Chapter 15:14-33
This last section is supplementary to the foregoing doctrine in the epistle. Paul apprises the Roman saints of his personal circumstances and his intentions in service in regard to the gospel in “the regions beyond” (2 Cor. 10:16).
Thus, he closes the epistle by stating his reasons for writing to them and expresses his great desire to visit them. He explains that he did not write to them because of any particular lack on their part, but simply to communicate to them the gospel he preached among the Gentiles; promising that when he would come to them, he would give them “the fullness of the blessing of Christ” (vs. 29)—which he did not expound upon in this letter. This is a reference to the truth of “the Mystery” which was a special revelation given to him, and other apostles and prophets (Eph. 3:5), to communicate to the saints. He mentions this in chapter 16:25.
Vss. 14-15––He said, “I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God.” We see from this that Paul was convinced that the brethren in Rome were in a good state––“being full of goodness”––and thus would receive his admonitions. Therefore, he wrote with considerable boldness to them. He was also confident that they were mature Christians and well able to mutually admonish one another in love, and thus regulate themselves in regard to difficulties that might arise among them, without him being present to do it. This is a sign of a healthy assembly. Paul, therefore, had no intention of coming to them as an arbitrator or regulator. Damage can be done by those who imagine themselves to be such among the Lord’s people. It is not that an assembly cannot call for help and advice, but under normal conditions, local assemblies should work out their own difficulties in the fear of God (Phil. 2:12). An assembly that habitually has its trouble worked out by brethren from other localities could miss the practical blessing and spiritual education that the Lord intends for them in the trouble.
Note that he mentions “full of goodness” before being able to “admonish one another.” To be effective admonishers, we first must have hearts full of goodness toward those whom we seek to help, and we must also have the practical “knowledge” of the Scriptural principles concerning the person’s situation. Without this grace and knowledge, we could do damage to the person and exacerbate the problem.
Chap. 15:16-17—Paul had another reason for coming to them, and that was because he had been “officially employed” (J. N. Darby Trans. footnote) by God as an “administrator of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles.” He had a special commission from God to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15; 22:21; Gal. 2:7; Eph. 3:8; Col. 1:27). Since they were predominantly a Gentile assembly––if not exclusively Gentile, for Claudius Caesar had expelled all Jews from Rome (Acts 18:2)––Paul felt it incumbent upon himself to make sure that “the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable” to God. That is, that they would stand before God in all the truth of the gospel and the Mystery. He adds, “Through being sanctified by the Holy Spirit” because he fully understood that this work among the Gentiles was really a work of God by the Spirit, and he wanted to give God the credit for what He had wrought. Paul was, therefore, justified in his desire to “glory [boast] through Christ Jesus in those things.”
Vss. 18-19––If there was any question whether he really had this commission, such a notion could easily be put to rest by the proofs of it. He said, “I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed.” That is, he would not comment on what others were doing for the Lord but of what he had known firsthand by the Lord working through him. There had been a display of “mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God.” And this had been in many places––“from Jerusalem, and in a circuit round to Illyricum (north of Macedonia on the Adriatic Sea). Essentially, it was in every place where he “preached the gospel of Christ.” This is an account of the geographical extent of his ministry, not the chronological order of it.
Vss. 20-21––Paul’s intention was to keep pressing further out among the Gentiles with the gospel, “where Christ was not named.” His ministry consisted more of breaking into new regions and leaving the work of shepherding and of teaching his converts to others. He had no intention of working where others had laboured and had built upon the “foundation”––which is Christ (1 Cor. 3:11). He quotes Isaiah 52:15 to show that the principle of reaching out to the Gentiles in this way was according to God—“As it is written, To whom He was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.” Paul’s ministry was not a fulfilment of this prophecy. He does not say that it was––stating only that the principle upon which he was acting was according to what had been “written” in the Old Testament. (As a general rule, when something from the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Testament, it will state that it is. See Matthew 1:22; 2:23; John 19:36-37, etc.)
Vss. 22-24––Being thus occupied in service, Paul tells them that he had often sought for opportunities to come to them, but was “often hindered from coming” (compare chapter 1:13). However, having been specially commissioned with a ministry to the Gentiles, Paul expected that a way would open for him to come to them shortly. And now since his ministry of opening new areas with the gospel was largely completed in “these parts”––Asia Minor (Turkey) and Achaia (Greece)––he was free to push forward into new regions, and thus come to them on his way to Spain.
Vss. 25-27––But Paul had one last responsibility to take care of before he would go far hence unto the Gentiles. He was headed to Jerusalem with the collection from the brethren from “Macedonia and Achaia” (northern and southern provinces in Greece) to give to “the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.” We read about this in 2 Corinthians 8-9. Paul and Barnabas had delivered a similar gift to the saints of Jerusalem in their earlier days (Acts 11:29-30). There appears to be two reasons for the poverty of the Jews in Judea:
• There had been a great famine in that land (Acts 11:28).
• The communal living that they had practised in Jerusalem had left them without lands and means to sustain themselves (Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-35). (Scripture does not say that this was something that the Lord told them to do.)
The believing Gentiles were “well pleased indeed” to give their Jewish brethren this gift because they saw themselves as “debtors” to them. They had partaken of their “spiritual things” (the Scriptures, the presence of the Spirit of God, etc.) and felt that it was only right that they should send relief to them in temporal things.
Vss. 28-29––Having “sealed to them this fruit” (put the gift into their hands), Paul fully intended to come to the Roman saints on his way to Spain. And when he would come to them, he promised to give them “the fulness of the blessing of Christ” (vs. 29). The KJV adds, the “gospel” of Christ, but that word is not in the Greek text. Paul had just expounded the truth of the gospel to them in this very epistle. The “fulness” that he refers to here is the truth of “the Mystery,” which would “complete” the Christian revelation of truth (Col. 1:25). He mentions it in chapter 16:25. It is a special revelation of truth concerning Christ and the Church. Mr. Darby mentions that there is no record that Paul ever got to Spain (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, on Romans 15).
A Threefold Prayer Request
Vss. 30-33––Lastly, Paul asks for the prayers of the Romans in view of this work. This, he says, would be for “the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake” and would be in accord with “the love of the Spirit,” which is the mutual fellowship of the saints. His threefold prayer request is predicated on the word “that.”
• “That” he might be delivered from the unbelieving Jews in Judea who desperately wanted to kill him (1 Thess. 2:14-16).
• “That” the gift he was bringing to the Jewish believers would be accepted in good grace and would be seen as a true expression of their Gentile brethren’s love. And, by it, they would be knit together as fellow believers in Christ. (Paul requested this because he knew that there were still some religious prejudice in the Jewish saints, and he hoped that this would flush those feelings out of them.)
• “That” he would get to Rome with joy and by the will of God, and that they would be mutually refreshed. This prayer was answered, but in a very different way than Paul anticipated; he arrived in Rome as a prisoner.
Paul ends the main part of the epistle by telling the Roman saints that he desired “the God of peace” would be with them, adding a hearty “Amen.”