Chapter 45

Getting To Know Paul Personally

Romans 15:14-33

 

 

I remember how fun and fascinating it was for me in grade school to discover something about the personal life of one of my teachers.  Here was a person with whom I spent 6 hours per day for 180 days but really knew nearly nothing about that person.  For me, it was fascinating to learn their first name, to find out what kind of car they drove, to discover something about their family life (married or single / children) and their background.  I learned from this person, but I really never learned much about this person.  And so, whenever I would learn something personal about my teacher, I was thrilled.

 

A couple of weeks ago, the young people of Dearborn had a Saturday night youth meeting at the Kirkpatricks.  It was billed as "Grill the Pastor Night."  I went to meeting not really knowing what kinds of questions to expect to be asked.  Travis was vague when I inquired and so was Leah.  So I was expecting to be asked doctrinal / theological questions.  I actually, looked up the address of a couple of verses that I thought I might need to refer to if certain questions came up.

 

I was somewhat surprised and delighted that the questions were almost entirely of a personal nature.  How did you and Carla meet?  What do you like to do for fun?  What are you reading right now?  How long does it take you to prepare a sermon?  I'm not sure how to read some of your facial expressions.  What do you like best about the ministry?  What do you like least?  It was fun and I was surprised.  I have been pastor and teacher to these kids for years, my children have grown up with them, most of them have been to my house on occasion, they know my voice and they have identified some of my own little habits and quirks and eccentricities but still they ask questions about my personal life.  They want to know, "What is he really like?"

 

Which leads me to our text in Romans 15.  Often those ending sections of Biblical books, epistles and letters are overlooked because they do not contain great doctrinal and practical truths.  It is at the end of his letters that Paul often makes personal comments.  He talks about his ministry, he shares his plans for the future, he sends personal greetings to and from specific individuals.  And that is exactly the case in Romans.  From 15:14 through the end of the letter is all personal stuff about Paul.  Here is where we learn much about how great Christian doctrine is applied to the realities of everyday life.  Here is where the rubber meets the road.

 

Paul's instructional task is completed in verse 13, but in the final half of chapter 15, we come to a much more intimate side of the apostle.  Here we get a personal look at Paul the missionary.  Just notice how many times the apostle uses personal pronouns in these verses.   (33 times - I, me, my, myself).  Here, we see his philosophy, his plans and his petitions.

 

 

His Philosophy, vv. 14-21.

 

Be bold.  The church in Rome was not one started by Paul - unlike most of the other churches to whom he wrote (Corinth; Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi and Colossae indirectly).  And so, in verse 15, Paul acknowledges that he has been very bold in this letter.  He has said to a church that doesn't know him personally, things that otherwise he might say only to a church that he had started.  It would be like me saying to a church where I am a guest preacher, things that I might normally say only to my church.  Paul has been very bold in this letter.  He defends his boldness on the basis (v. 14) of their goodness (moral uprightness, virtue), their knowledge and their maturity (able to admonish one another).  These were good, knowledgable, mature Christian people.  But they still needed Paul to remind them of the things that they already knew.  (That's much of what a preacher does.  Every sermon you hear is not necessarily going to impart to you new knowledge.  Often, I am just reminding you of things you already know.  Don't grow weary of being reminded). 

 

Having commended the Romans and having explained to them the reason for his boldness, Paul next sets out to evaluation his own ministry, vv. 16-21.

 

Be on target.  Paul understood that God had called him primarily to the Gentiles, v. 16.  It is interesting to me that Paul always went first to the Jewish synagogue to preach the gospel, that he had a great burden for Jews to be saved, but that he understood that his calling was primarily to take the gospel to Gentiles.  He wanted to reach everybody, he tried to reach everybody, but at the same time he understood and realized that God had called him particularly to a specific group.  

 

Be humble.  Paul also knew how to handle success,  vv. 17-19a.  "I will not talk about anything I did myself.

 

I will talk only about what Christ has done through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God. Yes, they have obeyed God because of what I have said and done.  And they have obeyed God because of the power of miracles and the great things they saw, but mostly by the power of the Holy Spirit."

 

Be a pioneer, vv. 19b-21.  Paul's ministry was characterized by a great vision.  Who could have claimed to have fully preached the gospel from Jerusalem "even as far as Illyricum" (the former eastern European country of Yugoslavia - a span of some 1400 miles.)  And when you consider the slowness of travel and the dangers involved you can better appreciate the tremendous achievement of Paul's missionary ministry.  Paul's philosophy was to take the gospel to new territory.  "Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation."  In verse 21, Paul cited Isaiah 52:15 as the divine approval for this kind of ministry.

 

 

His Plans, vv. 22-29.

 

The greatness of the apostle Paul can be seen by his burning zeal. He is not content to ‘rest on his laurels,’ but now desires to go to the west, to Spain, with the gospel. Paul could not be true to his philosophy of ministry and visit Rome while parts of his world were left unevangelized. But now that there was no region untouched with the gospel (v. 23), he could look to Spain, and on his way, he could visit the saints in Rome.  Paul wanted to come to Rome and it was the providence of God that had prevented that from happening sooner, v. 22.

 

There was yet one task remaining which would keep Paul from Rome. The saints in Macedonia and Achaia,  sensing their obligation to minister materially to those who had sent the gospel to them, delighted to make a generous contribution to those in Jerusalem who were experiencing dire need and to send it with Paul (v. 26). As soon as this task was accomplished Paul would set out for Rome and then be sent on to Spain.

 

No settling down.  No choosing to ride out the rest of his days in comfort.  But making plans for the future.  As Bro. Ashcraft likes to say, he was still buying green bananas.

 

 

His Prayer Requests, vv. 30-33.

 

Paul asked the Roman Christians to pray for him, v. 30.  In fact, he was very specific in expressing his needs.  According to v. 31a, he wanted them to pray for his safety.  Verse 31b contains a request for his success.  Paul wanted the offering he was carrying to Jerusalem to be received with loving gratitude for what it was, a gesture of brotherly love and conciliation.  Finally, verse 32 contains a request for his satisfaction.  Joy in the will of God and refreshment from the saints at Rome.

 

It is clear from the record in Acts that all three of these requests were answered.  God did indeed deliver Paul from the hateful Jews.  The offering was received with open arms by the Christians in Jerusalem.  And after a very difficult journey, Paul arrived in Rome being refreshed by the saints there.

 

Please prayer and here's what to pray for.  That's humble and specific! Verse 33 is the benediction of Paul's prayer that just speaks praise to God and love for God's people.

 

This text helps us to get to know Paul better, in a more personal way.  We learn his philosophy of ministry - those guiding principles that steer the course of his life.  We learn his plans and we hear his prayer requests.

 

A biblical ministry is a balanced ministry.  It is to the strong and weak, to the Gentile and the Jew, to the lost and to the saved, in areas of the spiritual and the material.  It involved pioneering new works, planning, prioritizing and, of course, praying.

 

If you want to get to know another Christian better those are three areas to find out about.