Paul's ambition was to share the truth of the gospel (who Christ is, what he has done for us and what it means for our lives) with people who had never heard that Jesus is the Messiah. He didn't want to build on another person's work, but start a completely new missionary effort. (v. 20)
Paul quotes Isaiah 52:15, a prophecy about the Messiah, and sees his own work as a partial fulfillment of that prophecy. (v.21)
This specific focus for Paul meant that his travel plans must also be very specific, geographically. As a result, he wasn't able to visit the Christians in Rome before this time, although he had really wanted to. (v.22-23)
At the time he wrote this letter, however, his work in the areas far from Rome was over. He was now planning to go to Spain, and to visit Rome on the way in hopes of gaining their support for his work, using them as a sort of "hub" for his ministry in Spain, while also spending some time with them. (v.23-24)
Before this, however, he was headed for Jerusalem. At this time, the Christians in Jerusalem were suffering some of the worst persecution, resulting in serious financial hardships. The Christians in Macedonia and Achaia (mostly Gentiles) had collected money to send to them and Paul was planning to deliver it and then head on to Spain through Rome. (v. 25-26, 28)
Although these Gentile Christians were happy to give to the Jerusalem Christians, Paul also points out that in the bigger picture it was their obligation, since they came to know Christ through Jewish Christians. The eternal, infinite blessings they had as a result were far greater than any material wealth they could share. So at the very least it made sense for them to help the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem financially. (v.27)
Developing this kind of "eternal economy" in our minds is vital to living life the way we are meant to. This theme has been haunting me recently and I see it as the key to effectively living for God. It's so easy to only see our little day to day lives and whether or not we are experiencing pleasure in any given moment. The more we understand and put our hope in the amazing eternal future ahead of us, the more we will be able to sacrifice our selfishness and make eternal investments in that future today in the way we prioritize love of God and practical love for others over pursuit of self-satisfaction.
Paul wasn't just planning to make use of the church in Rome, he was looking forward to doing ministry their as well, and anticipated being empowered by Christ in a special way when he came to them. (v.29)
Paul's "target demographic" may have been those who have never heard of Christ, but he didn't allow that focus to give him tunnel vision and miss opportunities to love and minister to anyone else he came across. He looked forward to blessing the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, and he anticipated being useful to the Christians in Rome as well. Paul was not so focused on the mission God had given him that he missed opportunities to serve God in his every day encounters and "peripheral" agenda items.
Paul asked for prayer for his protection from unbelievers in Judea, who had been persecuting Christians, and for his work in delivering and possibly organizing distribution of funds in Jerusalem would be effective. (v. 30-31)
It's also interesting to note that, although delivering these funds was somewhat of a "side-mission" when compared to his desire to preach the gospel to those who've never heard it, Paul was still highly emotionally invested in it. He anticipated a sense of real joy for himself if his work in delivering the funds went well. (v.32)
Paul was also not a "lone ranger", and recognized the value in being refreshed by others. (v.32) Sometimes, those of us who are visionaries, who prefer to work alone rather than risk others interfering, can neglect spending time with other believers. But even Paul knew that this work isn't meant to be done alone.
At this point, Paul closes the main portion of his letter with a brief customary "wish-prayer", praying that God's peace would be detectible among them in a special way. As you might remember, the church in Rome was composed of both Jews and Gentiles, and the mix in cultures had led to some disagreement. In this "wish-prayer" Paul may be once again expressing a desire for them to live peacefully together as believers. (v.33)
Next- A Testimony To Relationships
Coffee House Question- When do you have trouble keeping an "eternal economy" in mind? What have you found useful as you try to see life with an eternal perspective?
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