Romans
1:11 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. 13 Now I do not want you to be
unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until
now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other
Gentiles.
1.
Paul wants to establish the Romans
V11For I long to see you, that I may
impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established
“I long to see you!” This is the pastor’s heart in Paul the great missionary.
Some of the saints in Rome were very dear to Paul, such as Priscilla and Aquila
(Rom. 16:3–4), who risked their lives for him; “the beloved Persis” (Rom.
16:12); and others who had labored and suffered with Paul. But he also loved
the believers that he did not know, and he longed to be able to share some
spiritual gift with them. He was looking forward to a time of mutual blessing
in the love of Christ.
Paul
wanted to give them God's blessings through his preaching, imparting of
knowledge that they would become rooted and grounded in the faith with deep
spiritual knowledge so they would grow in service to the Lord Jesus.
1Peter 5:2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving
as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but
eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those
entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;
2.
Paul wants to encourage
the Romans and be encouraged by them
V12 that is, that I may be encouraged
together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me
He is thinking generally about God
imparting a spiritual blessing (i.e., encouragement; cf. 15:4) to the church
while he is fellowshipping with them in Rome. Through his presence with them
and the blessing worked by the Holy Spirit the church would be strengthened in
their faith, and fortified in their resolve to live obedient lives for Christ
(6:12-14).
Shows the humility of Paul
- none of us knows so much that we cannot benefit from others
Hebrews
10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good
works,25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you
see the Day approaching.
Paul
was comforted by the strong faith of the Romans
Proverbs
27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man
sharpens the countenance of his friend.
3.
Paul was hindered from
going to see the Romans
Ro 1:13 Now I do not want you to
be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered
until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the
other Gentiles.
Why
is someone who wants to do the will of God sometimes hindered or stopped from
doing it?
Four reasons we can be
hindered
1. Sometimes hindered from advancing to the
next stage of God's will because the current
stage is
not complete or in other words God is not finished in this area yet.
Paul wanted to come before
but he had been hindered or kept from doing by an unfinished obligation to
preach the Gospel of God in Greece and Asia Minor
Romans
15:20-23 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ
was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, 21 but as it is written: "To whom He was
not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall
understand." 22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming
to you. 23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great
desire these many years to come to you,
2. We are sometimes hindered by Satan
1Thessalonians
2:18 Therefore we wanted to come to you----even I, Paul, time and again----but
Satan hindered us.
3. We are sometimes hindered by a greater
opportunity
One
time Paul desired to preach the Gospel in Asia Minor (Acts 16:6-7) and he was
prevented by the Lord because the Lord was opening the door into Macedonia Acts
16:9-10
Started
first church in Europe the Philippian Church, it was a beachhead to allow him
to go all over because of its strategic position.
God
often shuts a door to open another one. Today we have the Epistle to the Romans
because Paul was prevented from going to Rome when he desired to.
Re
3:8 "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no
one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have
not denied My name.
4. We are sometimes hindered because God is
preparing us for the next work He has for us or God is preparing
people’s hearts and minds and getting things prepared in the area He is leading
us to go next.
What
this means is no matter the hindrance God has work for you to do now wherever
he has placed you. If God is not answering yes to whatever you are praying to
be enabled to do then ask what you can do in the meantime to accomplish His
will for your life. Do not just sit back and wait, continue to do whatever he
has given you to do now and wait on HIM. His timing is perfect.
Concerning
the expression “even as among other Gentiles,” Denney says, “Nothing could
indicate more clearly that the church at Rome, as a whole, was Gentile.”
In
the end it seems best to take “fruit” as a general reference to spiritual
blessing and growth, more in line with its usage in 6:21-22.
