Sunday, March 11th, 2012
Romans 15:23-33
“The Power of Interconnectedness”
Background Information:
- Paul was on his way to Jerusalem from Corinth (from where he had most likely written this letter; he had been in that city for about three months, see Acts 20:3) with a delegation of men chosen by each church to deliver offerings from those churches to the believers (saints) in Jerusalem (see Acts 24:17; 1 Cor 16:1-4; 2 Cor 9:13). Paul considered his delivery of this offering as an act of worship. Indeed, it was a fitting climax to his ministry in the east before he moved west. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary, 282)
- At this time Spain was experiencing a kind of blaze of genius. Many of the greatest men in the Empire were Spaniards. Lucan, the epic poet, Martial, the master of the epigram, Quintilian, the greatest teacher of oratory of his day, were all Spaniards. Above all, Seneca, the great Stoic philosopher, who was first the guardian and afterwards the prime minister of Nero, was a Spaniard. It may well be that Paul was saying to himself that if only he could touch Spain for Christ tremendous things might happen. (William Barclay, The Letter to the Romans, 204)
- (v. 24) The verb translated assist (propempo) seems already to have become almost a technical Christian term for helping missionaries on their way. It undoubtedly meant more than good wishes and a valedictory prayer. In most cases it also involved supplying them with provisions and money, and sometimes providing them as well with an escort to accompany them at least part of the way. (John Stott, Romans–God’s Good News for the World, 385)
- In a city like Jerusalem much of the available employment must have been connected with the Temple and its needs. All the priests and the Temple authorities were Sadducees, and the Sadducees were the supreme enemies of Jesus. It must therefore have happened that many a man, when he became a Christian in Jerusalem, lost his job and was in sore need. (William Barclay, The Letter to the Romans, 205)
- The Jerusalem church, obviously made up mostly of Jews, at first had a difficult time even accepting ministry to the Gentiles (see Peter’s situation in Acts 10:1-11:18). Some were still concerned about these mostly-Gentile churches. Gentile churches helping to meet the needs of the Jerusalem church was a sure way to maintain harmony among the believers and strengthen the bond of brotherhood. This was not the first time a collection was taken to the church in Jerusalem. About ten years earlier, Paul and Barnabas brought a collection from the church in Antioch of Syria to help the Jerusalem church during a time of famine (Acts 11:30; 12:25). It seems that being Christian and being poor went together if one lived in Jerusalem. Christianity was not well accepted by the Jewish authorities, and when Jews became Christians they were often cut off from family and friends. The Jerusalem church probably had little means of support, so help from the other churches was needed and greatly appreciated. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary, 282-283)
- (v. 27) The word blessing is most interesting. It comes from the Anglo-Saxon blestian, which comes in turn from blesdian, bloedsian, and originally meant to consecrate with blood. It is impossible to go back to the early centuries of Anglo-Saxon usage and discover how our word blessing came to its modern form, but it is almost certain that it grew out of the early teaching of Christian truth as the Gospel came to our savage forefathers and slowly transformed them and their language. They learned that all good things are ours because of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, that the shedding of His blood paid the price to divine justice and forever satisfied all the demands of God. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Romans–IV, 105)
- (v. 30) “join me in my struggle” = Gk. “Sunagonisasthai” (15:30) = “to strive together with” is an intensified form of agonizomai, which means to struggle or fight and is the term from which we get the English “agonize.” (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, 351)
The question to be answered is . . . What point does Paul make here at the end of chapter 15?
Answer: That the body of Christ, is considered by God as one and that we are in fact ONE Bride of Christ and not many. That we are one body of Christ and not many. That He regards us as one and if we are truly in touch with the Spirit of God we will see our regard for others believers in the same light.
Paul’s life is cause for amazement and reflection. In the context of the times in which he lived, his situation appeared absurd. On one side there was Rome, metropolis of the world, heart of the Empire, insufferably proud on her seven hills, shaking the earth with the march of her fabled legions. On the other side was this little Jew, with scarred face and feeble body, ostensibly impotent amidst such power, armed with only something he called the “good news.” Yet he changed the history of Rome, Western civilization, and indeed our own lives. (R.Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word–Romans, 287)
The Word for the Day is . . . connected
How does Paul understand the connectedness of the Church?
I. As believers in Christ I’m connected to you and you’re connected to me (Rom 15:23-24; see also: Jn 15:1-17; Acts 15:3; 21:5; 1 Cor chps12-14; Eph 4:1-16)
Paul hints, then, that he hopes to enlist the support of the Roman Christians for his new missionary effort in Spain. Spain is a long way from Antioch, his original sending church, and he knows he will need a new base of operations. In addition to financial support, the Romans can perhaps also help with translators and other specific needs. (Douglas Moo, The NIV Application Commentary–Romans, 489)
Paul has requested money from them, but he makes clear that they gave of their own free will: They were “pleased to make a contribution [koinonia].” Koinonia is the usual NT word for “fellowship” enjoyed by believers in Christ. The money sent by the Gentiles is a tangible expression of this fellowship. (Douglas Moo, The NIV Application Commentary–Romans, 489)
Now one of the reasons for organizing the drive for assistance to Jerusalem’s poor saints had probably been to convince the Jerusalem Jews and others who agreed with them that they should accept Gentile Christians as equals. See Acts 10:1-11:18. When, therefore, the apostle now describes the contribution or collection as “fruit,” he probably means that it must be regarded as a product of the Gentiles’ genuine faith and of their sincere gratitude for the willingness of the Jewish believers to share with them their faith in Christ. The gift from the Gentiles proved that the gospel was having a beneficial effect in their lives. It was the visible evidence of the operation of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and lives of the donors. And the handing over of this gift sealed or certified this gratifying fact to the Jewish recipients. (William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary, 495)
As his letters to the Corinthians suggest, Paul has not been shy about exhorting these churches to participate in the collection. But their participation is, nevertheless, of their own free will: they were “pleased”; they “freely decided” to make a contribution. Paul suggests something of the significance of this contribution by calling it a koinonia, literally, a “fellowship.” Here the word clearly means “that which is readily shared,” “contribution,” but there is certainly an allusion to the word’s common use in Paul to denote the loving intimacy of the Christian community. As Paul makes explicit in 2 Cor. 8:4 and 9:13, the Gentile Christians’ contribution to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem is an expression of this unity and intimacy. (Douglas Moo, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, 903)
Paul knows that when he arrives in Rome, he will come with blessings to share: “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong–that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (1:11-12 NIV). The sense of this verse can be read in two ways: Paul will be bringing a fresh awareness of all the benefits of being united with Christ; or Paul is expecting to experience with the Romans a rich time of fellowship in Christ. The benefits of spending time with other believers , even those we do not know, are very real. From time to time, Christians should worship in unfamiliar places, just to be reminded how oneness in Christ overcomes the barrier of meeting strangers. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary, 283)
There was no better way of demonstrating in the most practical way the unity of the Church. This was a way of teaching the young churches that they were not isolated units but members of a great Church extending throughout all the world. The value of giving to others is that it makes us remember that we are not members of a congregation but of a Church which is worldwide. (William Barclay, The Letter to the Romans, 205)
Confident they won’t compel him to stay with them, he asks for their help. By that he does not mean some kind of an offering. He is referring instead to the semi-official custom of the early Christians of furnishing some kind of an escort to go all or part of the way with a departing missionary (viz. Acts 15:3; 21:5, etc.). What he really wants from them is their prayer support and joyous participation in opening a new frontier for Christ. (C.S. Lovett, Lovett’s Lights on Romans, 391)
If you are serving God and your work is not done, keep at it where you are. Don’t get restless. But if one opportunity has closed–perhaps the people in your Bible study have moved away or you are no longer serving in the Sunday school or on a church board–look around for something else. The needs are great and the opportunities are endless. (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1873)
God calls his servants to the missionary task, but he also places a duty to support them on those who remain at home. That is your duty if you have a regular income and are not yourself serving on a foreign or other missionary field. Has God blessed you with material things? Are you provided for financially? Then remember your missionaries. Remember that although God could supply their needs miraculously, he has chosen to do so through you. (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1874)
The word that is translated service is the one from which we get the word deacon. It occurs just as a few verses further on in chapter 16, where Phoebe is commended as a “servant” or “deaconess” of the church in Cenchrea. We recognize that caring for the poor is a legitimate function of the diaconate. But since Paul was not a deacon but rather an apostle and yet is saying here that his role in collecting and delivering this offering for the saints at Jerusalem was a diaconal service, we learn that we are all to be engaged in this kind of service. In other words, the role of the deacons is not to minister in our place, so we do not have to care for the needs of others, but rather to show us how to minister–just as ruling elders shows us how to exercise spiritual oversight of one another, and teaching elders lead us in how to study and understand the Bible. Caring for other people is every Christian’s job. (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1879-1880)
One reason we must be generous is because generosity is evidence that we are Christians. If we do not care for other people or the work of God, why should we suppose we are Christians? (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1880)
How did Paul motivate the Corinthians, who seem to have been reluctant, to be faithful in this area? It is noteworthy that he did not nag, scold, beg, or plead. But neither was he against using some very direct motivation. If we read 1 Cor 8 and 9 carefully, we will find him appealing to the need for personal consecration on the Corinthians’ part, the example of Christ, the love and grace of God for us, and even to a proper kind of pride and self-interest. (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1881)
The Macedonians were poor and had undergone severe trials. But the result of this unusual combination of circumstances was great giving. It was according to the formula “Severe trials + overflowing joy + extreme poverty = rich generosity.” This is something like saying, “Minus one, minus fifteen, minus three equals a million,” but that is God’s arithmetic, strange as it may seem to us. . . . As we well know, trials and poverty do not in themselves produce great giving, not even among Christians. In fact, they sometimes do the opposite. They produce bitterness in people who thereby become self-centered, mean, tightfisted, and greedy.
What makes the difference, as Paul explains in this verse, is whether the Christians involved have: (1) first given themselves to the Lord and (2) then given themselves to others as a consequence. (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1883)
The variety of ministries dealt with in the latter part of the Epistle serves to encourage all believers actively to develop their own ministering mentality and to find specific outlets of service while it also recognizes the place for a plethora of ministries in the body of believers. This recognition of variety serves not only to meet numerous needs and glorify God in a variety of ways but also gives opportunity to add diversity in operation to the existing diversity of background, maturity, and experience that makes the church uniquely the body of Christ. (D. Stuart Briscoe, Mastering the New Testament, 257)
Paul does not write as one who has arrived (Phil. 3:12). He too is part of the body of Christ, which means that his life is incomplete apart from other members of that body. He pays the Romans a great compliment in conveying that he stands in need of their company. (James R. Edwards, New International Biblical Commentary, 348)
Openly, he announces his hope that the Roman church will assist him in making the Spanish campaign a reality. This sharing will naturally include their prayers on his behalf, their financial cooperation, and possibly some helpers to go with him to the limits of the West. If Paul were ever to reach Spain, he would no doubt feel that he had realized in his own ministry a measure of fulfillment of the Lord’s Great Commission that bade his followers go to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). (Frank E. Gaebelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary–Volume 10, 157-158)
II. Believers owe support to those who have assisted them in their spiritual connectedness (Rom 15:25-29; see also: 1 Cor 8-9)
Paul now discloses his immediate plans to visit Jerusalem with the gifts the churches had raised for the Christians there. Jerusalem was an impoverished city in general; in addition, the Christians there would suffer particular hardship as a suspect minority. But Paul sees a significance deeper than charity in the gift. It is a duty (v. 27), a solemn obligation of the Gentiles in view of the privilege they have received in being grafted into God’s olive tree (11:17). This conforms to the general principle that those who receive spiritual blessings should share their own material blessings (1 Cor 9:3-14; Gal 6:6). (Luder Whitlock, Jr., New Geneva Study Bible, 1794)
In verse 27 we detect why the collection is so important to Paul. It is not just a charitable project; it is also designed to bring into closer fellowship Gentile and Jewish believers. The Gentiles, after all, have benefitted spiritually from the Jews. As Paul explains in 11:17-19, Gentile Christians derive whatever spiritual blessing they experience from the Jewish Messiah and the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel (cf. also 4:13-16; 15:7-8). The Gentile Christians can partially repay this debt by sharing with the Jews their own material blessings. (Douglas Moo, The NIV Application Commentary–Romans, 490)
Believers in Macedonia and Achaia not only were willing to give generously, but were pleased to do so. They gave because the saints in Jerusalem were brothers and sisters in Christ and also because they realized that, as Jesus told the woman of Sychar, “salvation is from the Jews” (Jn 4:22). Isaiah prophesied that “the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isa 2:3). On the human level, all Gentile Christians owe their spiritual lives to the Jewish apostles, prophets, teachers, and evangelists who first proclaimed the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. Therefore the Gentiles who contributed to the saints in Jerusalem acknowledged they were indebted to those Jews. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, 347)
There were several purposes behind this special offering. The begin with, it was an expression of love on the part of the Gentiles toward their Jewish brethren. Second, it meant practical relief at a time when the poor Jewish believers needed it the most. Third, it helped to unite the Jews and Gentiles in the church. It was a bond that brought them closer together. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Right, 170)
When the life of the Spirit flows through a church, giving is no problem. Paul, in 2 Cor 8:1-5, described the miracle of grace that occurred in the churches of Macedonia. Paul was anxious that this offering be received by the Jewish believers and be acceptable to them. He wanted to bring about, under God, a closer bond between the mother church at Jerusalem and the daughter churches in other parts of the Empire. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Right, 171)
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells how the Gentile churches were eager to help their suffering brethren in Jerusalem–even begging for the opportunity (2 Cor. 8:1-5). This was proof of the power of the gospel in their lives. That’s why Paul was so obsessed with taking the money to Jerusalem in person and using it to bind the Jewish and Gentile Christians into one harmonious body. The Gentiles were not only “pleased” to raise this money, they also looked on it as their duty. They felt they owed the Jewish Christians a debt for all the spiritual blessings they had received from them. After all, salvation was of the Jews. . . . The Gentiles viewed the gift of money as a spiritual matter. They made the gift as unto the Lord. How do we know? Paul carefully chose the world “minister” in verse 27. They sacrificed to raise this money, realizing that God would accept it as a gift to Him. (C.S. Lovett, Lovett’s Lights on Romans, 392)
The church consists of Jews and Gentiles, as Paul has argued from the beginning, and both belong to it not because of their strengths but because of their indebtedness. Gentiles are indebted to the spiritual blessings of Israel, Israel is indebted to the material blessings of the Gentiles. The church consists of both the spiritual and the material, and both are in equal measure a ministry (Gk. leitourgein, v. 27) and service of the saints (v. 25). (James R. Edwards, New International Biblical Commentary, 349)
According to Paul’s remarks (v.27), this contribution could be looked at from two standpoints: as a love-gift (“they were pleased to do it”) and as an obligation (“they owe it to them”). The latter statement is then explained. Had it not been for the generosity of the Jerusalem church in sharing their spiritual blessings (the gospel as proclaimed by people from Jerusalem and Judea, as seen in Acts 10; 11:19-22; 15:40, 41), the Gentiles would still be in pagan darkness. So it was not such a great thing that they should reciprocate by sharing their “material blessings” (v.27). (Frank E. Gaebelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary–Volume 10, 158-159)
III. Christians are in this together. When one loses we all lose. When one wins we all win. (Mt 10:41; 1 Cor 12:26; Eph 4:4; 2 Jn 10-11; 3 Jn 8) + “Prophet’s reward”
Paul needed their intercessory prayer; he needed them to join him in promoting the cause of Christ. The Greek term sunagonisasthai (“to strive together with him”) was often used in connection with athletic events where a team had to put forth a great, concerted action. Though the Roman believers could not be physically with Paul, they could join his efforts through prayer. This is a subtle but effective emphasis that Paul was not an independent agent. He was part of the body, and he needed the body’s help. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary, 284)
Up to this point he had been supported by his home church at Antioch in Syria, but Spain would be too far away for him to receive any tangible help form Syria. Therefore, he is suggesting that it would be a great help to him and an encouragement if the Roman church could become his new home base and back him as he presses on westward to the Iberian peninsula. (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1872-1873)
For all his brash methods and bold confidence, Paul remained a person desiring reconciliation. He wanted peace with his enemies outside the church and peace among the brothers and sisters within the congregation as well. (Clarence L. Bence, Romans–A Commentary for Bible Students, 239-240)
The words “strive together” in verse 30 suggest an athlete giving his best in the contest. Perhaps the words “wrestling together” better express the idea. This same term is used of the praying of Epaphras in Col 4:12. This verse does not mean that we must fight with God to get what we need. Rather, it means our praying must not be a casual experience that has no heart or earnestness. We should put as much fervor into our praying as a wrestler does into his wrestling! (Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Right, 171)
We may study the Bible, learn many things from it, and experience great joy in it–but that is not enough. We can go through the Bible to the Lord Jesus Christ and experience great joy. But this is not enough. For there is something of Christ which He reveals to us only through others whom he has redeemed. We shall never fully understand our Lord until we have met every believer of every age. I can give something of Christ to other believers, and need to receive from every other Christian something which He has for me. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Romans–IV, 113) (bold emphasis Pastor Keith)
So, for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ and on the ground of the loving work of the Holy Spirit, the Christians in Rome were summoned to pray for Paul. They were not to fulfill this admonition by a casual “Bless Paul!” They were to strive together with him. Since this Greek word is found nowhere else in the NT, it deserves special notice. It is sunagonizomai; the prefix sun (with) is followed by the word agonize. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Romans–IV, 108)
Pastor and people hold spiritual truth in common, and the “Amen” at the end of each prayer shows that in the prayer is something which the believer can heartily echo for his own needs. If it were sufficient for the minister to offer prayers or praises without the concurrence of the people, common prayer and common worship would be needless; the people might stay at home and the minister pray in church. But new force is given to prayer and praise, as well as to every other spiritual act, from the consciousness that others are praying with us–that in a thousand hearts the same thoughts are throbbing at the same moment. Unhappy the Christian who has a form of Christianity which draws him away from the whole body of Christ. Let the “Amen” teach us our oneness as we acknowledge that we are sinners, that we are especially thankful for some mercy that the Lord has shown us, and that, with all men, we need very special help to preserve us from sin. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Romans–IV, 118-119)
You can tell that Paul is keenly aware of the danger that lies ahead of him on his trip to Jerusalem. Even though he possibly is the most successful, Spirit-filled Christian of all time, we now find him begging for the prayers of the brethren at Rome. You can see the urgency in his appeal. To his mind he will not be able to carry out the mission before him apart from the prayers of fellow believers. And he’s not the least bit ashamed to beg for their help. Paul was alert to the awesome spiritual forces against him. So his appeal is made on the strongest possible basis. By the Lord Jesus Christ and the love which God gives Christians for each other, he asks them to “strive together” with him. (C.S. Lovett, Lovett’s Lights on Romans, 394-395)
When it comes to battling in the spirit, there is nothing equal to the power of a group of Christians who are of one mind and heart, concentrating on a single target in prayer. The apostle felt that if he could gain the Romans as allies in this spiritual battle, it would make the difference in his mission. If ever there was a man who could handle things on his own it was Paul. Yet here he is, appealing for prayer support. (C.S. Lovett, Lovett’s Lights on Romans, 395)
The term conveys the idea of mutual, agonizing perseverance for the attainment of an agreed upon goal. Paul’s use of this word in a context of prayer certainly communicates the truth that this spiritual discipline is difficult yet rewarding work. What he says also demonstrates that God designed prayer to be primarily a team effort. In short, the practice of prayer requires a willingness on our part to get involved in the lives of others. (Charles R. Swindoll, Relating to Others in Love, 57)
CONCLUSION/APPLICATION: How can we purpose to be more connected to the Body of Christ and bear fruit for Him?
A- Pray (Rom 1:7-10; Eph 6:18-19; Col 2:1-4; 4:2-3, 12; 2 Th 3:1-2; 1 Th 5:25; 1 Tm 2:1-8)
In the final paragraph of Romans 15 Paul passes to the subject of prayer, urging the Christians at Rome to pray for him. This is not unusual. It was Paul’s regular practice to request prayers for himself and his ministry. We can think of many passages where he does it: 2 Cor 1:10-11; Eph 6:19-20; Phil 1:19; Col 4:3-4; 1 Th 5:25; 2 Th 3:1-2. But this is a strong and very impassioned plea, undoubtedly because of the difficulties Paul foresaw in going to Jerusalem. (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1893-1894)
If God has appointed a widespread revival or the salvation of an individual or any other blessing and if he has determined that the means by which that blessing shall be received is prayer, then it is as necessary that we pray as it is that this predetermined blessing come about. (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1898)
Selfishness is sin and sin is a barrier to prayer (see Isa. 59:1-3), it is not surprising that we find prayer difficult and that our specific prayers often go unanswered. (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1899)
He hoped it would become an important means of healing the growing rift between Gentile and Jewish Christians. The unity of the church was at stake. No wonder he asks for prayer. Yet we should not miss the significance of his request. (1) It illustrates the humility and sense of need Paul has. Though he has a divinely given mission, unique in salvation history, he still needs other believers to pray for him. How much more, then, do the rest of us, engaged in far humbler tasks and with far less biblical confirmation, need the prayers of God’s people. Pride can be an obstacle here as we can subtly begin depending on our own skills, talents, or resources rather than on the Lord, who empowers through the prayers of his people. (2) Paul’s call for prayer also illustrates the biblical tension between God’s determination of events and the situation-changing power of prayer. Paul undoubtedly sensed that God himself had inaugurated and was empowering this collection. Yet he still asks people to pray for it. To be sure, we have no evidence Paul saw the collection in terms of a divine prophecy, sure to succeed because God had said it would. But even if this were the case, evidence from other texts shows that he would still have asked prayer for it. (Douglas Moo, The NIV Application Commentary, 497-498)
The words by the will of God remind us how necessary it is to be diligent in prayer, for God alone directs all our ways by his providence. (John Calvin, Commentary Upon the Acts of the Apostles, 540)
Prayer is often a battle. Sometimes the “opponent” is our old self, which continues to wage “war against the law of [our] mind, and [makes us] a prisoner of the law of sin which is in [our] members” (Rom 7:23). Prayer is always, in one way or another, a struggle against sin and evil, whether in us or around us. Sometimes, as Isaiah attests, it is necessary to arouse ourselves, as it were, and “take hold of” God (Isa 64:7). Although we do not wrestle with the Lord in the way that Jacob did (Gn 32:24), the spiritual struggle of prayer may sometimes be equally intense. Paul’s struggle on behalf of believers at Colossae and Laodicea doubtless included many hours of agonizing prayer on their behalf, that they would be rightly taught “a true knowledge of God’s mercy, that is, Christ himself,” and would be protected from those who wanted to delude them (Col 2:1-4). Near the end of that letter, Paul sent greetings from Epaphras, who was from their fellowship, and who was “always laboring earnestly for [them] in his prayers, that [they might] stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God” (4:12). (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, 351-352)
Paul commands the Romans to pray for him. It should be noted that the Greek word rendered “beseech” in the King James Version is a strong military term, stronger even than “appeal” in the revision. It is the equivalent of “I summon you,” “I draft you,” “I call you to my side.” It carries the urgency of an SOS. There are two reasons for such strong language: “For the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit.” The glory of Christ is to be the end of all that we do or think. Paul was not asking them to spend precious time to pray for him for his exclusive benefit. He was not asking them to pray so that things would go smoothly for him. He asked prayer in behalf of–in the interests of–our Lord Jesus Christ. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Romans–IV, 108)
B- Remain in Christ (Jn 15:1-17).
Paul’s prayers in this instance were not answered, and his plans were not realized; he never reached Spain. Indeed, the year 251 marks the establishment of Christianity in that country. But already the great apostle was praying for Spain. The fact that Paul’s prayers were not always answered, and that his plans were not realized, need not stop the true believer from praying and from making plans. Our trust is in the Lord, not in our plans. He is Lord of our lives and Lord of all our plans. He can do with us exactly what He pleases, and when, and where. And in our total commitment to His will lies our highest joy. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Romans–IV, 101)
C- Love (Rom 12:5, 10, 15, 16; 13:8; 14:19; 15:1-2, 5-6; Eph 4:16; 1 Th 5:11)
Most Christians want God to bless them, meaning that they want God to preserve them from physical harm, give them a long life, help them to make a lot of money, and keep their children out of trouble. Those are blessings, of course. But they are self-centered, and they certainly do not represent the fullness of what God is capable of doing or is willing to do in and through us for the spiritual well-being of other people. I encourage you to think of your life as a means by which God might be able to impart spiritual blessings to other people. (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1888)
Worship point: We fail to worship because we fail to see the beauty and the wonder of the Body of Christ. As 21st Century Americans we tend to be so independent and unattached that we fail to see the wisdom of God by His desire for Christians to be one as the Trinity is one. I am convinced that our worship would be greatly enhanced if we could understand this truth better.
Spiritual Challenge: Learn and endeavor to be more connected to the larger body of Christ; not just to HFM or your small group or your church family. Purpose to see God’s bigger purpose for your life, the life of the church and your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as well as God’s purpose for the building of the Kingdom of God through your interconnectedness within the Body of Christ.
QUOTES To NOTE:
His arrest in Jerusalem and subsequent appeal to Caesar resulted in a very different, but no less effective, ministry to the believers in Rome. Despite the fact that Paul went to Rome in chains, his arrival was no less in the full measure of the blessing of Christ (Rom 15:29). (Clarence L. Bence, Romans–A Commentary for Bible Students, 239)
Has a torpid spirit of self-satisfaction and vain contentment settled upon you? Do you feel that you have done enough? That your church has achieved all it needs to achieve? That you know all you need to know of Christian doctrine or have witnessed for Christ sufficiently? If so, you should remember how Jesus said that when we have done everything we have been told to do we must still say, “We are unworthy servants” (Lk 17:10). (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1890)
It is sad that so many Christians expect so little of Jesus. It may be because they consider much of anything to be worldly–too much money, too much fun. But I suspect the real reason is because they are self-satisfied and lazy. If this is true of you, Jesus’ words should be a strong rebuke, for they say that what he desires of you is not fruit. If you take that seriously, you will attempt great things for God, knowing that little fruit brings little glory either to the Father or the Son but that much fruit brings much glory to them. (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1891)
Adolf Harnack, the great German church historian, declared, “The most numerous and successful missionaries of the Christian religion were not the regular teachers but Christians themselves, in virtue of their loyalty and courage…It was characteristic of this religion that everyone who seriously confessed the faith proved of service to its propaganda…We cannot hesitate to believe that the great mission of Christianity was in reality accomplished by means of informal missionaries.” (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1875)
C.H. Dodd, in his commentary on Romans, suggests that the system of Christian communism that the early church established in Jerusalem had contributed significantly to its poverty: “The Jerusalem church contained from the beginning many poor and few rich. Filled with a sense of their unity as ‘brethren,’ they instituted a system of partial and voluntary communism. But they carried it out in the economically disastrous way of realizing capital and distributing it as income (Acts 2:44, 45; 4:34-5:5). So far as we can gather, no practical steps were taken to replace the capital thus dissipated; and when hard times came, the community had no reserves of any kind.” (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1878)
There is also a specific way in which Christians experience peace with one another, however, and this is within the fellowship of the church in which the walls that formerly divided Christians are broken down–walls of race, economic status, nationality, and educational level. (James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Vol. 4, The New Humanity, 1905)
Paul’s request to be delivered was not for the purpose of his being spared further persecution or even death. He unselfishly wanted to be delivered only to the extent necessary for him to complete the ministry the Lord had given him. . . .“But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself,” he continued, “in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:22-24). (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, 353)
Paul had no way of knowing the future and the condition which would surround his actual visit to this Roman Church. We know, however, from Acts 24:27; 28:11-31, that the ‘full measure of the blessing of Christ’ evidently included a hazardous journey, arriving bound in chains as a prisoner, and facing the prospect of death. But because the sufferings of this world are not worthy to be compared with the glory yet to be revealed, Paul could see past these trials to the rich ministry opportunities that took place. Christ was indeed pleased with Paul’s faithfulness, and because of his grace, crowned Paul’s labours with abundant blessing. Paul’s extremity in Rome became God’s opportunity to pour out his riches. How profound of Paul to know that true blessings are spiritual and not conditioned by earthly circumstances. (R.C. Sproul, The Gospel of God–Romans, 246-247)
As Professor Dunn has aptly put it, ‘Paul the Jew, who is also apostle to the Gentiles, says the Jewish benediction over his Gentile readers.’ (John Stott, Romans–God’s Good News for the World, 391)
Everybody who belongs to Jesus
belongs to everybody who belongs to Jesus
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