I believe God used the Apostle Paul to build the three foundational pillars of the New Testament church: Jesus is God’s Messiah; Jesus is the hope of all the world, not just Israel; Jesus, the immeasurable gift of God’s grace, gives to his followers all that the Father has given to him.
To establish these foundations Paul brings forward the essential teachings of the Old Testament as well as new insights given to him by God. Because so much of what Paul is presenting is deep theological truth his writings can be quite dense, each verse as heavy as the preceding, as well as the following verse. There are, however, places where Paul seems to relax a bit and speak directly from his heart. Most often these places are his prayers for the church. Paul’s prayers are so important to me in understanding Paul’s theology that I have a separate file where I keep the prayers of St, Paul. The first two of those prayers are in today’s reading:
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (15: 5-6)
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (15:13)
What do you think our communities would become if we prayed the way Paul prayed for his friends in Rome?
What word or phrase in these verses
attracts your attention?
Reflect on that word or phrase.
What insights come to you?
How does this passage touch your life today?
18-Dec-11 Rom. 15:22-16:16
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