“At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings” (Romans 15:25-27, ESV).
Before his venture westward, Paul had already determined to head back east to deliver relief aid for (lit. “ministering” [διακονῶν]1 to) “the poor among the saints at Jerusalem” (cf. v. 31),2 a collection of funds he had been coordinating among the churches with whom he worked.3 The contributing congregations of “Macedonia” would have been those in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea,4 and in “Achaia” the brethren in Corinth, Cenchrea, and potentially Athens.5 Also participating were the churches of Galatia, most likely in Pisidian Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, and Iconium,6 while Christian communities in Asia were presumably involved as well.7 Noted twice, each emphatically (vv. 26, 27), Paul affirms “they were pleased” [εὐδόκησαν],8 indicative of their willingness and cheerfulness in giving (cf. 12:8),9 as they collectively participated in this “contribution” [κοινωνίαν] (cf. 12:13; 2 Cor. 8:4; 9:13).
Somewhat parallel to v. 16 concerning Paul’s priestly service among “Gentiles,” here he describes these generous contributors (in predominantly Gentile territories) as “debtors” [ὀφειλέται] (cf. 1:14; 8:12) who “owe” [ὀφείλουσιν] or “ought” (cf. v. 1) “to be of service” [λειτουργῆσαι]10 in view of the “spiritual” things [τοῖς πνευματικοῖς] “of them” [αὐτῶν] (their Jewish brethren) in which they “have shared” [ἐκοινώνησαν].11 It was through the Jewish people that the Gentiles gained access to the saving message of the gospel (cf. 9:5; 11:11-15), so eagerness to assist in “material” (lit. “fleshly”)12 things [τοῖς σαρκικοῖς] is a natural response (cf. Acts 11:27-30; 1 Cor. 9:11; Gal. 6:6-10).
“When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected [lit. ‘having sealed to them this fruit’]13—[fulfilled in Acts 21:15-19; 24:17]— I will leave for Spain by way of you—[cf. v. 24, unfulfilled in the biblical record]—I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness [πλήρωμα] of the blessing [εὐλογία]14 of Christ”15 (Romans 15:28-29)—[inclusive of the prospect “that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you” (1:11) and fulfilled in Acts 28:14-31].
EXCURSUS: DID PAUL EVER MAKE IT TO SPAIN?16
The historical record of Acts concludes with Paul having been incarcerated in Rome for two whole years (Acts 28:30), with no information about the outcome of his trial or of his death. If, at the time of writing, the apostle was still confined to house arrest and his future still uncertain, the abrupt ending is understandable. There was nothing further to report.17
Paul’s correspondence to Timothy and Titus, unlike his other extant writings, do not fit the framework of Acts. The simplest explanation is that they were penned after Acts was completed, thus comprising the final documents in the Pauline corpus. Near the end of his two-year detention in Rome, the apostle was anticipating probable release (Philem. 22; Phil. 1:19, 25-26; 2:24). That he did stand trial before Caesar is presupposed by the divine promise of Acts 27:24, and Paul later speaks of his “first defense” and deliverance (2 Tim. 4:16-17).
It would appear that he did in fact regain his freedom and traveled to places like Macedonia, Greece, Asia Minor, Crete, and possibly also to Spain (1 Tim. 1:3; 3:14; Tit.1:5; 3:12; 2 Tim. 4:13, 20; cf. Philem. 22; Rom. 15:28). Imprisoned again at Rome, he writes his final apostolic manuscript as he anticipates imminent death (2 Tim. 1:16-17; 2:9; 4:6-8). According to early and consistent tradition, during Nero’s reign Paul suffered martyrdom, which would have been no earlier than summer of 64 (when Nero’s hostilities against Christians began) and no later than summer of 68 (when Nero committed suicide).18
Spring 62 (the close of the Acts narrative and completion of the prison epistles) would be the earliest possibility for Paul’s release from his first incarceration in the imperial city. His second Roman imprisonment and subsequent death would be no later than summer 68, allowing up to six years for further travels, evangelistic endeavors, and writing projects.
Prior to his initial arrival in Rome, he had expressed his desire to take the gospel as far west as Spain, soliciting the support of the Roman Christians (Rom. 15:23-29). Although unforeseen circumstances altered the original plan, it is entirely possible that he went on to achieve this goal. It would have taken less than a week to sail from Italy to Spain. Clement of Rome, near the end of the first century, affirms that Paul preached the gospel in the extreme west of the Roman Empire, which at the time would have included Spain (I Clement 5.1-7). The second-century Muratorian Fragment (lines 38-39) and Acts of Peter take Paul’s Spanish journey for granted, as do the fourth-century testimonies of Cyril of Jerusalem and John Chrysostom.
----------- End of Excursus -----------
A Prayer Request and Prayer Wish
“I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen” (Romans 15:30-33).
Aware of the inevitable challenges ahead, the confidence expressed in the previous verses now submits to the divine will. Paul was a firm believer in and practitioner of prayer (cf. 1:9-10),19 often requesting the prayers of his “brothers” (incl. sisters) for him and his work.20 Here the “appeal” [παρακαλῶ] (cf. 12:1; 16:17)21 is “through” [διά] “our Lord Jesus Christ,” and “through” [διά] “the love of the Spirit,”22 recalling the intercessory function of both (cf. 8:26-27, 34), and directed “to God.”23 Seeing that “love” [ἀγάπη]24 is listed among the “fruit” (note καρπός, v. 28) “of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22), this and other spiritual traits “are the consequence of the self-forgetfulness that looks away from itself to God.”25
Paul is asking that the Roman brethren not only pray for him but “to strive together with” [συναγωνίσασθαί]26 him in prayer, indicative of the fervency with which Jesus prayed.27 “What Paul asks is that they should join him in striving with all their might—in wrestling as it were—against the hostile forces which would frustrate his apostolic work.”28 The threefold petition is:
o “that I may be delivered [ῥυσθῶ]29 from the unbelievers in Judea” – answered affirmatively by God, as Paul was in fact delivered from unbelieving, antagonistic Jews (Acts 21:33-34; cf. 20:3, 22-23), although not without a great deal of distress and suffering. As a result of his arrest in Jerusalem, accompanied by violence and threats, he was sent to Caesarea (spending two years in prison) before heading to Rome.
o “that my service [διακονία]30 for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints” – answered with a resounding “yes,” as the brethren in Jerusalem received Paul gladly and rejoiced in his ministry (Acts 21:17-20a). However, his service was not accepted unconditionally. While numerous Jews in Jerusalem had come to believe in Christ, many of them viewed Paul with suspicion, as though he were a traitor to his nation and his cultural heritage. His effectiveness and influence among them, therefore, were compromised by this misguided perception. To show he had not completely forsaken his people or his past, Paul agreed to carry out a customary ritual in the temple (vv. 20-26). But his attempt to please his Jewish kinsmen led to further complications: falsely accused, dragged out of the temple, and nearly beaten to death by Jewish antagonists (vv. 27-33).
o “that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company” (cf. 1:8-15). Apparently it was according to “God’s will” (cf. 1:10; 8:27), as Paul went on to safely arrive in Rome, although as a prisoner in chains following a number of near-death experiences (Acts 27:1–28:16). Whether his arrival was “with joy” might be debatable, but his prayer to “be refreshed in your company”31 did in fact eventuate (Acts 28:15-16; cf. Phil. 1:12-14, 18).
No doubt Paul desired that his service to the Jerusalem saints would be received without reservation, but it was not. He likely would have wanted his deliverance from unbelievers to be void of pain and distress, but it was not. Surely he would rather have come to Rome as a free man, but he did not. Nevertheless, as a prisoner in Rome, looking back on these ordeals, Paul had to admit: “what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (Phil. 1:12). And in the same setting he further reflected: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21). God’s way may have been harder, but it was so much better.32
Paul’s request for prayer concludes with a petition of his own: “May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” This is the third prayer-wish of the chapter, the first offered to “the God of endurance and encouragement” (vv. 5-6), the second to “the God of hope” (v. 13), and here to “the God of peace [εἰρήνη]”33 (cf. 16:20). Christian peace begins with the presence of God in our lives (cf. 5:1; 15:13) and extends to relationships within the body of Christ and beyond (cf. 12:18; 14:19). On the concluding “Amen,” see also 1:25; 9:5; 11:36; 16:27.
--Kevin L. Moore
Endnotes:
1 Elsewhere in Paul see 2 Cor. 3:3; 8:19-20; 1 Tim. 3:10, 13; 2 Tim. 1:18; Philem. 13.
2 Also called “the service [διακονία] for the saints,” incl. “fellowship” [κοινωνία] and “ministry” [λειτουργία] in 2 Cor. 8:4; 9:1, 12-13 (cf. 1 Cor. 16:15; Phil. 2:30). In response to the proscriptive reading of these texts to affirm “saints only” benevolence, see K. L. Moore, “Non-institutionalism (Part 1): Church Benevolence,” Moore Perspective (6 Nov. 2019), <Link>. On the “poor” among the Jewish people, see also Matt. 11:5; 19:21; 26:9, 11; Mark 12:42-43; Luke 4:18; 6:20; 14:13, 21; 19:8; John 13:29; 2 Cor. 9:9; Gal. 2:10; Jas. 2:2-6.
3 Acts 24:17; Gal. 2:10; 1 Cor. 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 8–9. “Without being in any way indebted to one another, and each contributing some new element, all the different accounts fit and dovetail into one another, and thus imply that they are all historical” (W. Sanday and H. C. Headlam, Romans 413). See K. L. Moore, “The Sunday Collection,” Moore Perspective (25 March 2015), <Link>.
4 Acts 16:9–17:14; cf. 1 Cor. 16:5; 2 Cor. 8:1–9:7. Representatives of the Thessalonica and Berea congregations helped deliver the funds (Acts 20:4), and Luke may have represented the church at Philippi (Acts 16:12; 20:6; cf. 2 Cor. 8:18-19). The generosity of the Philippi saints is further highlighted in Phil. 1:5-7; 2:25-30; 4:10-19.
5 Acts 17:24; 18:18, 27; 19:21; Rom. 16:1; cf. 2 Cor. 1:1; 9:2.
6 1 Cor. 16:1; cf. Acts 13:14–16:6; 18:23; Gal. 1:2. Gaius of Derbe and Timothy of Lystra were part of the delegation that carried the funds to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4).
7 See Acts 20:4; 1 Cor. 16:1, 19. The Asian churches potentially included Troas, Ephesus, and perhaps Colosse, Laodicea, Hierapolis, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, and Philadelphia (Acts 19:1–20:12; Col. 1:2; 2:1; 4:13-16; Rev. 1–3). In Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians 11.3 (dated ca. 110), he indicates that when Paul wrote his letter to the Philippi saints around 62, the church did not yet exist in Smyrna.
8 This is the only time in Paul’s writings this verb applies to what other Christians are doing; elsewhere applicable to God (1 Cor. 1:21; 10:5; Gal. 1:15; Col. 1:19), to Paul and his immediate colleagues (2 Cor. 5:8; 12:10; 1 Thess. 2:8; 3:1), and once in a negative sense concerning those rejecting the truth (2 Thess. 2:12).
9 See also 2 Cor. 8:2-5, 12; 9:7; cf. Acts 11:29; 1 John 5:3.
10 Cognate with the noun λειτουργός (cf. v. 16), the verbal λειτουργέω occurs only three times in the NT, here and in Acts 13:2; Heb. 10:11. Note comparable terminology with respect to secular affairs (Rom. 13:6, 8).
11 The verbal κοινωνέω (to “share” or “participate in,” cf. also Rom. 12:13; Gal. 6:6; Phil. 4:15; 1 Tim. 5:22) “may be used either of the giver or of the receiver. The giver shares with the receiver by giving contributions … the receiver with the giver by receiving contributions, so here” (W. Sanday and H. C. Headlam, Romans 412).
12 Cf. 1 Cor. 9:11.
13 Paul has also used “fruit” [καρπός] imagery in Rom. 1:13; 6:21-23. See also Matt. 3:8, 10; 7:16-20; 12:33; 21:43; Luke 3:8-9; 6:43-44; 8:8; John 4:36; 12:24; 15:2-16; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 5:9; Phil. 1:11, 22; 4:17; Heb. 12:11; 13:15; Jas. 3:17, 18. To “seal” [σφραγίζω] is to place a mark of ownership (cf. Rom. 4:11; 2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30), acknowledging these contributed funds as “fruit” ultimately attributed to the divine source.
14 The same word is used of deceptive “praise” in Rom. 16:18.
15 The BMT and TR include τοῦ εὐαγγελίου (“of the gospel”) … (cf. Rom. 1:1, 9, 16; 2:16; 10:16; 11:28; 15:16, 19; 16:25).
16 See K. L. Moore, “What Happened After Acts?” in Entrusted with the Faith, ed. D. Y. Burleson (Delight, AR: Gospel Light, 2018): 79-82.
17 Although weighty attention in Luke’s writings is given to Jerusalem, nothing is said of the fall of Jerusalem (summer of 70), presumably because it had not yet occurred. There is no mention of the Neronian persecution (64-68), even though the story of Acts ends in Rome. While Luke tells of the martyrdoms of both Stephen and the apostle James (Acts 7:57-60; 12:2), there is no record of the death of the Lord’s brother James (who was killed in Jerusalem in the summer of 62), even though he is a prominent figure in Acts (1:14; 12:17; 15:13; 21:18). Despite Luke’s long-time relationship with Paul, he betrays no knowledge of the apostle’s letters or even mentions that Paul wrote letters. While this raises some intriguing questions, the further in history Luke-Acts is chronologized the more inexplicable this becomes. By the mid-60s the Pauline writings were recognized (at least from Asia Minor to Rome) as a well-known collection and regarded as scripture (2 Pet. 3:15-16).
18 See Tacitus, Annals 15.38-44; Suetonius, Life of Nero 16.2; Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 3.1.3; 2.25.1-8; I Clement 5.1-7; the Acts of Paul; the Acts of Peter; and John Chrysostom, Oppugnatores Vitae Monasticae 1.3.
19 See also Eph. 1:16; Phil. 1:3-4; Col. 1:9-12; 1 Thess. 1:2; 3:10; 2 Thess. 1:11.
20 Cf. 2 Cor. 1:11; Eph. 6:19-20; Phil. 1:19; Col. 4:3, 4; 1 Thess. 5:25; 2 Thess. 3:1-2; Philem. 22.
21 The παρακαλέω (“I appeal”) formula serves a transitional function in Paul’s writings, with a change of subject and often disclosing the main purpose of the letter (D. E. Aune, NT Literary Environment 188).
22 Paul’s allusions to “love” in conjunction with the “spirit” [πνεῦμα] could refer to the human spirit from which love emanates (cf. Rom. 1:9; 8:16b; 12:11; note also 1:4; 2:29; 7:6; 8:10, 15).
23 Cf. Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2; John 15:16; 16:23; Eph. 1:3; 3:14; 5:20; Col. 1:3; 3:17; Jas. 1:5. See K. L. Moore, “May We Pray to Jesus?” Moore Perspective (21 Nov. 2014), <Link>.
24 Here Paul speaks of the love of the Spirit; elsewhere in Romans the love of God (5:5, 8; 8:39), of Christ (8:35), and toward one another (12:9; 13:10; 14:15).
25 C. K. Barrett, Freedom and Obligation 77. Comparing the “works of the flesh” and “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:19-23), “the different contents of the two lists likewise suggest a contrast between activity and character. Where the one list breathes an air of anxious self-assertiveness and frenetic self-indulgence, the other speaks more of concern for others, serenity, resilience and reliability. The first list is all about human manipulation of others for selfish ends, the second all about the divine enabling and engracing which brings about a transformation from inside out, from character to conduct” (J. D. G. Dunn, Theology of Galatians 111).
26 The verbal συναγωνίζομαι, a hapax legomenon in the Greek NT, is a combination of σύν (“with”) + ἀγωνίζομαι (to “struggle,” “strive,” “contend”), the latter used in Luke 13:24; John 18:36; 1 Cor. 9:25; Col. 1:29; 1 Tim. 4:10; 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7.
27 Matt. 26:36-44; Luke 22:44; Heb. 5:7. On the textual variation of Luke 22:43-44, which UBS5/NA28 enclose in double square brackets, see P. W. Comfort, A Commentary on the Text and Manuscripts of the NT 235-36; B. M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek NT (2nd ed.) 151. Nevertheless, unlike other textual variants, this passage does not depend on parallel accounts or provide an explanation to the narrative. As a physician Luke would surely have an interest in bloody sweat, and angelic activity is thematic in his writings (Luke 1:11-19, 26-38; 2:9-13, 15, 21; 4:10; 9:26; 12:8-9; 15:10; 16:22; 20:36; [22:43]; 24:23; Acts 5:19; 6:15; 7:30, 35, 38, 53; 8:26; 10:3, 7, 22; 11:13; 12:7-11, 15, 23; 23:8-9; 27:23).
28 J. Denney, “Romans” 717; “for all prayer is a spiritual wrestling against opposing powers” (W. Sanday and H. C. Headlam, Romans 415).
29 The verb ῥύομαι, rendered here “delivered” (ESV), “rescued” (NASB), “kept safe” (NIV), always applies in the NT, often in conjunction with prayer, to divine rescuing: in Romans, cf. also 7:24-25; 11:26; elsewhere in Paul, 2 Cor. 1:10-11; Col. 1:13; 1 Thess. 1:10; 2 Thess. 3:1-2; 2 Tim. 3:11; 4:17-18; and outside of Paul, Matt. 6:13; 27:43; Luke 1:74; [11:4, BMT/TR]; 2 Pet. 2:7, 9.
30 Cf. also Rom. 11:13; 12:7; descriptive of the particular service of benevolence in 2 Cor. 5:18; 8:4; 9:1, 12-13; cf. Acts 11:29.
31 The compound συναναπαύομαι is a hapax legomena in the Greek NT, a combination of σύν (“with”) + ἀναπαύω (to “give rest” or “refresh”); cf. 1 Cor. 16:18; 2 Cor. 7:13; Philem. 7, 20.
32 If Paul’s service in Jerusalem had been accepted unconditionally (as he wanted), the chain of events which eventually took him to Rome likely would not have occurred, and consequently so many would have missed out on the Lord’s great blessings through the ministry of this dedicated apostle. The point is, Paul's prayers were answered by God, not necessarily the way he wanted, but obviously so much better than he even knew how to ask!
33 In Romans the noun εἰρήνη occurs in 1:7; 2:10; 3:17; 5:1; 8:6; 14:17, 19; 15:13, 33; 16:20; verbal εἰρηνεύω in 12:18.
Related Posts: Rom 15:14-16, Paul's Apostolic Ministry (Part 2), Romans 16
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