Romans 15:22-33

Romans 15:22–33 (ESV)✞: Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

Passage

This passage feels more “practical” than “theological,” in a way. Paul has never visited Rome before but has wanted to, and here he explains his plans to finally come and visit them.

He ended the last passage by mentioning that he’d been traveling far and wide spreading the Gospel to places that had never heard it before; but a person can only be in one place at a time, so all of these travels have prevented him from visiting Rome:

²² This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you.

A person can only be in one place at a time, after all!

But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t wanted to come, and now he finally can:

²³ But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, ²⁴ I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.

As we see here, though, he’s not intending to stay. Paul’s work as a missionary is never ending!

However, despite his perception that he no longer has “room for work” in the regions where he’s been, and his longstanding desire to visit the Romans, it’s not time yet:

²⁵ At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. ²⁶ For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. ²⁷ For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.

Paul doesn’t just mention that he has a task to complete before he can visit Rome; he also calls out, once again, the fruit of the Spirit being demonstrated by the Gentile Christians: they were “pleased” to contribute financially for the well-being of the Jerusalem-based church – most of whom would have been Jewish Christians (I think). In the previous passage Paul pointed out “signs and wonders” as proof of the Gentile Christians’ salvation; here he points out their generosity as further proof.

But when Paul has finished his task in Jerusalem he’s planning to go to Spain – which will allow him, finally to pass through Rome:

²⁸ When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. ²⁹ I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

Interestingly, however, Paul has some trepidation about going to Jerusalem, so he asks his fellow believers in Rome to pray for him:

³⁰ I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, ³¹ that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, ³² so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. ³³ May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Those trepidations were founded! Paul’s trip to Jerusalem ended with him being imprisoned; we read about that in Acts 21–26✞. In the end, yes, he ended up coming to Rome – but not as he’d planned! He came as a prisoner, to bring his case before Caesar.

Thoughts

The ESV Study Bible notes provide some interesting context on this passage:

Rom. 15:23–24 Paul now feels that his work in the east has come to an end. So he hopes to see the Roman church, and desires that they would function as his base of support for his mission to Spain. By the first century A.D. Spain was firmly a part of the Roman Empire. Spain provided significant crops to the empire, and it was the fatherland of several important Roman authors (and a few later emperors); thus it would have been a strategic location for Paul to evangelize. No visit of Paul to Spain is recorded in the NT, but it is possible that he went there after his release from prison in Rome (after Acts 28:30–31). There is some historical evidence after the NT suggesting that Paul did preach in Spain, but it falls short of clear proof.

ESV Study Bible