SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 15
INSTRUCTIONS OF PAUL TO THE JEWS (vs. 1-13)
- The strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak. (v. 1)
- You should please your neighbor and build him up. (v. 2)
- Seek hope from the encouragement of the Scripture through endurance. (v. 4)
- Follow Christ with a spirit of unity among yourselves to glorify God. (v. 6)
- Accept one another just as Christ accepted you in order to bring praise to God. (v. 7)
- Trust in Him to fill you with all joy and peace so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (v. 13)
PAUL, THE MINISTER TO THE GENTILES (vs. 14-22)
The grace of God gave Paul 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. Paul gloried in Christ Jesus in his service to God. He led the Gentiles to obey God by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. He had fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. Paul had the ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known to build his own foundation.
PAUL’S PLAN TO VISIT ROME (vs. 23-33)
Paul wanted to visit Rome when he went to Spain. However, he was on his way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. Macedonia and Achaia wanted to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Since the Jews shared the spiritual blessings to the Gentiles, the Gentiles in return, were sharing their material blessings. He urged the brothers to join him in his struggle by praying to God these things: that he may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that his service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there.
THOUGHTS:
As we grow in faith and come to know Christ better, we must have the attitude of love and unity toward other Christians.
Paul wanted to visit the church at Rome, but he had delayed his visit because he gave priority to preach in areas that had not yet heard the Good News. His future plan was to go to Spain to bring Christianity there. Since Spain had many great minds and influential leaders in the Roman world, Paul thought Christianity would advance greatly in such an atmosphere.
Paul requested the believers to pray for him as he faced struggles in his mission. Prayer is a weapon for us to intercede for each others in the fight against Satan.