Romans 1:1-15
A brief interlude from my Chronological Bible; I include here three verses that we will see later in our readings: After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. (Acts 20:1-3) We already had Paul traveling to Macedonia (Philippi, etc.), having departed Ephesus when Demetrius and his friends started a near-riot. He wrote I Corinthians from Ephesus and II Corinthians from Macedonia. These few verses tell us that he spent some time in Macedonia (…through those regions…) and moved on to Greece (Athens, Corinth). He spent three months in Greece, likely Corinth, and it is from Corinth that many (most?) Biblical scholars believe that he wrote Romans, which we begin reading today. After his time in Greece, he went back through Macedonia on his way to Jerusalem to deliver the funds he had collected for the Jews in need.
So now we begin Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. The first thing that I notice from today’s reading is that the more we read Acts and the Epistles, the more we can connect these historical events. Consider the following verse: I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented) … (v. 13a) You may recall back in Acts 17 that Paul and Silas were run out of Thessalonica and headed south to Berea, then Athens and Corinth. Back than I argued that Paul had intended to continue west along the Egnatian Way, a major thoroughfare that ran from Rome to the eastern coast of Italy, then across the Adriatic Sea, through Macedonia and all the way to modern day Istanbul. I maintained back then that Paul was possibly headed to Rome, but was diverted south instead of continuing west – that the Jews who had hounded him along the Egnatian Way from Philippi to Thessalonica would continue to pursue him west, so Paul headed south instead. So, connections between I and II Corinthians and Acts and Romans. It’s good to tie these things together!
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you — that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. (vv. 11-12) I like that Paul takes the position that his visit to Rome would have been mutually beneficial. I learned early in my 40 years of classroom teaching that although I was the educator and they were the students, I could learn from them while they were learning from me. The same is true in the spiritual realm – both the teacher and the student benefit. But Paul is saying something more than that here. He is saying that there is also mutual encouragement, that both he and the Romans would be encouraged by his visit. And that’s a recognition that’s doubly important with “spiritual teaching”. As I am doing what I can to guide this RTB group through Acts and the Epistles, I hear from some of you that my comments are helpful – even challenging sometimes – and clearly appreciated. And that fills my heart! So, ideally, hopefully, we are doubly blessed in our RTB relationship! Again, Paul is “right on”!!
Slava Bohu!
This is great, thank you!