|
|
RomansSurvey of the New Testament:
|
Previous: Part VI - Practical Ethics
Paul concludes with some personal greetings to his friends and acquaintances in Rome and restates his desire to visit the Roman church. (Romans 15:14-16:27)
Paul finishes the book of Romans with some personal comments. He begins by outlining his future plans and explaining why it has taken him so long to get to Rome. Paul states that his calling by God is to be a minister of the Christ to the Gentiles (15:16). Therefore, his strategy is to preach the gospel in geographic regions that have already heard the gospel, but to go to the unreached people groups (15:20).
As a result, he hasn't been able to get to Rome because there were many regions in Asia Minor and Greece that had yet to hear the gospel. But now, as he approaches the end of his third missionary journey, the gospel has been proclaimed to these regions (15:22). So now, Paul is looking westward, towards Spain, where the gospel had yet to be preached (15:24). On his way to Spain, he would stop by Rome and see them (15:24b).
But before he can visit Rome and begin his missionary journey to Spain, he had to first go to Jerusalem. One of the goals of Paul's third missionary journey was to take up a collection for the saints in Jerusalem. There had been a terrible famine in Judea at this time, and Paul was going back to the churches he had founded during his second missionary journey and asking those churches to contribute to his famine relief fund. His collection has been evidently successful, and so, before heading for Rome and then Spain, he had to return to Jerusalem with the collection (15:25-27).
But Paul knew that the return to Jerusalem would not be without risk. The Jewish authorities in Jerusalem had heard of Paul's mission to the Gentiles, and they were upset that he would be preaching that the Gentiles could find acceptance from God apart from the Jewish Law (Acts 22). Therefore, Paul asks the Roman Christians to pray for him as he returns to Jerusalem. In addition he asks for prayer that the famine relief contribution would be accepted by the Jewish Christians in Jeruslaem.
Evidently Paul intended to send this letter to Rome with Phoebe. Phoebe lived in Cenchrea, the eastern seaport of Corinth. He asks the Romans to receive her and to provide her with whatever he needs (16:1-2).
Paul provides greetings for several specific Roman Christians (16:3-16). Noteworthy names include Prisca and Aquilla, his fellow tent makers who worked with him in Corinth during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1-2).
Almost as an afterthought, after providing specific greetings, Paul's heart for unity comes out again. In the middle of his greetings, he warns the church to be on the lookout for those who would cause dissention (16:17-20).
Paul then sends greetings to the Romans from specific people in the church in Corinth where he is staying. The list includes some prominent people, including his host Gaius, Erastus, the city treasurer, and his scribe, Tertius.
Paul then concludes with a fitting benediction, giving praise to the God who has established the Romans, having shown the mystery of the gospel to the all the nations. For Paul, the presentation of the gospel to the Gentiles was a matter of great wonder and awe, and something for which God deserved great praise and glory. And so he concludes his letter:
To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 16:27)
| © Copyright 2006 - Ken Carson Grace Community Fellowship | Grace Insitute | The Pauline Epistles | Romans |