Romans 15:14-33 study

Romans 15:14-33, My Translation

Verses 14-16

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition Chapter 15

14 Πέπεισμαι δέ, ἀδελφοί μου, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ περὶ ὑμῶν, ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὶ μεστοί ἐστε ἀγαθωσύνης, πεπληρωμένοι πάσης γνώσεως, δυνάμενοι καὶ ἀλλήλους νουθετεῖν. 15 τολμηρότερον δὲ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν ἀπὸ μέρους, ὡς ἐπαναμιμνῄσκων ὑμᾶς, διὰ τὴν χάριν τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ 16 εἰς τὸ εἶναί με λειτουργὸν Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, ἱερουργοῦντα τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα γένηται ἡ προσφορὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν εὐπρόσδεκτος, ἡγιασμένη ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.

14 And I myself am also confident, my brothers, concerning you, that you yourselves are also full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to counsel one another. 15 But I wrote very boldly to you in part so as to remind you again, because of the grace which was given to me by God 16 so that I should be a priestly minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, performing the priestly service of the gospel of God, in order that the offering of the Gentiles[1] might be very pleasing, made holy by the Holy Spirit.

[1] That is, the Gentiles are the offering; Paul is offering the Gentiles as a pleasing sacrifice to God.

v. 14 believers need one another to help each other in our walk

v. 16 may be a possible fulfillment of Isaiah 66:19-20.

Romans–Galatians Comment

The last time he used the term “full” (Gk. mestos) was to describe qualities of depravity (1:29). But thanks to gospel intervention his Roman audience is “full of goodness.” This is derived from God

Verses 17-21

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition Chapter 15

17 ἔχω οὖν τὴν καύχησιν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τὰ πρὸς τὸν θεόν· 18 οὐ γὰρ τολμήσω τι λαλεῖν ὧν οὐ κατειργάσατο Χριστὸς διʼ ἐμοῦ εἰς ὑπακοὴν ἐθνῶν, λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ, 19 ἐν δυνάμει σημείων καὶ τεράτων, ἐν δυνάμει πνεύματος· ὥστε με ἀπὸ Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ κύκλῳ μέχρι τοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ πεπληρωκέναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, 20 οὕτως δὲ φιλοτιμούμενον εὐαγγελίζεσθαι οὐχ ὅπου ὠνομάσθη Χριστός, ἵνα μὴ ἐπʼ ἀλλότριον θεμέλιον οἰκοδομῶ, 21 ἀλλὰ καθὼς γέγραπται· Οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται, καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασιν συνήσουσιν.

17 Therefore I have the reason for boasting in Christ Jesus regarding the things concerning God; 18 for I will not dare to speak about anything except what Christ has accomplished through me for the obedience of the Gentiles, in word and work, 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and circling around as far as Illyricum I have fulfilled the gospel of Christ, 20 and so it is my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not named, in order that I should not build upon the foundation belonging to another, 21 but just as it is written, “Those to whom it was not announced concerning Him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”[2]

[2] Isaiah 52:15

God gets the glory, but we have to work.

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 15

Paul summarizes his entire ministry up to this point by saying that Christ accomplished his work through him by word and deed, that is, both by Paul’s preaching about Christ and by Paul’s actions (lifestyle, with mighty works) that accompanied those words.

Verses 22-24

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition Chapter 15

22 Διὸ καὶ ἐνεκοπτόμην τὰ πολλὰ τοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς· 23 νυνὶ δὲ μηκέτι τόπον ἔχων ἐν τοῖς κλίμασι τούτοις, ἐπιποθίαν δὲ ἔχων τοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ ἱκανῶν ἐτῶν, 24 ὡς ἂν πορεύωμαι εἰς τὴν Σπανίαν, ἐλπίζω γὰρ διαπορευόμενος θεάσασθαι ὑμᾶς καὶ ὑφʼ ὑμῶν προπεμφθῆναι ἐκεῖ ἐὰν ὑμῶν πρῶτον ἀπὸ μέρους ἐμπλησθῶ—

22 Therefore also I was being hindered many times from coming to you; 23 but now, I no longer have a place in these regions, and I have had a longing for many years to come to you, 24 whenever I travel to Spain. For I hope to see you as I travel through, and I hope to be assisted in my journey there by you, after I have first enjoyed your company for a while.

NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible: Follow God’s Redemptive Plan as it Unfolds throughout Scripture Chapter 15

Spain was a long way from Paul’s “sending church” (Antioch), and he needed financial and logistical help from a church closer to his new ministry area.

Verses 25-29

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition Chapter 15

25 νυνὶ δὲ πορεύομαι εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ διακονῶν τοῖς ἁγίοις. 26 εὐδόκησαν γὰρ Μακεδονία καὶ Ἀχαΐα κοινωνίαν τινὰ ποιήσασθαι εἰς τοὺς πτωχοὺς τῶν ἁγίων τῶν ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ. 27 εὐδόκησαν γάρ, καὶ ὀφειλέται εἰσὶν αὐτῶν· εἰ γὰρ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς αὐτῶν ἐκοινώνησαν τὰ ἔθνη, ὀφείλουσιν καὶ ἐν τοῖς σαρκικοῖς λειτουργῆσαι αὐτοῖς. 28 τοῦτο οὖν ἐπιτελέσας, καὶ σφραγισάμενος αὐτοῖς τὸν καρπὸν τοῦτον, ἀπελεύσομαι διʼ ὑμῶν εἰς Σπανίαν· 29 οἶδα δὲ ὅτι ἐρχόμενος πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν πληρώματι εὐλογίας Χριστοῦ ἐλεύσομαι.

25 But right now I am traveling to Jerusalem ministering to God’s set apart people there. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among God’s set apart people in Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles shared in their spiritual things, they are also obligated to offer priestly service to them in the physical things. 28 Therefore, once I have accomplished this and have guaranteed the safe delivery[3] of this fruit to them, I will depart through you to Spain. 29 And I know that when I come to you, I will be coming in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

[3] The Greek verb here indicates sealing a package to make sure it arrives safely.

v.25 - The Gentile Christians’ support for Israel was directed to Jewish believers, not to Jews in general.

Verses 30-33

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition Chapter 15

30 Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ πνεύματος συναγωνίσασθαί μοι ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ πρὸς τὸν θεόν, 31 ἵνα ῥυσθῶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπειθούντων ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ ἡ διακονία μου ἡ εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ εὐπρόσδεκτος τοῖς ἁγίοις γένηται, 32 ἵνα ἐν χαρᾷ ἐλθὼν πρὸς ὑμᾶς διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ συναναπαύσωμαι ὑμῖν. 33 ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν· ἀμήν.

30 Now I appeal to you, brothers, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to contend along with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 in order that I may be rescued from those in Judea who are disobedient and that my ministry which is to Jerusalem may be well received by God’s set apart people there, 32 in order that when I have come in joy to you through the will of God I may rest[4] together with you. 33 Now may the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.

[4] Or be physically refreshed.

The Epistle to the Romans (2 vols.) XIX. Paul’s Gentile Ministry, Policy, and Plans (15:14–33)

Paul did go to Rome but under circumstances and after delays which he could not have forecast. God answered the prayers but not in the ways that Paul had hoped for or anticipated.

Prayer is a struggle

Paul’s 2 requests:

Rescue from unbelievers in Judea

Acceptance of the gift by Jewish believers