Romans 15.33-Paul Desires That The Spirit Who Produces Peace Cause Himself To Be Manifested Among The Romans And Affirms It Taking Place
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday August 10, 2010
Romans: Romans 15:33-Paul Desires That The Spirit Who Produces Cause Himself To Be Manifested Among The Roman Believers And Affirms It Taking Place
Lesson # 542
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 15:30.
This evening, we will complete our study of Romans chapter fifteen by noting verse 33, which reveals Paul’s Spirit inspired desire that the Spirit who produces peace, would cause Himself to be manifested among the Roman believers and the he affirms that this was indeed taking place.
Romans 15:30, “Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me 31, that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints 32 so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company. 33, Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
Verse 33 is a benediction and is not the only place where a benediction has occurred in the Roman epistle (Romans 9:5; 15:5, 13).
“Now” is the “transitional” use of the post-positive conjunction de (δέ) (theh), which introduces a statement that brings to an end the sixth and final paragraph in chapter fifteen and the first part of his letter closing that began in Roman 15:14.
Not translated but implied is the third person singular aorist middle optative form of the verb ginomai (γίνομαι) (yee-no-meh), which means “to cause oneself to be manifested” indicating that Paul’s Spirit inspired desire is that God the Holy Spirit who produces peace, would cause Himself be manifested among the Roman believers.
This would take place if they continue to obey the commands and prohibitions that Paul issued in the main argument of the epistle.
The middle voice of the verb is a causative middle meaning that the Holy Spirit will cause Himself to be manifested among the believers when they obey His voice, which is heard through the communication of the gospel, which Paul clearly delineated in Romans 1:16-15:13.
The optative mood of the verb is a voluntative optative expressing Paul’s Spirit inspired desire that the Holy Spirit, who produces peace in and among believers “would cause Himself to be manifested” among the Roman believers when they obey the Spirit who speaks to them through the Word of God.
It was a Spirit inspired desire since Paul wrote Romans 15:33 like he did all of Romans under the inspiration of the Spirit and it was a desire that he expressed in prayer to the Father.
“God” is the articular nominative masculine singular form of the noun theos (θεός) (thay-oce), which does not refer to the Father or the Son but the Spirit, which is indicated by the grammar of the passage and several statements in Romans and in Galatians 5:22-23, thus Romans 15:33 is technically not a prayer.
First of all, in Romans 15:33, the noun eirene, “peace’ functions, as a genitive of product meaning that it is the product of the noun theos, “God” to which it stands related.
Secondly, Romans 14:17 teaches that peace and joy is manifested among believers by means of fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
In this passage, Paul instructs the Roman believers that the kingdom of God is by no means characterized by the food they eat or don’t eat and by what they drink or don’t’ drink but rather righteousness, peace and joy by means of fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
Romans 14:17, “Because, God the Father’s kingdom is, as an eternal spiritual truth, by no means, characterized by food and drink but rather righteousness as well as peace and in addition joy by means of fellowship with the Holy Spirit.”
Thirdly, in Romans 15:13, Paul shares with his readers the prayer he makes to the Father on their behalf that the Spirit will cause them all to be filled with all joy and peace by exercising faith in what the Spirit’s says in the Old Testament and through the Lord and the apostles’ teaching that now appears in the Greek New Testament.
The purpose of this he teaches is that they would prosper with a confidence that is divine in quality and character by means of the power of the Holy Spirit, which is appropriated through faith in what the Spirit says in the Word of God.
Romans 15:13, “Now, may God the Holy Spirit cause each and every one of you without exception to be filled with all joy as well as peace by exercising faith in order that each and every one of you without exception would prosper with that confidence, which is divine in quality and character by means of power originating from the Holy Spirit.”
Fourthly, Paul’s statement in Galatians 5:22-23 further supports the fact that the noun theos, “God” in Romans 15:33 is referring to the Spirit and not the Father or the Son since it teaches that joy and peace are the production of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Therefore, as was the case in Romans 15:5 and 13, this statement in Romans 15:33 is technically not a prayer since it is not addressed specifically to the Father.
However, it is an intercessory prayer that Paul prayed.
He is revealing the content of this prayer to encourage the Roman believers.
So Paul is revealing his Spirit inspired desire for the Roman church as an indirect means of encouraging the Roman believers to go forward in the Father’s plan.
Romans 15:33, “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
“Of peace” is the articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun eirene (εἰρήνη) (ear-ree-nee), which refers to the peace of God that is produced by the Spirit in and among the Roman believers.
He does this when they continue to obey the commands and prohibitions that Paul issued them in the main argument of the epistle.
As we noted earlier, the noun eirene, “peace” functions as a genitive of product indicating that God the Holy Spirit “produces” peace in and among the believers in Rome when they continue to obey Paul’s Spirit inspired prohibitions and commands in the main argument of this epistle.
The phrase ho theos tes eirenes, “the God of peace” appears in other portions of Paul’s letters (Romans 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Hebrews 13:20) and the Septuagint (Numbers 6:26; Judges 6:24; Psalm 4:8; 29:11; 85:8; Isaiah 9:6, 57; 66:12).
“With you all” indicates that Paul’s Spirit inspired desire is that the Holy Spirit who produces peace in and among the Roman believers would cause Himself to be manifested “among” them as they obey His voice.
“Amen” is the interjection amen (ἀμήν), which is a strong affirmation that God the Holy Spirit’s was already producing peace in and among the Roman believers and thus manifesting Himself among the Roman believers.
Completed corrected translation of Romans 15:33, “Now, may God the Holy Spirit who produces peace (in and among you) cause Himself to be manifested among all of you as a corporate unit. So it is!”
To summarize, Romans 15:33 expresses Paul’s Spirit inspired desire that God the Holy Spirit would who produces peace would cause Himself to be manifested among the Roman believers.
“Amen” is a strong affirmation that the Holy Spirit was already producing peace in and among the Roman believers and thus causing Himself to be manifested among them.