Romans 15:22-33

Paul continues to speak of his ministry.  Having spoken of his current ministry (15:17-21) he now speaks of his plans for future ministry (15:22-29).

·        Future ministry in Rome, v22-24: Remember how Paul was led by the Spirit not to continue ministry in what we call “Asia” but to cross the “Dardanelles” from modern-day Turkey to Greece (Acts 16:6-10).  The ensuing ministry in cities such as Philippi, Corinth, Thessalonica and Ephesus had taken years and prevented Paul from heading to Rome.  But now he felt the time was nearing in the plan of God.  He planned to stop there on his way to Spain.

·        Future ministry in Jerusalem, v25-27:  First he was headed to Jerusalem to serve the saints.  This is the time, at the end of his third missionary journey, when Paul was being warned of trouble ahead if he went to Jerusalem (Acts 20).  But he was convinced God was leading and cared not at all about his own life but about completing the ministry God had for him (Ac. 20:24).  He and those with him were carrying an offering for the saints in Jerusalem from the churches of Asia Minor (Western Turkey today) and Greece.

·        Future ministry in Spain, v28-29:  Paul then planned to go to Spain.  Tradition says he made this trip between his two Roman imprisonments.  The Bible doesn’t say.  Spain was on the western side of the Roman Empire and boasted major cities and ports that were part of the Mediterranean maritime business.  It made sense, as part of the pioneer ministry (15:20-21) to go there.

The closing verses (v30-33) are quite instructive in the matter of planning for ministry.  Paul requests that the Roman believers strive together in praying with and for him.  Ministry involves struggle.  There is a roaring lion (1 Pt. 5:8-9) who must be resisted and prayer is fundamental to our defeat of this enemy.

Paul asks that they pray for two things.  First, for the Jerusalem ministry, to be delivered from unbelievers and that his ministry to the saints will be pleasing (to God and to the saints).  Second, for the Rome and Spain ministries, that he might come with joy to Rome and be refreshed by them as he headed off for Spain.  

Key to all of this is the phrase in v32: “by the will of God.”  How did God answer this prayer?  Paul was delivered in Judea UNTIL he got to Jerusalem.  Then he was attacked at the temple, arrested by the Romans and imprisoned two years in Caesarea.  That didn’t go well.  But wait!  He made it to Rome, all expenses paid by the Roman treasury.  And then he came to the Roman believers “with joy” and was “refreshed together with” them.  Isn’t God good and wise!  (You can read all of this in Acts 21-28.)

Should we make plans in ministry? Absolutely!  Should we pray and ask others to pray with us?  Absolutely!  All this should be done “through the Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit” (v30).  Then we should remember: A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps (Prov. 16:9).

Romans 15:14-21

Paul never just says “personal stuff.”  He is ever exercising his calling and authority as is evident in today’s passage.  He speaks well of the church in Rome (v14-16), but in those words he encourages us to walk with Christ.  He reports on his ministry (v17-21), and yet challenges us to serve Christ faithfully.

Paul doesn’t speak of faith, hope and love, the normal qualities he seeks in a church.  Instead he notes the maturity of the church at Rome.  They were:

·        Full of goodness: Perhaps Paul is thinking of Ch. 12 and the good things believers share with each other in exercising their spiritual gift.  He concludes by calling them to “overcome evil with good.”

·        Filled with all knowledge: Paul is aware of their knowledge of the major topics in this letter.  As he says in 15:15, he wrote to remind them. 

·        Able to admonish one another: Perhaps he is thinking of the passage on the weak brother (14:1-15:7).  Admonishing is the complement of teaching (Col. 1:28 “warning” is the same Greek word, noutheteo).  It means to “put in mind,” meaning they could take what they knew and exhort one another to think about it and put it into practice.  This is a church’s ministry according to Heb. 10:24-25.  They could do this generally but needed a reminder.

Paul sent this letter as part of his responsibilities as an apostle, or more specifically, the “minister (Grk. leitourgos, worship leader; good ministry leads others to worship God through their lives) of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.”

Paul himself worships (glorifies) Christ in his ministry.  He makes note of the things of God (v17) which Christ has accomplished through (him) (v18) as he has preached the gospel and as the Gentiles have been obedient to the gospel (to believe is to obey the gospel; Rom. 1:5; 6:17; 16:26).  Paul always speaks of his ministry with humility (2 Cor. 10:1; 12:6-10).  But having been given authority as an apostle his ministry was accompanied by “mighty signs and wonders” (Mark 3:13-15; Heb. 2:3-4).  Note that the apostle did not compliment the church for the presence of signs and wonders.  Undoubtedly there were people healed in answer to prayer (James 5:13-18).  But the ongoing life of the church was not to be a constant display of signs and wonders; these things accompanied the ministry of the apostles in the revealing of the mystery of God.  

Paul’s ministry was a pioneer ministry, preaching the gospel in places where there were no churches.  He could report that he had preached from Jerusalem to Illyricum (an area of northern Greece across the Adriatic Sea from Italy.)  Yet Paul still desired to lead worship (preach and exhort) in Rome (1:11-15).

So let us consider: in our church do we see goodness, people coming to the knowledge of the truth, and the nouthetic ministry by which we spur each other to love and good works?  May we yield ourselves to Christ as living sacrifices that we might glorify Him in our lives and ministry.

Psalm 71

We noted in our previous study that Psalm 70 is the short, basic version of a prayer often prayed by the Psalmist.  It is worth memorizing so as to be able to use it in the variety of troubles commonly experienced in the life of the saint.  Psalm 71 is a perfect example of taking Psalm 70 and using it in a specific situation of life.  Both have the same emphasis on seeking God’s haste in helping face those who desire the hurt of the believer.  But in the case of Psalm 71, the prayer is prayed in the context of growing older.  The God we have learned to trust in our youth must be trusted as the days and years roll by.

Like Psalm 70, today’s Song is also a perfect illustration of the thematic rhythm of Hebrew poetry. Consider the following.

Ø Ps. 71 begins, divides and ends with a common thought.  The concern with those who desire my hurt is found in v1-3 where the Psalmist trusts God to help, v12-13 where He pleads for God help, and v22-24 where he praises and testifies of the God who faithfully helps.

Ø In vs. 4-6 and 19-21 the writer highlights God’s perfections, the first as truth he discovered in his youth and the latter as truth he holds to in his later years.

Ø In v7-11 the Hymnist acknowledges that God has made him to stand out (be a wonder) in his youth (v7-8) and thus he pleads with God to continue to do the same in his later years (v9-11).  In v14-18 he vows to continue to trust in God (v14-16) the thus pleads with God to continue His faithfulness in his later years.

These connections are helpful in our study but let us now consider this Song and it’s importance to us in living a life that pleases God.  First, we are approaching a new year.  This is always a time to reflect on the past as well as anticipate the future.  Perhaps we look to the past and we believe that God has, in His righteousness, brought us into great trial.  If God has done this in righteousness, and all He does is righteous, then will we count on Him to do what is righteous for His elect?  Will we trust Him in 2016 as we have in 2015?  Will our hope be “continual”?

This holiday season (American Thanksgiving through Christmas) we have spent time with family.  Our children and grandchildren are, of course, all getting older.  It is interesting to watch them as they go through the phases of life.  I think they are watching me at the phase of life I have been encountering.  In every case we must ask if we are growing in faith?  Are we committed to trust God, regardless of last years disappointments or next years uncertainties?

Let us also ask if, like the Psalmist, we are committed to declaring the praise of God in the year to come?  Are we firmly committed to being vocal about the evidences we WILL see of His righteousness and faithfulness?