Paul is now coming to the end of his letter to the Roman believers. As a good leader, he first tells them of their strengths:
“I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another” (Rom 15:14).
This is a simple, yet beautiful statement on living out perfect unity.
Paul then reminds the Jewish Roman believers to be the ministers of Jesus to the newly believing Gentiles, so that offerings of the Gentiles for their benefit may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit:
“But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15:15-16).
Very simply, what has God given you to do as you pray regularly with him?
Paul concludes:
“In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience – by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God – so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, ‘Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand’” (Rom 15:17-21; Isaiah 52:15).
Paul is proud of his work and explains why he has never been able to visit the Roman believers in person:
“This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ” (Rom 15:22-29).
Being blessed by Christ, Paul now appeals to the Romans to pray for his work, his safety, and his release to come and visit them:
“I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen” (Rom 15:30-33).
My work is the work of perfect unity driven by the high priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17. My goal is that every believer in the church will be heard and loved unconditionally such that we are all one body.
Although I am inferior to Paul in every way, I press on.
Please pray without ceasing for Streamside Unity and for me.