Introduction to Romans 1:8-15
The gospel is center to Paul’s calling. Previously we saw that he was set apart for the gospel of God (1:1), in today’s passage, Paul says that he serves God with his spirit in the gospel of His Son (1:9), that he is eager to preach the gospel to the Romans (1:15), and that he is not ashamed of the gospel (1:16). Out of the 76 times that the noun “gospel” is used in the NT, Paul uses it 60 times.
Two weeks ago, we saw the opening of the letter where Paul identified himself as the letter’s author, his recipients are the Romans, and his greeting to them. And they are all Gospel-centered and Christ-centered.
Today, we arrive at his thanksgiving for them, and his desire to come to them as part of fulfilling the mission that God has for him, and these elements are also gospel-centered. What we will see is a strong emphasis on evangelism both by the Roman believers and the apostle Paul himself.
I. Paul’s Gospel-Centered Thanksgiving (1:8)
Thanksgiving is also one component of letter-writing in Paul’s day. Paul usually has a section of thanksgiving for his recipients in many of his letters. One exception stands out in the letter to the Galatians where the customary thanksgiving was missing.
Why?
The purity of the gospel was at stake. The churches in the Galatia region were in danger of allowing another gospel, which is a false gospel, to infiltrate the churches. And Paul was writing with urgency because the gospel was at stake.
Here in Romans, the reason for his thanksgiving was also the gospel. He says that the Roman Christians’ faith was proclaimed in all the world (Roman empire). In other words, what causes Paul to rejoice with a thankful heart is that the gospel is being proclaimed and spread abroad by the Romans.
These Roman believers have no intention of keeping the gospel at home. They clearly see that the good news must be proclaimed not just at home but also abroad.
Application
While we need to pray for God to send forth His laborers into a field that is white unto harvest, the work of evangelism does begin at home. How can we be faithful in proclaiming the gospel overseas, when we are not doing it at home?
One of the missions of the church is to evangelize the lost. I think we can all agree that we can always do more in our evangelistic effort.
II. Paul’s Gospel-Centered Prayer to Visit the Romans (1:9-15)
Paul also often includes the contents of his prayers for the recipients of the letters. He does this also for the Romans. In this section, he is going to talk about the who, what, and why of the prayer.
A. Who (1:9)
Before Paul tells his readers what he was praying for, he inserts this clause in v. 9. He says that God is his witness regarding his unceasing prayers, and that he served God with his spirit in the gospel of his Son.
Back in v. 1 he introduced himself as a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God. In a sense, he is reiterating these things before the Romans that he has truly given his life to serving the Lord in the proclamation of the gospel and that God is His witness.
It is one thing to call for a human eyewitness; it is quite another to call for God as your eyewitness. But Paul appeals to the highest authority, God, to testify of Paul’s sincere and wholehearted commitment to his mission.
We have seen how everything is about the gospel for Paul. Paul is trying to communicate the deep intensity of his desire. So what was he praying so fervently about?
B. What (1:10)
Citing God as his witness points to Paul’s sincerity in his prayer. Paul prays unceasingly, frequently and regularly, that he would be able to at last succeed in coming to the Romans.
If you think about it, this prayer request is more for himself than for the Romans. While Paul was thankful that the Romans had such a burden for lost souls so as to proclaim the gospel, he himself wants to be there.
So the question is, why did he pray this prayer?
C. Why (1:11-15)
Paul gives three reasons for his fervent prayers in coming to them.
1. To Strengthen the Believers (1:11-12)
The means by which this strengthening comes is from the imparting of some spiritual gifts (charisma).
How then is one strengthened?
When our faith is encouraged. When we see the faith of other believers, that should inspire and encourage us to press on for the Lord. When we see other Christians trusting God in their times of difficulty, it inspires us to trust God with our trials as well.
It shows that we are not alone in our walk with God. We walk together as a community of believers, not as isolated Christians doing our own walk apart from others.
Notice it is also a mutual encouragement. Paul wants to encourage the Roman believers, but in so doing, he too will be encouraged.
That is what happens when we use our spiritual gifts. While we seek to bless and encourage others, we ourselves are blessed and encouraged.
2. To Reap Some Harvest from Among Them (1:13)
Paul here gives some background information about his prayer request to God. He has always wanted to visit the Romans. And he gives another reason why he wants to do that.
In order to reap some harvest. He uses an agricultural analogy here.
What Paul says here reminds us of what our Lord says in John 4:35-38
35 “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’
38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
I think often the hindrance to evangelism is that we think about how hard and few the fruit from our labor is.
The question is: “Do we believe Jesus when He says that the fields are white for harvest?”
No wonder Jesus says in Matt 9:37, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
We have already seen Jesus telling us that the harvest is plentiful, the fields are white for harvest. Now He makes the observation that the laborers are few.
Both observations are correct.
So what does He tell us to do?
“Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
He tells us to pray.
Why doesn’t he tell us to go? Well, guess what happens when you keep praying for the Lord to send forth laborers into the harvest? If you are that concerned about lost souls and you keep praying for God to send for laborers, what happens?
When Paul says he wants to reap the harvest among them and among the rest of the Gentiles, we need to note also that Paul has been specifically commissioned by our Lord to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Later on in Rom 11:13 he says of himself, “Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry.”
While there are Jews in this church in Rome, the majority would be Gentiles. So since he is called to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, he would be reaping the harvest among them, as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.
3. To Fulfill His Obligation to Preach the Gospel (1:14-15)
In case you feel that Paul’s reason to go to Rome in v. 13 is a bit self-serving, and that he should coat it in more self-sacrificial terms, as is very common for people to do, he explains that he is under obligation to do this.
After all, he was “set apart for the gospel of God.” Paul says in 1 Cor 9:16 that “necessity is laid upon him. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”
To whom is Paul obligated?
To Greeks and to barbarians. How come Paul doesn’t say to Greeks and to Jews? Because the categories are explained in the next pair: to the wise and to the foolish.
The Greeks are the wise. There are many Greek philosophers that we still know today: Aristotle, Plato, Socrates. And the barbarians are the foolish.
The Romans would consider themselves in the first category, and so would Singaporeans. But Paul’s obligation to preach the gospel is not just limited to people in the first category, but also in the second category of foolish barbarians.
The gospel is not just for the sophisticated and the educated, but also for the uncouth and the simple. The gospel crosses all cultural and intellectual boundaries.
Application
Before we move on, we see that Paul is set apart for the gospel of God.
Is that a special calling for certain Christians or is this applicable to every Christian?
Are we under obligation to preach the gospel to the wise and to the foolish?
These are the questions we must sort out in our own minds first. Because what we conclude will determine what we do. If we say that this is something for only specially called Christians like apostles and pastors, then we shouldn’t concern ourselves with this matter.
But if we believe that this is part of the calling for all believers, and I believe it is, then we are under the same kind of compulsion that Paul is under. There is just no other way to put it.
Just like Paul, we are slaves to our Master Jesus Christ. And like Paul, we have been set apart for the gospel of God. So like Paul, we are under obligation to preach the gospel.
All Christians have been commissioned by Christ to go make disciples of all nations, to baptize them, to teach them.
Paul longs to preach the gospel to these Roman believers. But why? Isn’t the gospel meant for unbelievers?
After all, it is the good news of how Jesus died, was buried, and rose again to redeem sinful individuals and they need to trust in Christ and turn from their sins.
And believers have already done that, so why is there a need for believers to hear the gospel?
Shouldn’t they move on to other deeper things of theology?
Believers need the gospel preached to them regularly because they need to see gospel-ramifications in the different aspects of their lives. The gospel is not some theoretical teaching but it informs how believers are to live.
There is a gospel-centricity that must characterize the way believers live out their lives.
III.
During WWII, the Germans would conduct regular airstrikes over Britain, especially London.
As you may know, Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the UK at that time. Rather than running into the bunker for his own safety when the German bombing raids would take place, he would at times run to the rooftop of 10 Downing Street to watch the bombs descend on the capital.
When the allied forces were planning for the D-Day invasion of Normandy, Churchill wanted to be onboard one of those thousands of ships (almost 7,000 ships were involved).
This is someone who wants to be in the thick of the action.
Paul is someone like that. Mr Ott is also someone like that. When Mrs Ott passed away, he was asked to retire to look after his grandkids. He had zero desire for that.
I think many who have dedicated their lives to the Lord in the proclamation of the gospel are like that.
They want to be in the thick of the action rather than at the sidelines.
To be continued in Part 2: Romans 1:16-17
For Personal Reflection
What are the hindrances to our evangelistic efforts?
How does this passage encourage us to keep on giving the gospel?
How can we personally and corporately as a church be more faithful in our proclamation of the gospel?
Comments