To Rome with Love - Romans 1.8-15
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3.14-16)
Paul, in keeping with the first century correspondence tradition, began by identifying himself; this was followed by an expressed desire that the recipients might be recipients of God’s grace (1.1-7). Paul frequently followed such a salutation with a thanksgiving and prayer (1.8-15). The prologues to Paul’s letters afford the reader some insight into the relationship that existed between him and to those whom he served as an apostle (e.g., 1 Corinthians 1.1-9; Philippians 1.1-11; 2 Timothy 1.1-4). While Paul knew some of the believers in Rome (chapter 16), a few scholars have suggested that his lengthy introduction may be attributed to his limited connection with the Roman church and the need to establish his apostolic credentials. While it is true that Paul seeks to establish his authority as an apostle to the Gentiles, it is clear also that he does so in order to focus on the theme of his message, namely, the importance of adhering to a pure gospel that will evoke obedience that comes from faith. Thus, it is not surprising that he was delighted to have heard of the wonderful things that had happened as a consequence of the Word of God having taken root in the capital city. As we have already seen, Paul assumes responsibility for the work of the gospel in the Gentile church.
PRAYER FOR THE ROMAN CHURCH (Romans 1.8-10)
Paul praises the believers for their genuine faith that has had a wonderful effect all over the Empire. That this is so is not surprising, when one considers the political and economic influence of Rome as capital of the vast Roman Empire. During the first century, Rome was the hub of Western civilization. Thus, it is easy to imagine how this fledgling church, strategically located at the crossroads of western civilization, might have had an impact out of proportion to its size. Indeed, Paul’s reference to the many people he knows in the church is illustrative of how “all roads lead to Rome.” If Aquila and Priscilla were representative of the caliber of believers in Rome, and Paul praises the work of many of the believers there, it is easy to understand the far-reaching effect the church would have on its culture. Though Paul commends the church for its testimony of faith in Jesus Christ, we are reminded that the life-changing power of the good news is not rooted in the size or commercial influence of the church, but in its exercise of faith. The church has never prospered because it has received the imprimatur of public favor, but because it humbly submits to the rule of Christ. A church living in faith dependence on Christ is a lighting rod for God’s Spirit.
One cannot read far in Paul’s epistles before coming across a reference to his prayer life. Paul’s letters are frequently punctuated with thanksgiving and prayer; for example, Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5.16-17; cp. 1.2-3, Ephesians 3.14-19; Philippians 1.9-10; Colossians 1.9). Paul’s message was bathed in prayer: the needs of the church were the subject of his prayers, his friends were its beneficiaries, and the glory of God was his objective. It is for the glory of Christ that Paul was called to be an apostle and it was for Christ’s glory that Paul prays for the church. There was nothing that Paul excluded from his prayer life. He brought everything under subjection to the Spirit and he encouraged believers to do the same: Therefore, I urge you, believers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12.1, 2; cp. 2 Corinthians 6.17 – 7.1; Philippians 3.17). The believers at Rome who knew Paul could attest to the genuineness of his faith; he was a paragon of devotion to Christ. Indeed, he exhorts Timothy, You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings – what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3.10-15).
A SPIRITUAL HARVEST (Romans 1.11-15)
Paul prays for the believers at Rome and he prays for himself that God might permit him to visit them. He desires that they might be strong in the Lord, living an obedient life derived from their faith in Christ. He hopes to facilitate their faith by imparting to them some spiritual gift (v. 11). More than that, he hopes to reap a harvest from among them (v. 13) by the preaching of the gospel (v. 15). Although Paul had not founded the church, he subtly reminds them that he is an apostle to the Gentiles and that they would profit from his ministry. What spiritual gift or gifts he has in mind for them he does not say. Perhaps he was thinking of the general gift of the Spirit. He refers to this giftedness in Romans 12.3-6, For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us (cp. 1 Corinthians 12). Whatever the case, Paul explains his comment by saying that his visit will be a means of mutual encouragement. Schreiner comments, “The means of this mutual encouragement is ‘through the faith in one another, both yours and mine.’ … What inspires and fortifies other believers is when they perceive faith in other Christians. Seeing other believers trust God in the course of everyday life reminds us that God is indeed faithful and encourages us to trust him as well” (Thomas Schreiner, Romans, BECNT, p. 52).
God’s sovereignty is evident in everything; even in hindering Paul from doing that which seems to be in keeping with his call as an apostle to the Gentiles, namely, traveling to the capital of the Roman Empire. However, had Paul made it to Rome, as he so often planned to do, I do not suppose that we should have the letter to the Romans. He rightly understood the strategic importance of further establishing a church in Rome. There was no other city to rival it in political and economic importance. The importance of having a thriving church at the heart of the Roman Empire cannot be over stated. Yet, for all Paul’s good intentions to visit Rome, he had been thwarted on every occasion. And what was the result of his hindrance – nothing less than the fulfillment of Paul’s compulsion to write the church with a detailed outline of the gospel. It is often the case that God’s purposes are best discerned from the vantage point of history. What at the time appeared to be a frustrating derailment of Paul’s good intentions was better served by God’s larger plan for the church.
Paul will arrive in Rome in due course, though not in a manner he envisioned. And his captivity in Rome will prove to be a means for propagating the gospel among Caesar’s praetorian guard (Philippians 1.12-13). His desire to preach the gospel in Rome will be accomplished from prison and the harvest of his apostolic labor will come from quarters that, outside of the intervention of a sovereign God, would have been closed to him (cp. Philippians 1.22, If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me). It is easy to imagine that Paul has in mind both an increase to the church through evangelism as well as strengthening of the church. Schreiner is once again helpful:
"One of the difficulties with Paul longing to preach the gospel in Rome is resolved when we realize that preaching the gospel for Paul involved more than initial conversion. … His goal as an apostle was to bring about the obedience of faith among the Gentiles (Rom. 1:5; 16:26). The obedience of faith, which was 1:1-7 shows is part and parcel of the gospel, cannot be limited to the initial decision to join the Christian community. Paul often insists that perseverance to the end is necessary for salvation (e.g., Rom. 8:13; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 15:1-2; Gal. 5:21; 6:8-9; Col. 1:21-23). He did not believe that his work as an apostle was accomplished unless the churches were established and persevered. Thus, after planting the Thessalonian church, he sent Timothy to discern whether his work was in vain, for if the Thessalonians abandoned the faith, then his apostolic work was useless (1 Thess. 3:1-10). It is likely, therefore, that “preaching the gospel” (euangelizein) and “gospel” (euangelion) in Paul cannot be confined to the initial proclamation of the message. The gospel includes every aspect of Christian existence, for Phil. 1:27 calls on believers “to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Paul’s intention in Rome was not merely to win converts but to strengthen and edify those who were already believers in Rome." (Schreiner, p. 53)
Strengthening the church, winning additional converts and pressing on to Spain, were Paul’s goals as an apostolic emissary to Rome. While the church in Rome was already established when Paul wrote, it was by no means a finished product. There was much more yet to be accomplished. Certainly, the gospel had not permeated all of Rome; the great majority of the Roman populace was unconverted, and the believers had not yet benefited from the apostolic teaching of Paul. While he claims not to be desirous of building upon another man’s work (Romans 15.20), this does not mitigate against his preaching the gospel while at Rome. Indeed, he is compelled to preach the gospel; he could no more be silent about the gospel than the sun could refuse to shine, Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9.16).
PAUL'S TARGET AUDIENCE
Paul says, I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. To whom is Paul referring when he mentions the Greeks and barbarians, the wise and the foolish? C. E. B. Cranfield suggests as many as five possible pairings; Douglas Moo proposes that, minimally, the first pairing of Greeks and barbarians is a reference to all Gentile humanity. This seems reasonable, considering that the word for barbarian is an onomatopoeic word (it sounds like what it means), intended to mock the coarse language of foreigners (cp. Douglas Moo, Romans, NICNT, p. 61). The reference to the wise and the foolish may simply be an expansion on the Greeks (who thought themselves wise) and the barbarians (considered foolish by the Greeks). In any case, Paul has a gospel message for all people, and he is eager to expand his field of ministry so that the church, obedient in its faith, may bring glory to Christ. Paul is captive by Christ to the gospel, and he intends to glorify Christ’s name by laying at his feet the nations of the world.
PRAYER FOR THE ROMAN CHURCH (Romans 1.8-10)
Paul praises the believers for their genuine faith that has had a wonderful effect all over the Empire. That this is so is not surprising, when one considers the political and economic influence of Rome as capital of the vast Roman Empire. During the first century, Rome was the hub of Western civilization. Thus, it is easy to imagine how this fledgling church, strategically located at the crossroads of western civilization, might have had an impact out of proportion to its size. Indeed, Paul’s reference to the many people he knows in the church is illustrative of how “all roads lead to Rome.” If Aquila and Priscilla were representative of the caliber of believers in Rome, and Paul praises the work of many of the believers there, it is easy to understand the far-reaching effect the church would have on its culture. Though Paul commends the church for its testimony of faith in Jesus Christ, we are reminded that the life-changing power of the good news is not rooted in the size or commercial influence of the church, but in its exercise of faith. The church has never prospered because it has received the imprimatur of public favor, but because it humbly submits to the rule of Christ. A church living in faith dependence on Christ is a lighting rod for God’s Spirit.
One cannot read far in Paul’s epistles before coming across a reference to his prayer life. Paul’s letters are frequently punctuated with thanksgiving and prayer; for example, Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5.16-17; cp. 1.2-3, Ephesians 3.14-19; Philippians 1.9-10; Colossians 1.9). Paul’s message was bathed in prayer: the needs of the church were the subject of his prayers, his friends were its beneficiaries, and the glory of God was his objective. It is for the glory of Christ that Paul was called to be an apostle and it was for Christ’s glory that Paul prays for the church. There was nothing that Paul excluded from his prayer life. He brought everything under subjection to the Spirit and he encouraged believers to do the same: Therefore, I urge you, believers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12.1, 2; cp. 2 Corinthians 6.17 – 7.1; Philippians 3.17). The believers at Rome who knew Paul could attest to the genuineness of his faith; he was a paragon of devotion to Christ. Indeed, he exhorts Timothy, You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings – what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3.10-15).
A SPIRITUAL HARVEST (Romans 1.11-15)
Paul prays for the believers at Rome and he prays for himself that God might permit him to visit them. He desires that they might be strong in the Lord, living an obedient life derived from their faith in Christ. He hopes to facilitate their faith by imparting to them some spiritual gift (v. 11). More than that, he hopes to reap a harvest from among them (v. 13) by the preaching of the gospel (v. 15). Although Paul had not founded the church, he subtly reminds them that he is an apostle to the Gentiles and that they would profit from his ministry. What spiritual gift or gifts he has in mind for them he does not say. Perhaps he was thinking of the general gift of the Spirit. He refers to this giftedness in Romans 12.3-6, For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us (cp. 1 Corinthians 12). Whatever the case, Paul explains his comment by saying that his visit will be a means of mutual encouragement. Schreiner comments, “The means of this mutual encouragement is ‘through the faith in one another, both yours and mine.’ … What inspires and fortifies other believers is when they perceive faith in other Christians. Seeing other believers trust God in the course of everyday life reminds us that God is indeed faithful and encourages us to trust him as well” (Thomas Schreiner, Romans, BECNT, p. 52).
God’s sovereignty is evident in everything; even in hindering Paul from doing that which seems to be in keeping with his call as an apostle to the Gentiles, namely, traveling to the capital of the Roman Empire. However, had Paul made it to Rome, as he so often planned to do, I do not suppose that we should have the letter to the Romans. He rightly understood the strategic importance of further establishing a church in Rome. There was no other city to rival it in political and economic importance. The importance of having a thriving church at the heart of the Roman Empire cannot be over stated. Yet, for all Paul’s good intentions to visit Rome, he had been thwarted on every occasion. And what was the result of his hindrance – nothing less than the fulfillment of Paul’s compulsion to write the church with a detailed outline of the gospel. It is often the case that God’s purposes are best discerned from the vantage point of history. What at the time appeared to be a frustrating derailment of Paul’s good intentions was better served by God’s larger plan for the church.
Paul will arrive in Rome in due course, though not in a manner he envisioned. And his captivity in Rome will prove to be a means for propagating the gospel among Caesar’s praetorian guard (Philippians 1.12-13). His desire to preach the gospel in Rome will be accomplished from prison and the harvest of his apostolic labor will come from quarters that, outside of the intervention of a sovereign God, would have been closed to him (cp. Philippians 1.22, If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me). It is easy to imagine that Paul has in mind both an increase to the church through evangelism as well as strengthening of the church. Schreiner is once again helpful:
"One of the difficulties with Paul longing to preach the gospel in Rome is resolved when we realize that preaching the gospel for Paul involved more than initial conversion. … His goal as an apostle was to bring about the obedience of faith among the Gentiles (Rom. 1:5; 16:26). The obedience of faith, which was 1:1-7 shows is part and parcel of the gospel, cannot be limited to the initial decision to join the Christian community. Paul often insists that perseverance to the end is necessary for salvation (e.g., Rom. 8:13; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 15:1-2; Gal. 5:21; 6:8-9; Col. 1:21-23). He did not believe that his work as an apostle was accomplished unless the churches were established and persevered. Thus, after planting the Thessalonian church, he sent Timothy to discern whether his work was in vain, for if the Thessalonians abandoned the faith, then his apostolic work was useless (1 Thess. 3:1-10). It is likely, therefore, that “preaching the gospel” (euangelizein) and “gospel” (euangelion) in Paul cannot be confined to the initial proclamation of the message. The gospel includes every aspect of Christian existence, for Phil. 1:27 calls on believers “to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Paul’s intention in Rome was not merely to win converts but to strengthen and edify those who were already believers in Rome." (Schreiner, p. 53)
Strengthening the church, winning additional converts and pressing on to Spain, were Paul’s goals as an apostolic emissary to Rome. While the church in Rome was already established when Paul wrote, it was by no means a finished product. There was much more yet to be accomplished. Certainly, the gospel had not permeated all of Rome; the great majority of the Roman populace was unconverted, and the believers had not yet benefited from the apostolic teaching of Paul. While he claims not to be desirous of building upon another man’s work (Romans 15.20), this does not mitigate against his preaching the gospel while at Rome. Indeed, he is compelled to preach the gospel; he could no more be silent about the gospel than the sun could refuse to shine, Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9.16).
PAUL'S TARGET AUDIENCE
Paul says, I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. To whom is Paul referring when he mentions the Greeks and barbarians, the wise and the foolish? C. E. B. Cranfield suggests as many as five possible pairings; Douglas Moo proposes that, minimally, the first pairing of Greeks and barbarians is a reference to all Gentile humanity. This seems reasonable, considering that the word for barbarian is an onomatopoeic word (it sounds like what it means), intended to mock the coarse language of foreigners (cp. Douglas Moo, Romans, NICNT, p. 61). The reference to the wise and the foolish may simply be an expansion on the Greeks (who thought themselves wise) and the barbarians (considered foolish by the Greeks). In any case, Paul has a gospel message for all people, and he is eager to expand his field of ministry so that the church, obedient in its faith, may bring glory to Christ. Paul is captive by Christ to the gospel, and he intends to glorify Christ’s name by laying at his feet the nations of the world.