Paul’s Plans for Future Ministry

Transcript

GR 2270
4/11/21
Paul’s Plans for Future Ministry
Romans 15:22-23
Gil Rugh

We’re going to the book of Romans, chapter 15. Chapter 15. We’ve made our way through this rather long book. It’s a great book to have fixed in your mind. I’ve shared with you, I’ve been reading how some believers, in the face of impending persecution, would take it upon themselves to memorize portions of the word of God, and they would delegate different portions to different believers, so if there came a time when they would not have access to a Bible, they could bring the Bible before the people and could consider it together. Each would have their portions of Scripture that they memorized. So you might want to memorize the book of Romans. If you get done with that, you could memorize Isaiah and a couple of the other books as well.

We’re in chapter 15, and Paul has completed the main body of the letter, as we would identify it, and in verses 14 down through verse 21, he has talked about the ministry that God gave him. So that’s what’s been the focus of the book—carrying the gospel. That’s Paul’s primary, driving passion. He’s going to talk further about that, and carrying the gospel to the Gentiles. That was a new dimension in God’s work in the world. Before Paul, the Jews were the focus. That begins to change in the book of Acts. Remember Paul gets converted in chapter 9 of Acts. Peter goes to the house of Cornelius and for the first time, we have the gospel brought to the Gentiles as a separate people. Then with chapter 13 of Acts, Paul begins his ministry, and the focal point of Scripture turns to the Apostle Paul because God is establishing a new entity, the church. It began in Acts chapter 2, but the scope of what God was now doing was not realized until Peter takes the gospel to the Gentiles. He’ll be the apostle focusing on the Jews, but God used him to open the door to the Gentiles and then Paul picks up that ministry. So he talks about the importance of that. You have to appreciate Paul’s focus on what God had committed him to do, and his life is built around that. You’ll see more of that even as we proceed. He said that God’s grace, a special grace given to Paul and the gift given to him, according to the end of verse 15 of chapter 15, ”the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles.” And I act as a priest between God and men. That’s what a priest did. He stood between God and men. Paul was there, having received the gospel from God to bring it to the Gentiles primarily. We see him ministering to Jews as well, but the focus of his life, the consuming passion, was to bring that gospel to the Gentiles. He wanted to go to the parts of the Gentiles that had not heard before, and that becomes key in this section as he wraps this up, that we’re going to look at this evening. He hadn’t been to Rome yet because there was a church in Rome, and that being the case, they didn’t need Paul like other parts of the Gentile world who hadn’t heard the gospel, had believers brought together and established a church.

So verse 20 of Romans 15, he said, “And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation.” Others were entrusted with that. The teachers would be, and so on. But for Paul, he had that unique drive, “I have to go to tell people who haven’t heard, where the gospel’s not been taken yet”. Obviously, even places where the gospel had come. We’re studying the book of Ephesians and Paul had carried the gospel there, but he repeats and follows up on that. That’s what he’s doing with the letter to the Ephesian church, and the other letters as well. So he just doesn’t drop them, but his passion is to open the door in new places. He applies to himself that Old Testament passage from Isaiah. Romans 15:21, “They who had no news of Him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand.” Paul says that applies to me. It wasn’t particularly a prophecy of Paul, but he says that’s applicable to me and what I am doing.

So he’s leading in, verse 22, where we’re going to pick up. He picks up on that point. “For this reason.” He refers back to verses 20 and 21. “For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you.” Why? Because I aspired to preach the gospel where it had not been preached, and that those who had never heard would hear. So every time one of those opportunities presented itself, that meant I wouldn’t be going to Rome. But again, Paul appreciates the importance of the Romans being established in the gospel; he wrote this whole letter, which is the fullest detailed explanation of the gospel. So the work that God was doing was not done, but Paul’s unique ministry and emphasis wasn’t needed there in the same way. So “for this reason I have been prevented from coming to you, but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had, for many years, a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while—” You see Paul goes along. Even going to Rome, he can’t say I’m looking forward to coming to Rome and just focusing… I’ll be seeing you on the way because you know what I’ve found? An opportunity beyond Rome. So to get to where I really want to go, I’ll be passing by Rome, so I’ll stop there for a little while. You see Paul just keeps that focus—Spain. Nobody’s taken the gospel to Spain. That’s what I’m going to do. And since I am consumed with going where the gospel has never been, to get to Spain, I’ll be going by Rome, so I’ll visit you. So that’s what he’s talking about. He’s had the desire to come for many years, back in verse 19, the end of the verse, in that he has preached the gospel. He’s talking about what God has accomplished through him in preaching the gospel, verse 18. Verse 19, the power that accompanies his ministry, “So that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel.” Now obviously if we had gone there, we’d say that some of these churches are pretty small, and there’s a lot yet to be done. But once Paul had led a group to Christ, and a church was established, it was then their responsibility to be a light, and the word would emanate out from them. So he’s not saying he saturated that area, necessarily. It’s a unique ministry, obviously, because there’s the building ministry that goes on.

So verse 23, he sees no place because he’s covered that whole region. At least enough of the major areas have heard the gospel, a church has been established, he’s writing, remember, from Corinth. He’s visiting the church in Corinth there. He’s written this letter to the Romans, anticipating his going there although he’s going to divert from that, as he’s going to explain. So there’s no further place for me in these regions. I’ve had for many years a longing to come and see you, but Rome is a major center, and Paul desires to come to see them.

Come back to chapter 1 of Romans. He mentioned this as he began this extensive letter. Romans 1, verse 11. “For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established,” strengthened. So again, there’s work to be done there. I have had a desire to come, and then he further balances that. It’s not just my ministry to you, but verse 12, “That is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far).” So he’s really picked up those opening comments now as he’s wrapping up, to remind them. Paul had a love for bringing the gospel, and he had a love for believers. He said it’d be mutually beneficial because Paul realized when he’s with those believers in Rome, it’s going to be an encouragement to him, and a reminder of God’s grace. Even though he didn’t establish the church in Rome, the gospel has been preached there and there is a church of believers and we’ll fellowship together and that’ll be great, and as an apostle, I’ll be used of God to impart gifts to you. So it’ll be a growing, strengthening ministry.

Back in chapter 15. He’s going to fulfill a long-term desire, and verse 24, “Whenever I go to Spain.” Now you’re going to Spain. That’s his plan. We don’t know if Paul ever did get to Spain because as he’s going to explain, he’s going to leave Corinth and not go to Rome, but he’s going to go not west, but east. He’s going back to Jerusalem because he has another mission to do. Then he’ll go, hopefully, to Rome, and then to Spain, but things are going to get altered because he’s going to end up in Rome. As we know, the book of Acts, it’s a different plan. When he goes to Rome, it won’t be traveling to Spain. He will be a prisoner of Rome who is being transported to Rome, but we’re a little ahead… You can see Paul’s thinking here, and again, you see the plans, but God is sovereign. There’s a plan here; Paul will be going to Rome, but it won’t be his plan in getting there. It will be God’s plan.

Whenever I go to Spain, “For I hope to see you in passing.” I love the way he puts it. It’s still not a focal point in my trip. I’ll see you in passing, and I hope “to be helped on my way there by you.” So a little hint here. You can help fund my ministry to Spain because remember, when Paul carried the gospel to a new area, he did not accept gifts from those people. The Corinthian church is a good example. His ministry comes under attack. Well, he doesn’t want anybody to be able to say the reason he came and preached the gospel to you was because he wanted your money. Now from among saved people he expects they understand the opportunity to support his ministry. So there’s a church in Rome, even though he hasn’t been there. He hopes that they’ll see the gospel being carried to Spain by him is worthy of their sharing in that. If not, what did Paul do? He went as a leather worker. Remember we call him a tent maker, but the word’s probably broader than that—a worker in leather. He had a skill. When he would go into a new area, if he didn’t have the resources, he would look for a job. There’s a business operating here; you could be used there. But obviously, if he has gifts from believers, he can be freer. So that’s what he’s talking about here. “I hope…to be helped on my way there by you.” And then Paul just has that balance. “When I have first enjoyed your company for a while.” So I’m not just coming to get something from you. We’re back to what he said earlier. You know, I want to share a gift with you, and I’ll be encouraged with you, as we saw in chapter 1. You’ll contribute to me with encouragement, and then I’ll come to you and I’ll be sharing truth with you, like this great letter. He brings a depth of the gospel and God’s sovereign plan in this letter. Hopefully, that will give them a greater appreciation for Paul and when he comes, they’ll be looking forward to sharing in his ministry. They already will from this letter. We’re sharing in it 2,000 years later. Think of the church at Rome, as this was read to them, that the Apostle Paul would take the time to prepare and have a letter written from him and sent to them. You know, this had to be written on parchment or vellum, animal skin. It’s not as easy as we would do it today. So they should have a great appreciation for Paul and anticipate his coming. But I love the balance he puts. “I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company.” I mean, there is a mutuality that comes across that would help them anticipate his coming.

“But now,” now here, I’m not going to Spain now. He’s in Corinth, so I’m not going to go from here to there. I’m going to go back because I’m doing something very important. And here you see a balance in Paul’s ministry. Going to new areas is not the only thing he did. Look at how much of our New Testament is made up of letters he has written to established churches. They’re already established, either by him or as the church at Rome, by others. And it was worth his time and attention to write those letters, so he just didn’t go… I only do one thing. I go to new areas, share the gospel, no. He has a broader ministry, and this, it seems, is this that important? “I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints.” So this is an important ministry. I’m serving the saints and going to Jerusalem. What’s he doing? He’s taking an offering back to Jerusalem, and it’s so important he just doesn’t send it back with one of his workers. You know, I think, well boy, I could send this back with one of the workers that are traveling with me, and I’m a lot further along because you know, you have to do it by boat or ship, and that’s going to be its own disaster, as we know from the book of Acts. There’s a danger using sailing ships, and boats sink, and this isn’t just an easy trip, like I’m going to catch a plane shortly, and then I’ll get another plane and we go like we travel today. You’re talking about time-consuming dangerous trips. But I’m going to Jerusalem serving the saints. Why? “For Macedonia and Achaia.” He’s writing from Corinth, which is in southern Greece. These are the two provinces—Macedonia and Achaia. Philippi and Thessalonica are in the northern province. Then you come down into Achaia and you come to Corinth. Well, Paul has been in these places as he has journeyed over and come from Asia Minor and he’s been taking a collection. This is important. Two full chapters of Scripture are devoted to this offering, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. You can read those; we develop principles of our own giving from what he says about giving in those chapters. We’re not going to get into the details there, but when he was there, he collected this offering. Again, he had it done before he arrived. Paul was very sensitive that there would not be any misunderstandings that he was out for money. So he had, again, associates go over. He prepares the way with letters, and they would collect the offering so that when he comes, the offering was already gathered. He would just, along with those who traveled with him, and he would like some representatives from the church at Corinth to go with him, because it’s giving that they had done. It’s important; all these things to be sure that things are handled in a way that his ministry does not get compromised. Remember, the false teachers were following Paul around, and they were in it for the money. Paul is extremely careful that he not be in any way liable to any accusations.

So those in Macedonia and Achaia “have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.” We just ought to note, that word “contribution” is not primarily a money word. It’s the Greek word koinonia. Some of you are old enough you remember when koinonia was a popular word. Small groups, like our home Bible studies, were usually called koinonia groups because they were fellowship groups where people shared together in common. We get together. It’s our fellowship. It’s a word that would be translated “fellowship.” So he uses the word “serving” the saints, they have been pleased to make a “fellowship” for the poor. Obviously it is a contribution, it’s money. But it’s a word that would connect them together. This is something that shows we are in this together, it is part of our fellowshipping. We’re not in the same church. It is for the saints in Jerusalem. Now there were poor saints in Greece. Thessalonica had to deal with poverty because when Jews became believers, when Gentiles became believers, that had an impact. They could lose their job. We saw that at Ephesus as you move over to Asia Minor, but preaching the gospel and people getting saved threatened the livelihood of the silversmiths. We can’t have that. Well that meant jobs could be shut down to anyone who would not be a worshipper of Artemis. That was true in the pagan world. The gods, small “g,” were part of the political situation, the commercial situation so when people became believers they are shut down. We could see how that can happen. It can happen in our own country as we see things that happen. There is no room for that kind of thinking. That is hateful. We don’t want to be identified with that so you either shut your testimony down, go underground, you pretend you’re not, so these things aren’t options. So there were poor in Greece but Paul is taking a collection not for the poor wherever he finds them, not even poor believers, not that he would be opposed to helping them. There are other scriptures that would indicate that, but this has a special purpose. This is for the saints in Jerusalem.

Now Jerusalem was where the church began, Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost. That’s where the apostles were headquartered. When persecution began under Paul in the book of Acts and believers were scattered out of Jerusalem we are told the apostles remained headquartered in Jerusalem. That becomes the center of the church. Remember when there’s a doctrinal debate in Acts chapter 15 we have the Jerusalem council because Paul and others are going to gather in Jerusalem where the apostles, Peter, James, John, and the other apostles are headquartered because they maintain an authority in the new church that has been established to settle the doctrinal disputes.

So Paul is taking this and he has a second goal. It is important that the Jews and the Jewish church in Jerusalem know that the Gentiles see themselves joined with these Jewish believers. Paul is very careful, we don’t want to start a Jewish church and a Gentile church. In this time of transition where the church will become with time Gentile and we see that in the letters written to the Ephesians, the Colossians, the Philippians, and move over other places, Rome, but important that we don’t end up with a Jewish church and a Gentile church. The Gentiles, by taking this offering because the Jews in Jerusalem have experienced intense persecution. What’s going to happen to Paul when he takes this money back to Jerusalem? The Jews are going to act so that Paul ends up getting arrested. It was a difficult place to be a believer. The church was more impoverished. How does a Jew get a job in a Jewish city like Jerusalem when he’s claiming to worship the rejected Jewish Messiah who was crucified and raised from the dead? All of a sudden, what do you do to make a living? To pay the bills? To put food on the table? So when Paul takes this offering back to Jerusalem it is a statement to the Jews that we Gentiles are in this with you. We’re Greeks but we’re one in Christ so it’s part of keeping the church together. It’s not to be divided. We ought not to be making churches along racial lines and other lines. Paul’s concerned about this. We don’t have a church for the slaves and a church for the masters. They have to learn there’s something more foundational and important.

So, this an especially focused offering. It’s for the saints in Jerusalem. They have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. That same word “contribution,” koinonia” is used in chapter 8 and chapter 9, 2 Corinthians 8:4, 2 Corinthians 9:13. We won’t turn there but if you are interested in what particular verses are. Paul wants to be clear here that they were pleased to do this. Paul doesn’t want them to think, yeah Paul went out there and he pressured the Gentile churches to do this. He mentions in verse 26, “Macedonia and Achaia,” meaning the believers in these two provinces of Greece, “have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.”

Verse 27, “Yes they were pleased to do so.” I want you to know this came out of their desire, the desire of their hearts. They see themselves as believers and the importance now, Paul is going to transition, that the Jews are to the Gentile believers. Verse 27, they are indebted to them. They wanted to do it, they desired to do it, but they were also obligated to do it. It wouldn’t have been right for them not to. Why? “For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.” That word “shared,” “if the Gentiles have shared,” is our word koinonia again. So you see how Paul under the direction of the Spirit has brought this together? The Gentiles are going to share fellowship with these Jews in a financial way because they have been impoverished because of their faith in Christ. But this is not just a one way sharing because really these Gentiles have shared in the spiritual things of the Jews. So if the Gentiles have shared, fellowshipped in their spiritual things they are indebted to minister to them and their material things. The spiritual things, obviously, go back to the Jews are the foundation.

We’ve seen this in Romans. Come back to Romans chapter 4. We’ll pick up with verse 16. “For this reason it is by faith in order that it may be in accordance with grace.” Faith and grace, faith and grace, “so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, all the seed. Not only to those who are of the Law,” which would be the Jews, “but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all.” Where does the salvation promises go back to? They go back to the Abrahamic covenant and Abraham. In the covenant God made with Abraham “all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” The New Covenant comes out of the Abrahamic Covenant, the fulfillment of its salvation promises among other things. So, we have experienced Jewish blessings that he is talking about. Verse 17, still in Romans 4, “as it is written the father of many nations I have made you,” down through verse 18 that reminder.

Come over to chapter 11 of Romans, verse 17 “but if some of the branches were broken off,” and remember the Abrahamic covenant is the central tree here and the branches that were broken off, the Jews and the Gentiles being wild olive. They weren’t originally part of it. We are grafted in and we benefit from the rich root of the olive tree. What God had promised in covenant that cannot be broken with Abraham. A reminder the Gentiles ought not to be arrogant against the Jews. Salvation ultimately came us to Gentiles how? Through the Jewish Messiah who gave His life the sacrifice for the world.

Verse 18 if you are still in chapter 11 of Romans, “do not be arrogant toward the branches because they were broken off for if you are arrogant remember it’s not you who supports the root but the root supports you.” Remember your spiritual father is Abraham. That’s true for all of us. that doesn’t mean the church has replaced the Jews. The covenant from the beginning included that Abraham would be a father in a spiritual way to all the nations and all the nations would be blessed in him with salvation. So don’t be arrogant Gentiles.

This tension was especially strong with the Jews and the Gentiles because the devil hates the Jews and the tension that is there. Now you’re going to put these two people, remember when Peter went and shared the gospel because of direct revelation from God in a vision, with the Gentiles and the apostles in Jerusalem heard that he had been at a Gentile house preaching the gospel in chapter 11 they call Peter on the carpet and say what were you doing in the house of a Gentile like that? So you realize this was a time of adjustment. We want to be careful that we realize God’s intention is to break down those barriers now. As a nation the Jews are still God’s chosen nation. The only chosen nation in that special place. But the work that God is doing in the church now is binding Jew and Gentile of all kinds together. Paul is concerned about that and that the Gentiles understand that foundation.

Come back to chapter 15. So that’s why he can say they have been indebted. He talks about that more in Galatians chapter 3 as well but we won’t go over there for time. We want to remember Paul is a Jew. God has picked a Jew to be the one to carry the gospel to the Gentiles. Isn’t it interesting He did that when He’s going to start a church that’s going to focus primarily on Gentiles as the original branches are broken off in the analogy there, why didn’t He take one of the original converts out of the Gentiles? Interesting He chooses a Jew who is a Jew of the Jews as Paul would see himself. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees but he’s going to the Gentiles. As we get to Ephesians chapter 2 we see that God is breaking down the barrier between the Gentile and the Jew to bring them together in one body. That’s true of all races of all strata. That’s why Paul is here concerned. He wants the Gentiles to appreciate the importance of this offering to the Jews. It is so important that Paul is going to be delivering it personally back to the Jews. That will create some challenges for him along the way.

They are indebted to the Jews. They have benefited spiritually so he’s not just taking an offering for needy Jews. You see this on tv commercials. Whatever you think of that, that’s not what Paul is talking about. He’s talking about the saints. He’s serving the saints in Jerusalem, verse 25. So, it’s not that we should do all these things for the Jews. He’s concerned about the Jewish believers. Again, this is especially important at this foundational time because Paul is over in Greece. Churches have been established in Greece, Thessalonica, Philippi, Corinth. Are they just going to go their way? No these have to be connected back to the apostles in Jerusalem because the apostles are part of the foundation of the church. It’s their teaching, their doctrine, the letters that Peter write are part of our New Testament. We Gentiles benefit from that so we have to keep it together. They were pleased to do so. They are indebted to do so, verse 27. This is part of the sharing together. We share in their spiritual things and they are sharing in our material things Paul is saying to the Greeks. “Therefore, when I have finished this and put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.” There’s nothing wrong with planning but as we say, James reminds, you do it if the Lord wills. You don’t find Paul bemoaning that, oh boy, I should have just gone to Rome. I should have sent someone else with that offering. He’s doing day by day what he thinks God would have him do. Then when things don’t go as he planned, what does he say? This is what the Lord has for him. He’s going to be shipwrecked, he’s going to get to Jerusalem and he’s going to get arrested. I’ve got ministry to do. I’ve got work to do, now I’m arrested. We’re not talking about a few days until he gets bailed out. We’re talking about a couple of years here. This trip is all part of what God has planned for him and what Paul has to do to be faithful.

So when I’ve “put my seal on this fruit of theirs,” when Paul goes back to Jerusalem he’s already been recognized there with the apostles. We’ve been through this. They’ve recognized him in the Jerusalem council and his ministry to the Gentiles, so it is important Paul brings this back. The Jews there realize Paul is not out starting his own ministry in Gentiles places. We are fellowshipping together. There is one church as we talk about universal comprised of all believers everywhere, so crucial at this beginning time.

Verse 29, “I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.” Paul never doubts that God will work His plan and he will come to them. He’ll come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ but Rome will be paying the fare because he will be being transported under the guard and protection of Roman soldiers. He comes by way of shipwreck and cast up on an island and all these things going. I don’t know that I would have done it that way. Wouldn’t it have been better if Paul had just taken the offering and the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and the church there said oh, it’s so wonderful to see the fellowship we have with the Gentiles and their love for us and concern for us and that draws us out to love them. And then Paul could have got on the next ship and headed off, stop in Rome, and got to Spain. That’s the way I would have done it. We have to be careful, in our own lives personally. We sometimes think when things seem to go array, we’re floating around on the broken pieces of a ship and we don’t think that’s the best plan. That was God’s plan. That means it was the best plan, right? Well when the shipwrecks come to my life, and I don’t want to spiritualize the Word, but you know what I’m saying. I need to think that way. Paul’s not floating around waiting and thinking where’s God? He already told them when the ship was in danger, the Lord is with me. He told me here’s what’s going to happen and what you have to do. You have to love the stability there is when a person is confident that God is in charge. I can do it. The ship is going down. That’s right. Let me tell you what it’s going to be. That confidence we have. I know when I come to you I will come in the fullness of God’s blessing. In one way he’s right. He didn’t misunderstand. God’s intention for him is to be in Rome and he will be there. A little differently than he planned but he will be there.

Now he’s going to wrap this up, this chapter up as we have it. “Now I urge you brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is strong exhortation here, “I urge you, brethren.” Fellow believers, fellow members of God’s family, by our Lord Jesus Christ, by the love of the Spirit.” This is something intense for Paul. I want you to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me. Paul was always aware of his need of God. It is a danger when God uses you. You want to be careful that we don’t develop a self-confidence. Paul here has just written this great doctrinal treatise, the letter to the Romans, but now with this exhortation, “I urge you brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, by the love of the Spirit.” The love that the Spirit of God produces in you for me. And what he’s talking about, strive together with me. This is a way they can be part of Paul’s ministry today, as they are reading this letter. That word strive together, we get the English word, agonize from this word. We just transliterate it over into English. It’s something intense. That it takes energy, it’s draining. For Paul, it wasn’t just something he said, Lord bless, he just wanted to say, pray, Lord bless Paul, give him a good day, amen. He wants them to wrestle, to get into the battle ground of agonizing together with me, in prayer for me. We mentioned earlier today, the greatest thing you can do is pray. We can pray for one another. We can do that wherever we are. We don’t know everything that’s coming, but if we’re praying for one another, God answers those prayers. Well, you know, He’s sovereign, He does what He will. We’re in an area, where we talked about the purpose of God is within Himself. Why my prayers make a difference, why your prayers make a difference, why the prayers for Paul make a difference, Paul’s a man who received direct revelation from God. He was transported to the third heaven. He didn’t know weather he did that bodily or vision, he wat there and saw things so awesome that God said he couldn’t record them. He needs my prayers? He needs the prayers of these Romans? I don’t know what they could add. I don’t need to know. Jesus said, you have not because you ask not.

Paul knew it was important that people pray for him. Most important thing, I would say we can do for each other is pray. Pray for our ministry together. We just take it for granted. No, I want you to agonize together with me. Paul is agonizing in prayer, I want you to agonize with me. Praying for me. And there are specific things that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea. He’s going back with his offering because he thinks it’s important in the ministry to do. But he realizes going back into Judea is a dangerous place to be. The Jews are after him. You’re going back into the center of Judaism. He experienced the opposition of the Jews out of the Gentile world. He knew that danger awaited him. The disobedient, rebellious Jews. Believing Jews, that’s great. And I also want you to pray, not only that the Lord will give me protection, but that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints. These are delicate times. What if Paul goes through all of this, the Greeks take their offering and then the Jews in Jerusalem, I don’t think we want money from the Gentiles. Remember there was a touchiness that Peter even went to the house of Cornelius. What if they say, we don’t take Gentile money? That could have been money that was connected with pagan worship. Money that was defiled and defiling. We don’t depend on Gentiles. Paul is concerned. Even among believers you sometimes don’t know, how will they respond? How will they react? Will they accept this in the spirit that it’s given? That my service for Jerusalem, for the saints will be acceptable?

Well, of course they give money. There are believers that have a hard time taking a gift graciously. We want to be careful. But here there is this issue, boy if the Jews in Jerusalem respond that way to the Gentile offering, how will I repair that? This is not an overnight trip, this is not a phone call. We’re in Greece here, now we’re going to go all the way back to Jerusalem. That’s just not an easy trip. What if the Jews reject it? That’s why Paul felt it important that he’d be there to put his seal of approval on it. It’s just not the Gentiles expressing their superiority. We’re going to help those poor, needy Jewish believers. We have plenty, we’ll give them something. Are they going to look at it that way? Where would the church be with that kind of division at the beginning? So, Paul wants you to pray about it. It’s the best thing to do, pray about it. And pray that the Lord will prepare them to receive it graciously, with appreciation. It was important that he expresses that they’ve given it that way. They were pleased to do it. They wanted to fellowship in this way. The bringing it together. Verse 31, my ministry, my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God. You know James, if God so wills.

You know all of this, with the plans Paul has, the concerns he has for what’s going to happen along the way, but it’s all by the will of God. He’s the one who understands His sovereignty. We’re just working through chapter 1 of Ephesians, we learn sovereignty from him. He was the physical instrument to write Romans 9 that talks about sovereignty. And that didn’t cause him to hold back in prayer. We ought to be intense about prayer. We have to strive together in prayer. And this will all be by the will of God. I don’t have to put it together, He says, come and bring your requests before the throne of grace, as Hebrews puts it. We’re welcome. Pray for one another. Verse 32, that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find rest. We have the word, refreshing there, find refreshing rest in your company. Again, Paul benefits from all this. When he gets to Jerusalem, and the saints welcome the gift, won’t that be a, you know, when you’ve seen an answer to prayer and the Lord has done something, that encourages your heart. You’ve had an opportunity to minister in a way and people express their appreciation and you, ah, it’s just, it is refreshing. That sort of lifts you up to go again. Rest in your company.

Verse 33, Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Then he’s going to have some closing comments, which are important, they’re inspired. But you see, he’s sort of pulled this together. Now, the comments are added here and they bring truth from God. But the letter as the letter, the God of peace be with you. Paul’s concerned about that. He brings peace to the heart. He brings peace among God’s people. He’s the God of peace. And God’s people, Jew and Gentile, that are His children are not in peace, something is wrong. We’re back to what we talked about the sovereignty, putting it into practice. Appreciating that God brings peace among His people. And He’s going to bring it among the Jews in Jerusalem and the Gentiles in Corinth, in Greece. Why? Because He’s our God. We are bound together as brethren, one in Him. So, everything gets worked out on that level. Called the God of peace. That’s a repeated expression, we won’t look at all of them, but we have it, we’ll get it again down in verse 20 of chapter 16, the God of peace will crush Satan soon. Its in 2 Corinthians 13, Philippians 4, 1 Thessalonians 5, constant reminders, He’s the God of peace. And He brings peace to our heart. He brings peace to our relationship. The fruit of the Spirit is love, Joy, peace. The strife, the conflict, something is wrong. Paul is working, that doesn’t mean working to be careful that he does everything that he can to be sure that the conflict doesn’t take place. And where there is conflict, it has to be resolved.
Alright, let’s have a word of prayer, then I want to look into some other things with you.
Thank You Lord for Your word. Again, it is a clear word. It’s a word given, so that we could understand it as Your people. Not just understand it but understand it in a way that we are ready and willing to apply it. To apply it in the difficult situations and circumstances that You bring us into. So, that we might learn to grow and put it into practice. We need the trials, we need the challenges. But Lord we want to appreciate that You are sovereign. Thank You for the work You’ve done in our hearts. The work You’ve done in so many lives in so many places, for so long a time. And yet Lord, we are privileged in this time to be Your servants, Your church in this place. Being faithful to You. It’s our privilege and our honor. We commit ourselves to You to that end. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Questions:

I haven’t had many questions. I had one on my desk, I might have to do a little work on. So, if you have anything that you’d like me to address. I brought a book to read to you. I marked the places I’m going to read. So, it will be about 11:30, no, no. I just want to read a couple of sections. My concern is, there are constantly influences coming in who have called, for lack of a different word, you know every word gets corrupted over time. You know we call ourselves Christians, but what does that mean now? That’s a word that would encompass Protestants, Roman Catholics. When we were traveling in the Middle East, we had a guide who was a Palestinian which called himself a Christian. For him, that didn’t necessarily mean what it meant for us. I mean, he wasn’t Jewish and he wasn’t Muslim. And so words become generalized. The word Evangelical has come to that. And I’m concerned when I use that word. When I talk about Evangelical, they are supposed to be those who believe the bible is the word of God, in it’s entirety. We call it inerrant word of God. There’s a move away from this among those who claim to be believers, in the inerrancy of scripture. And the way they do this, they redefine inerrancy. And this is true in evangelical seminaries. And it comes through churches as well. So, I want to read you a couple of comments and these are from seminary professors, who’s book is bringing some of their writings. Particularly two seminaries. I might as well mention them, Denver Seminary which is in Denver. Craig Blomberg is the professor particularly referring to. There are others here. And then Dallas Seminary, a couple of professors there, Daryle Bock and Daniel Wallace. I’m just using them as an example. You’re probably most familiar with Dallas Seminary which has been a bullwork for the inerrancy of scripture and it’s trustworthiness. They get around this. Let’s start out with Blomberg from Denver Seminary. He comes with the idea, and they bring in, we have to examine the bible as an historic piece of literature. So, he brings in the idea, we need to interpret historic reliability in a broad way. So, here’s what he says. I’ll just read some of the statements he makes.

Might some passages in the gospels and Acts, traditionally thought of as historical actually be mythical or legendary? I see no way to exclude an answer like that a priority. I mean we can’t begin with that, that the gospels and Acts are historically accurate. They might be mythology. They might be legends. Another thing he says, Christians may not be able to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the gospels are historically accurate. But they must attempt to show that there is a strong likelihood of their historicity. What he is saying, and this is where some of you have taken some of the classes on neo-evangelicalism. Neo-evangelicalism, neo meaning new, the new evangelicalism, particularly came to the fore in the 1940’s. Schools like Fuller Seminary, George Elton Ladd, Carl HF Henry, some of the men, if you’ve studied it, there names are recognized. The idea was, we need to change, we want to move from what is called, fundamentalism. That narrow focus on the word of God. It’s absolute reliability, interpreting it literally. Being so narrow. Being, what do you say? Separatist, we’re too cut off from the world. So, their idea is, we need to get scholarly recognition. We want to maintain our commitment to the word of God but have the world recognize us as scholars. So, we have to interact with them and show that we are just as scholarly as they are. And that brought social action in. As long as we’re so narrow on the kingdom and interpret it literally, so we have to have a view of the kingdom that will allow us to be socially involved. Because the world expects us to show that we’re involved in the needs of the world. And it goes on like this.

Part of that becomes, we have to change our view of scripture. Because you can never get recognized as a scholar being so narrow and so closed minded. You can’t begin by saying the bible is the word of God. We have to say, we’re open to consider the evidence for that. And it’s premised on something that we talked about this morning. Which is what? The unbeliever is not neutral. The unbelieving world is, even in the scholarly world is not neutral. So, they don’t come to the word of God neutral. Well, we’re scholars, we will analyze it objectively. The unbeliever is a child of the Devil. There is no objectivity toward the biblical truth. And so, we begin to make adjustments according to their standards. So, that’s what he’s talking about. We ought to submit the gospels and Acts to their historical standards. So, we all have to look and see, well the miracles don’t have to be historical. Then they go the the writings of the times, because scholars have to examine everything. They say, well there are writings, they claim to be historical, but we know they are legends. Maybe the gospels were written to include that kind of stuff. And the people who wrote it knew that and the people who read it knew it. Our problem is, in our day, we expect a standard of accuracy that they didn’t. They understood styles of writings and so on. Well, pretty soon, you see what happens. The world is not evaluated through the scripture, now the scripture is being evaluated through the world. And the desire to be accepted as scholars pushes that way. It became somewhat common to talk about what goes on in government, as the swamp. I’m not getting into it, I’m not saying that was. But I think what we have in evangelicalism is the swamp. And we have such a mixture and corrupting influence that you have to be very careful. Here’s what Blomberg, he wrote a book with a professor from Brigham Young University. Most of you know Brigham Young University is a Mormon University. So, he wrote a book entitled, “How Wide the Divide, a Mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation”. Now, we have to be careful here. We share the gospel with the unbeliever. If we just make a conversation, we’re going to take what you have to offer and I’ll give you what I have to offer. No! Paul didn’t travel the world to have a conversation. So, this is where Blomberg is, he states. Many of us who were trained at seminaries that were vigorously engaged in labeling other historically evangelical seminaries, as no longer evangelical. And then went to the UK, United Kingdom for doctrinal study, found the breadth of British definitions of evangelicalism, and the comparative lack of polemical environment, like a breath of fresh air. Know what he’s saying? We went overseas to Britain and we studied under more liberal men, and that was like a breath of fresh air. And then we realize we shouldn’t be critical of seminaries that had departed from the doctrine they held and say they were no longer evangelical. You see what they’re doing? They’re coming back, you know what characterized evangelicalism? A denial of inerrancy, among other things. And what has happened to churches and that over there? It’s a waste land. What? In Britain, less than 5% of the population attends a church of any kind. And we want to go there to learn how broad we need. You see, we went over there, this is the problem, this is what happened at Dallas Seminary and other evangelical schools. I talked to a professor, talked about Dallas, but he said this would happen. And John Wolvord, he was solid, but he thought, we can send our men, who have been trained at Dallas, oversees to get a degree. And then we’ll get recognition more broadly. The problem is, they got corrupted. They come back and they bring this. It’s not where Blomberg is, he’s in Denver. Then he goes on here to talk about Darrel Bock, who’s at Dallas. Let me read you, Daniel Wallace. Daniel Wallace is the Greek professor at Dallas Seminary. Recognized New Testament Greek scholar. Probably the standard intermediary Greek Grammar was written my Daniel Wallace. I use it regularly. He’s a Greek scholar. But he is uncomfortable with inerrancy. He’s uncomfortable with fundamentalism and he’s considering becoming an Anglican. We need more form, more externals. Well, you see where we go when we abandon the word? Then we’re looking for something else. We’re going back to Catholicism. What does the Anglican Church to have? You know, it’s hard, let me read you what he says. This is a book I’ve referred to it before with you, that Daniel Wallace was part of editing. And he wrote in it, it’s not a Greek book. But it’s a book with a collection of professors. Here’s what he says. Let me state this bluntly. The bible is not a member of the trinity. What does that mean? The bible is not a member of the trinity? Well, of course not. But the bible is the word from the trinity. Is it not? Where are we going to learn about the trinity? God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. He’s thinks we’ve put too much trust and confidence in the bible. And in the book that he quotes, that I read some while back, he talks about the bible failed me. It couldn’t meet my needs anymore. I needed something else. Something other. I needed experiences. And you know, you see how the world, the world talks about experiences. Everybody’s experience now is their authority. And it comes into evangelicalism. So, the bible is not a member of the trinity. What does that mean? Is the bible the word of God? Where did it come from? Is it God’s word? Is it not? So, to say it’s not a member of the Trinity, of course the bible is not a person. But this is God’s word. So, this is what I learned from the trinity. Where do I go? And then, here’s a telling. One of the great legacy’s of Karl Barth, that he left behind was his strong Christocentric focus. It’s a shame that too many of us have reacted so strongly to Barth. Karl Barth, the Swiss theologian (Barth). You know, you see the difference. Daniel Wallace is a professor at Dallas Seminary. Charles Ryrie spent many years, he’s identified with Dallas Seminary, he also wrote a book on Karl Barth, a booklet, Neo-orthodoxy. Showing that it is an attack and undermining of biblical Christianity. Now, we have a professor saying, that’s a mistake. He doesn’t quote Ryrie here but, he and Barth left us a great legacy. We ought to be Christocentric. You know what Barth left us? Neo-orthodoxy. And it doesn’t matter whether Christ was bodily raised from the dead. You know what matters? Is that we have a resurrection experience with Christ. What does 1 Corinthians 15 say? If Christ has not been bodily raised from the dead, your faith is in vain. It is troublesome to read modern commentaries. Everybody seems to want to quote Karl Barth, and they’re supposed to be evangelicals. When I was in school, the only time they quoted Karl Barth was to show you what you should not believe. Now, they find that he somebody who gives us a Christocentric. Let me ask you, how can you have a Christ centered focus if you don’t get your information from the bible? Where do you get it? We’re moving to subjective experiences. And that what he likes about Barth. These historical facts aren’t what’s important. It’s the experience that is behind them. That existential experience. What concerns me is, this has been going on for a long time. Karl Bath has been dead for some time. If this is where evangelical seminaries are, I was asked here recently in a phone conversation, where would you send men? It’s getting difficult. I mean, they claim to believe in the inerrant word of God, but they undermine it. Here’s a further statement from Wallace. And this is a quote from his work. “Second, what I tell my students every year, is that it is imperative that they pursue truth rather than protect their presuppositions. They need to have a doctrinal taxonomy that distinguishes core beliefs from peripheral beliefs. Now, he says they ought to pursue truth, but now we’re going to divide truth. What’s important truth, and what is not important truth. Now, who’s going to make the decision? When they place more peripheral doctrine such as inerrancy and verbal inspiration at the core, then when belief in these doctrine starts to erode, it creates a domino effect. One falls down, they all fall down. In other words, he says, you shouldn’t believe in verbal inspiration. If you believe in that, and then the scholars prove it’s not true, your whole theological system will collapse. Well, what are you building your theological system on if the word of God is not trustworthy? It’s not inerrant and it wasn’t verbally inspired in the first place? This is the way they turn it around, the problem is us fundamentalists who are committed to an inerrant bible. Then when our students, and he gives an example, three of his students were Anglican. I’ve begun to examine the Anglican church because they seem to be the better scholars so I’m evaluating whether I’m going to become Anglican, paraphrasing what he goes on to say. Because you have to look at something. He thinks we need more church authority, more centralized authority. You know what he’s done? He’s removed the authority from the word of God. So now we’ll build a hierarchy. You want the archbishop of Canterbury to be the authority? The Queen of England is the official head of the Church of England, the Anglican Church. And this is a professor at a seminary where all the professors I studied under at bible college graduated from? This is not what I learned.

This is where, we look at our country and see it eroding rapidly but that isn’t where my concern is. My concern is the theology of evangelicals is eroding rapidly. Part of what this book I’m quoting from is showing is that the Evangelical Theological Society has been infected by this kind of thinking and the one doctrinal statement in the Evangelical Theological Society when it was established in the 1940’s was on the inerrancy of scripture. Scholars, the scholarly emphasis, and I appreciate, I read books by scholars because I’m not. I want to learn from them, but it is a swamp out there. George Eldon Ladd’s biography was “A Place at the Table” written by one of his students. It was very positive toward him. We want a place at the table. The table was scholarship not evangelical scholarship, scholarship. He encourages students to go to Harvard. Get a Doctor of Theology degree from Harvard then you will be a recognized scholar. He ended up a depressed drunk because his work wasn’t recognized as scholarly by the world.

I don’t know. I just throw this out to you. We don’t want to live in our own little bubble. We are going to keep our bubble because we are separatist. We are fundamentalist. We don’t expect to be accepted by the world. We are here to bring the light of the gospel to the world. We want to be careful. Some of those I could quote from schools like Wheaton. People paying good money to send their young people to these supposedly evangelical schools that haven’t been evangelical for some time. We have to know what is going on in the world around us and why our commitment to the word and teaching of the word is so foundational.

Let’s pray together. Thank you Lord for the riches of Your word. It is the treasure entrusted to us. Lord it is required that we be diligent students. That we show ourselves approved to You because we handle it accurately, we cut it straight. Lord these are days where the world is unsettled. Sadly, the church is unsettled as well and those truths which are so foundational, so basic, are being set aside. Lord we pray that we will be careful, that we will honor You with our faithfulness. Lord we pray for our testimony in the world in these days that the Spirit might use the gospel to bring many to Christ. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.