Slices
Prepare
Reflect on these words: ‘I am not myself by myself. Community, not the highly vaunted individualism of our culture, is the setting in which Christ is at play’ (Eugene Peterson, 2005).*
*Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology, Hodder and Stoughton, 2005, p 226
Bible passage
Paul’s longing to visit Rome
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong – 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’
Explore
My husband and I attended a theological college that was full of people from all over the world. Each week groups from different denominations would take their turn running chapel, and it was fascinating to be exposed to very different ways of worshipping God.
Paul is writing to a Roman church where tensions are running high over perceived differences. Jewish Christians had been expelled from Rome under the reign of Emperor Claudius (see Acts 18:2) and would have returned to churches dominated by a ‘Gentile’ way of doing things. What other divisions are apparent in Rome (v 14)? There are also divisions between race, language, culture and intellectual abilities. Paul calls everyone to re-examine their loyalties.
Look again at verses 16 and 17. This is the ‘thesis’ statement for the whole letter. How does the gospel, particularly the shame of the cross, ‘which is the power of God’, break down walls between people?
Respond
Ultimately God’s people are not defined by nationality or culture, but instead they should be united by a love of Christ. Pray that you will feel a greater sense of unity with Christians who are different from you.
Deeper Bible study
As Paul commends his ministry, pray for others you know who are also called.
Paul did not found the church in Rome, unlike the other churches with which he had a close, almost parental, relationship. However, all roads led quite literally to Rome and he had a burning ambition to preach to the Romans and even further afield.1 These new churches were in the early stages of development in every respect: in doctrine, in organisation, in leadership. This was exciting but also precarious. New believers could take wrong turns and possibly trust the wrong people. For this reason Paul has to gain their trust, establish his credentials and give them every reason to trust him as a servant and apostle of Christ. That he himself was trustworthy by reason of his having been set apart by God for his mission is beyond question (v 1).
Paul’s message has already been outlined. He now adds more. He is grateful for the Roman believers (v 8). He prays for them constantly (vs 9,10). He wishes to encourage them in the faith and to be encouraged by them (v 12). He feels himself under divine obligation to preach the gospel and is eager to do so (v 15). Supremely, he is not ashamed of the gospel but believes passionately in its power and its message. Through it, God’s will to make both Jews and Gentiles right with God’s own self becomes effective through faith (v 17). These were and are the qualities that make a person a reliable and godly minister of the gospel. We should look to no one as a spiritual guide who does not exhibit them.
Paul’s ambition to reach Rome was eventually fulfilled when he was taken there as a prisoner. Fulfilled it certainly was, for at least two years in which he taught about Christ ‘with all boldness and without hindrance’.2 In the meantime they had his letter. As do we.
‘As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’3
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Leviticus 10–12; Psalm 22
Pray for Scripture Union
For several years SU England and Wales has sent teams to help with camps run by SU Hungary. These help young people with English and provide an opportunity to explore Christian faith. Pray for volunteer Moira Goddard who is co-ordinating the SU volunteer team to go out in July.
