Romans 15.28-Paul Planned On Traveling To Spain By Way Of Rome After Going To Jerusalem
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday July 8, 2010
Romans: Romans 15:28-Paul Planned On Traveling To Spain By Way Of Rome After Going To Jerusalem
Lesson # 532
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 15:22.
This evening we will study Romans 15:28 and in this passage, the apostle Paul reveals to the Roman believers that he planned to go to Spain by way of Rome after delivering to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem the contribution from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia.
Romans 15:22, “For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you. 23 But now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you. 24 Whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while. 25 But now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27, Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. 28, Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.”
Paul’s statement in verse 28 is the result of an inference from his statements in Romans 15:22-27 and summarizes what he has written in these verses.
“When I have finished” is the nominative masculine singular aorist active participle form of the verb epiteleo (ἐπιτελέω) (epee-the-leh-owe), which means “to complete” and is used with Paul as its subject and the task of delivering the collection from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia for the destitute Jewish believers in Jerusalem as its object.
Thus, the word indicates that Paul will visit Spain via Rome after “completing” the task of delivering the collection from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia for the destitute Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
The word functions as a temporal antecedent participle meaning that Paul will go to Spain via Rome “after” completing the task of delivering the collection from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia for the destitute Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
“This” is the accusative neuter singular form of the immediate demonstrative pronoun houtos (οὗτος), which is referring to Paul delivering the collection from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
Romans 15:28, “Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.”
“And” is the “epexegetical” or “explanatory” use of the conjunction kai (καί) (keh), which introduces a statement that explains the preceding statement that Paul will go to Spain via Rome after having completing the delivery of the gift to the poor in Jerusalem.
The statements “when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs” both speak of the apostle delivering the contribution from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem indicating that Paul is writing rhetorically.
So the first statement “when I have finished this” is clarified for the reader by the statement “have put my seal on this fruit of theirs.”
The second explains in greater detail the first.
“Have put my seal on” is the nominative masculine singular aorist middle participle form of the verb sphragizo (σφραγίζω) (sfrah-ee-zoe), which is used in a metaphorical sense as a commercial technical term indicating a safely accomplished transaction and thus means “to safely deliver.”
Thus, Paul is saying with this word that after completing the task of “safely delivering” to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem the contribution from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia, he would go to Spain via Rome.
Like epiteleo, the verb sphragizo functions as a temporal participle and is “antecedent” in time to the action of the main verb aperchomai, “I will go on” indicating that Paul would depart for Spain via Rome “after” safely delivering this offering to the poor in Jerusalem.
The intensive middle emphasizes that Paul is taking personal responsibility for the safe delivery of this contribution from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
“This fruit” refers to the proceeds from the collection that Paul received from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia to be delivered to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
The word indicates that Paul considered this offering on behalf of the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem as “divine good” since he used this word to describe that which is produced in the obedient believer by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:28, “Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.”
“Theirs” is the dative third person masculine plural form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός) (owf-toce), which does not refer to the Gentile believers in Macedonia and Achaia but rather it refers to the destitute Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
This is indicated by the fact that the word functions, as a dative indirect object meaning that it is receiving the direct object of the verb sphragizo. The direct object is karpos.
Therefore, autos is receiving karpos, which means that autos could only refer to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem and not the Gentile believers in Macedonia and Achaia since they sent the contribution for the benefit of the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
“I will go on” is the first person singular future middle indicative form of the verb aperchomai (ἀπέρχομαι) (ah-peck-owe-meh), which means “to depart” referring to Paul leaving Jerusalem for Spain via Rome after safely delivering to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem the proceeds of the contribution from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia.
The future tense is a predictive future indicating that it will come to pass or take place that Paul will depart from Jerusalem for Spain via Rome emphasizing Paul’s certainty that he will visit Spain by way of Rome.
The middle voice is a permissive middle indicating that after delivering safely to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem the proceeds of the contribution from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia, Paul will “allow himself” to depart for Spain via Rome.
The permissive middle emphasizes the conscientiousness of the apostle Paul and the importance he attached to delivering this offering from the Gentiles in Macedonia and Achaia to the destitute Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
“By way of you” indicates that after delivering the contribution to the poor in Jerusalem, Paul will depart for Spain “by way of” the believers in Rome.
“To Spain” is composed of the preposition eis (εἰς) (eece), “to” and the articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun Spania (Σπανία) (Spah-knee-ah), “Spain.”
Spain is a large peninsula in southwestern Europe known since Roman times as Hispania.
The word functions as the object of the preposition eis, which functions as a marker of extension toward a geographical location indicating that one of Paul’s goal for the future was to visit Spain and evangelize it.
This passage reveals the importance that Paul attached to this offering in that it reveals that he would not visit the Roman believers and head to Spain until he had first safely delivered this offering to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem.