Romans 15:8-12
For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the ancestors so that the Gentiles may glorify God for God’s mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.” (2 Sam. 22:50; Ps. 18:49) Again, it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with God’s people.” (Deut. 32:43) And again, “Praise our God, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to God, all you peoples.” (Ps. 117:1) And again, Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will spring up, One who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in that One.” (Is. 11:10)
Paul again encourages both Jews and Gentiles to welcome each other and to be united with each other. The Jewish people were the people of God, chosen to be the bearers of the “good new,” that:
When Paul and a companion, Barnabas, went to Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:44-49) to teach the people in the synagogue about Jesus (both Jews and Gentiles) their preaching attracted nearly the whole city. Many of the Jewish people became jealous and began speaking against what Paul was saying. Paul replied in no uncertain terms that while he felt the necessity to share his message with the Jewish people first, since they rejected it he would turn his attention to the Gentiles. He quoted the Prophet Isaiah (49:6) saying that by this God had commanded them to do so: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Paul offers quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures, which demonstrate that the writers of old understood and foretold that Jews and Gentiles would one day join together in the worship of God. Jesus demonstrated by His life that all are equal in God’s sight. And all are welcome; the church that professes to follow Jesus should be no less welcoming.
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in God, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul refers to God as the “God of hope.” There are many people we meet in our lives who scoff at the concept of faith. I remember hearing someone say something to this effect: “…faith? You want me to believe in somethin’ I can’t see, hear, feel, smell, tough or chew? That’s not rational, and I’m a rational person. Give me reality any time!” There’s no faith in “reality.” But without faith, there’s no hope either. Remember Paul’s earlier quote in Romans 8:24: “For in…hope we were saved. But hope that is seen (i.e. reality) is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait (i.e. have faith) for it patiently.”
One doesn’t usually wait for something they have no faith will come to pass. We wait for busses, trains and planes because we have faith that they will arrive, and then “in hope”, we expect them to take us to our destinations. Faith and hope are inextricably intertwined. One of the most wonderful things abut being Christian is that our faith gives us the tools we need to live life joyfully no matter what our circumstances may be.
When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, he was in dire straits. He was locked in chains in prison facing the possibility of death. He was misunderstood and opposed by many fellow Christians who took advantage of his imprisonment and sought to usurp his authority for their own selfish ambitions. Yet Paul’s letter to the Philippians is his most joyful letter. In chapter four, (11b-13) he says, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.”
What was the secret to Paul’s strength and feelings of contentment, no matter his circumstances? He had faith. This faith helped him build a bond of trust in God through Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit. This bond of trust filled him with hope that no matter what happened to him, he would be OK because he was in God’s hands, and as long as he was in God’s hands whatever happened, he would be OK. He might have remembered and internalized the words of God through the Prophet Jeremiah given to the Israelites when they were in exile in Babylon: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jer. 29:11)
Faith and a bond of trust in God to see you through regardless of the circumstances you may have to face, brings about a sense of peace within, and that sense of peace leads to joy. The word “joy” is a form of the word “rejoice,” whose dictionary definition says, “…The emotion evoked by well-being, success, good fortune, or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.”
It was this absolute trust in God to see him though that allowed Paul, in spite of his shackles, to exhort the Philippians to, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. God is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:4-7)
LIFE APPLICATION