4. The Holy spirit in the long Epistles of Paul
(written between 55-56 A.D.)
From 1 Corinthians
The Holy Spirit and the “love of wisdom”
Church problems in Corinth
The gifts of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit in Paul´s message over the resurrection
From 2 Corinthians
The glory of the ministry of Christ
From the Epistle to the church in Rome
Peace with God and the Law of Moses
Life in the Holy Spirit
Paul and the burden of his people
Spiritual admonishments of Paul
The reason for Paul´s Epistle to the church at Rome
From 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 1:1-3
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul, the apostle of Christ, endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit according to the will of God the Father, wrote this letter together with Sosthenes, the former ruler of the synagogue in Corinth. Because of his faith in Jesus, he had been openly beaten by fanatical Jews (Acts 18:17). These two men wrote this letter to the church in the port city of Corinth.
They addressed the recipients of their letter as the church of God at Corinth, and described the members as those sanctified through the blood of Christ and experienced in His Spirit. They had become firm in Christ and could be described as saints. They told their problems to Jesus in prayer and lived in spiritual communion with Him. In this sense, the grace of forgiveness and the peace of the Holy Spirit was promised them, both from God, our Father, as well as from the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
The Holy Spirit and the “Love of Wisdom”
1 Corinthians 2:3-16
3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. 5 That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. … 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man´s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “Who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
The church in Corinth, with their port workers and traders, suffered an inferiority complex underneath the shadow of Athens, a city in which lived famous philosophers, who loved and practiced wisdom and science. Therefore, in Corinth, too, speakers and preachers were evaluated in light of their philosophical training. Paul, who had been mocked in Athens (Acts 17:16-33), came to Corinth in “great trembling and fear”, for he did not teach human wisdom, but the resurrection of the crucified Jesus from the dead. He proclaimed the power of the Holy Spirit to be the blessing that flowed from this sacrifice of atonement.
Paul proclaimed to the Corinthians the wisdom of God, which is greater and higher than all of our reason. He compared, using simple language, and without oratory skill, the wisdom of man with the indescribable glory of God. This glory of God, in the shining light of His Son, had temporarily blinded Paul on his way to Damascus. He and the churches, however, had come to share in this glory through the gift of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit is all-knowing and searches even the depth of the Godhead. The apostle to the nations assured the wise believers in Corinth that, through their reception of the Holy Spirit, they had been drawn into both the wisdom and the glory of God. This, however, could only be grasped by the spiritually minded, those who, as born-again people, had received and understood the mind of God.
Human understanding cannot, in itself, comprehend spiritual realities, even when this understanding dwells in famous philosophers (Matt. 11:25-30). These may be the ones who often smile at and mock the naïve. Yet, faith in Christ has made the naïve wise, and the wise naïve, for whoever opens himself to the Spirit of Christ receives the mind of the Lord – an eternal perspective!
1 Corinthians 3:1
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
Since the Corinthians again and again ogled over the wisdom of the Athenian, Paul had to, once again, go over the fundamentals of the faith with them. They had come to faith in Christ, for Paul called them brethren. Nevertheless, the egg shell of eloquent humanistic thinking still clung to them, and had to be scraped off. They had not yet come to maturity in Christ, and were like under-age children clinging to human adoration.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Apollos, the eloquent evangelist from Egypt, enthralled numerous church members in Corinth, so that they designated themselves as his followers. Others remained faithful to Paul. He became indignant, however, and condemned this dependency of the believers upon man. Those called to be servants of Christ are simply co-workers of God in the construction of His new temple, in which He will dwell forever. God alone is deserving of honour in the church, not man.
In our day and age, the talk is of the building of a third temple in Jerusalem. Yet, we need to comprehend that this planned building of stone is no longer necessary. It will be worthless, for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit already uniformly indwell the temple of the church. Perhaps the money donated for domes, cathedrals, works of art and other transitory monuments could better be given to small churches in Asia and Africa, who not infrequently have to eke out an existence below the poverty level. Jesus and Paul had no church buildings constructed, but rather put all their energy into the construction of the spiritual house –the church.
Whoever unsettles the church, through pride or the striving after power, or whoever brings in unbiblical theology or higher criticism of the word of God, corrupts the spiritual temple of God. This person will be the very first to be judged by the Lord. As long as the church is the temple of God, it remains holy. All new followers of Christ are called to become spiritual building stones in Him. Everyone is called to examine himself, whether he is already a part of the structure, or whether he is just lying around as an uncut stone.
1 Corinthians 4:20-21
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. 21 What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
The ministry of the eloquent Apollos had led to unrest in the church at Corinth. Long-held imaginations of showy preaching, packed with brilliant wisdom, had been revived. Paul made it clear to those longing for such sparkling oratory that the mystery of a living church in the kingdom of God did not lie in fine-sounding words or impressive examples, but in the power of the Holy Spirit. The prayer offered before and after the sermon is as important as the sermon itself. How shall the speaker further give the Holy Spirit, if he does not know or has not experienced this Spirit himself?
Church Problems in Corinth
1 Corinthians 5:1-5
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles –that a man has his father´s wife! … 3 For I indeed, as absent in the body but present in spirit, have already judged, as though I were present, concerning him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Wherever Biblical teaching regarding the true faith is mixed with other ideas or principles, there soon appear impure aberrations. Blind enthusiasm and scandal often go hand-in-hand. A son in Corinth lived together with the wife of his father, his stepmother, which was even a cause of outrage to the local heathen. Yet the church did not even exert the energy to rebuke, let alone punish this young man. They went on their merry way, oblivious to the wrong.
Paul, who prayed again and again for the troubled church and who was with them in spirit, had determined to put this adulterer out of the church unless he immediately repented and broke with his sin. We read of the giving up of this sinner to Satan to be plagued with illness or even with death in the event he didn´t change. The hope was that physical trouble and pain would lead him to repentance. The protective shelter of Christ was to be grasped by the notorious sinner. This act of church discipline was built upon three pillars: 1) the meeting of the church elders in the name of Jesus, 2) their unanimous decision following unified prayer, and 3) the power of Jesus Christ (Matt. 18:15-20; Rev. 2:21-23).
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
The Port city of Corinth was notorious because of its temple to the goddess of love, “Aphrodite”. 1000 temple prostitutes (Hieroduli) stood, as sanctified female servants, available to the worshippers. Gluttony and immorality in every form were not considered offensive in this city. Paul attacked this demonic spirit front on, and listed the common forms of sin one-by-one. He wanted to make it clear to the church members that whoever slid into this moral morass and sank could not enter the kingdom of God.
At the same time, the apostle thanked Jesus Christ that He had freed some of the church members from these attachments. In threefold manner, he testified to them that they had been fully cleansed, sanctified and justified both through the name of Jesus Christ, as well as through the Spirit of our God. The power of sin is great, yet the power of grace is even greater and brings about true liberty. The name of Christ and the Holy Spirit can still today, in the age of pornography, child abductions, and legalized homosexuality, break apart the chains of sin that bind, so that those held captive might be set free.
1 Corinthians 6:16-19
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “The two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Polygamy and whoredom were and are still today, in some religions, a part of religious practice, meant to reduce tension. Paul, however, laid down the Biblical order of creation as the standard for which all immoral practices in Corinth were to be measured. Whoever enters a marriage with a woman becomes one with her (Gen. 2:24). Paul expanded this mystery to include our relationship with God: Whoever is bound in faith to the Lord is one spirit with Him! This component of faith transcends our understanding! Whoever by faith believes on Jesus becomes one with Him through the Holy Spirit – a legal unit, with unity in action and being. The Lord wants to stamp us with His image and work through us. He loves us, so that we can love Him.
Using this spiritual standard of life, Paul commanded the Corinthians to flee every form of common immorality. Sexual impurity, adultery, or same sex attachments are sins against one´s own body, and sooner or later destroy body, soul, and spirit! Paul expanded the previous revelation regarding the temple of the Holy Spirit: This Spirit of Grace has taken up residence in our bodies. He is present with us, and is the eternally valid gift of God to us. Therefore, we no longer belong to ourselves, but to Him who has redeemed us. Christ died for us that we might live holy. His Spirit is the power that helps us. His blood cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7-10).
1 Corinthians 7:34
The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world – how she may please her husband.
Paul expected the soon return of Christ. Thoughts of marriage, collecting money, or building houses seemed unimportant to him. All strength, money, and thought should be used to prepare the way for the returning Lord, and to expand His spiritual kingdom. Therefore, he, the apostle to the nations, advised unmarried women to live holy in body, soul and spirit, by totally devoting themselves to service for their exalted Lord. In so doing, they would not be burdened with the problems of a family.
Marriage, however, is also an ordinance of God. The sex drive is also a gift of the Creator to make us responsible. Originally it was neither unclean nor unholy. But since the time man rebelled against God, the creative potential in man and woman has also been drawn into the realm of sin. Only in communion with Christ is the relationship between man and wife transformed into serving love. The word MARRIAGE inspires the understanding that the LORD, wherever He stands in the middle between two egoists, can unify the marriage partners in grace. Blessed are the man and woman who together praise the Lord and serve Him with their family. When that happens, marriage can become a small garden of paradise, which may continue to advanced age.
1 Corinthians 7:39-40
39 A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 40 But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment – and I think I also have the Spirit of God.
Marriages should be consummated in heaven. The desire of widows and widowers to marry again should not, in the first instance, serve to overcome their loneliness. Instead, a communion of two should be for joint-service to the Lord. Whether married or unmarried, we are to live to the Lord, and not to ourselves. No married or unmarried person is good in himself, nor is he or she better than someone else. It is only obedience under the leading of the Spirit of God that brings blessing and fulfilment to life.
For some widows and widowers, marrying again can become a burden, especially when their soul unknowingly, yet critically, measures the new spouse against the one who has died. In regard to every word of his pastoral council, Paul placed the ever present and ever at work in him Spirit of God as the ultimate weight on the balance scale.
1 Corinthians 9:9-12
9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.
Pastors, preachers, evangelists or bishops who work full time are not being compared with oxen in this text, even though they must sometimes bear or pull heavy burdens. As unmarried and as a travelling apostle, Paul earned a livelihood for himself and for his co-workers through his previously learned trade. In doing so, however, he did not neglect the ministry of proclaiming the gospel, council to the individual, or prayer. This continuous burden, however, is not one every servant of the Lord can cope with bodily or mentally. Therefore, the Bible testifies that the one who faithfully ministers also has the right, without slander or insult, to be appropriately provided for by the ones he spiritually serves.
1 Corinthians 10:1-6
1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea. 2 all were baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
The apostle to the nations had declared to Jewish Christians, as well as to believers from among the nations, the great works God had done in the Old Covenant. He related these events to the New Testament, however, not so that believers might feel superior, but remain vigilant. He described the exodus of those fleeing Egypt through a tributary of the Red Sea and their life under the protection of the cloud passing before them as being their baptism into Moses, along with their obligation to keep his law. In addition, the entire nation had eaten manna and quail in the wilderness and drank water from the Rock. At the same time, these gifts of God amounted to spiritual nourishment for them, for even then they lived from the wonders of the grace “in Christ”! Nevertheless, most of them were snatched away by the anger of God because of their disobedience to Him.
With these historical examples, Paul wanted to warn the church in Corinth. They were not to superficially rely on baptism or the Lord´s Supper while continuing on indifferently in sin. Otherwise, they could fall from grace and come under the wrath of God.
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 12:1-3
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
This chapter, which speaks about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, begins with a clear warning. In various religions there is a speaking of believers in foreign voices, or with words in unknown languages. In the event that in church a foreign voice should speak from one present, it was be determined by the Holy Spirit what kind of a spirit it was that was speaking. No impure spirit can say that Jesus is LORD! The name of Jesus is holy and full of power. Our friends and relatives cannot recognize Christ or confess His divinity unless the Holy Spirit dwells in them. Speaking in tongues does not always have to be a Christian practice. But when the one speaking confesses Jesus as his Lord and Saviour, his spirit has its origin in God.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
Following this prelude, Paul made it clear that all the different gifts functioning in the church arose from one and the same Spirit. All of the various offices in a church are under the authority of Jesus, their Lord. Differing strengths in the church also arise from God, whose Semitic name, “El”, means power and might. He is the primeval source of power upon whom all other strengths are built.
With these considerations the apostle desired to show that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as a spiritual unity, are all involved in the building up and direction of the church. Our God is one, even though He appears in three persons. Such is not logical, but spiritual. The Father is Spirit, His born of the Spirit Son is Spirit, and the Holy Spirit remains the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. In their complete love and humility they are an indissoluble unity. We, however, as transitory beings, have the privilege to be drawn into this unity by grace (John 17:20-26).
1 Corinthians 12:7-11
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
From the very beginning, the spiritually-gifted apostle gave assurance that the individual gifts were not just to serve the individual, but the entire church. No one was to think he was greater or more important than the other. All the more significant he may be, all the more should he be a servant to all. In such way, the greatest can truly show that he is the smallest!
Pauls listed nine distinct gifts of the Spirit as being in the church: Wisdom, knowledge, faith (or faithfulness), gifts of healing, the working of miracles in practical life, prophecy, the discerning of spirits, different kinds of tongues or languages, and the interpretation (or translation) of these languages. All of these gifts are holy, for they all arise from the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the listing of these gifts in their order is also an indicator of their importance for the church.
At the end of the list Paul writes that the Spirit of God gives to each one just as he, the Spirit, wishes! Thus, there should be no envy in the church, or looking longingly at particular gifts, for the Spirit knows exactly why, what, and to whom He can give His gifts!
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptised into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
The highpoint of the twelfth chapter consists in the ascertaining that the different gifts of the believers all resemble various members of a body. The body of a person cannot be just eyes or feet. Only in the variety of members is the body of a person made complete. Beyond that, when one member suffers, all other members suffer with it!
It is similar in the spiritual body of Jesus Christ. Through the forgiveness of our sins and the reception of the Holy Spirit we become worthy to become spiritually assimilated into the Son of God! Color of skin, race, gender or position in society can in no way influence or affect this grace privilege. Everyone in whom the Spirit of God dwells belongs to Christ! Who is it that thanks the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for this inexpressibly great gift of grace, for the privilege of existing in and through Him, and for the joy of being able to serve Him? How we worship shows whether or not we have understood what God has done for us.
1 Corinthians 14:1a
Pursue love … !
After Paul had described that it is the Holy Spirit who fulfils all gifts of grace and charisma, and how the Spirit indispensably works together with the spiritual body of Christ, he encouraged the church in Corinth to keep an eye out for even “greater gifts” (1 Cor. 12:31). To that end, he wrote them the great chapter on love that is often read at marriage services (1 Cor. 13:1-13). With this hymn of praise to the love of God, the apostle wanted to overcome every false pursuit of spiritual gifts, as well as put an end to the radical over-evaluation of certain gifts in the church at Corinth.
He said that even if he could pray in all 6500 known languages, and even if the language of angels came over his tongue in worship to God, it would amount to nothing other than a painfully sung false note or a clanging cymbal if his heart remained cold and without love to God or man. Even if he could give the most comprehensive vision of prophetic end times, and could grasp all the mysteries of God, even if he could move mountains in faith, yet remained without love for his enemies, he himself would remain a failure and be spiritually dead. Even if he was financially wealthy and donated millions to the poor, working night and day, or if he would die a martyr for Christ, yet all the time remaining proud, loving himself more than God and His creatures, he would be nothing more than a counterfeit and a danger for humanity.
Paul precisely described the love of the Holy Spirit with 15 characteristics by which we can be measured (1 Cor. 13:4-6). These essentials should drive every honest reader to repentance, for they reveal our great deficiency of love. In actual fact, these virtues are a description of the person of Jesus Christ, a revelation of the love of God, and a comforting personal witness of the Holy Spirit. We should memorize this exalted hymn of love, prayerfully practice it, and offer it as the one and only way to peace for mankind. So is the nature of the triune God, and so He wants us to be! In eternity all of the gifts of grace will cease to be, while only the love of God will continue forever (1 Cor. 13:8-13).
It seems strange that in this exalted hymn of love the Holy Spirit is not mentioned, although He is the one who realizes the attributes and virtues of the love of God in Christ´s followers. This shows, once again, that the Spirit of God restrains Himself, even while quietly strengthening the church, so that believers can be a mirror reflecting Jesus Christ and His Father.
1 Corinthians 14:1b-5
… 1b desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the Spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men….5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
Paul was in a dilemma. He didn´t want to see the working of the Spirit lessened in the church in Corinth, yet he was still forced to explain to the church members the significance of the individual gifts of the Spirit. The new converts were enthralled by those praying in foreign languages, which they saw as proof of the presence of the Spirit of God, even if often there was no one present to translate. Therefore, the apostle explained to those gifted in language that prophetic speaking in the church was more important than speaking in tongues, for without a translator no one could understand it. They spoke with God about mysteries which they themselves didn´t understand. This praying, however, was of no help to the church, since no one understood what they were saying.
When Paul spoke of prophecy, he probably had in mind three focal points from the Old Testament, wherein the holiness of God and His mercy had been revealed, as well as the attributes of His glory. In view of this knowledge of God, man appears as a lost sinner (Isaiah 6:1-7), who can only be justified through the atoning death of a representative. From this knowledge of God and man there flowed the revelation God´s plan of salvation for humble and broken sinners. At the same time, this revelation promised a coming judgment for the proud and self-righteous. The arrival of the Messiah finally brought salvation for those exercised in repentance. For those hardened in unbelief, His coming brought only damnation.
The prophetic word in the New Testament also knows three focal points: In 200 verses Jesus revealed God as His Father, as well as the Spirit, who cries out in us, “Abba, dear Father!” (Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 4:5-6). Man is shown in the revealing light of the love of God to be hopelessly lost and condemned. Christ, the Lamb of God, however, carried away the sin of the world. Whoever believes in Him is justified (John 1:29; Rom. 3:22-24). Whoever rejects the salvation completed through Jesus condemns his own self. The course of history, past and present, flows from these spiritual realities, even while world events rush toward their final goal, the second-coming of Christ. The 27 books of the New Testament are the written record of the prophetic speech of the Holy Spirit. Fresh, true prophecy will always move about within these borders.
1 Corinthians 14:12-19
12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. 13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the result then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. 18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Paul reminded the church members at Corinth that the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit were not meant for personal gratification or intended to increase one´s own fame. Rather, they were given to glorify God and to build up the church. The follower of Jesus denies self and does not push himself to the forefront! That is also a fundamental principle of the Holy Spirit, who does not glorify Himself, but Christ, the Lamb of God. The goal of all of the gifts of the Spirit remains the spiritual growth of the church.
Whoever worships God in foreign tongues should remember the command of Jesus: “And when you pray, you should not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men…But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matt. 6:5-6).
In his explanation, Paul claimed that he worshiped God in tongues more than all the other Corinthians, while at the same time he clearly stated the fundamental principle valid for all who pray in tongues: “In the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
1 Corinthians 14:31-39
31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. 32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace … 37 If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. 38 But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant. 39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.
Paul was not of the opinion that only preachers, bishops or other appointed ones, with outstanding educational degrees, should speak in a church assembly. Everyone who is born-again carries in him the voice of the Holy Spirit. Two of the mysteries of His love are humility and mutual submission. No one should think that he is especially intelligent, studied, or that he alone is filled with the Spirit. Much more, he should learn to listen to the others and act orderly in every given church situation. The Holy Spirit often imparts to simple ones and to those on the outer edge of the church deeper insight than to those in the inner circle.
Paul revealed the further mystery that the spirits of the prophets are subject to their holders. That means the Holy Spirit compels no one to believe, love, hope, speak with tongues or convey prophetical inspiration. All Spirit-gifted believers are responsible for every word that proceeds from their mouth and for every act or deed they do or neglect to do. The Spirit of Christ trains us all for peace, to hear one another, and to serve.
The Holy Spirit in Paul´s Message about the Resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:43-46
43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.
Before the gates of Damascus, Paul had experienced the glory of Jesus, the One risen from the dead. He had seen and witnessed Christ´s power and the presence of His spiritual body in glorious, shining light. He did not speak of theories, but testified to the existence of his living Lord. Christ had appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, silently entering in among them even when doors and windows were shut. The resurrection of Jesus also promised and assured the resurrection of His followers, just as His spiritual body revealed how theirs would be in the future.
The Holy Spirit comes upon those who believe in Jesus as the great and divine blessing of his substitutionary death of atonement. This Spirit of Jesus means eternal life and divine power and glory to all who follow the Lamb of God (John 3:16; 6:63; 11:25, 26; 17:22, 23). Their spiritual body remains hidden in this present world age, even while their eyes radiate the joy of Christ, in spite of trials, persecutions and danger of death. The Spirit of their Lord grants them the blessed hope of eternal life.
In his message of victory over death, Paul witnessed that natural man remains entrapped to baseness and poverty. Christ, however, did not just rise from the dead, but is Himself the Spirit who creates life in all those who bind themselves to Him in faith. In so doing they become filled with His spiritual life. He testified: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). Jesus is our resurrection and our life. We have already risen with Him, and His life, present in His Spirit, dwells in us.
1 Corinthians 16:17-22
17 I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied. 18 For they refreshed my spirit and yours; therefore acknowledge such men. …21 The salutation with my own hand -- Paul. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!
Paul longed for his churches like a father longs for his children. Blessed and harmonious churches led him to worship and give thanks, while disturbed, proud and obstinate churches awoke his concern and drove him to continuous intercession. The apostle was glad about a delegation from the church in Corinth that visited him, bringing a good spiritual testimony of church members. Their words refreshed his spirit and drove him to specific prayer and intercession. Whoever will pray for others must first be well informed of their trials, needs, blessings and temptations. Paul was convinced that his intercession and worship on behalf of the church in Corinth was being felt there and having a positive result.
The apostle to the nations closed his letter to the Corinthians with a curse! These words of his were not an accidental slip of tongue, but a Spirit-founded statement. Since the time Jesus reconciled the world to God through His substitutionary suffering and death on the cross, all men are to thank Him and love Him. Whoever does not love and thank Him cuts himself off from the Mediator who wants to keep him from the wrath of God. Whoever does not, through faith, eternally bind himself to Jesus condemns himself. Paul confirmed this truth with his statement regarding anathema, fully anticipating the judgment of condemnation that will come in the last day upon all those who hate Jesus Christ (Matt. 25:41). Every proclamation in the Holy Spirit has two results: It frees the penitent from their bondages and sins, while at the same time it binds the proud, self-righteous and unbelievers to their alienation from God. (John 20:22-23).
One of the earliest cries of the Holy Spirit in all generations of the church of Christ is: “Maranatha!” Translated, this Aramaic-Syrian word means “Our Lord, come!”, just as the last words of Revelations read “Even so , come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20). In many trials and temptations, which sometimes go beyond the ability of believers to understand, this cry of the Holy Spirit remains the last hope. If we could see the sins that are committed in a big city on any weekend, we might crack up out of horror and revulsion. If we could but see the biting hunger of children in developing countries, the despair of abandoned and abused women, and the many arguments in the 22,000 church synods in our world, we might well, on behalf of many others, only cry out Maranatha! “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Rom. 8:26).
From 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 1:20-22
20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God. 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a deposit.
The Old Testament contains many promises that God, the LORD, gave to Eve, Abraham, Moses, David, as well as to the minor and major prophets. The promises of God concern not only the chosen people, but also the Gentile nations and the whole of creation. God desires to again save, heal, and renew His creation after its fall into sin. All of the promises of God are, in the end, concentrated in the Messiah, the God-Man and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:5-6). As the Servant of the Lord, He takes the sin of the world and its resultant punishment upon Himself, so that all sinners can be reconciled to God, the Holy Judge (Isaiah 53:4-12; 2 Cor. 5:19-21).
Many of these promises, including the resurrection of Christ from the dead, His ascension to heaven, and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, which reflected the blessing of power flowing from the Messiah´s sacrifice of atonement, were already fulfilled in the days of Paul. The saving of His church amidst the tribulation of the end times, however, is still to be fulfilled. These last events will only be fulfilled at Christ´s second coming, when, together with His Father, He will complete the new creation in the Holy Spirit. The “Amen of Christ” in Rev. 22:20 is His seal of fulfilment upon all the promises. He waits to hear our “Amen” as a sign of our faithful gratitude (See again Rev. 22:20).
Following this, Paul comes to the theme of his letter: God, the Father, strengthens and “confirms us” in Christ. How? He does it through the anointing with the Holy Spirit! In the Old Testament kings, priests and prophets were anointed with the oil of consecration so that they could receive power and authority to fulfil their office. Jesus did not shy away from confessing in his home town: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor…” (Luke 4:18). The name “Christ” means: “The one anointed with the authority of God” (Heb. 1:9). Therefore, a Christian is only a Christian when he has been anointed with the Spirit of Grace (1 John 2:20, 27).
Another word designating our confirmation in Christ is our sealing. The children of Jacob were no better than the Egyptians. But when they applied the blood of the Passah Lamb to their doorposts the angel of judgment passed them by (Ex. 12:7, 13). The blood of the Lamb of God protected them. It was similar with the prophet Ezekiel (Ez. 9:3-11). It was only the mark of protection on his forehead that saved the seer. We read of Jesus that God sealed Him through His baptism with the Holy Spirit (John 6:27). Every Christian should be sealed with the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption as his faith is exercised in baptism (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38; Eph. 1:13; 4:30).
In the end, firm faith in Christ comes through receiving the Holy Spirit. Paul described Him as being the “down payment” of our future glory in our Saviour. The apostle was certain that the followers of Jesus would ultimately be clad with His glory (Rom. 8:29; Col. 2:19; 2 Thes. 2:13, 14; 1 John 3:1-3). Therefore, the merciful gift of the Spirit of God, given to those bound to Jesus, is seen as an advance payment and guarantee for the future, once-for-all completed redemption (John 17:22,23; Rom. 8:17,18; Eph. 1:14; 4:30). Where, then, in view of all this, remains our gratitude and worship to the Triune-God?
The Holy Spirit is glorious, just as the Father and the Son are glorious. The spiritual down-payment of His glory manifests itself today through His love, joy, and peace in us (John 17:13; Phil. 4:7). Paul included himself in this strengthening process by way of the love of God in Christ. He entered into the joint worship of God for this privilege.
2 Corinthians 2:12-14
12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ´s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, 13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. 14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
Paul resembled a father who longingly waited for good news from his sick children. He had sent Titus, his co-worker, to Corinth to strengthen the disturbed church. He instructed him to bring him exact news of the situation there as soon as possible. Although the Lord had opened to the apostle doors to many hearts in Troas, the spiritual disturbances in the large church at Corinth, nevertheless, drove his thoughts back to Macedonia.
It is in this connection that he describes Christ as Victor! At that time, some of the Caesars would march their armies, following a victory, in triumphal procession through their capitol. They themselves sat enthroned on a festively decorated chariot, to which captured princes and lords were chained. In iron pans incense was kept burning, so that the lords of victory could be enshrouded in pleasant fragrances. Using this analogy, Paul described himself as an overcome enemy of God, who was now chained to the victory chariot of Christ. He could no longer go his own ways, but longed to fill the whole environment with the sweet fragrance of the gospel, wherever the victory procession of Christ passed. This sweet fragrance, however, became to the one the cause of eternal life, while to the other it became the cause of eternal death! (2 Cor. 2:16). Are you, dear reader, bound to Christ, and thus receiving a share in His victory? Or are you one still aimlessly meandering through the world?
The Glory of the Ministry of Christ
2 Corinthians 3:2-3
2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 you are manifestly an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
Paul called the church in Corinth an epistle, the original having been written in his heart and in the hearts of his co-workers. At the same time, this epistle could be read by all men. A church often reflects the spiritual state of its shepherds and their helpers. (As goes the leadership, so goes the church!) Whoever read this epistle, that had become man, could recognize that it had not been written by Paul, but by the Lord Jesus, through the service of His servants. His words, which were filled with the Spirit of God, enlivened and changed the hearts of the hearers. What do our neighbours read in our behaviour when they see us?
2 Corinthians 3:5-9
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
A true servant in the New Covenant does not act and speak in terms of his own planning and energy, but is led of God and enabled by Him. The authority which his Lord endows him with contains no new law, but His Holy Spirit. In the end, the letter of the law condemns and kills every one who transgresses God´s commands. The Spirit of God, however, brings sinners to life.
The skin of Moses glowed for a while following his encounter with God, which is why he covered his face with a cloth. The ministry of Moses was glorious, even though it ultimately brought death to all sinners with its 613 commands. How much more glorious, therefore, is the service of Christ´s messengers, for through their gospel the Holy Spirit enters into believers. He mediates their complete justification before God, and grants them His eternal life.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit,; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Jesus revealed a mystery when He said: “God is Spirit!” (John 4:24) Christ´s disciples also experienced that their resurrected Lord was “a Spirit”, who silently could pass through walls and who, in His glorious light, also appeared to Paul before the gates of Damascus (John 20:19-20; Acts 9:3-6; 26:12-15). The Father and the Son live in a loving unity of essence and action, together with the Holy Spirit. This is the essential reason of our being.
Wherever the Spirit of the Lord can enter, liberation occurs - from the power of Satan, from inherited sinful tendencies, from the condemnation of the law, and from the righteous wrath of God. By grace we are drawn into the Holy Trinity, assimilated into the body of Christ, and freed from the fear of death (John 14:23; 17:20-23, 26).
We stand in another relationship of grace to God as did Moses. With enlightened consciences we recognize God as our Father, the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, and the Holy Spirit as our Comforter. Their triune glory reflects itself in the hearts and eyes of the children of God. His Spirit compels us to flee from all sin, while creating room in us for His love to grow.
We receive this immeasurable privilege because of the atoning death of Jesus. Through His innocent suffering and death He purchased us for God with His own blood. He was authorized and able to do that because He was born of the Holy Spirit through the Virgin Mary. He revealed His secret: “That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit” (John 3:6). He could complete our salvation, since He was free from sin, and is Himself “the Spirit” who humbles the proud and comforts and encourages the disheartened (Heb. 10:14).
2 Corinthians 4:13
But since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak.
Paul had to endure much slander and persecution. He feared on several occasions he would be murdered. But however much the pressure on him grew, so much more grew the churches also. The spiritual overcoming of his fear and suffering, as well as the churches affirmation of true faith, brought about increasing strength for the building up of the assemblies. Paul rose to the occasion time and time again, always confessing the resurrection of the Son of God. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of courageous faith, who compels us to testify to the love of Jesus and His completed salvation. Whoever doesn´t believe can only remain silent (2 Cor. 4:16-18).
2 Corinthians 5:4-5
4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
Paul was human, just as we are. He sighed and suffered, and did not necessarily want to die, but to be clad with the promised glory of God in expectation of the soon return of Christ. He longed to be raptured to his new home with God (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:53; 1 Thes. 4:16-17; 1 John 3:1-3).
He trusted in the power and the authority of eternal life, which would be made visible at the resurrection of Jesus. Paul had seen the Lord in His glory before the gates of Damascus. He knew what eternal life looked like.
Beyond that, God, the Father, had given him the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul understood this gift of the Spirit to be the down payment for eternal life, and as the power that overcomes death in us. He testified on several occasions that this spiritual payment-in-advance of the Father was the guarantee of His grace working in us at the future judgment and in the glory to follow. (Rom. 8:16, 32; Eph. 1:13, 14). Whoever, as a follower of Jesus, hears, grasps, and believes these promises, gives thanks from the depth of his heart for the certain hope of eternal life.
2 Corinthians 6:3-10
3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. 4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Paul was a servant of God. He also called himself a slave of Christ (Romans 1:1). He not only served his Lord with his words, but also with his life. Amid trial and temptation, he wanted to give no one the opportunity to mock his Lord as a result of his behaviour. With great emotion, he listed 38 trials and testings in verses 3-10 of chapter 6, over which he had to prevail. Whoever desires to enter into a full-time ministry of proclamation should thoroughly pray over and contemplate this list.
In this list of ministering in the Holy Spirit, we read of “sincere love”, of “the word of truth”, and “by the power of God”. No follower of Christ will become an “independent lord” in his ministry to his master, but remain a servant, one who receives his instructions from Jesus and His Spirit. As long as he has his inner antenna exactly tuned to this sender he receives strength for patience, forbearance to practice a sincere love toward troublesome people, and friendliness in the event he must confront someone in truth. A servant in the Holy Spirit will receive power and leading to be able to spiritually bear intense opposition. In the age of multi-cultural deception, a testimony to the crucified Son of God will bring about sharp criticism and legal persecution. Yet, the Lord assured His witnesses: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20).
2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Servants of Christ, along with all others among his followers, are subject to temptation. Satan tries to get them to fall before all others. Enticements to cause man to be sexually unfaithful or to buy seductive goods are everywhere, whether through film, advertising, clothing, or by erotic or sexual disclosures. The protective moral that held many back has now been broken down. The fear of God is often belittled.
Servants of Christ and all who love Him need a continuous engrossing in the Word of God in order to continually be cleansed and healed in their subconscious minds. The blood of Jesus cleanses them from all sin, and His Spirit drives them to sanctification, in word and in deed. They wear out without a time of quiet waiting before their Lord.
Sanctification means to be entirely and totally available for the Lord. His Spirit instructs us learn and practice the 613 precepts of the Old Testament and the more than 1,000 commands of Christ in the New Testament. Since we recognize our sin by these commandments, and have our pride broken through them, the fear and reverence of God in us can be continually reinforced. The Spirit of Comfort leads us to the cross of Christ, the one and only place where our justification before God was validated. Whoever lives in a contrite, Spirit-affected repentance, will be filled by the Lord with the love and praise of God through His Spirit.
2 Corinthians 7:13
Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.
Paul had written the church in Corinth several letters in a spirit of earnest and severity. He was not certain if the believers there could understand all of his demands and claims in the Holy Spirit. He did not know if they would rise to the occasion and yield in submission and obedience to the wooing of the Spirit. Since there were at that time no telephones, he sent his helper, Titus, to give council and to support the church. Paul was tossed to and fro in his faith and prayers, not knowing what the Spirit of Jesus Christ could work there.
When Titus finally returned and gave report of the regret and repentance of the church, the news brought comfort and joy to the apostle. He could see that the church in Corinth had obeyed the Spirit of God. The joy in Titus was contagious and ignited the troubled apostle (2 Cor. 7:5-16).
2 Corinthians 12:18
I urged Titus, and sent our brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same Spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?
Paul had once again sent Titus to Corinth, together with another brother, to gather the money collected to help support the impoverished early church in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:6, 16-18). Titus, similar to Paul, had worked with his hands to earn his living, in order not to have to use anything from the collection for his own needs. Paul defended his pursuit of financial independence, so that no one could say he and Titus had taken advantage of those who had donated in Corinth. The Holy Spirit also desires to create clear and clean rules in regard to financial matters.
2 Corinthians 13:14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
This benediction of Paul for the Corinthians is still in use today in many church services and gatherings. It is a summary of our Christian faith and offers comforting words for every church member.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ allows us to lift our eyes to the Holy God and not to become disheartened, for on the basis of the grace flowing from the cross we have been justified. Through the substitutionary death of atonement of Jesus we have been cleansed from all sin. Jesus, the Messiah, purchased us for God with His holy blood. He did not remain in the grave, but rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. There, He sits at the right hand of His Father, where He represents us as Lord and God.
The love of God, the Father, is the motor behind our salvation. He had His only son offered up for sinners, so that we, as those He has justified, could recognize, confess, and call Him our Father. In His love God has adopted us as His children. He has given us a new birth through His Spirit, so that we can dwell with Him throughout eternity. The eternally existent One has transferred us, as earthly mortals, into His eternal love.
The Holy Spirit has been sent to us from the Father and the Son so that we might learn to recognize and love them as Father and Saviour, and enter into fellowship with them. The Holy Spirit is the eternal life of God, as well as His love and His power. He indwells followers of Christ, and motivates them to live holy and to love all people. He remains with us as our Comforter even at the final judgment. He represents us before the Holy Judge. It remains the privilege of all Christians to know this triune God, to experience His power and His light, and to tell the wonderful news of salvation to others. Those who want to live and serve in the Holy Spirit accept their reconciliation with God through Christ. It remains grace, apart from human effort or worth, when a person opens himself to this good news. As believers they learn to remain in the Father, in the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. All in whom this mystery transpires live eternally in a three-fold security.
From the Epistle to the Church in Rome
Romans 1:1-4
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God. 2 Which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
The church in Rome was not founded by Paul, but supposedly came into being through Jewish-Christian merchants, who had fled Palestine at the time of the persecutions under the Roman occupying force. Paul introduced himself to them as a “slave of the Messiah Jesus”, who had been chosen and sent out to make known the previously promised gospel of God.
In ancient Rome the word “gospel” had come to mean a special announcement of highest importance, that a son had been born to Caesar, or that his army had won a victory. In line with this, the apostle to the nations declared, at the very beginning of his epistle, that the Messiah, Jesus, is the only Son of God and the Victor over all ungodly forces of evil. It is unto Him that they have subjected themselves.
David had been promised one thousand years earlier that one of his bodily sons would, at the same time, be the Son of God (2 Sam. 7:12-14). Paul further declared that Jesus was not only the Son of God by promise, but that the power of the Holy Spirit also accompanied Him. The Spirit of God made legitimate what was irrefutable – the visible resurrection of Christ from the dead. The apostle confessed immediately in his introduction that Jesus, His Lord, is true man and true God. This proclamation was a great challenge for every Jew living in Rome.
Romans 1:8-12
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers … 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established – 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
Paul thanked God through the Messiah Jesus for the existence of a living church in the capital of the Roman Empire. He called the Almighty as witness, whom he served faithfully, that the Holy Spirit had penetrated his spirit through and through, and that he proclaimed everywhere the special announcement of His incomparably glorious Son. Beyond that, he continually prayed for the church members of this strategically important church in Rome.
Paul wanted to personally meet the witnesses to the Messiah in Rome. He wanted to share with them from the spiritual gifts that had been transmitted to him when Ananias laid his hands upon him in Damascus, when he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul did not just have words, teaching and understanding to pass on, but above all the power of the Holy Spirit, divine blessing, and eternal life. In this way he wanted to strengthen the central church in Rome. He wanted their joint faith encouraged, so that they might, together with him, dare to spread the kingdom of God throughout the entire area of Roman dominion.
Romans 2:28-29
28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
Paul, without compromise, defined from the New Testament just who a Jew is. In the multi-cultural deception of our day, it becomes dangerous to confess this truth. The apostle confessed that the outward circumcision of a man was worthless unless it was accompanied by the internal circumcision of the heart. In so saying, he confessed that the Law of Moses, even when fulfilled according to the letter, cannot save a person. Only where the Holy Spirit can penetrate a heart does it come to a fundamental cleansing, sanctification and renewal. If a Jewish person has not been born-again he does not, according to the words of Paul, receive any confirmation or praise from God – not even if he sincerely tries to keep the whole law. Whoever has ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches!
Peace with God and the Law of Moses
Romans 5:1-5
1 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
After Paul had declared the justification of sinners through faith in the substitutional, atoning death of Jesus Christ, he went on to shed light on the mystery of the Christian life. Faith in Christ brings not only peace with God and an entitlement to the glory to follow, but also preservation amidst suffering and persecution. He preserves the hope in us, a hope that overcomes all despair and pessimism.
Paul does not offer any patent recipe to aid in helping to overcome the troubles of life´s battles. Much more, he opens the curtain to a new creation. He described the very love of God to be the source and basis of this new creation. This love of God is holy, eternal and strong, as well as judicially founded upon the atonement offering of His Son. There is no greater holiness or glory than the love of God. This love is the original source of our being. We, as failures, are loved of God, every single person, whether we know it or not.
The love of God is not platonic or theoretical. Much more, it involves the Father offering up His Son in our place to save us from His righteous judgment. Whoever believes on His Son is justified, and receives the love of God in his heart. This is something unconceivable, but true. The Holy Spirit is the pure love of God. Wherever a person is justified through his faith in the Lamb of God, the Spirit of God enters him. Along with Him comes the most glorious and holy gift of God – His own love.
With this gift, God lifts us up to His own level and makes us children of His compassion. By His Spirit, He enables us to love Him, as well as all other men. He helps us to forgive them, just as he forgave us, and to bear with others without complaining, just as He bears with us. The love of God makes us into new men, who overcome hatred, greed, envy and egotism in the power of the Spirit of love. The new creation has already begun! Are you, dear reader, a part of it? If so, then confess with Paul: “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:5).
Romans 7:6
But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
A Christian loves his enemies from heart, but hates their sin just as he hates the tendency to sin in his own character and body. The Law of Moses and the Law of Christ forbid him all forms of sin, whether in action or in thought. Therefore, he confesses himself to be crucified with Christ by faith (Gal. 2:19-20) and buried with Christ in his baptism (Rom. 6:3). Thus, the law on the one hand, and his pride, sex outside of marriage, and money on the other hand, no longer hold sway over him. Through faith in Christ, we have died to these powers.
Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit so that we can live in and with this Spirit. From Him we receive power either to flee from all sin or to overcome it in the name of Jesus. This Spirit is our legal aid who encourages us, in the midst of temptation, to look up to the Crucified One. He also leads us to read the Bible regularly, motivates us to prayer and intercession, frees us out of wicked company, and secures us in a living and vital church. The ominous threat of law has been replaced by the consolation of the gospel.
Romans 7:14-15
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
When a person looks at himself, thinking he can solve all of his problems, without Jesus, through his own power and intelligence, he is led astray. He will soon find himself practicing the very sins he abhors if he thinks he will overcome without prayer, Bible study and a church. Lightning-quick, he will again become a slave to sin and his fantasies. He hates his sin, but doesn´t come free of it.
Yet, the law in itself is holy, even though it condemns man. It doesn´t help him, but destroys his pride and excessive self-confidence. The law drives him to repentance, to confess his sin before God and his Lord (1 John 1:8-10). The followers of Christ should not be hypocrites and act as if they were perfect. Only in brokenness and Spirit-led repentance does grace begin to flow. For by one offering Christ forever perfected those who are being sanctified (Heb. 10:14).
Life in the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…
The blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). This justification of the sinner by grace and his cleansing from all guilt is, however, only the beginning of his life in faith. Christ told His disciples: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love” (John 15:5-9).
Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Life in the Spirit of Jesus Christ is the redeeming answer to the power of sin. This Spirit is no formless breath or wind. Much more, He is a law in Himself, a divine channel, who does not lead to damnation, but to life. The Spirit is eternal life, who brings to life all those who flee to Jesus, their Saviour. The law of the Spirit of life does not exist independently, but only in and with Christ. This law of the love of God is the liberating ordinance of Jesus Christ.
Paul confessed: The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made you free from the “law of sin and death.” Whoever is in Christ does not die without hope, but lives in the Spirit of the Father and of the Son in this world and in the next. Sin and the Law of Moses have lost their power over all those who let themselves be integrated into the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:3-9
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. … 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
This prophetical revelation, through Paul, describes to us precisely the mystery of our righteousness: “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. …21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
This free-of-charge righteousness from the cross finds its continuation in all who live in and with the Holy Spirit, as fruit from the death of Christ. They receive a new way of thinking. Whoever is worldly minded increasingly dies inwardly, and sometimes resembles more an animal than a man. Whoever is shaped by the Spirit of God, however, lives in peace with God, secure in the power of Jesus Christ.
Paul could testify to the church in Rome: “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” By so saying he also said: Examine yourselves seriously, whether the Holy Spirit really lives in you, or whether you are only traditional Christians – those who follow Jesus out of sympathy, but do not know life from God. The apostle to the nations then openly confessed: “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His!” This sentence need again, in our generation, become the true measurement for genuine life from God, just as the Apostolic Confession of Faith always stated. True repentance usually begins with the knowledge of one´s own sin in the light of God. Blessed is the one who grasps how it really is with him and who then brings his need to Jesus, who can and wants to heal him.
Romans 8:10
And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
With this verse, Paul says that the Holy Spirit and Christ are both one and identical. Wherever the Spirit of God dwells in a heart Christ is also present! We don´t want to divide the two apart, for the Trinity is one, and not two or three. That may not be logical, but is a spiritual reality. Jesus was begotten in Mary by the Spirit of God. At the same time, the Spirit of Christ is also His very own Spirit. In the Holy Spirit Jesus is present as the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17-18).
The indwelling of Christ in a person signifies the death penalty for his sins. At the same time, it means eternal life for the justified sinner. Paul clearly confessed the connection: Because Jesus justified us, His Spirit could take up residence in us, and cause us to share in eternal life. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is eternal life for the sake of the righteousness of Christ. This verse reveals to us the very core of God´s plan of salvation.
Romans 8:11-13
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. … 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
God raised Jesus from the dead so that His Spirit of Life could dwell in us. The Almighty overcame death by the resurrection of Christ. But since the Spirit of God now dwells in the followers of Christ by grace, He is the down- payment for their resurrection from the dead. It is not because they are good in themselves, but because the Spirit of the Almighty indwells them.
Paul gives a warning, however, in the event that we keep on sinning indifferently and letting our negative character take the forefront. If we so continue on we cut ourselves off from the Holy Spirit. Yet, when we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and confess and repent of our sins before God, the Spirit of God begins to kill our sinful intentions and deeds. We are then made able to eternally live in His Spirit (Matt. 16:24-25).
Romans 8:14-16
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.
The battle against sin is a battle of life and death. Jesus and His Spirit do not tolerate even the smallest sins, but love and save sinners if they repent and, by faith, bind themselves to the Saviour of the New Covenant. For the sake of their salvation and their sanctification, the Spirit of God leads them to correct understanding, to practice deeds of love, and to a firm hope of eternal life. The patience and love of the Spirit is greater than we can imagine.
The correct understanding of God depends upon the Holy Spirit revealing the Almighty God and Creator of heaven and earth as our Father, and in His making known to us that we are His children. He calls out in us: “Father, dear Father!” This is one of the original cries of the Holy Spirit in born again people. This Spirit-worked faith does not consist of instruction, teaching or study, but is a direct revelation of the Spirit in those who love Jesus. Jesus had already, in 200 verses of the gospel, testified to the Fatherhood of God. He cleansed us sinners by His blood so that we might have the right to return to God, our Father. He enabled us, both judicially and spiritually, to become children of His Father.
Deeds of love are the sign of the children of God (Matt. 5:14, 16, 43). To these deeds belong the praise of God, deacon ministries, and evangelistic testimony to unbelievers. In some cases there is also suffering or death for the sake of Jesus´name. Just as Jesus served the poor and miserable and told them the gospel in simple words, so the Spirit leads us to become imitators of Jesus. The revolution of His love is greater than the revolution of Lenin. Jesus offered up Himself for depraved sinners, even for those who hated Him. He prayed to His Father for them, and atoned for their sin (Luke 23:33). What are we, under the leading of the Spirit, prepared to practically offer in order to help unbelievers and the wretched?
Our hope rests in the soon return of Jesus and in His leading us to the Father. We will only be “at home” when we are with Him (John 14:2-3). Just as it was in the parable of the two lost sons, so it is with us: The Father waits for us, and rushes to meet those returning home! When will His Spirit finally compel us to turn away from the world and return home to our Father? What will you say to HIM when you stand before HIM, when you finally see HIM?
Romans 8:22-27
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until now. 23And not only they, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope. … 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Fear of suffering and death reigns over the world. Animals are often fearfully alert in order to avoid being eaten. Many people suffer under over-population, environmental pollution, the stockpiling of atomic weapons, the fear of losing their job, being infected with a disease, or from negative political developments in their countries. Two-thirds of the world´s population still does not know Jesus! Who is it that suffers under this reality? Who cries out over his own bondage to sin? Who is shocked over the increasing satanic pollution in our culture, in the media and in society? Who takes to heart the coming woes in the book of Revelation?
Happy is the person who can, in faith and trust, lay down his burdens, troubles, sins and torment before the Lamb of God. Blessed is the one who has received the Holy Spirit as the down-payment and seal of the glory to come. The Christian will be comforted who can no longer, in his own self, raise the needed strength to overcome the burdens and troubles that are pressing him down. In him the Spirit will be actively working, representing him before the Father in prayer.
The Holy Spirit groans on our behalf, and continually brings to our mind people who need our prayer. He rouses our soul to the worship of God, even with tears. The Spirit of Christ is our comforter, legal aid, and the power of God when we, out of weakness or pride, fail. He prompts us to faith and hope when we are ready to despair. In themselves the saints are no heroes. Their perseverance is by faith, and only by faith!
The Spirit gives us a new mind, so that we no longer want what our will wants, but what our Father in heaven wants. Then we can pray: “Hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The Spirit of the Lamb is more missionary-minded and comforting than we imagine. He wants what the Father and His Son want. He renews our thinking and the longing of our heart every day, so that we can, in trust and confidence, line our will up with the salvation plan of God. God sees our heart, and knows that we need the anointing of His Spirit?
Paul and the Burden of His People
Romans 9:1-3
1 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Paul had been appointed to be a missionary to the nations. In every city he began his missionary activity in the synagogue, in the event one was present. In so doing, he came to suffer under the fact that only a minority of Jews opened themselves to the gospel of Christ. The majority were hardened in their opposition to Paul´s proclamation. Paul, like Jesus previously, wanted all the children of Jacob to be saved from their blindness. Their hardening, however, since the time of Isaiah, 700 years before Christ, hindered them from recognizing and believing in their Saviour. Most of them allowed their King to be crucified, and did not open themselves to His Holy Spirit.
Paul, in his energetic love, would have been ready to offer his own heart and his own salvation if it could have brought about the conversion of his brothers by birth. The need of Israel is even greater than we know. We should not think that the Jews have their own way to God. The One who was crucified and resurrected is also their Saviour. The Son of God, in His glory, is still awaiting their repentance. Yet, just the opposite appears to be happening. The anti-Christian animosity of the Talmud is once again being sown in the hearts and minds of many. As a result, the tiny minority of Jewish Christians is being even more persecuted. The apostles and the first Christians were all Jews, and under persecution carried the torch of the gospel into the world. So, too, this minority is suffering today. Isaiah described them as the holy remnant that is being saved (Is. 6:8-13).
Spiritual Admonishments of Paul
Romans 12:11-12
11 … not lacking in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.
Christians are not all the same, but very diverse: Traditional, legalistic, liberal, emotional, intellectual, charismatic, sectarian, secluded, courageous, young, old, men, women, self-confident, disheartened, holy, less holy, rich, poor, novices and experienced. To all of them Paul commanded: Do something finally! Don´t just talk! Fulfill the ministry you have been given! Do not quench the Holy Spirit in you, but let Him work in you hearts and minds. Let Him kindle and inspire you. Be assured that you are serving the Lord of all lords. Your service has eternal value. Come to an end with your self-gratification and your vacation dreams. Redeem the time, for the days we live in are evil.
Do not be angry and pessimistic, but rejoice in hope! If you have to live together with difficult people, remain patient in endurance, just as the Lord patiently bears with you. If the time comes when you can continue no longer, remain silent in prayer. The Lord hears your sighs and cries. He assures you: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Your piety is important as long as it has been brought about by the Spirit. You, however, are not the goal of salvation - the kingdom of God is! The church is the front-line battle unit of this kingdom, the kingdom it works to spread. To the kingdom of God belong all angels, the fathers and mothers of faith, the sanctified saints, the born-again of the earth, as well as those who will still be saved in the coming great tribulation. We are all tied into this salvation movement of God, with the goal of having a share and portion in His new Spirit-affected world.
This kingdom of God promises no high salaries, power over other people, and no overflowing banquet tables in the land of milk and honey. Instead, we are authorized and empowered for the service of God. We are called to worship Him, and to live in daily righteousness in the power of His grace. Beyond that, this kingdom secures the peace of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, which includes the joy of Christ in our churches (John 14:27; 17:13 etc.). The kingdom of God is no earthly, temporal accumulation of power, but an eternal and spiritual great power in the presence of God and His Lamb (Rev. 21:3-4).
Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul called the Almighty God a “God of hope”. The kingdom of God moves forward. King Jesus lives and reigns. His non-violent followers and messengers are gaining ground. The joy of heaven and the joy of the Holy Spirit bind believers together. They sense the dawning of a new age, the breaking forth of a new creation. They have something that other people don´t have. The power of the Holy Spirit in them is the guarantee for the realization of the promises of the prophets. They have a hope that never dries up. They praise God for the riches of His grace, which He so freely poured out on them.
The Reason for Paul´s Epistle to the Church in Rome
Romans 15:14-19
14 Now I myself am confidant concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. … 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient – 19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God…
At the end of his eminent epistle to the church in Rome, Paul repeats that he very well knows that the church in the “great city” is capable of surviving without him. He affectionately calls them “brethren” of their joint Father in heaven. They were filled with His goodness and with all knowledge, which the Holy Spirit had given them. They were in the position to supplement and admonish each other reciprocally.
Nevertheless, when he wrote them he wrote knowing that God had bestowed upon him a special grace. He was the legal adviser and theologian among the apostles, whose Jewish faith the Lord had, through His appearing to him before Damascus, turned completely upside down. Paul had written to them in this letter “on some points”:
That God remains righteous (Rom. 1:17) when He freely justifies sinners for the sake of the atoning death of Jesus (Rom. 1: 18 – 8:39);
That God remains righteous when He hardens the chosen people in order to give the Gentile nations the chance to take hold of completed salvation, which He also prepared for them (Rom. 9:1-11, 36), and
That God remains righteous when He, with great patience, bears with immature, poor and needy believers in order to bring them to maturity in faith, love and hope (Rom. 12:1-15, 13).
With these three fundamental explanations, Paul wanted to remind the Romans that he was a chosen and fully authorized servant of the Messiah Jesus. He had received special grace to take the gospel of God to the heathen nations. The breathtaking goal of his priestly world-mission was to see unclean peoples transformed into a pleasing and acceptable offering of thanksgiving and praise to God. This was realized when they were made holy and sanctified through the Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, Paul testified that he was totally dependent on Christ. He would not dare to say, write or do something save what the Messiah had done through him. Herein lay the mystery of his authority to perform signs and wonders in the never-ending power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:25-27
25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. 27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.
The church in Jerusalem became impoverished when many believers, living in the expectation of Christ´s soon return, sold their possessions. From the proceeds they lived together, expectantly awaiting the return of Christ. Local persecutions managed to do the rest, so that a genuine crisis broke out in the mother church. Paul began to gather funds for the suffering church in Jerusalem among his newly founded churches in what today is Greece.
The apostle justified this collection on the basis of the privileged position of the saints in Jerusalem. They had been the first to receive the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit, who then had freely passed these gifts on to the followers of Christ among the unclean nations. It remained an unwritten duty of these new churches to help the impoverished saints in Jerusalem, which they freely and gladly did.
For some members of the mother church in Jerusalem, the donations collected by Paul were a proof of the valid faith of the new churches. Their action was visible proof that they had separated themselves from the god of mammon. By the giving of their goods and possessions, they had consciously offered to Christ and His churches.
This collection of Paul also teaches us that churches in richer nations have an unwritten responsibility to continually support poor churches in developmental countries. This is especially true when believers live below the poverty level, having 100 times less to support them than Christians in affluent societies. Many of them have to make do with less than one Euro per day per person! Who is it today that hears and understands this challenge? Where is the one who offers what the Spirit of Jesus whispers to him?
Romans 15:30-33
30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me. 31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints. 32 that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you. 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
At the end of his epistle, the apostle admonished those in responsibility in the church at Rome, through the authority he had received from the Lord Jesus Christ, to stand together with him in the relentless battle that was awaiting him in Jerusalem. They were to support him in the love of the Holy Spirit, and to engage in spiritual battle through their prayers and faith in the living God. Unbelieving fanatics of the law had long wanted to kill Paul. He, however, chose to evangelize and bless them.
Furthermore, Paul desired to find a manner to give the collected funds to the needy saints in Jerusalem in a way they would not reject, since the support was coming from churches in unclean nations. In the Orient a donation openly given is often seen as an insult to honour. Thus, gifts need to be tactfully given. Jesus had already said: “When you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matt. 6:3).
Paul also hoped, in the event the Lord gave the green light, to travel to Rome to visit the church there, whom he had addressed as “brethren” of our Father in heaven. The joy of Jesus Christ would accompany him and refresh both him as well as the church there. He asked God to give His peace to all the church members in “the great city”, so that they could be strengthened in the Holy Spirit. They would then, together with him, through their faith, prayer and sacrifice, be prepared to evangelize other lands of the Roman Empire.
The reality, however, looked very different: The loaded-with-energy Paul was attacked and condemned by fanatical Jews. The result was that he spent years in prison. The ship that took him to Rome suffered shipwreck off Malta. Yet the Lord, through the prayer of Paul, saved all of the passengers. He finally reached Rome as a prisoner, where he was given the right, under house arrest, to receive visitors. Thus, he was able to speak and pray with the leaders of the church. He painfully experienced, however, how most of the Jews of the city opposed him. Only a holy remnant opened themselves to the gospel of Christ and to His Holy Spirit. The final “amen” of Paul, however, symbolized his certainty that the kingdom of God would continue to grow and unceasingly expand to all nations of earth.