Thursday 06 March 2014

Background

It is tempting to think that this is part of a coda to theletter. One of the most important theological tracts in the historyof the Church moves here to dealing with more practical details.Paul is talking about his travel plans. But great theologicalthemes are still present. When Paul talks about boasting of whatGod has done, we are reminded of the discussion in Romans5:1-11. Paul has had a remarkable ministry, but the credit isChrist's. He talks about his ministry as the "priestly service ofthe gospel" (v. 16).

There are some puzzles about this passage if we compare it tothe account in Acts. Paul says that he has taken the gospel (goodnews about Jesus) as far as Illyricum, but that is further norththan anywhere Luke (the writer of Luke's Gospel and the Acts of theApostles) records. Paul is making a collection for the poorChristians in Jerusalem. We might assume that the journey toJerusalem that Paul is planning here is the one mentioned in Acts19:21 (where we are told that Paul decided to go to Jerusalem),but we hear nothing in Luke's account about a collection.

If the decision of Acts19:21 and the plans in this passage are the same, things didnot work out as Paul had planned. Paul wants to visit Rome, not toevangelise the Romans, but to use Rome as a stepping stone to thenext part of his mission, to Spain. We do not know who first tookthe gospel to the imperial city, but Paul was not intending tobuild on top of someone else's work. His vocation was to preachgood news to those who had not previously had an opportunity tohear it. What happened, we know from Acts, is that Paul was takento Rome after more than two years as a prisoner in Judaea. Perhaps,though, there is an hint in Paul's request for prayer (verses30-31) that he was aware of the danger of returning toJerusalem.

To Ponder

• When we do something well for God, can we talk about it without'boasting'? Or should we 'boast' about what Christ has done in andthrough us? Why?

• Paul believes that prayer is vital to support his work. Howdiligent is your church in praying for those who serve Christ indifficult missions?

• Paul arrives in Rome eventually (Acts28:14) in a very different manner from that which he envisaged.What times have there been in your life when something to which youaspired has happened in a different way from what youexpected?