04.46. LESSON 46

LESSON 46 In his ’introduction to Romans (Romans 1:8-15), Paul told the church that he had longed, prayed "unceasingly," and "oftentimes purposed" to visit them that he might have some fruit in them "also, as in the rest of the Gentiles," but that he had been "hindered hitherto." Now, in his program as outlined here in chapter 15, he, keenly conscious that by divine appointment the whole Gentile world is his "province," says that, since his work in East Europe is done, he is ready for a tour of West Europe, which affords an occasion for both the long-anticipated visit and their having fellowship with him when he goes on into Spain. In his language, "That I should be a minister of Christ unto the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit," Paul paints a faithful, beautiful picture not only of the nature of the Christian ministry in general, but also of the deeply religious nature of his apostleship to the Gentiles in particular. He sees himself as an officiating priest, who by preaching the gospel to the Gentiles leads them to offer themselves up as sacrifices to God, the Holy Spirit being the sanctifying Person. In other words, at his preaching and their believing, the Holy Spirit descends upon them to enable them to become living sacrifices to be consumed for God’s glory upon the altar of love and service.

Inasmuch as Paul’s lifetime work among the Gentiles is at last opening up in the West, why does he take a long, perilous journey to the East? Why does he collect money from Gentile churches for poor saints in Jerusalem? There existed in the church a party of Jewish zealots that was destroying the unity and universality of the church. Hence, "That the truth of the gospel might continue" (Galatians 2:5), Paul hopes by a brotherly exchange of "spiritual" and "carnal" things between Jewish and Gentile Christians to guide them both into realizing that Christ created "In himself of the two one new man, so making peace; and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross" (Ephesians 2:15-16). The Power and Mystery of Prayer From Paul’s writings and the book of Acts, we know that the Jews (even many Christians) were so suspicious of him that he was forced, repeatedly, to defend his apostolic authority. Nothing but utter devotion to Christ and passionate love for his kinsmen after the flesh could have Induced him to visit Jerusalem again. That he went "bound in the spirit" with grim forebodings of what might befall him there is revealed in the address to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:1-38), which he made on his way to Jerusalem soon after Romans was written. This is the background of his earnest plea: "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; that I may be delivered from them that are disobedient in Judea, and that my ministration which I have for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints" (Romans 15:30-31). What could better portray the Jewish bitterness against Paul, and the crucial discord in the church than the fact that Jewish Christians, though in distress, might refuse relief which he brought from Gentile Christians?

Note the earnestness of this prayer. "Strive" implies agonizing wrestling with a strong, determined foe. Just so, prayer to God is prayer against Satan, "the strong man" who must be bound (Christ)—must be strangled, else he "sure will strangle thee." The world is currently concerned about the importance of Air Power in warfare. One may be uncertain about this question, but Paul has no doubt, in the war of the church with "the prince of the powers of the air" (Ephesians 2:2)—"powers" composed of "spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" and "world-rulers of this darkness"—with his "tares" and "wiles," that the "Air Force" of "All prayer and supplication," since it gives effectiveness to the whole Christian armor, is the decisive power in the war. (See Ephesians 6:10-18.)

Prayer, a great, blessed mystery and fact, taps the power of almighty God. There is nothing in radio and television that approaches its space-bridging wonder and usefulness. The wonder and power of prayer, however, in making wishes come true has nothing in common with Aladdin rubbing his magic lamp and ring as in oriental fable, or with overweening occidental Sciences Rather, God’s integrating and humanly inscrutable economy of prayer, unspeakably, blesses Christians by having them contribute to the answering of their own prayers, which makes them fellow-workers with God in the destiny of both themselves and of the world. The Indispensability of Prayer

Some say that the two things for which Paul in such deep-toned earnestness and sincerity asks the co-prayers of the church in Rome are not fit subjects for prayer—that such mundane things lie wholly within the realm of human responsibility and activity. But to Paul, what concerns the church concerns Christ, because they are one, even as a man’s head and body are one. He makes no nice distinctions between "sacred" and "secular" things for Christians, but believing and "continuing steadfastly in prayer," he practices as he preaches, "Let your requests be made known to God," as naturally and confidently as a child in need goes to its mother. As Christ, who said, "This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer" (Mark 9:29), and as the earlier apostles, who named prayer before preaching (Acts 6:4), made prayer indispensable, so does Paul make prayer indispensable.

Probably, Paul could pray a prayer that Fenelon, a French churchman, wrote about 250 years ago better than its author could, or than we can. The prayer reads: "O Father, give to thy child that which he knows not how to ask. I dare not ask either for crosses or for consolations. Behold, my need which I know not myself. See and do according to thy tender mercies. Smite or heal; depress me or raise me up. I adore thy purposes without knowing them. I am silent; I yield myself to thee; I would have no other desire than to accomplish thy will. Teach me to pray. Pray thyself in me. (See 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.)

How real, near, and dear God, Christ, and Spirit, whom Paul links together in this prayer, all are to Paul and his brethren! How good and usable to hear him extol the God of "Patience... Comfort... Hope... Peace" as he does in this chapter, which is so full of the frowning situation that confronts him, and of the huge burden that weights him down. Is not he pattern saint as well as chosen apostle?

Questions