INTRODUCTION
Have you ever been misunderstood?
If you’ve been misunderstood, you should be able to relate to the apostle Paul as we turn to the closing paragraphs of his letter to the Roman Christians.
Paul seems to have anticipated some misunderstanding as he closes his letter to the Romans. He takes time to explain why he wrote to them and why he took what some might have thought was a rather bold approach to what he said.
In attempting to dissuade the Romans from misunderstanding his motives or his words, he takes a moment to assure them it isn’t because he felt they were incomplete without him, nor defective in some way. He then links his writing to his larger mission, one that in mighty and supernatural ways God had set his seal of approval on.
This passage is one of those rare occasions where Paul opens himself up to his readers. As we’ll see it is full of practical lessons for us today.
Preacher Paul’s Humble Heart
Paul credits the Roman church for being , 14
Paul began the letter to the Romans praising them.
Romans 1:8 (ESV)
There he praised their faith.
Paul closes his letter by praising them again.
This time he praises that they
Are full of .
Goodness: positive moral character, interest in the welfare of others, generous
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Are filled with
“All knowledge” – in the context in which Paul is writing. Not everything about everything, but everything that pertains to the gospel and its application tot their lives.
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Are able to one another.
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Paul explains his writing, 15-16
If they were knowledgeable and able to instruct each other, why did Paul write them?
He’d already suggested a reason he wanted to visit with them in the opening words of this letter:
Romans 1:11–12 (ESV)
Paul didn’t say that they needed him and his apostolic teaching. He was simply hoping to impart a spiritual gift to strengthen them and hoped they might encourage each other through their faith.
Paul explains why he spoke so boldly. It had to do with the he had to be a minister of Jesus to the Gentiles.
The word ‘minister’ is used almost exclusively in the NT as . Paul sees his work as priestly service. It involves presenting the Gentiles up to God.
His concern is that this offering would be to God. While he doesn’t say so directly, he implies that his bold writing has to do with his concern that his offering be acceptable to God.
While we may not know exactly what Paul was referring to whne he spoke of them being acceptable to God, he’s given us some hints.
First, a church that was marked with , , and an towards some believers would likely have not been the offering Paul wanted to make. This is the issue Paul dealt with in chapter 14 and the first part of chapter 15.
Second, a church that was made up of believers who were conformed rather than would likely not be the offering he’d like to make. He spoke of this in the opening of Chapter 12.
Third, a church with shallow or hypocritical demonstrations of , as he warned against in Chapter 12, would likely not be a church like he’d want to offer up to God.
If Paul’s service was to be acceptable to God his offering had to be acceptable. It had to be by the Holy Spirit. Believers who are carnal, worldly, unloving, judgmental, or divisive are not sanctified believers. Paul wrote to encourage the Roman Christians to eliminate any behaviors that were unsanctified and adopt ones that were.
Paul thus links his letter with his mission.
He was the apostle to the Gentiles, but as a priest he wanted his offering of them to be to God. That could only happen if they were a group of believers. His letter, with what some might have thought were bold words, was intended to help bring that about.
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Paul for anything he’s accomplished, 17-19
In words of genuine humility, Paul recognizes that God has used him in extraordinary ways, but he wants everyone to know that he can take for it. How different than what some preachers today want us to believe. If it weren’t for them where would the cause of Christ be?
Now Paul doesn’t say he isn’t proud of what has been accomplished. It was something to be proud of. But it was something he was proud not something he was proud .
It was accomplishing his work that Paul could look at with pride. Look what Jesus can do with such a poor, broken-down sinner like me. What a marvelous Savior.
Recall what Paul wrote in
1 Corinthians 15:9–10 (ESV)
Paul was always amazed that God let him do , much less all that he had been enabled to do. Christ had been working in and though the apostle of the Gentiles to fulfill his mission from the early days in Jerusalem until recently as he passed through Illyricum.
Paul shares his , 20-21
What was this driving ambition of Paul?
To preach the gospel? Yes.
But even more: to preach the gospel where it had been preached.
In this he saw his work helping fulfill what Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 52:15 (in the Greek translation).
This was Paul’s ambition. We might call it missions or missions to .
Of course, the gospel still needs to be preached where it has already been preached. Without a doubt Paul valued those whose work focused on those who had already heard, building them up and maturing them in the faith. He valued those who came behind him and led even more people to the Lord.
But Paul’s call, Paul’s mission, Paul’s ambition was to go where had ever heard the gospel and preach it to them.
CONCLUSION
Paul isn’t quite done with the body of his letter. He has a bit more to say about his mission, and what he hopes he is going to soon be able to do, but in these few verses Paul has opened up himself to these Roman believers, speaking of his motives, his ultimate desires, and his passion, while giving genuine and humble credit to God fo whatever they have heard he has accomplished for God.
What can we learn from this personal passage?
We should recognize and give thanks for good qualities.
We should view our Christian ministry as aiming at preparing an to offer up to God.
We should remain no matter how much God allow us to accomplish, and be sure to for whatever he does through us.
We should maintain our focus on what God has called us to do. Our ambition should be to the work God has given us.