Romans 15.27-28-Paul Planned On Traveling To Spain By Way Of Rome After Going To Jerusalem To Deliver Gift To Saints In Jerusalem
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday July 11, 2010
Romans: Romans 15:27-28-Paul Planned On Traveling To Spain By Way Of Rome After Delivering Gift To The Saints In Jerusalem
Lesson # 533
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 15:14.
This morning we will study Romans 15:27-28 and in this passage Paul communicates to the Roman believers that he planned on traveling to Spain by way of Rome after going to Jerusalem to deliver the gift to the saints in that city from the Gentiles churches in Macedonia and Achaia.
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. 25 But now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27, Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.”
“Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them” in the original text should be rendered “They were pleased to do so indeed because they are indebted to them.”
“They were pleased” emphasizes that the Gentile believers in Macedonia and Achaia of their own accord took pleasure in providing for the needs of their poor Jewish brothers.
“To do” is used of the actions of the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia in providing of their own accord for the needs of the destitute Jewish believers in Jerusalem from their own resources.
“Indebted” denotes that the Gentile believers in Macedonia and Achaia were morally and not legally obligated to provide for the material or temporal needs of the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem since they benefited from the spiritual blessings flowing from the promises to the Jewish patriarchs.
The gospel which they believed in, originated with the Jews and was proclaimed to them by the Jews and their Savior was a Jew.
In Romans 11:13-28 and 15:8-12, Paul makes this clear.
“For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things” explains specifically why the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia were obligated to provide from their own resources and of their own accord a contribution for the destitute Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
It is a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument, which is designed to teach Paul’s Gentile readers that they are spiritually indebted to their Jewish brethren.
“Their spiritual things” refers to every spiritual blessing as a result of the Christian being in union with Christ and identified with Him in His death, burial, resurrection and session.
It also refers to those blessings connected to the believer’s salvation or deliverance from the sin nature, the devil and his cosmic system as well as those blessings connected to the believer’s sanctification.
It also refers to the “spiritual blessings” that the believer receives from the Holy Spirit as a result of trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior.
These “spiritual blessings” are also connected to the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant since Romans 11:16-28 and 15:8-12 teach that Gentile believers are joint-partakers with Jewish believers of the abundant blessings of the Abrahamic covenant.
Not only are Gentiles joint-partakers of the abundant blessings of the Abrahamic covenant through faith in Christ but they are also joint partakers of the blessings of the New Covenant.
“They are indebted” means that the Gentile believers in Macedonia and Achaia are under obligation to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem to provide for their temporal needs.
They are obligated since through faith in the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, they are benefiting from the spiritual blessings of the Abrahamic and New Covenants and their union and identification with Christ.
“To minister” refers to providing for the needs of the destitute Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
“In material things” is used in contrast with “spiritual blessings” indicating that the Gentile believers in Macedonia and Achaia were under obligation to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem to minister to them by means of providing them with material blessings.
In Romans 15:28, Paul reveals to the Roman believers that he planned to go to Spain by way of Rome after delivering to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem the contribution from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia.
Romans 15:28, “Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.”
Paul’s statement in verse 28 is the result of an inference from his statements in Romans 15:22-27 and summarizes what he has written in these verses.
“When I have finished” indicates that Paul will visit Spain via Rome after completing the task of delivering the collection from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia for the destitute Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
The statements “when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs” both speak of the apostle delivering the contribution from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem indicating that Paul is writing rhetorically.
“Have put my seal on” refers to a safely accomplished transaction.
“This fruit” refers to the proceeds from the collection that Paul received from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia to be delivered to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
It indicates that Paul considered this offering on behalf of the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem as “divine good” since he used this word to describe that which is produced in the obedient believer by the Holy Spirit.
“I will go on by way of you to Spain” indicates that after delivering the contribution to the poor in Jerusalem, Paul will depart for Spain by way of the believers in Rome.
Romans 15:28 reveals the importance that Paul attached to this offering in that it demonstrated that he would not visit the Roman believers and head to Spain until he had first safely delivered this offering to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem.