15:1 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the
weak, and not to please ourselves.
15:2 Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good,
to be building him up.
15:3 For even Christ didn't please himself. But, as it
is written,
"The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me."
(Ps 69:9)
15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for
our learning,
that through patience and through encouragement of the
Scriptures we might have hope.
15:5 Now the God of patience and of encouragement grant you
to be of the same mind one with another according
to Christ Jesus,
15:6 that with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15:7 Therefore receive one another, even as Christ also received
you, to the glory of God. {TR reads "us" instead of "you"}
15:8 Now I say that Christ has been made a minister of the
circumcision for the truth of God,
that he might confirm the promises given to the fathers,
15:9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it
is written,
"Therefore will I give praise to you among the Gentiles, And sing to your name." (Ps 18:49)
15:10 Again he says,
"Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people." (Deut
32:43)
15:11 Again,
"Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Let all the peoples
praise him." (Ps 117:11)
15:12 Again, Isaiah says,
"There will be the root of Jesse, He who arises to rule
over the Gentiles; On him will the Gentiles hope." (Isaiah 11:10)
15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing,
that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul's Example of Ministering as Christ Did
1. Preaching
15:14 I myself am also persuaded about you, my brothers,
that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge,
able also to admonish others.
15:15 But I write the more boldly to you in part, as reminding you,
because of the grace that was given to me by God,
15:16 that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,
ministering as a priest the gospel of God,
that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable,
sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
15:17 I have therefore my boasting in Christ Jesus in things
pertaining to God.
15:18 For I will not dare to speak of any things except those which
Christ worked through me,
for the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed,
15:19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God's
Spirit;
so that from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum
, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ;
15:20 yes, making it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build on
another's foundation.
15:21 But, as it is written,
"They will see, to whom no news of him came. They who haven't heard will understand." (Isaiah 52:15)
15:22 Therefore also I was hindered these many times from coming to
you,
2. Providing for Practical Needs
15:23 but now, no longer having any place in these regions,
and having these many years a longing to come to you,
15:24 whenever I journey to Spain, I will come to you.
For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way
there by you,
if first I may enjoy your company for a while.
15:25 But now, I say, I am going to Jerusalem, serving the saints.
15:26 For it has been the good pleasure of Macedonia and
Achaia
to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who
are at Jerusalem.
15:27 Yes, it has been their good pleasure, and they are their
debtors.
For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their
spiritual things,
they owe it to them also to serve them in fleshly things.
15:28 When therefore I have accomplished this, and have sealed to
them this fruit,
I will go on by way of you to Spain.
15:29 I know that, when I come to you, I will come in the
fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.
3. Praying
15:30 Now I beg you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the
love of the Spirit,
that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,
15:31 that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in
Judea,
and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be acceptable to
the saints;
15:32 that I may come to you in joy through the will of God, and
together with you, find rest.
15:33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Discussion Questions
vs 1 What are examples of weaknesses of others that we should
bear? vsv 7 Have you had trouble accepting or being accepted by
other Christians? vs 4 Have you found encouragement from the Bible?
What do we learn about Christ in this chapter?
How is evangelism linked to worshiping God in this chapter? vs 17-33 What was Paul's objective in sharing all this
personal information?
What is the difference between this and prideful boasting about
oneself?
What kinds of applications did he hope the Romans would derive from
it? vs 18,19 When was the last time you preached the gospel? vs 23 Can you say as Paul did that you have accomplished your
ministry in this region and it's time to move on? Do you have a
vision as to what your ministry is, and how you would measure
whether it's been accomplished? vs 31 What can you do to help insure that your Christian
service will be acceptable to the other Christians? vs 32 What kinds of people do you feel "refreshed" around?
Comments
Bear the Weakness of Others
Rom 15:1-2 We who are
strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to
please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his
good, to build him up.
"failings" the NKJV more accurately translates "scruples", as I have
often referred to it elsewhere. But while we've been primarily
applying this principle within the Church, in fact Paul applied this
principle more universally, and so he teaches, "Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews,
Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in
every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many,
so that they may be saved."1Cor 10:32,33
In contrast are the religiously elite of whom Jesus said, "And you experts in the law, woe to
you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly
carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them."Lk 11:46 Are you hard on
others and easy on yourself? Do you burden others with
responsibility while not lifting a finger to help them? Do you
rebuke others for sin while doing nothing to restore them? "Bear
with
each
other
and
forgive
whatever
grievances
you
may
have
against
one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Col 3:13 "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you
will fulfill the law of Christ."Gal 6:2
Scripture Invokes Endurance and Encouragement
Rom 15:3-4 For even Christ did not please
himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult
you have fallen on me."
(Ps 69:9) For everything that was written in
the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and
the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
"All Scripture is God-breathed
and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work."2Tim
3:16,17 The Old Testament has relevance to the Christian
life, though one must be careful how one interprets and applies the
scriptures. For example twice Paul quotes Deut 25:4"Do
not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.",
applying it to the Christian life as also he does a number of
historical events applying them allegorically to the Christian life.
In particular notice this quote from Ps 69. While Paul applies this
as a messianic prophecy speaking of Christ, in fact as is the case
with many such prophecies from the book of Psalms, the larger
context is speaking of a sinner, namely King David. For example Ps 69:5 "You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not
hidden from you." But in the middle of his prayer he will
speak prophetically as if the Lord Jesus were speaking, "For I endure scorn for your sake,
and shame covers my face. I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien
to my own mother’s sons; for zeal for your house consumes me, and
the insults of those who insult you fall on me." Ps 69:7-9
And what is Christ's
experience often turns out to be the Christian experience as well.
And when you suffer for Christ and for the zeal for his Church, don't
expect to find a sympathetic ear. For the Psalmist goes on, "I
looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; And for
comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food, And
for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." Ps 69:20,21 That is also what Christ suffered, and what you may suffer when you follow him.
"Now I commit you to God and to
the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an
inheritance among all those who are sanctified." Acts 20:32
A Spirit of Unity
Rom 15:5,6 May the God who gives endurance and
encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you
follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a typical example of Paul's prayers found in his letters, of
which we can apply directly by emulating. And as is typical of most
his prayers, the subject matter is not material but spiritual, being
primarily about attitudes. For our concerns should not be primarily
about circumstances but about attitudes, just as we find also
concerning commands to Christians in the New Testament letters to
the churches, which are primarily not about regulations but about
attitudes.
While God's gifts are often dependent upon our cooperation, these
are things which we do not generate in ourselves. God gives
endurance. God gives encouragement. Paul had personal experience
with this. "God, who comforts
the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus"2Cor 7:6 God also gives a spirit
of unity. One of Jesus' last prayers was, "May they be brought to complete unity to let
the world know that you sent me"John 17:23b The spirit of unity is to reckon all
believers brethren and of equal value. In contrast is denominational
unity which divides Christians based upon denominational
affiliation, characteristic of much of the history of Christianity.
Denominationalism suppresses Christians from exercising their
spiritual gifts, keeping them gagged, immature, feeding them chaff,
which accounts for much of the history of Christianity. But the
unity Jesus and Paul speak of can only be achieved with the maturity
gained through the Word and through the exercise of one's spiritual
gifts in service to Christ with a perspective on the value of the
members of the body as interdependent.
For "It was he who gave some to
be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some
to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of
service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all
reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God
and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness
of Christ." Eph 4:11-13
Therefore "Make every effort to
keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Eph 4:2,3
Discard Your Prejudices
Rom 15:7-12Accept one another, then, just as
Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell
you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of
God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so
that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written:
"Therefore I will praise you among the
Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name." (Ps 18:49)
Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his
people." (Deut 32:43)
And again, "Praise the Lord, all you
Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."(Ps 117:11)
And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring
up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles
will hope in him."(Isaiah 11:10)
As I mentioned in previous chapters, the primary division at the
time was the a division between Jewish and Gentile Christians, the
unity of which is a major theme throughout Paul's letters. Here Paul
quotes abundantly from the Old Testament to impress this truth upon
Jewish Christians that this concept has always been God's intention.
Joy, Peace, Hope
Rom 15:13May the God of hope fill you with
all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow
with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Yet another example of Paul's prayer which we can emulate. And again
note the spiritual content, just as previously he prayed for unity,
so also he prays that God may impart joy and peace. But notice the
dependency. What he ultimately intends is for them to experience
overflowing hope. To this end he prays for peace and joy. If a
person lacks a sense of peace with God and joy in their salvation,
this affects their hope. And notice also the phrase "as you trust in him"
indicates cooperation on our part is involved in attaining peace,
joy and hope.
Now in particular, hope is
a feeling of an anticipation of the good things of which we believe
will occur. The hope of which he speaks is our anticipation of going
to heaven, having attained peace with God through the blood of
Christ to our joy. If you knew you were guaranteed eternal life in
peace with God being confident in that faith, wouldn't your hope be
expressed in joy? Well, that is the fact.
"May our Lord Jesus Christ
himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us
eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and
strengthen you in every good deed and word."2Th 2:16,17
Attributes to Attain
Rom 15:14I myself am convinced, my brothers,
that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge
and competent to instruct one another.
This would have been encouraging to hear. And in fact throughout
Paul's letters he not only teaches doctrine and application, but
also he speaks of his evaluation of those he's instructing. Those
who do so should learn to criticize weaknesses, but also affirm
strengths as Paul does. What were the the strengths of the church at
Rome, or at least those strengths Paul pointed out? That their
intentions were good, and they were full of knowledge. (The word
"complete" is inaccurate.) And they had competence to teach one
another.
Interesting that the last two were among the first attributes Peter
mentioned in 2Peter chapter 1 saying, "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your
faith goodness;
and to goodness,
knowledge; and to
knowledge,
self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to
perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and
to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in
increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and
unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."2Peter 1:5-8
If you have good intentions and right information, you need to take
action with self-control. And having taken action to persevere in
such, and so forth. Don't just stop with good intentions and
knowledge. And this is important today concerning the study of
Romans. For many study it like arm-chair theologians, looking only
for things of which they may argue about rather than apply. But at
the same time, if you haven't yet attained knowledge and the ability
to teach, why not? Some were told, "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you
need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all
over again. You need milk, not solid food!"Heb 5:12 But Romans was not
written primarily to the immature, but to the mature. Consequently
the spiritually immature who study it today often end up confused.
Dare to Speak
Rom 15:15,16 I have written you quite
boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because
of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the
Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God,
so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God,
sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
The root word for "boldly" means "dare". There are some points of
which we must dare to speak on for the edification of the body. What
points may Paul have been alluding to here? Given that he goes on to
speak of the Gentiles in particular it may have been his emphasis
throughout Romans of Jewish Christians having the same status as
Gentile Christians, which was controversial at the time, but
significantly impacted how the gospel was delivered and received.
There are many controversial subjects today, but pick your fights.
Emphasize those which have the most significant impact, the most
relevant. And also consider them categorically, whether they be a
matter of doctrine and/or practice.
As for the rest, he speaks of priesthood, sacrifice and
sanctification. For Peter also writes, "you
also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God through Jesus Christ."1Pet 2:5 And as Paul said
previously, "Therefore, I urge
you, brothers, 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." Rom 12:1
Sanctification is the
process of becoming Christlike. It affects a person's attitude and
behavior and consequently their lifestyle. Thus Paul said to the
Corinthians, "Do you not know
that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?"1Cor 6:9a and goes on to list
categories of wicked people. But then says, "And that is what some of you were. But you were
washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1Cor 6:11 For we "have been chosen according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of
the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his
blood"1Peter 1:2
Serve Christ Enthusiastically
Rom 15:17-19Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus
in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything
except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the
Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of
signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from
Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed
the gospel of Christ.
In contrast to those who serve reluctantly and begudgingly, Paul
served God enthusiastically. So also let us serve God
enthusiastically. Take joy in your service to God. And "whatever you do, work at it with
all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you
know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a
reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Col 3:23,24
Paul's primary service was the preaching of the gospel to Gentiles -
the culturally distant. But much as the gospel is about salvation
being a free gift given graciously and received by faith, the faith
that saves is the faith that obeys, as he had said from the
beginning of Romans, "Through
him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to
call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that
comes from faith."Rom
1:5 Not
that obedience is a condition for salvation, but rather obedience is
the outworking of genuine faith. And thus obedience is indicative of
those who have been saved by faith.
Now Paul also speaks of signs and miracles. These validated his
claims of being an apostle of Christ, as he said also to the
Corinthians, "Truly the signs
of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance,
in signs and wonders and mighty deeds." 2Cor 12:12 They validated his
claims just as Jesus miracles validated his claims, a fact which
Peter utilized in his first sermon. "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man
accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God
did among you through him, as you yourselves know."Acts 2:22 And for this reason
whenever the gospel is preached in the Bible, the resurrection of
Christ is always mentioned as forensic evidence validating the
claims of the gospel. "God has
set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he
has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising
him from the dead."Acts
17:31
Illyricum is on the west side of Greece. So Paul had spread the
gospel from Jerusalem to Galatia and crossed the Aegean sea to
Greece all the way to western Greece. So he has yet to enter Rome
itself, which he will end up doing in a rather round about way be
getting arrested back in Jerusalem and sent to Rome for trial.
A Calling to the Unchurched
Rom 15:20-22It has always been my ambition to
preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not
be building on someone else’s foundation. Rather, as it is
written: "Those who were not
told about him will see, and those who have not heard will
understand." (Isaiah 52:15) This is why I have often been
hindered from coming to you.
While it is not the case with all Christians, as the Spirit has
distributed a diversity of gifts and ministries among the body of
Christ, Paul's particular calling was to establish the foundation
wherever he went, not building on someone else's foundation. "By the grace God has given me, I
laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is
building on it."1Cor
3:10a Notice
that he's not so possessive, not so covetous of those he established
in the faith that he would not allow anyone to build on the ministry
he's established. Quite the contrary. He wanted people to take over
the ministry after he's laid the foundation.
Thus he said of the Corinthian church, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it
grow."1Cor 3:6 and also "we do not want to boast about work
already done in another man’s territory."2Cor 10:16b Avoid taking credit
for other people's work. Jesus said to his disciples, "I sent you to reap what you have
not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have
reaped the benefits of their labor." John 4:38
As for his reference to Isaiah 52:15, notice the context of Isaiah
52:13-15.
"See, my servant will act wisely; he will
be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were
many who were appalled at him—his appearance was so disfigured
beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human
likeness— so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut
their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they
will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand."
This would seem to be speaking of the Messiah, yet Paul applies it
to himself. Afterall, we are ambassadors for Christ (2Cor 5:20) who
also lives in us, as Paul says,"I have been crucified with
Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and
the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son
of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."Gal 2:20 Be Mission Minded
Rom 15:23,24 But
now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions,
and since I have been longing for many years to see you, I
plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while
passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there,
after I have enjoyed your company for a while.
As Paul's particular calling was to preach to those who
hadn't heard the gospel, establishing churches in untouched regions,
and as others had already established the church at Rome, he planned
only to pass through and visit on his way to another untouched
region, namely Spain.
Paul was "mission minded" more than just outreached oriented. For he
measured the progress of his mission in fulfilling objectives. And
so his comment that there was "no
more place for me to work in these regions.", indicates the
gospel had been sufficiently preached to such that he had to seek
new territory to fulfill his mission. Likewise Jesus was mission
minded, objective oriented. For note his prayer in John 17 where he
categorizes his accomplishments in bullet points.
At the end of our lives we should be able to say as Jesus did in John 17:
vs 4 I glorified you on the earth vs 4 I have accomplished the work which
you have given me to do. vs 6 I revealed your name to the people
whom you have given me out of the world. vs 9 I pray for them. vs 12 I protected them and kept them safe vs 14 I have given them your word vs 18 I have sent them into the world vs 22 I have given them the glory
that you gave me vs 26 I have made known to them your name
As for assistance, Paul tried to avoid financial dependency upon
other, as he also instructed the Ephesian elders inActs 20:33-35. But work is not always easily
obtainable for those on the move. Jesus commends hospitality towards
such people, "Anyone who
receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a
prophet‘s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because
he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward."Mt 10:41
Contribute to the Poor
Rom 15:25-27 Now, however, I am on my way to
Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. For Macedonia and
Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the
saints in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they
owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’
spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them
their material blessings.
His trip to Jerusalem is fairly well documented as he had to stand
trial and testify of it before governor Felix in Acts 24 when he
said, "After an absence of
several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for
the poor and to present offerings."Acts 24:17 For he had been
arrested on false charges after a crowd hostile Jews were aroused
against him, primarily because of his love for Gentiles. But despite
his coming to Jerusalem in service to the poor, the saying is often
true, "no good deed goes unpunished" when it comes to dealing with
unbelievers.
The poor were often on his mind. I previously mentioned his advice
to the Ephesian elders - one of the things he told them in
relinquishing their right to get paid for ministry was, "In everything I did, I showed you
that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering
the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give
than to receive.’"Acts
20:35 and likewise when he met the apostles previously in
Jerusalem back in Acts 15 "They
agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.
All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor,
the very thing I was eager to do."Gal 2:9b-10 "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do
good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family
of believers." Gal 6:10
And concerning material reward in return for spiritual work Paul
also writes concerning himself, "If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if
we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of
support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did
not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything
rather than hinder the gospel of Christ." 1Cor 9:11,12
Plan Fellowship
Rom 15:28,29So after I have completed this task
and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go
to Spain and visit you on the way. I know that when I come to you,
I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.
Indeed what Paul said came to pass, but not necessarily in the
manner that he expected. But as all things work together for the
good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose,
so also was Paul's perspective concerning his arrest. He says to the
Philippians, "Now I want you
to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served
to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout
the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains
for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord
have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously
and fearlessly."Php
1:12-14 And so it also benefitted us today as the Lord
provided Paul time and circumstances to write a number of New
Testament letters. The book of Acts ends with Paul under house
arrest. "Then Paul dwelt two
whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to
him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which
concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one
forbidding him."Acts
28:30,31 In fact the Christians in Rome were likely very
glad that Paul was under house arrested. For he had only planned on
passing through, but instead they enjoyed the fellowship for a
couple of years at least.
While it's good to make plans, sometimes things go "wrong" when God
has made better plans.
Pray for Ministries
Rom 15:30 I urge you, brothers, by our
Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my
struggle by praying to God for me.
God has so ordained it that prayer matters, but it requires
cooperation on our part. It is a service to urge the saints to pray,
as Paul does here. Often we don't pray if we are not urged to do so.
Thus Paul elsewhere says, "I urge, then,
first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for everyone" 1Tim 2:1
Ideally we would pray out of the love imparted for others imparted
to us by the Holy Spirit. But it is a struggle to pray insomuch as
it is a struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. In Col 4:12
Ephaphras is described as "always wrestling
in prayer for you." Before his trial Jesus is described as
"being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly,
and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground."
Luke 22:44
One of the main things Paul was concerned about was boldness in the
presentation of the gospel.
Prayer SeriesEph 6:18-20 praying always with all
prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end
with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—— and
for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my
mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which
I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as
I ought to speak.
Pray for Deliverance from Hostile People
Rom 15:31-33Pray that I may be rescued from the
unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be
acceptable to the saints there, so that by God’s will I may come
to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. The God of
peace be with you all. Amen.
The Jews in Jerusalem, both unbelievers and believers were
generally hostile to Paul, which is the basis of his prayer. For
when he arrived in Jerusalem to delivered the donation he had
collected from the Gentile churches, the elders there, including
James told him, "You see,
brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of
them are zealous for the law. They have been informed
that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn
away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or
live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will
certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There
are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in
their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can
have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no
truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living
in obedience to the law."
Acts 21:20-24 It seems in the church age that the greatest
hostility and persecution Christians suffer comes not from outside
the church but from inside the church, where denominational
prejudices override faith in Christ. In Paul case it seems no good
deed goes unpunished with regards to his attempt to love his
brethren in Jerusalem.
In this case Paul tried to live in peace, being all things to all
men by taking part in a Jewish ceremony, but was slandered in the
process and the great hatred the Jews had for him was unleashed in a
riot trying to kill him. Funny that James, Peter and John had been
ministering in the church there for years and yet the crowds did not
treat them as they did Paul, for they avoided the Gentiles, refusing
to minister to them, catering to the prejudices of the Jews around
them. If you're not experiencing persecution, could it be because
you're unnecessarily avoiding it? Are you avoiding telling things
which people need to hear but which will make you unpopular? You're
not alone, Peter, James, and John in their early years did the same.
God will assign others to doing that which you've neglected out of
fear of hardship.
As for Paul, the Gentiles - the Roman guards in particular - saved
him from the mob. He was imprisoned and as a result was given
opportunity to testify of the gospel to kings as Jesus foretold, "This man is my chosen instrument
to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before
the people of Israel." Acts
9:15 And he got a free boat ride to Rome where he
ministered for a number of years, much to the delight of the
Christians there. For "we know
that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose."Rom 8:28