22 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.
23 But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you. 24 I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey.
25 But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. 26 For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. 27 They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially. 28 As soon as I have delivered this money and completed this good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my way to Spain. 29 And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together.
Tori's Comments:
I am really enjoying these looks at how believers should treat one another.
Terrie's Comments:
A number of things strike me about this passage
-Paul was finished his work in certain regions. He was eager to visit the believers in Rome to have fellowship and to give them the privilege of providing for him financially.
- He was taking a financial gift from one group of new believers to another group of believers to provide for believers who were poor among them. They were not providing money to everyone in their community who were poor... it was poor believers. This is part of what made the church attractive is because they took care of each other in every way. When we try to provide for everyone in the world it can be daunting, but if we try to care for those in the church it is much more manageable a task. Much of what we are asked to do in the Bible is directed to how believers should treat believers. We have ended up missing the point in many cases because the church as a whole is so focused on taking up the social causes of the world that often they are not caring for those believers around them properly. We are supposed to spread the gospel to the rest of the world so that they become a part of the body of Christ.
- I love the last line of this passage... it sounds so confident! I am SURE that when I come, Christ WILL RICHLY BLESS OUR TIME TOGETHER.
I am loving the prayer nuggets this week! Definitely need to add some of Romans into my prayer strategy.
Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Galatians 6:6 "he who has been taught in the Word must share all good things with his teacher." This is what vs.27 in this Romans passage reminded me of.
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