The world we inhabit today is both larger and smaller than ever before. In our global village, events in one hemisphere hit the airwaves instantly to affect millions on the other side of the world.
Yet most people in the West live a more privatised, isolated and self-preoccupied existence than at any time in history. Vast horizons coexist alongside incredible insularity.
A similar syndrome affects churches. The glorious light of God has shined upon us through the gospel. Boundless vision and vibrant hope should be the defining qualities of our world view. But for the most part, these things barely impinge on our daily lives. We tend to be just as parochial and self-absorbed in our thinking as everyone else. Put simply, our God is too small, and our gospel hopelessly truncated.
Seeing the big picture
It is when we lose the big picture of salvation that things go wrong in the microcosm of life in and among local churches, and they become weak, inturned, and beset with disagreement and strife. This is so in many of our churches in the West today. Brother Yun, in his extraordinary book 'The Heavenly Man', makes a telling comment on the difference in perspective between Western Christians, and those in China facing great hardship for the sake of Christ. He rebukes our praying for the collapse of Communism so that the Christians can live in freedom, assuring us that Chinese believers pray not for a lighter load, but for a stronger back to endure! They want not comfort, but to be pleasing to God. Far too many churches in the West, by contrast, are asleep in their ease. According to Yun, those which are not, and which really are alive, have one thing in common: a strong and sacrificial commitment to missions among the unreached nations of the world. That is, they share a clear sense of the big picture of God's mighty plan and purpose - to bring all nations and peoples together under the lordship of Christ forever.
Old problems
Problems of division and dissension in churches are, however, not new. The various house fellowships meeting across first-century Rome, a city of perhaps a million people, were drifting into sectarianism over secondary matters to the detriment of their Christian fellowship, and, worse, to their strategic gospel witness at the heart of a world empire of countless millions more. They desperately needed to be reminded of the scope of the gospel of God, and re-orient their thinking and priorities accordingly. They needed to see the big picture.
This is Paul's mission throughout his momentous exposition of the gospel in Romans, and in chapters 14-15 he pointedly applies it to the current situation of disharmony in Rome. Drawing his readers back constantly to the key themes of the letter, he tells them that having been united by one gospel they simply must welcome one another (14.1-12), and love one another as those united in one kingdom family (14.13-23). Now, in 15.1-13, he concludes not only his immediate application, but brings his whole exposition of the gospel to a climax.
In doing so he takes us right to the heart of his message. Not only are we united by the gospel and in one family, we are united with Christ himself, for a purpose of glory. Therefore, we must serve one another, for in doing this we share not only the experience of the Messiah himself, the anointed servant of the Lord, but in his mission, by calling all nations to obedient faith in his name, through the power of gospel of God.
The passage divides into two parallel paragraphs (vv.1-6 & 7-13). Each begins with a clear command, grounds this in the person and work of Christ, and closes with a prayer of blessing.
Strong with God's power
For the first time in this whole discussion about the 'weak' and the 'strong', Paul actually uses the word strong. 'We who are strong', he says, clearly including himself, 'ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves' (v.1, NASB). This translation brings out Paul's point, which is to show how real strength behaves. Those who are really strong (lit. powerful) show their power not by exploitation, pleasing themselves, but rather in the opposite: 'bearing the weaknesses of others', and by pleasing their neighbours for their good, for the mutual upbuilding of the whole community.
Paul's whole gospel is about the power of God, which is for the weak and helpless. God was 'powerful to do what he had promised' for Abraham when his body was as good as dead (4.21). He is powerful to make the sinner stand in righteousness (14.4). God's power is a serving power. He stoops to save those who were still utterly 'powerless' when Christ died for them (5.6). This gospel power must become their power for life and witness, overcoming the tensions and struggles of church relationships as they stoop to serve one another.
How different this is from the world's conception of power. As G.K. Chesterton put it: 'We grow taller when we bow'. Ask yourself: 'Does this spirit pervade the attitudes in our church?'
Union with Christ
To think and act this way is not an option, but an 'obligation' (v.1), and the reason is given in verse 3: 'for the Christ did not please himself'. Paul appeals to the pattern of the Messiah. This is much more than just a call to imitate Christ; it is an application of the doctrine of union with Christ.
Paul's gospel in Romans is of truly cosmic proportions. It spans salvation's history, telling how God justifies Jew and Gentile alike through faith (chapters 3-4), and is uniting all together as one through the inscrutable workings of his divine mercy, so that having 'consigned all to disobedience ƒ he might have mercy on all', to the eternal praise of his glory (chapters 9-11). Yet this is no grand, impersonal, design of a distant deity. At the very heart of it all, chapters 5-8 speak of the most intimate, personal union of individual believers with Christ himself. Now Christ is in us (8.10) because 'the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in' us, and promises us the same resurrection life for our mortal bodies, through the same Spirit (8.11). We are united, now and forever, in a 'one-flesh union' with the Lord Jesus Christ!
'So then' says Paul (8.12), 'we are under obligation' to be what we really are in Christ, 'not ƒ to live according to the flesh' but to be 'led by the Spirit of God' (8.14).
1. Serving in the pattern of the Messiah
This brings us to the nub of the issue in chapter 15. We are united with the Christ, God's 'anointed servant', who suffered for the sake of others. In our present experience we share not only his life, but also his sufferings. Serving, by bearing the weaknesses of others for their good, in all kinds of ways (v.1), is an integral part of this experience, just as Christ served. Bearing our cross (Luke 14.26), as Jesus bore his own cross (John 19.17), is what discipleship is all about - not just in theory, but in the hard graft of daily life, within disagreements about church life, and in the adversity that mission and evangelism may face us with.
Failure to grasp this reality of the cross in our experience as Christians leads to all kinds of disillusionment, not to say despair, as we struggle to match the 'resurrection' promises of the gospel with our present experience which seems, at times, so different. Meantime, we must wait for this great hope 'with patient endurance' (8.25).
How do we find this endurance? 'Through the encouragement of the Scriptures' (v.4). If we understand the scope of God's plan, as expounded in Scripture, our experience should not surprise us, but encourage us! Hence Paul's quote from Psalm 69: 'as it is written, "the reproach of those who reproached you fell on me"' (v.3). His point is that all Scripture shows this pattern, right from the beginning. Throughout the entire history of the promise, from the very first prophecy - promising a struggle of enmity between the two 'seeds' (Genesis 3.15) - God's people have been mysteriously bound together with the Messiah, serving his redemption while sharing in the pattern of his sufferings. Many psalms speak of this 'reproach'.
We must grasp this sense of continuity in God's economy if we are to understand our own Christian lives today. We, too, are part of this wonderful story which is still unfolding! So all of this from former days 'was written for our instruction, that through patient endurance (cf. 8.25) and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope' (v.4). We need this constant ministry of Scripture to strengthen our hope today. It teaches us that none of their suffering was fruitless, but was serving the unfolding purpose of God for the salvation of the world, by preparing for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus.
How much more so now, for us, in these 'latter days' of fulfilment, in the age of the Spirit! Through our union with the risen Christ it has been granted to us to suffer with him in the same pattern (cf. Philippians 1.29), and play our part, like the saints of old, in serving the plan of God. But the task we serve is bringing his great redemption to its final climax, through the spread of the gospel to every tribe, tongue, people and nation. We are making way for his final coming again in glory.
2. Serving the purpose of the Messiah
This is why we must 'welcome one another just as Christ has welcomed' us (v.7). Echoing the opening words of this section (14.1), this wholehearted attitude sums up everything Paul means by gospel unity - a unity of mutual service together in fellowship that flows from our union with the Messiah, in his own mission of grace to the world. For 'Christ became a servant of the circumcision, to show the truthfulness (faithfulness) of God' (v.8). We are united in the one who is even now uniting all nations together in himself, 'to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs and so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy' (v.9).
This was God's plan right from the start, Paul is saying. This is why he called Abraham out from the nations, to father his chosen servant nation, Israel, in order that God's promise would come through Israel to the whole world. The history of redemption was always moving toward this great conclusion, as Scripture in every place testifies (cf. 1.2). So Paul quotes from the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms (9-12)-showing everywhere this unified message looking forward for fulfilment, just 'as it is written' (cf. Luke 24.44).
First (v.9b), David's song of deliverance through suffering (Psalm 18) speaks of God, his Rock, vindicating his 'anointed One' in triumph over all enemies. God's risen Messiah now sings God's praise 'among the Gentile nations' in his victory. But centuries before this, Moses too sang of the triumph of the Rock of Israel on behalf of his wayward people (Deuteronomy 32), and the day of vindication that would see Gentiles rejoicing 'with his people' (v.10). Psalm 117, one of the Hallel Psalms sung at the three great feasts of Israel, Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, shows that at the very heart of the Israelite faith was always a call to 'all you Gentiles' to praise the Lord, and for 'all peoples' to extol him (v.11).
Finally, he turns to Isaiah, whose immense prophetic message lies behind so much of Paul's exposition. Quoting from Isaiah 11-12, which speaks of God gathering the remnant of Israel together with the Gentile nations from the very ends of the earth as a people for his praise, his climactic statement declares that all this is fulfilled in 'the root of Jesse' who has now come in Jesus, 'even he who arises to rule the Gentiles' (v.12).
Jesus, 'descended from David', and 'declared to be the Son of God with power by his resurrection' (1.3-4): 'in him will the Gentiles hope' (v.12). This is Paul's gospel. Now, at last, the whole history of Israel has come to its fulfilment in the person of Christ, fulfilling Israel's destiny as 'a light for the nations', that God's salvation 'may reach the ends of the earth' (Isaiah 49.6).
And this is what we are all caught up in right now! Paul's whole theology of mission and service derives from this understanding of Christ as the Servant of Israel, and the Church of Christ, as the renewed Israel of God, united with him in this service for all nations. Isaiah's Servant was not an afterthought, a 'new' servant to replace Israel, but the long prophesied Seed, promised from the beginning to redeem and renew Israel, and to fulfil in and through her God's redemption for the world. 'Salvation is of the Jews' (John 4.22).
A missionary theology
So, Isaiah had prophesied that the Spirit of God, through the Servant's atoning work, would transform Israel's blindness, and make her true witnesses to all the nations (Isaiah 43.10,12).
Paul is at the vanguard of this great movement, leading the 'priestly service of the gospel of God' to all the Gentiles nations (15.16). What Paul is telling us here in Romans 15 is that we too are called to share in serving the purpose of the Messiah himself. United to him, we are the true servants of the circumcision (cf. Philippians 3.3). We are a light to the Gentiles, that we may bring salvation to the ends of the earth, (just as he says in Acts 13.47, directly applying Isaiah 49.6 to the missionaries of the early church). That is why the Spirit of the ascended Messiah was given; Jesus was clearly restating Isaiah's promises: 'You will be my witnesses ƒ to the ends of the earth' (Acts 1.8). The unique finished work of the Servant Messiah is now being applied, by the Spirit of the resurrected Lord, through his renewed servant people, the Israel of God, as they in turn serve the gospel.
3. Serving in the power of the Messiah
But this all seems an impossible calling for us! We cannot even seem to tolerate one another at times, far less endure together the hardship and sufferings of such costly missionary service. Who is sufficient for these things?
According to Paul, we are. Yes, we need great endurance, encouragement and, most of all, abounding hope - but this he has promised us, from the very source that empowered every moment of the Messiah's suffering ministry. We share 'the power of the Holy Spirit' himself (v.13). Our sufficiency also comes from him.
Notice that this strengthening of endurance, unity, and hope in service, comes from the God of endurance, encouragement and hope (vv.5,13), by the power of the Holy Spirit (v.13), through the encouragement of Scripture (v.4), and in answer to the prayer of the apostle (vv.5,13). This is always the pattern: from God, by the Spirit, through Scripture, in answer to humble prayer. The Spirit empowers us for service as we take in the magnitude of our calling, by prayerful feeding on Christ in all the Scripture.
Do you want the real power of God's Spirit energising you? Then dig deep into the gospel of God in Romans! It is as we discover and rediscover the glory of Christ in his gospel that even our sufferings bring joy, endurance, character and unashamed hope, through the love of God abounding in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (5.2-5). 'Therefore', says Paul, knowing all this, you must 'welcome one another, as Christ has welcomed you', for in doing this you really are sharing in working out his eternal purpose 'for the glory of God' (v.7).
Local mirrors global
The welcoming fellowship Paul commands in the microcosm of our local evangelical constituencies mirrors what God is doing on a global scale as the gospel spreads through the whole world. The one must reflect the other, or else we are shown to be hypocrites, and the gospel without power. But living together like this unleashes real serving power (v.5). The 'one voice' that will 'glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ' (v.6) above all else is not some manufactured attempt at unity through ecumenical hymn singing, but rather the united proclamation of the gospel. Unison here is the hallmark of churches gripped by the true glory of God's cosmic redemptive purpose in Christ.
That is what was needed in first-century Rome - a vision lifted above the tiny horizons of the trivial and the divisive, to see the big picture, the glorious, uniting reality of the advancing gospel of God claiming the world empire of Caesar for the risen Christ. That is what is needed in Britain today. How desperately those who hold to the biblical gospel need to come to terms with the real priorities, and get above the trivialities that divide us, for the sake of the glory of God, and the saving of our nation.
Copyright W.J.U. Philip, 2004
