Category: Romans 1

Romans 1:22 – Foolish Wisdom

Posted on by Will

Professing to be wise, they became fools,

Truth to Learn

The wisdom of this age is the message and teaching of fools.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated, “professing” is the Greek word, phaskontes, which means “to assert or affirm or claim.”

“Wise” is translated from the Greek word sophos. This is a title that wise men of old attached to themselves. Later they changed this to philosophos (he who loves wisdom) who, although claiming to have all knowledge and wisdom, denied the one true God.

The words “they became fools” are a translation of a single Greek word mōrainō, which means “to become a moron or a simpleton.” This, again, is in the passive voice indicating that it is something that was done to them by someone else. We could paraphrase this verse, therefore, as:

Claiming to be wise people, they were made to be fools.

 

Meaning Explained

Remember, in the last verse we learned that those who rejected God, even though the evidence of His presence was made known to them, were not thankful, and they did not glorify God for whom and what He is. As a result, they were made void of wisdom in their reasoning and discussions, and their hearts were darkened.

Paul now puts an exclamation point on that thought by saying, “Professing to be wise, they became fools.” Not only did God make their reasoning and discussions void of any real wisdom, He then turned them into fools; all the while they are proclaiming how wise and intelligent they were. This is precisely what Isaiah said would happen:

For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.  (Isaiah 29:14b)

King David started out the fourteenth Psalm this way:

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God." (Psalms 14:1a)

And, in his first letter to the Corinthian Christians, Paul said:

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. (I Corinthians 3:19)

If you listen to the message of the intellectuals and scientists of today you will hear loud proclamations that there is no God. They will tell you with certainty that everything came into existence billions of years ago at the “big bang” and that we have evolved into the species we are today. But, Scripture makes it very clear that God is in control and is not mocked by those who deny His existence and power. In today’s verse, Paul tells us that instead of being mocked by them, God makes them to be the fools they think others are. A just sentence for someone who claims to be smart and at the same time rejects Almighty God, don’t you think?

 

Application

It is easy for us to feel overwhelmed by the constant message of the wise ones of our world. It’s easy to feel like a fool when we proclaim Biblical truth and the gospel message. But don’t back down! We know who the real fools are, and they desperately need to hear the Good News!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:21 – Fools in Darkness

Posted on by Will

because, having known God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful, but their reasonings became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Truth to Learn

Those who reject God become fools living in darkness.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated, “reasonings” is the Greek word, dialogismos, from which we get our English word “dialog.” The Greek word refers to “discussion and reason, or debate.”

The words “became futile” are translated from the Greek word mataioō, which means “to become destitute of real wisdom” or “to become foolish.” The word is expressed in the passive voice indicating that it is something that was done to them. That is, they were made destitute of real wisdom.

Asunetos is the Greek word translated “foolish.” This is a compound word made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and sunetos, which means “to have mental discernment and good judgment.” Thus, asunetos means “not having insight or understanding.”

“Were darkened” is translated from the Greek verb skotidzō, which means, “to be obscured, or darkened.” Again, this word is in the passive voice meaning that it, too, was done to them.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul said that the invisible things about God (His eternal power and Godness) are clearly seen and understood by the creatures (mankind) so that they are without excuse. He now goes on to give clarification regarding that statement.

He says, “Because, having known God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful.” Paul makes it very clear that all of mankind has known God, but some have not given Him the glory, that is the worship, that He is due. Neither did they give Him the thanks that He justly deserves. The previous verse makes it clear that those who reject God recognized His power and Godness but willingly reject Him.

The next phrase is very interesting. It says, “but their reasonings became futile.” As discussed in “Behind the Words,” someone else made them void of wisdom after they rejected God. The implication is that God made fools of them because they rejected the real truth. Their very ability to reason with regard to God has been made to be without wisdom. Paul also says, “their foolish hearts were darkened.” In the Apostle John‘s first letter he says,

God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5)

Those who reject God do not have this spiritual light; instead, they live in darkness. Consider this, the real pain of Hell for those who reject God will not be that of the heat and flame. It will be the darkness created by the total absence of God and the knowledge that He is gone from them for eternity!

Paul’s message is quite clear in this verse. Those who reject God do so of their own will after having comprehended the existence and power of God. As a result of that rejection, God has made them unable to understand Him, and He has removed His light from their hearts. In a very real sense, God has already judged them because they have rejected who and what He really is. In fact, in John’s Gospel he says:

The one believing into Him is not condemned; but the one not believing has already been condemned, for he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)

 

Application

Throughout the Old Testament it is proclaimed that God is a jealous God and we are to worship no one or nothing other than Him. Yes, He is a loving God, but He is also a jealous God who expects us to recognize Him for who and what He is. Those who neglect to do so are destined for a torturous and dark eternity!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:20 – Created Evidence

Posted on by Will

For the invisible things of Him are clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made, both His eternal power and Godness, so that they are without excuse,

Truth to Learn

God reveals much about Himself in His created world.

 

Behind the Words

The word in today’s verse translated “invisible” is from the Greek word ahoratos, which is a compound word made up of a, implying negation, and a form of horaō, which means “to see” or “to behold.” Hence, ahoratos means that which is unseen, or invisible.

The words “clearly seen” are from the Greek, kathoratō, which is a compound word made up of kata meaning “down” (as in this case, it is often used for intensity) and a form of horaō, which we just learned means “to see.” So kathoratō could mean “to look down upon” but more accurately means “to see distinctly or clearly.”

“Understood” is translated from noieō, a form of nous, meaning “the mind.” Noieō implies an exercise of the mind. That is, it means “to comprehend or understand.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul now explains what he meant in the previous verse when he said, “because what may be known of God is evident among them, for God has revealed it to them.” It has already been pointed out that not all things about God are apparent or even knowable by the finite minds of humans. However, there are things about God which are knowable even though they are not visibly apparent.

“But,” you may ask, “what are these invisible things?” Paul answers that question in the latter part of today’s verse, “His eternal power and Godness (Divinity).” Mankind understands the fact that God is who He says He is and understands His immeasurable power because they can be seen in creation. Paul says that these things are “clearly seen” and “understood” by the created things (which includes mankind).

Let me say it again, God’s power and Godness, though invisible, are clearly perceived and understood by His creatures by viewing all that God created. We cannot actually see God’s limitless power, but we can see the result of it in creation. We cannot see the Godness of God but we can see the effect of it in mankind himself. Anyone who has ever seen the birth of a child is confronted with the power and dominion of God and to deny it is to suppress the truth.

Therefore, Paul says, people who hold down the truth about God are without excuse! Much of the world today refuses to believe in the God of creation. Instead, they have a god they call science. Some day they will stand before the creator and He will be undeniable. I believe it takes more faith to believe that everything we see came into existence through a “scientific” process that cannot be seen, much less proven, than to believe that God created it.

 

Application

The next time you gaze at a sunset, a mountain, a river, a beautiful flower, the starry sky on a clear night, or the miracle of conception and birth, be in awe. This is evidence of God, Himself! And, this God of creation wants to have a close personal relationship with you. Yes, even you!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:19 – Our God Revealed

Posted on by Will

because what may be known of God is evident among them, for God has revealed it to them.

Truth to Learn

God does not hide Himself from mankind.

 

Behind the Words

The phrase, “the thing which may be known” is from the Greek to gnoston, which literally means “that which is knowable.”

 “Evident” is translated from the Greek word phaneros, which means “to cause to shine” or “to cause to appear.” Therefore, it could be translated as “made to appear” or “revealed.” The words “has revealed” are translated from the verb form of this same word.

The word “among” is translated from the Greek preposition en, which denotes a position in place or time. As it is used here it implies “in the presence of.” So, even though some translations read “in them” or “within them,” it could also be translated as “among them.” Paul is not saying “that which may be known of God is revealed inside each person” rather, he is saying “that which may be known of God is revealed among mankind.” This interpretation is further supported by the following verse.

 

Meaning Explained

The reason that God’s anger is revealed against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men is because they suppress and deny the truth about God. “But,” you may ask, “how can they suppress and deny the truth about God if they don’t know the truth in the first place?” In other words, “How can God hold men accountable before Him if they never know Him?”

Paul anticipates this question and answers it in today’s verse and the verse to follow. Not all things about God are apparent or even knowable by the finite minds of humans. However, there are many things about God that are knowable such as His godliness, His presence, and His power. The reason we know that God is revealed among mankind, according to Paul, is because God has personally revealed Himself among mankind. In the next verse, Paul will go on to explain how God has revealed Himself among us.

The point is that our God does not want to be separated from us. He doesn’t want to be hidden from us. He wants to have a personal relationship with us. As we will see in the next verse, He has revealed Himself to all of mankind through creation. In spite of that, most of mankind chooses to ignore the evidence of creation and refuses to acknowledge Him. Therefore, God sees mankind as unrighteous and irreverent. Nonetheless, He still sent His Son to die on the cross so that we could become righteous and experience close, personal fellowship with Him. And we can experience this personal relationship with Him, not just for a few years, but for all of eternity.

 

Application

Paul is telling us in these verses that God has already revealed Himself to all of mankind and, as a result, all of mankind is without excuse. We, who have believed the additional revelation about Jesus Christ, have been credited with a righteousness that we didn’t earn and that we don’t deserve. These facts alone should cause all Christians to fall to their knees praising God for His mercy and His revelation!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:18 – Truth Bullies

Posted on by Will

For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Truth to Learn

Sinfulness suppresses and hides God’s truth. Our job is to reveal that truth to the sinful world around us.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “wrath” is the Greek word orgē, meaning “anger.” However, there is another Greek word often translated as anger. This word is thumos, meaning “indignation” or “wrath.” According to Aristotle, “ogrē, anger, is desire with grief”, so we can say, it is anger directed at those with whom God does not desire to be angry, namely mankind.

“Ungodliness” is from asebia, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of sebomai, meaning “to hold in reverence” or “to worship.” Therefore, we could easily translate this word as “irreverence.” It does not imply non-religious actions, but the practice of actions which are different than what God demands.

The word “unrighteous” is translated from adikia, made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of dikē which refers to “that which is right.” In other words, this word refers to those actions which are not right in God’s sight.

“Suppress” is from the Greek word katechō, made up of kata, meaning “down” and echō, meaning “to have or to hold.” Hence, it literally means “to hold down.” It is the picture of a bully holding down a weaker child just because he can and he wants to.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul just talked about how the righteousness of God is revealed to man through the gospel message. He now looks at the other side of the equation, the wrath, or anger, of God. We Christians are often quick to grasp hold of God’s truth and God’s love, claiming it as the reason God has revealed his Son to us. But, we are just as quick to shun the notion that God gets angry.

This grievous anger of God is revealed against “all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” This is the very opposite of the godliness and righteousness of God Himself. These are people who don’t give God the reverence He deserves, though they may claim to be Christians. And, Paul says, they aren’t doing the things which God wants them to be doing. Instead, they are holding down, or suppressing, the truth about God by their irreverent and unrighteous ways, and that makes God angry!

Now, before we get too condemning of others, let’s remember that before we were saved we were just like them. We didn’t give God the reverence He deserves, nor did we act in a way that was right in His eyes. And, even now that we have been saved, it’s not our own righteousness that God sees (for we are all unrighteous), but the righteousness of Christ, which He has credited to our account.

 

Application

Our job as unrighteous sinners, who have been granted the righteousness of Christ, is to shine like beacons to the world around us, displaying the truth about God, not hiding it. But the light we are to project has nothing to do with our own actions or obedience. It has everything to do with the work that God has done through His Son on the cross. And that beacon has nothing to do with what we are doing for Him. It has everything to do with what He is doing through us.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:17 – Confident Faith

Posted on by Will

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; even as it has been written, "The just shall live by faith."

Truth to Learn

From salvation to service, we reveal God’s righteousness.

 

Behind the Words

The phrase “from faith to faith” has been hotly debated for centuries. The Greek is ek pisteos eis pistin. As I have said before, Greek is a very descriptive language. It is an inflected language, meaning that the “case” of nouns and adjectives tells us how the nouns or adjectives are used. The two nouns in this phrase, pisteos and pistin, are both inflected forms of the noun pistis which means “faith.” The first of these, pisteos is in the Genitive case, which means “of faith” or “from faith” and the second, pistin, is in the Accusative case, which means that it is the direct object of the verb.

Now, since the case of a noun does not always give a precise indication of its meaning, prepositions were added to the Greek language to make the meaning clearer. In this example, ek pisteos uses the proposition ek, which means “out of” or “from” implying “the result of” (that is, the outcome of faith), and eis pistin uses the preposition eis which means “into” or “unto,” implying that it leads, or continues, into faith (you could say it results in faith).

 

Meaning Explained

I give you my apology up front for the technicality of today’s discussion. I hope you didn’t get lost in the Greek grammar lesson here. Technical as it is, it is important for a complete understanding of this verse.

What Paul is saying in this verse is that the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel first of all as the result of faith. That is, we are declared righteous when we believe the gospel message, just as Abraham was declared righteous when he believed God regarding the promise of many descendants (see Genesis 15:6). We see from this that righteousness is revealed from (as the result of) faith. Paul is then saying that this righteousness, which God has now given us, is also revealed when we live by faith after we have been saved. That is, righteousness is revealed unto (resulting in) faith. One way of putting it is to say that the righteousness of God is revealed from saving faith which results in a daily living faith.

By way of firmly reinforcing what he means (that the righteousness that God gives us results in daily living faith), Paul then says, “as it has been written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” This is a quote taken from Habakkuk 2:4. Both the Septuagint translation of this passage in Habakkuk and the original Hebrew carry the meaning, “the righteous person shall live by his confidence in God.”

 

Application

This gospel message that we are to proclaim to the world contains the most powerful truth ever declared. Belief in this truth results in God’s righteousness being applied to us, and it results in us having the faith to serve with humility and to continue on with confidence.  Through this confident faith in God, we can face anything that happens to us in this life knowing that God truly loves us and will care for us.

Does your life of faith reveal the righteousness of God?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:16 – Powerful Message

Posted on by Will

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone believing, both to Jew first and also to Greek.

Truth to Learn

There is eternal life giving power in the gospel message.

 

Behind the Words

The word “ashamed” is from the Greek epaischunomai, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” and aischunō, meaning “to be ashamed.” Hence, it means “to feel shame upon oneself.”

“Greek” is translated from hellēn, the word used to describe anyone from the Grecian peninsula. However, in the first century it was used in a generic sense of anyone who spoke the Greek language. And Jews of the first century, like Paul, referred to anyone who was not a Jew as a Greek (Gentile). This is the sense in which Paul uses the term in this verse.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul has been talking quite personally to the Roman Christians about his desire to see them and to give them a gift of great spiritual value. He has just told them that he is under debt to God to preach the gospel to all people. He now makes a subtle, albeit significant, turn in his message from one of introduction and consolation to one of open proclamation. Paul is just starting his sermon. Let’s listen carefully!

He says he was not bringing shame on himself by preaching the good news of Jesus. But why should anyone consider him to have been ashamed? Think about this: the Jews had cast Paul off, regarding him as an apostate. And by the wise among the Gentiles he had been persecuted, despised and driven from place to place, and regarded as the filth of the world. He had every reason to feel personally shamed. Nonetheless, he was not ashamed of the gospel.

Why was Paul so confident in his stand on the gospel? Because as he says here, “it is the power of God to salvation to everyone believing.” The power in the gospel, the good news that Jesus Christ died to pay the price for your sins and mine, is the power of God Himself. God, who demands absolute righteousness from each of us, cannot accept us into His presence if our righteousness is any less than perfect. Since none of us is righteous in and of ourselves (Romans 3:10), we are condemned to eternal separation from God. Belief in the gospel, however, results in God crediting us with the righteousness of Christ. Hence, the gospel IS the power of God resulting in salvation to everyone who believes! Praise God!

Paul then goes on to say that this salvation was offered to the Jews first and then to the rest of the world, whom Paul refers to as Greeks. If you carefully read the book of Acts you will see that Peter and the other apostles focused their preaching entirely on the Jews, and Paul’s early ministry was to Jews. In whatever city he entered, Paul went first into the synagogues to deliver the gospel message to the Jews there. But because the Jews rejected His message, Paul then turned to the Gentiles.

 

Application

The power of God is packaged in a very simple message. We are all sinners; therefore, our righteousness falls short of God’s standard. Our sin and lack of righteousness earns us death (both physical and spiritual). But Jesus’ death pays our penalty, and we receive His righteousness when we accept His payment. Then, through God’s power we receive eternal life!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:15 – Listening and Ready

Posted on by Will

So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

Truth to Learn

Paul was ready to risk his life to obey God’s call in his life.

 

Behind the Words

The expression “I am ready” is translated from prothumos, which is a compound word made up of pro, meaning “before or forward” and thumos, which refers to “a temperament, passion, or mindset.” This word means “predisposed, willing, or ready” to do what is expected.

“Preach the gospel” is from the Greek word euangelidzō. This is another compound word which is made up of eu, meaning “good or well” and angellō, meaning “to announce, proclaim, or tell.” Hence, euangelidzō refers to “proclaiming or telling the good news” that Christ has paid our sin debt for us by His death on the cross.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul continues on with the idea that was started in the previous verse. He is compelled to preach the Gospel to the Greeks and the barbarians, and now he is saying that he is also ready to preach the good news to the people in Rome. Paul was completely submitted to God and committed to whatever God wanted him to do! Keep in mind that this was written during the reign of Nero who hated Christians. Yet Paul was willing to risk his life to proclaim the gospel message.

In yesterday’s verse I asked you if you knew what God has called you to do and whether or not you feel compelled to do it. I’m sure that some of you responded with the question, “How do I know what God has called me to do?” That’s a question that many Christians wrestle with today.

The only way to know what God has called you to do (or what God is calling you to do) is to be in constant communication with Him. Now, I can already hear some of you saying, “But I pray to Him constantly!” and I’m sure some of you do. But you will notice that I said “communicate with” not “talk to.” Communication requires a two way conversation. Sometimes we Christians get so busy talking to God that He can’t get a word in edgewise and even if He did, we wouldn’t hear it because we are so busy talking.

“OK,” you say, “what do I need to do to hear God’s message for me?” The first thing you need to do is to be quiet. Then you need to listen. Note that “listen” is an active verb not a passive verb. Listening is something that we do intentionally and it takes effort. We need to listen to God speaking to us when we hear a sermon. We need to listen to God when we read and study our Bible. We need to listen to God when we are praying. Sometimes, the best way to listen to God is to get away from all the distractions of life and just listen. It could be in a quiet, out of the way place outside somewhere, or it could be while you are sitting in the bathtub or standing in the shower preparing for the day ahead.

 

Application

Remember the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)? Martha was so busy she didn’t have time to listen to the Lord. Mary, on the other hand, sat at His feet and listened.

Are you busy, or are you listening?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:14 – Indebted to God

Posted on by Will

I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.

Truth to Learn

Paul was compelled to preach to the Gentiles because of what he owed to God.

 

Behind the Words

“Debtor” is from opheiletēs, meaning “one who owes a debt or a favor.”

The Greek word that is translated “barbarians” in today’s verse is barbarois which literally is “barbar ones” or “those who say barbar.”

The word translated “wise” is Sophos. The meaning of this word in the New Testament is someone who is godly wise as opposed to worldly wise. It denotes  a fear of God and an understanding of His ways. Secondarily, it refers to the possession of a certain practical ability in applying learning and truth.

“Unwise” is from anoētos, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and noeō, referring to “things of the mind,” that is, comprehension. This, anoētos refers to someone who is lacking intelligence.

 

Meaning Explained

This is an interesting verse from the apostle Paul.  On the surface it appears that Paul is saying that he owes a debt to a number of people, but I don’t think that’s what he means. Paul was called by God specifically to be the apostle to the Gentiles (nations), that is, to non-Jews. We see this later in Romans:

For I speak to you, the Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, (Romans 11:13)

In fact, Paul did not have an option as to whether or not he was to preach the gospel. He was compelled to do so by God. He owed it to God because of what God had done for him (salvation) and because he was called by God to do it.

For if I proclaim the gospel, it is no glory to me, for necessity is laid upon me; and woe is to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16)

That’s why Paul calls himself a debtor. He felt like he owed a great debt to God, and it was only by being obedient to God’s call that he could pay off that debt. He expresses that debt in terms of people because it was to people that he was compelled to preach.

In today’s verse Paul says that he is “debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians,” but what does he mean? We have to remember that when Rome conquered any land, those who were conquered were permitted to retain their local language, but they were also required to use the common language of the Empire. This common language was Greek. Hence, anyone who spoke Greek was considered civilized. Anyone who did not speak Greek sounded like someone uttering, “bar, bar, bar …” Thus, they were called barbarians.

Paul then expresses these two classes of people in another manner as further explanation, “to wise and unwise.” A literal translation of this phrase would be “to the wise and the unintelligent.” I think he makes this distinction so that it is clear that he is not talking about a political difference, but a social difference. He wants to show that he is not bound or prohibited to preach to people based on social class, because the gospel is to all people regardless of social class.

Paul felt a strong constraint on himself to do what God had called him to do. He felt a deep seated conviction that he was called to preach. He also clearly believed that all who are saved are called to serve. Paul goes into much more detail about this notion in Romans chapter eight.

 

Application

What has God called you to do for Him? Do you know? Do you feel compelled to obey Him the way Paul does?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:13 – Focused Zeal

Posted on by Will

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (but was held back until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other nations.

Truth to Learn

Paul had intended to visit Rome several times, but it wasn’t yet part of God’s plan for Paul.

 

Behind the Words

The word “ignorant” is translated from agnoeō, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and noeō, meaning “to perceive” or “to understand.” Therefore, we can see that agnoeō means “ignorant or unaware.”

“Planned” is from the Greek word protithēmi, composed of pro, meaning “before, in time or location” and tithēmi, meaning “to place.” It means “to place before, in the mind.” In other words, it means “to give thought to ahead of time, to intend, or to plan ahead of time.”

The words “held back” are from the Greek verb kōluō, meaning “to hinder, weaken, prevent, or restrain.”

 

Meaning Explained

I really enjoy the tenderness that Paul shows toward other believers. He could easily have started off this verse with, “You, brothers and sisters, are ignorant of the fact that I have often intended to come visit you …” but in such matters he is much kinder. He says, “I do not want you to be ignorant.” The implication is very clear, they were ignorant, and he didn’t want that to be the case.

Paul had wanted to visit Rome for some time, and apparently had made plans to do so on numerous other occasions, but he was prevented from doing so. We don’t know specifically what hindered Paul. It is likely that it simply wasn’t God’s timing.

His reason for wanting to be with the Roman Christians, as we said earlier, was to share a spiritual gift, probably a message of strengthening and encouragement. He elaborates a little more on his reason for wanting to come in today’s verse, “that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among other nations.” Paul was not looking to share a plate of dried figs with them, that’s not the type of fruit that he is talking about. He’s talking about the fruit that comes about as a result of the Spirit of God working in people’s hearts.

You will notice that Paul’s objective is to do that which will ultimately bring praise to God, not what will ultimately bring praise to Paul. This Paul is dramatically different from Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted Christians for personal gain and because of personal zeal. He is still a zealot, but now that zeal is focused on the work of God rather than on the work of Paul.

 

Application

Are you a zealot today? Is there something that you are so totally committed to that you place it above all else in your life? If so, what is it? Is it your children? Is it your business? Is it your husband or your wife? Is it your health? Is it your retirement? These are all good things to be zealous about, but they are all the wrong things if you’re not first zealous about serving God, and doing so His way.

It’s good to be committed to a cause but don’t let that commitment take you in a direction other than where God wants you to go!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved