December 7, 2018
Craving Some Peace in the Midst of Chaos?
Romans 15:30–16:2
Laura Johns
Central Truth
God tells us that there will be tribulations. But He also assures us that He is with us and that we can have peace through Christ. He is the perfect balance of mercy and justice; He is the holy, unchanging, unfathomable, trustworthy God of peace.
Romans 15:30–16:2
30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Personal Greetings
1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant 1 16:1 Or deaconess of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.
Dive Deeper | Romans 15:30–16:2
Paul is starting to conclude his letter to the believers in Rome. That makes these verses special because conclusions are meant to stick, and this one doesn't disappoint.
He starts off asking for prayers, because he and the Roman believers are family—brothers and sisters because they are all God's children. He asks first to be kept safe from opposition. Then he asks for prayers that the gift he brought from Gentile believers ("my service for Jerusalem" in Romans 15:31; see also Romans 15:26-27) would be accepted by the Jewish believers, thereby unifying and strengthening the church. His prayer requests are for the ultimate goal of furthering the church.
Let's review a little bit about Paul: He was shipwrecked more than once. He was betrayed by close friends. And did you know that Paul was once stoned and survived? (For Paul's full account, check out 2 Corinthians 11:24-31.) Clearly, Paul had faced more than his fair share of trials.
So what's the difference between acting like Paul and acting . . . well . . . not like Paul? Paul knew, securely, that God perfectly guided him. He walked each moment in submission to God's will, without regard for his own life. He lived with the knowledge that God sacrificed His own Son's life to rescue sinners like himself. And he lived in the freedom that such submission brings.
In John 16:32b-33, Jesus says, "Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." Jesus is telling us that there will be pain and trouble. You may experience fear that you can't even bring yourself to speak. Jesus knows it and assures you that "the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." (Romans 8:26)
Jesus wasn't immune from the same trials we face; His pain even exceeded our own. But He tells us that the Father is with Him and that His Father is the source of peace. He prays that we have that same peace because we, too, are offered it. In all circumstances.
This month's memory verse
Do Not Cause Another to Stumble
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
– Romans 14:13
Discussion Questions
1. On this day 77 years ago, December 7, 1941, more than 2,000 Americans were killed in a matter of moments when Pearl Harbor was bombed. That was a devastating example of the tribulation we read about in John 16:33. What hope is provided in the midst of tribulation? What verses verify that? Consider memorizing them.
2. Does reading 2 Corinthians 11:24-31 alter your perspective on anything in your life? Paul sang while in chains in a prison (Acts 16:25). In his shoes, would you have been tempted to wallow in your misery? To cave into fear? How can you combat that?
3. Phoebe carried Paul's letter to the Romans over 600 miles from Corinth to Rome. Paul refers to Phoebe as "our sister" because she is a fellow believer and a servant of the Lord. Who are your brothers and sisters? What qualities give them that status in your life?