By Robert Olsen, Ph.D.
Professor of Historical Theology and Director of Intercultural Studies, University of Mobile
PURPOSE
Romans 15:14–21, 30–33
Joint Ministry (14–16)
For much of the 20th century, evangelicals focused on preaching the gospel, which is a necessary aspect of the Christian life. However, this preaching was often not followed up with discipleship.
When Jesus gave the Great Commission, He included the phrase, “teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20). This means that Christians are not only called to share the gospel but also to build other Christians up.
We should pursue maturity in Christ, studying the Bible and seeking to apply it to every area of life, and we then need to help others do the same. Paul exhorts the Christians in Rome to help Gentile believers understand the implications of the gospel in their lives.
Sharing the gospel is important, but it is not the only aspect of being a believer. Discipleship is a crucial element of healthy churches. Discipleship can happen in community groups or Sunday School classes and by participating in church activities.
Spirit’s Power (17–21)
Paul understood that Old Testament prophecies included the Gentiles and not just the Jews. This is seen especially in the Book of Acts.
Paul was compelled to preach the gospel to people who had not yet heard the gospel, and that is a calling that many share today.
Modern missionaries often go to unreached people groups so they can hear the gospel for the first time. It is up to churches to support those who have this calling.
Baptists have always been supportive of missions, and this is seen in how the churches organized themselves into a convention. Churches that belong to the Southern Baptist Convention support missions through the Cooperative Program, which uses money from churches to support various ministries, including international missions.
Paul’s success in his missions work is attributed to God. In all of our ministries, we need to recognize that the glory for success goes to God, not ourselves. This also takes pressure off of us to be “successful” because we are judged by our willingness, not the results.
Many Christians see success in the number of baptisms a church has, the number of ministries it has or the number of people converted to Christ. But our goal should be to glorify God in how we minister and trust God for the results.
We should remember to rely on God, not ourselves, because the success belongs to Him.
Focused Prayer (30–33)
Paul shows he recognized the importance and power of prayer by asking his readers to be in prayer for him. This shows us that prayer is a vital aspect of ministry and missions. We ought always to be in prayer for missionaries and ministers we know, using this section as a template.
We ought to pray for our missionaries to be free to share the gospel and be rescued from those who would oppose them. We also need to pray that the missionaries would be able to cooperate with local ministries and Christians — if there are any — so that they may be unified in mind and spirit, working together to share the gospel and build up the believers.
It is a privilege that we get to talk to the God of the universe, and we should be joyful that He allows us to participate in the ministries of other Christians — even in the remotest parts of the world!
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