Skip to main content

Romans 15:31: That I May Be Delivered From the Unbelievers In Judea . . .


Romans 15:31

That I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, (ESV)

There is an old song that has the lyrics, "You always hurt the ones you love." In the Apostle Paul's case a song could be written that would say, "You always get hurt by the ones you love." Paul was a Jew. He loved his people. In every city he would preach the Gospel to the Jews first, then the Gentiles. The thanks he received for his message of God's love was to be attacked in every city by the ones he loved.

This is why Paul says that he is hoping to be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea. Paul is seeking for prayer from the believers in Rome that God would deliver him from these unbelieving Jews. However, it is clear that whether the Jews attack him or not, he will not be stopped in his efforts of bringing an offering for the saints in Jerusalem. He will go, no matter what happens as a result.

The service that Paul provided for the believers in Jerusalem was acceptable. That part of his prayers were answered. Paul was also not hindered by the Jews in this delivery of financial support for the Christians in Jerusalem. Unfortunately, while Paul was in Jerusalem he was put into chains. The Jews would ultimately send the Apostle Paul to Rome where he was imprisoned.

Paul had made clear in this epistle to the church at Rome that he wanted desperately to see them. He was thrilled to connect with these believers and be a blessing to them. He ended up visiting Rome by way of a prison cell. I am sure that this was not Paul's plan. However, Paul's plans were always subordinate to the sovereign will of a perfect holy God, who works all things together for good for those that love him.

Sometimes people whom we love are the ones who hurt us the most. When you offer the loving message of the Gospel to people you love and they hatefully reject you, will you continue to love them? Will you trust God's plan even if it means something different than you have desired?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co

James 2:18: I Will Show You My Faith By My Works

James 2:18 [18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (ESV) There are certain things in life that go together. Peanut butter and jelly. Double stuff Oreo cookies and milk. Faith and works. James raises the point that someone might argue that faith and works can be separated. "One will say, "You have faith and I have works." Is it ok for works to be separated from faith? James is making the argument that faith and works are not to be separated. James is saying to the one who has faith only, with no works, that he wants them to see his faith by his works. In other words, if you are going to claim to have faith, but have no works, you have no evidence of faith. If I am to believe that a person has genuine faith I can only see that by their works. Faith brings action. There are so many people to claim to have some kind of faith, yet when it comes down to it, their