Paul, after laying down his
credentials and greetings to the believers in Rome, continues his introductory
portion of his letter by expressing his longing to visit the Roman church.
Romans 1:8-16:
Introduction, continues
Paul thanks God through Jesus Christ
for the Roman church, because he has heard of their faith, which has been
reported all over the world. The world here refers to all the churches
established in and around the Roman Empire.
As a witness to this act of his
thanksgiving, Paul invokes God, whom he says he serves with his whole heart by
preaching the Gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ. Paul remembers the Roman church
constantly in his prayers. This shows Paul’s pride in the Roman church and his
concern and responsibility to lift them up in his prayers to the throne of the
Lord.
Paul desires to visit the Roman
church, and hopes that by God’s will, the way will be opened for him to come to
see them. It is not his plan but he depends on His plan. Paul, does come to
Rome, but not as a free citizen. He comes as a prisoner in chains, but stays in
his own rented house and preaches the Word without any hindrance. Acts 28:14,16,31.
Yes, God does answer our prayers, but
in His own way. When the answer comes, it may not come in the way we had
expected, but God’s wisdom is better than ours and as He knows in His
omnipotence the time and the answer to our prayers it will always be good for
us.
Further, Paul says, he longs to see
the Roman believers, because he is anxious to impart some spiritual gifts to
make them strong. Paul has enlisted the spiritual gifts in Romans 12:6-8
and 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. It was his desire to impart some of these gifts
to the Roman believers so that the church can be edified.
The purpose of the spiritual gifts
given to us by the Holy Spirit is not for our own satisfaction or elevation,
but the edification of the church. Ephesian 4:11-13.
However, Paul has got other ideas too.
He would like this visit to be of some mutual benefit to both the Roman’s
church and himself. Many times, he has planned for a visit to Rome, but it did
not materialise. Paul is hoping to get a rich harvest in the Roman church, just
as he had had among the Gentiles.
Paul might have wanted to get a
footing in Roman church, situated in the capitol of the Roman Empire and thus
influential. That would enhance his credibility, especially as he was under
attack from some leaders that he was not an apostle.
His other plans include opening the
way to preach the Gospel in the west, and for this reason to visit Spain. He
could do this comfortably from Rome. With these plans in his mind, Paul still
wants his visit to be one of mutually beneficial for the Roman church and
himself.
His mission, Paul says, is to preach
the Gospel to both Greeks and non-Greeks, the wise and the foolish. The Greeks
considered themselves as cultured and disdainfully looked down upon those who
did not speak the Greek language as barbarians.
The wise and the foolish, again will
mean the educated and the uneducated. Anyone who was not educated in the Greek
language, letters and fashions were considered uneducated and foolish. At this
time, Greek was the lingua franca of the Roman court and the then Roman world. But
Paul himself will serve both the Greeks and the non-Greeks.
Galatians 3:28, mentions that there is neither Jew
or Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for all are one in Christ Jesus.
Paul reiterates this concept in Colossians 3:11, by saying there is no
Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free,
but Christ is all and is in all.
So, Paul is eager to preach the
Gospel to those at Rome, because being in the capitol, the Roman church had a
good measure of Gentiles as well as Jews. In this context, Paul declares that
he is not ashamed of preaching this Gospel, because it is the power of God to
save the souls of everyone who believes in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
The Gospel went first to the Jews and
then to the Gentiles. It was first preached to the Jews because Jesus was a Jew
and his Apostles were all Jewish, and geographically the message went first to
the Jews. Jews in any case had a priority in receiving God’s saving message, as
God’s chosen people.
While sending his disciples two by
two to preach the message of salvation, Jesus told them to first go to the
‘lost sheep of Israel.’ Matthew 10:6. Israel was the chosen race by God
to bear His light to the world. That they failed in that mission is a different
issue.
After the coming of the Messiah, the
message of God’s salvation went to everyone, throughout the world, keeping in
God’s promise to bring His blessings to all the people of the world through
Abraham. Genesis 12:3. Jesus, after his resurrection, commanded his
disciples to go to all the world and make disciples. Matthew 28:19-20.
Thus, God’s salvation came to all
people on earth, both the Jews and the Gentiles, through Jesus Christ, of which
Paul received the commission to preach.
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