for writing to the Romans; in verses 17-21, he describes the priorities and principles that shaped his ministry up to the time of this writing; and in verses 30-31, he requests prayers for some specific matters and closes with a benediction. As we study this, we need to bear in mind that Paul had never been to Rome and had not met the Christians to whom he was writing, so he spends some time here sharing his heart with them.
Read Rom 15:14-16 - I HAVE WRITTEN TO YOU BOLDLY ON SOME POINTS
14 And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. 15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
v. 14: "And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another" - In general, with this verse, Paul informs the Roman readers that his reason for writing the letter wasn't their spiritual immaturity or any serious doctrinal deficiency. If you're familiar with Paul's letters, you'll know that compliments aren't handed out by him without good reason. Here, he notes three specific areas of strength: (1) "Full of Goodness" speaks of a good nature towards God and people; (2) "filled with all knowledge" suggests no serious inadequacies in their Biblical or theological knowledge; and (3) "able also to admonish one another" says that they were competent to teach and to counsel.
TRUTH 1: If you are a Christian, you are in ministry. Today's lesson isn't about theology or doctrine but focused entirely on ministry. Whether your ministry is inside the walls of this church or like Paul, it covers a large slice of global geography; it still serves the same God.
TRUTH 2: Like Paul, we should affirm the giftedness and value of others' ministries in the body. In v. 14, Paul complimented the strength of the Roman church in their good nature, their Biblical and theological knowledge, and their teaching and counseling. We need to follow this example.
v. 15: "But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God" - Wait, if these Romans didn't need to be corrected, why then did Paul write in the previous chapters one of the most extensive and systematic expositions of doctrine in the entire Bible? This verse explains that he wrote this epistle not so much to inform them but to remind them. I'll use an example in athletics: sometimes a game can be won or lost because a player failed to execute the "fundamentals." The same can be true with the fundamentals of the faith, and Paul is telling them (and us) not to lose their focus on the fundamentals.
TRUTH 3: Like Paul, we shouldn't hesitate to be bold in reminding others of what they already know. Paul wrote this letter to remind them of the fundamentals of the Christian faith. It's not always learning something new but also being reminded of Biblical truth you've already heard.
v. 16: "to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit" - Notice Paul's imagery in this verse. He speaks of himself as a "priest" who is "offering" a sacrifice to God. A priest represents God to man, God gave Paul a special ministry as a priest of the gospel-salvation through Christ-to the Gentiles, and the offering was the presentation of the Gentiles to God, in effect, the Gentile church, which included Rome.
TRUTH 4: Like Paul, we should pursue our ministries as offerings to God. In v. 14, Paul spoke of himself as a priest offering a sacrifice to God-the salvation of Gentiles through faith in Christ. The time, talent, and resources we put into our own ministry efforts is likewise an offering to God.
Read Rom. 15:17-21 - WHAT CHRIST HAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH ME
17 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. 18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation; 21 but as it is written, "THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND."
Comment: Paul's reputation as a missionary and evangelist was well known to the Roman believers, and after years of hoping to see him, they probably wondered whether he was ever coming at all. In verses 17-21, Paul explains the reasons for his absence.
v. 17: "Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God" - Since the path Paul's ministry took is what had kept him from Rome for so long, it was necessary for him to provide them with an explanation. Pointing to the successes in his ministry, Paul is careful not to boast of his own accomplishments but to give the glory to God and show that God's hand of blessing was evident in everything that has been accomplished in that ministry.
v. 18: "For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed" - Notice that the only thing we hear Paul talk about is what Christ has done through him. You'll never hear Paul say anything about he accomplished anything by his own efforts. In every instance, Paul only took credit only for what God had done through him. This is true humility. When Paul says, "resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles," he's talking about the Gentiles' obedience of faith in trusting Christ. And when he says, "by word and deed," it's not a reference to the Gentiles, but to what Christ accomplished through Paul in both word and in deed. Paul makes it clear that only the Spirit of God can save people and transform them into followers by word and deed.
TRUTH 5: In ministry, it's wrong for us to boast in ourselves but right to boast in the Lord. All good results in any of our ministry efforts comes from the grace of God, and we must be careful to give the glory to him. Here, we see Paul takes pains not to boast of his own accomplishments but to give the glory to God and show that God's hand of blessing was evident in everything that had been accomplished in his ministry efforts. At the same time, there's nothing wrong with feeling a sense of satisfaction that comes from realizing that God has used you.
v. 19: "in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ" - This connects with v. 18. Further evidence of God's blessing and power-as the Holy Spirit bore witness to God's presence-was shown in the power of "signs and wonders," which recalls the descriptions of Jesus' own ministry. When Paul took the gospel to places where the name of Christ had never been heard, God empowered him with signs and wonders as part of his preaching to show these pagans that God was in their midst. And for people like these Romans who read Paul's letter, It likewise served as God's confirmation of his apostolic authority. The last statement, "from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ"-that he had preached in a very large segment of the known world, indicate Paul's belief that his task was nearly finished. Paul isn't suggesting that he preached to every living person in this vast area but is claiming to have fulfilled his task as an apostle: to lay a foundation by preaching the gospel and establishing churches in crucial locations so that the gospel could be proclaimed by believers from these outlying places.
v. 20: "And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation" - Having accomplished his original mission, we now see Paul look to the horizon of the world, to preach the gospel in places where it had never been heard. He didn't want to build on someone else's foundation-i.e., plant churches in places where Christianity already existed-but pave entirely new ground for the spread of the gospel. Since the church in Rome had already been planted and because he had pronounced the believers there to be competent in doctrine and teaching (v. 14), he had no reason to go there. We know from 15:23-24, which isn't part of today's lesson, that Paul planned to visit Rome on his way to Spain, and most Bible historians believe he did actually go there, though the trip isn't documented in Acts or elsewhere.
TRUTH 6: Like Paul, we need to know how our particular ministry (or ministries) fit into the big picture of what God is doing. Some, like Paul, are called to pioneer, with the world as their horizon. But many of us are called to stay long-term in one church or in a local ministry. All of us have been endowed with one or more spiritual gifts (see 1 Cor. 12:1-11) and God expects us to use them to glorify Him by making disciples for His kingdom, whether they're right outside our doors or halfway around the world somewhere.
v. 21: "but as it is written, 'THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.'" - Finally, Paul borrows words from Isa. 52:15 to described his calling. Bible scholars writers identify this as a messianic prophecy, so that the "Him" is Jesus Christ and the "they who had no news of Him," are the Gentiles. Thus, Paul's calling to preach the gospel where the name Jesus Christ was unknown was done in fulfillment of the OT prophecy. We do know from Acts 28 that Paul finally arrived in Rome in 60 A.D., three or four years after this letter was written, where he was placed under house arrest by the Roman authorities-that's another story.
Read Rom. 15:30-33 - STRIVE TOGETHER WITH ME IN YOUR PRAYERS
30 Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; 32 so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company. 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
v. 30: "Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me" - Paul's priorities are seen not only in the previous ministry he just explained to them but also in his plans for the future. We need to understand that it was not only proper but essential for Paul to ask the Roman believers to pray for him. Just as Paul had interceded for them in his prayers (remember that Paul did a lot of his work on his knees), they should reciprocate in his behalf and like Paul, their prayers should be motivated "by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit." By praying for Paul-"striving" with him-they were, in effect, joining him in his ministry efforts.
TRUTH 7: The work that Paul started nearly 2,000 years ago isn't over. Until the gospel has gone out to all people, we-all of us-should be praying, supporting, and working toward the completion the Great Commission.
v. 31: "that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints" - Paul was on his way to Jerusalem to deliver an offering that he had collected for the church there. His mention of "those who are disobedient in Judea" wasn't a reference to salvation for unbelieving Jews but to warnings he'd received about the troubles he might face from the Jewish religious authorities. Paul's concerns about the dangers there were real and we know from Acts 21 that after arriving, he was arrested and tried by the Sanhedrin. His comment about the offering being "acceptable to the saints" was most likely a reference to whether the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem would thankfully accept the offerings of the Gentile churches in the same generous spirit in which they were given-a sensitive matter in any case.
v. 32: "so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company" - Here, Paul expresses his hope to see and fellowship with the Roman saints in the course of the journeys as mentioned earlier. As events turned out, as reported in Acts 21-27, all of Paul's plans were subordinate to the will of God which, ironically, saw him delivered from his Jewish persecutors in Jerusalem by the Roman authorities (because he was in fact a Roman citizen entitled to legal protection) and sent to Rome, where he was ultimately acquitted and set free. God sometimes works in mysterious ways, doesn't He?
v. 33: "Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen." - In his benediction, Paul prays that "the God of peace" would be with the Roman believers. This is one of the titles that Paul often uses to describe God's nature. He is the God who gives us peace in every sense of that word: (1) At peace with Him through faith in Christ (Rom. 5:1); (2) peace in our hearts and minds through His Spirit (Rom. 8:6); and (3) making it possible for us to be at peace with other Christians (Rom. 14:19).
