Slides: Why Paul Wrote Romans

Why Paul Wrote Romans
Romans 15:14-33

¹⁴ I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

Why Paul Wrote Romans

• Remind and refresh true faith
• Review mission aim and impact
• Reveal plans for the future
• Renew unity of believers in Christ
• Request support and prayer

Remind and refresh

I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again. (Romans 15:15)

It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. (Philippians 3:1)

I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them… I have written both [letters] as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. (2 Peter 1:12; 3:1-2)

You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it. (1 John 2:20-21)

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you… (Jude 1:5)

Spirit keeps reminding: reminders preserve, strengthen, sharpen, and deepen our beliefs.

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)

Why Paul Wrote Romans

• Remind and refresh true faith
• Review mission aim and impact
• Reveal plans for the future
• Renew unity of believers in Christ
• Request support and prayer

¹⁵ I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me ¹⁶ to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷ Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. ¹⁸ I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—¹⁹ by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. ²⁰ It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. ²¹ Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” ²² This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.

Review mission

• Priestly: proclaim God’s gospel so Gentiles become an offering to God
• Powerful: Christ’s change agent by Spirit-empowered words and wonders
• Pioneer: preach in regions that never heard of Jesus and establish churches where there were none
  (John Stott) 

²³ But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, ²⁴ I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. ²⁵ Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. ²⁶ For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. ²⁷ They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. ²⁸ So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. ²⁹ I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ. ³⁰ I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. ³¹ Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, ³² so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. ³³ The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Why Paul Wrote Romans

• Remind and refresh true faith
• Review mission aim and impact
• Reveal plans for the future
• Renew unity of believers in Christ
• Request support and prayer

Reveal future plans

• Bring offering from Gentile churches to the church in Jerusalem
• Launch new mission to the farthest western frontier, Spain
• On the way to Spain, make a pit stop in Rome for fellowship and provisions

Plan like Paul

Previous plans postponed

I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you… I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now)... I have often been hindered from coming to you… I have been longing for many years to see you. (1:10-13; 15:22-23)

Our plans and God's

Why Paul Wrote Romans

• Remind and refresh true faith
• Review mission aim and impact
• Reveal plans for the future
• Renew unity of believers in Christ
• Request support and prayer

Renew unity

• Earliest house churches in Rome had mostly Jewish members and practices.
• In 49 Claudius expelled Rome’s Jews.
• For five years, Rome’s house churches and converts were Gentiles.
• In 54 Claudius died. Jews trickled back to Rome.
• In 57 Paul wrote Romans as Jewish believers rejoined now-Gentile churches.
• Belief in the same gospel and union with the one Christ
• Unity of Gentiles with Jews, spoken in words and shown by bringing offering
• Unity in Christ of strong consciences with weak amid debatable matters
• Paul’s unity with Roman Christians and hope for partnership with them

Mutually encouraged by each other’s faith

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. (1:11-12) 

Why Paul Wrote Romans

• Remind and refresh true faith
• Review mission aim and impact
• Reveal plans for the future
• Renew unity of believers in Christ
• Request support and prayer

Request support

I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there [to Spain]. (15:24)

Request prayer

Join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that
(1) I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that
(2) my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that
(3) by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. (15:30-32)

Plans and prayers

… so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. (15:32)
Our plans and prayers are subject to God’s will.

Answers to prayer

When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. (Acts 21:17)

The Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (Acts 23:11)


Twists and turns on Paul's path to Rome

Rome at last

And so we came to Rome. The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled … to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged. When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him. (Acts 28:14-16)

For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 28:30-31)

Did Paul go to Spain?

• Paul “reached the farthest limits of the West.” (Clement of Rome, writing 10 years after Paul died)
• Later writers said Paul “journeyed to Spain.” (Muratorian Canon, Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, Jerome)

Paul’s final years

• Letter to Romans (A.D. 57)
• Prison (57-59), voyage to Rome
• House arrest in Rome (60-62)
• Release and mission to Spain
• Dungeon and death in Rome

Our plans and God's 

Why Paul Wrote Romans

• Remind and refresh true faith
• Review mission aim and impact
• Reveal plans for the future
• Renew unity of believers in Christ
• Request support and prayer