Romans 15.22-24a-Paul Confidently Expects To Visit The Romans Whenever The Spirit Permits Him To Travel To Spain
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday June 27, 2010
Romans: Romans 15:22-24a-Paul Confidently Expects To Visit The Romans Whenever The Spirit Permits Him To Travel To Spain
Lesson # 526
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 15:22.
This morning, we will study Romans 15:22-24a and in this passage Paul informs the believers in Rome that he confidently expects to visit them whenever the Holy Spirit permits him to travel to Spain.
Romans 15:14, “And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. 15, But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God. 16, To be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17, Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. 18, For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed. 19, In the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20, And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation. 21, But as it is written, ‘THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.’ 22, “For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you. 23 But now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you. 24 Whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while.”
Verse 22 is connected to the result clause in Romans 15:19b indicating that Paul had often been prevented these many times from visiting the Roman believers in the past because he was concentrating on fulfilling the task of proclaiming the gospel, from Jerusalem, and circuitously, as far as Illyricum.
“I have often been prevented from coming to you” means that Paul’s desired visit to Rome was delayed by the fact that he had been concentrating on fulfilling the task of proclaiming the gospel about the one and only Christ, from Jerusalem, and circuitously, as far as Illyricum.
So in Romans 15:22, Paul relates to his readers in Rome that as a result of concentrating upon fulfilling the task of proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles throughout the Roman Empire, he was habitually delayed many times, namely from entering into their company.
Paul in Romans 15:23 presents two reasons why he confidently expects to visit his readers in Rome while passing through whenever he is allowed by the Holy Spirit to travel to Spain.
Romans 15:23, “But now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you.”
Romans 15:23 presents a contrast with the result clause in Romans 15:19b.
Romans 15:19b, “Consequently, from Jerusalem and circuitously, as far as Illyricum, I have fulfilled the task of proclaiming the gospel about the one and only Christ.” (My translation)
Thus, Romans 15:23 contrasts Paul’s circumstances in the past when he was busy concentrating upon fulfilling this task of proclaiming the gospel from Jerusalem and circuitously as far as Illyricum with his present circumstances in which he has completed this task.
“With no further place for me in these regions” means that because Paul had no further opportunity of planting a church from Jerusalem to Illyricum, he in fact confidently expected to visit the Roman believers since he fulfilled the task of planting churches in these regions according to his statement in Romans 15:19b.
“In these regions” refers to the Roman “provinces” in Paul’s day extending from Jerusalem as far as Illyricum.
Paul’s statement that he no longer possessed an opportunity to proclaim the gospel in the Roman provinces extending from Jerusalem to Illyricum presents the first reason why he is confident that he will visit the Roman believers.
When Paul says that he no longer possessed an opportunity in the Roman provinces, which extended from Jerusalem to Illyricum, he does not mean he could not teach or proclaim the gospel anymore in these areas.
But rather, he means that there was no opportunity for the specific ministry of planting a church where the gospel had never been proclaimed before.
“Since I have had for many years a longing to come to you” indicates that because Paul possessed a passionate desire to visit the Romans in addition to no longer having an opportunity to plant a church in the Roman provinces, he in fact confidently expected to visit the Roman believers.
Then, in Romans 15:24a, the apostle Paul writes that he confidently expects to visit his readers in Rome while passing through whenever he is permitted by the Holy Spirit to travel to Spain.
Romans 15:24, “Whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while.”
The indefinite temporal clause “whenever I go to Spain” indicates that Paul will travel to Spain when he is permitted by the Spirit and will of God as indicated by the prepositional phrase “by the will of God” that appears in Romans 15:32.
“Spain” is a large peninsula in southwestern Europe known since Roman times as Hispania.
Romans 15:24, “Whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while.”
“I hope” is the verb elpizo (ἐλπίζω) (el-pee-zoe), which means, “to confidently expect” thus indicating that Paul “confidently expects” to see the Roman believers while passing through whenever he is permitted by the Spirit and the will of the Father to go to Spain.
The verb elpizo expresses his Spirit inspired confident expectation that he would see the Romans while on his way to Spain.
“In passing” indicates that Paul confidently expects to see the Roman believers while traveling or passing through Rome on his way to Spain.
That Paul eventually did make it to Spain is indicated by the fact that Paul wrote Romans 15:24a like he did the rest of the Roman epistle while under the inspiration and guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit.
The verb elpizo expresses his Spirit inspired confident expectation that he would see the Romans while on his way to Spain.
The futurist present tense of the verbs elpizo, poreuomai and diaporeuomai emphasize Paul’s certainty that he will see the Roman believers face to face while passing through Rome whenever the Spirit and the will of the Father permit him to travel to Spain.
The indefiniteness of Romans 15:24 is not due to Paul being uncertain as to whether or not he will visit Rome but rather the uncertainty is due to the fact that he does not know how long it will take him to finish with his task in Jerusalem.