Reading through Romans

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening sentence

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory. You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.
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A reading from Romans: Romans 16:3-16 (NLT)

aquila-and-priscilla 1 — Priscilla and Aquila

Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. Also give my greetings to the church that meets in their home.

Greet my dear friend Epenetus. He was the first person from the province of Asia to become a follower of Christ. Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for your benefit. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews, who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles and became followers of Christ before I did. Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.

Greet Apelles, a good man whom Christ approves. And give my greetings to the believers from the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet the Lord’s people from the household of Narcissus. Give my greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, the Lord’s workers, and to dear Persis, who has worked so hard for the Lord. Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has been a mother to me.

Give my greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who meet with them. Give my greetings to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and to Olympas and all the believers who meet with them. Greet each other with a sacred kiss. All the churches of Christ send you their greetings.
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Reflection: Romans 16:3-16 (John Stott, The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World)

Conclusion: The providence of God in the ministry of Paul (Romans 15:14–16:27)

Paul takes the Roman church into his confidence about the salient characteristics of his ministry… giving us insight into the outworking of God’s providence in his life and work.

His commendation and greetings (Romans 16:1–16)

‘I think’, wrote Chrysostom, ‘that many even of those who have the appearance of being extremely good men, hasten over this part of the epistle as superfluous …Yet’, he went on, ‘the gold founders’ people are careful even about the little fragments …it is possible even from bare names to find a great treasure.’

2. Many greetings (3-16)
Paul sends greetings to twenty -six individuals, twenty-four of whom he names, adding in most cases an appreciative personal reference…. Reflecting on the names and circumstances of the people Paul greets, one is particularly impressed by the unity and diversity of the church to which they belonged.

a. The diversity of the church

The most interesting and instructive aspect of church diversity in Rome is that of gender. Nine out of the twenty-six persons greeted are women…. Paul evidently thinks highly of them all.

The prominent place occupied by women in Paul’s entourage shows that he was not at all the male chauvinist of popular fantasy.

b. The unity of the church

Alongside the Roman church’s diversity in race, rank and sex, it experienced a profound unity which transcended its differences.

The toleration of ethnic division in the Roman house churches would be entirely incompatible with Paul’s sustained argument in chapters 14 –15, and with its climax…. Such an arrangement would contradict the church’s unity in diversity.

Heterogeneity is of the essence of the church, since it is the one and only community in the world in which Christ has broken down all dividing walls.
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Paul concludes his list of individual greetings with two universals.

The first is that, although only a few of them have been greeted by name, they must all greet one another with a holy kiss… a visible and tangible gesture, although what form the ‘kiss’ should take will vary according to culture…. Paul’s second universal follows: all the churches of Christ send greetings… writing representitavely.
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“One Bread, One Body”

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Canticle

Christ, as a light illumine and guide me. Christ, as a shield overshadow me. Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me on my left and my right. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Morning Prayer: 28 September – Romans 16:1-2 ~ welcome Phoebe

Reading through Romans

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening sentence

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory. You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.
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A reading from Romans: Romans 16:1-2 (NLT)

Phoebe (1st century) was a deaconess of the Church at Cenchreae, the port of Corinth.

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me.
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Reflection: Romans 16:1-2 (John Stott, The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World)

Conclusion: The providence of God in the ministry of Paul (Romans 15:14–16:27)

Paul takes the Roman church into his confidence about the salient characteristics of his ministry… giving us insight into the outworking of God’s providence in his life and work.

His commendation and greetings (Romans 16:1–16)

1. A commendation (1–2)

It seems very likely that Phoebe was entrusted with the responsible task of carrying Paul’s letter to its destination in Rome, although other business was apparently taking her to the city as well, perhaps commerce or ‘quite probably a law suit’. So she needed a ‘letter of commendation’ to take with her, which would introduce her to the Christians in Rome. Such letters were common in the ancient world, and necessary to protect people from charlatans. They are several times mentioned in the New Testament.

In his testimonial for Phoebe Paul asks the Roman church both to receive her, giving her a worthy Christian welcome and hospitality, and to give her any help she may need, as a stranger in the capital city, presumably in connection with her other business. Before and after these requests Paul supplies some information about Phoebe, ‘so placing on each side of the needs of this blessed woman’, writes Chrysostom, ‘her praises’. Indeed, he goes on, ‘see how many ways he takes to give her dignity’.

First, he calls her our sister, ‘and it is no slight thing to be called the sister of Paul’.

Secondly, he acknowledges her as a servant (‘minister’, REB; or ‘deaconess’, RSV and NIV) of the church in Cenchrea, which was Corinth’s eastern port at the head of the Saronic Gulf.

Thirdly, she has been a great help to many people, including Paul…. Phoebe was evidently a woman of means, who had used her wealth to support the church and the apostle.
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“Come to the Banquet” – by Fay White

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Canticle

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Morning Prayer: 26 September – Romans 15:30-33 ~ praying God’s will

Reading through Romans

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening sentence

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory. You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.
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A reading from Romans: Romans 15:30-33 (NLT)

Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation I am taking to Jerusalem. Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other.

And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen.
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Reflection: Romans 15:30-33 (John Stott, The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World)

Conclusion: The providence of God in the ministry of Paul (Romans 15:14–16:27)

Paul takes the Roman church into his confidence about the salient characteristics of his ministry… giving us insight into the outworking of God’s providence in his life and work.

Prayer as a struggle (Romans 15:30-33)

Paul refers to prayer as a struggle: our need to wrestle with the principalities and powers of darkness; and/or an activity demanding great exertion, a struggle in fact with ourselves, in which we seek to align ourselves with God’s will.

Paul’s reference to the will of God in relation to prayer is very significant…. His use of this qualifying clause throws light on both the purpose and the character of prayer, on why and how Christians should pray.

The purpose of prayer is emphatically not to bend God’s will to ours, but rather to align our will to his. The promise that our prayers will be answered is conditional on our asking ‘according to his will’. Consequently every prayer we pray should be a variation on the theme, ‘Your will be done.’

What about the character of prayer? Is praying… ‘if it be your will’ a cop-out and incompatible with faith? In response, we need to distinguish between the general and the particular will of God. Since God has revealed his general will for all his people in Scripture (e.g. that we should control ourselves and become like Christ), we should indeed pray with definiteness and assurance about these things. But God’s particular will for each of us (e.g. regarding a life work and a life partner) has not been revealed in Scripture, so that, in praying for guidance, it is right to add ‘by God’s will’.

If Jesus himself did this in the garden of Gethsemane (‘Not my will, but yours be done’), and if Paul did it twice in his letter to the Romans, we should do it too. It is not unbelief, but a proper humility.

Prayer is an essential Christian activity, and it is good to ask people to pray for us and with us, as Paul did. But there is nothing automatic about prayer. Praying is not like using a coin-operated machine or a cash dispenser. The struggle involved in prayer lies in the process of coming to discern God’s will and to desire it above everything else. Then God will work things out providentially according to his will, for which we have prayed.
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“Let Your Kingdom Come” – Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

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Canticle

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Morning Prayer: 25 September – Romans 15:23-32 ~ travel planning

Reading through Romans

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening sentence

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory. You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.
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A reading from Romans: Romans 15:23-32 (NLT)

But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you. I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey.

But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially. As soon as I have delivered this money and completed this good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my way to Spain. And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together.

The Apostle Paul, Rembrandt van Rijn (and Workshop?) c. 1657 Widener Collection, National Gallery of Art Washington, DC

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Reflection: Romans 15:23-32 (John Stott, The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World)

Conclusion: The providence of God in the ministry of Paul (Romans 15:14–16:27)

Paul takes the Roman church into his confidence about the salient characteristics of his ministry… giving us insight into the outworking of God’s providence in his life and work.

His travel plans (Romans 15:23–32)

Paul now looks into the future and confides to the Romans his travel plans. He specifies three destinations. First, he is about to sail from Corinth to Jerusalem, taking with him the collection which he has long been organizing. Secondly, he is intending to go from Jerusalem to Rome, even though he will only be ‘passing through’ rather than settling down among them for an appreciable period. Thirdly, from Rome he will travel on to Spain, determined to resume his pioneer evangelistic commitment.

1. He plans to visit Rome (23–24)

Although Paul has so far been hindered from coming to Rome, now at last the time seems to be ripe for his long-awaited, long-postponed visit. A combination of three factors has facilitated it. First, his missionary service in the East Mediterranean zone is complete…. Second, he has been longing for many years to see them…. Third, he has come to see his visit to Rome as a stepping-stone to Spain…. Perhaps Paul hopes to establish an ongoing relationship with the Christians in Rome, so that they will continue to support him, as other churches have done previously. This conjunction of three factors must have presented itself to Paul as evidence of the providential guidance of God. It has led him to make plans to go to Rome. But first, he explains, he has another journey to make.

Paul's voyage to Rome. — Paul’s voyage to Rome.

2. He plans to visit Jerusalem (25–27)

The facts may be simply stated. For Macedonia and Achaia (that is, the churches of northern and southern Greece respectively) were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem (26). In order to understand this, we need to think first about the poor in Jerusalem, and then about the Christians of Macedonia and Achaia.

First, no explanation is given of the cause of poverty in Jerusalem. It may have been caused partly by the ‘severe famine’ which Agabus predicted. But the plausible suggestion has also often been made that it was related to the economic sharing of the first church there…. Second, Paul writes that the Macedonian and Achaian Christians were pleased to make a contribution for the Jerusalem poor…. They did give freely and willingly, but only because Paul had urged them to do so!

It is right for Gentiles to acknowledge what they owe to the Jews. When we Gentiles are thinking of the great blessings of salvation, we are hugely in debt to the Jews, and always will be. Paul sees the offering from the Gentile churches as a humble, material, symbolic demonstration of this indebtedness.

3. He plans to visit Spain (28–29)

Having explained the facts and the significance of the offering, Paul now looks beyond its presentation in Jerusalem, and hopefully its acceptance, to the long westward journey which he plans then to undertake to Spain via Rome. So after “I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received” this expression of solidarity (offering), “I will go to Spain and visit you on the way” (28).

Whether he reached and evangelized Spain we shall probably never know. The nearest thing we have to evidence is the statement by Clement of Rome in his first letter to the Corinthians (usually dated AD 96–97) about Paul’s ‘noble renown’ as a herald of the gospel: ‘To the whole world he taught righteousness, and reaching the limits of the West he bore his witness before rulers.’

As Paul mentally prepares for his visit to Rome, however, he is full of assurance…. Paul’s confidence is not in himself but in Christ.

4. He requests prayer for his visits (30–32)

Paul refers to prayer as a struggle… our need to wrestle with the principalities and powers of darkness. .. and/or an activity demanding great exertion, a struggle in fact with ourselves, in which we seek to align ourselves with God’s will.

Two topics: first – for his protection and deliverance from his opponents… Paul knows he is in danger, even for his life; and second -for acceptance among believers… Paul longs that Jewish—Gentile solidarity in the body of Christ may be strengthened by the Jewish Christians’ acceptance of its tangible symbol (the offering).

Paul now requests prayer also for his visit to Rome. Indeed he sees the two visits to be inseparably connected. Only if his mission in Jerusalem succeeds will his voyage to Rome be possible. So he asks the Romans to pray that he may be protected and his gift accepted in Jerusalem, not only because these things are important in themselves, but also so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed (32).
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“Send the Light”