Typically, the letters of Paul in the New Testament are addressed to churches that he was directly involved in planting. He likes to draw from his personal history with the specific churches in order to then offer his validation of and challenges for them. But Rome is different. Paul didn’t plant the church there. He’s never even been there. Whatever information he has about them is secondhand. His ministry has taken him to many other places, places where “Christ has not been proclaimed, so that I do not build on someone else’s foundation. This is the reason I have so often been hindered from coming to you.” (Romans 15:20, 22) Someone else planted the church in Rome, so Paul has spent his time preaching elsewhere.
But Paul hopes that will change soon. As he wraps up the letter, he discusses his plans to come to Rome and then begin a ministry to Western Europe, especially Spain. Before that can happen, though, he must travel and attend to some business in Jerusalem. The churches in Corinth, Thessalonica, and Philippi have taken up an offering on behalf of the impoverished church in Jerusalem, and Paul is going to be the one to deliver it (15:25-28)
There’s a beautiful symmetry here. Jerusalem is the seed from which the Church sprouts up all over the world, even as far away as Rome, the heart of the empire. And yet, the Jerusalem church must also be the subject of compassion and charity from those same churches all over the known world. It’s like Paul is winking at the Romans as he wraps up his letter. The unity to which he’s calling the Roman Christians (14:1-15:13), it’s not just a theory. It’s not just a sermon. And it’s not just something the Romans have to sort out all on their own. Jew and gentile becoming one in Christ – it’s happening. Jerusalem has shared its spiritual blessings with Rome and Corinth and Thessalonica and Philippi and the rest. Now, those churches are actively sharing out of their own material blessings with Jerusalem. If the Roman Christians receiving this letter have any impulse to scoff at the idea of being more inclusive and hospitable (and let’s be honest, we’ve all scoffed at that at some point), then they do so in the face of other churches who think the oneness in Christ of Jews and gentiles is an exciting, joyful, liberating way of existing.
The spiritual blessings poured out on every church, from Jerusalem to Rome to Bertram, are being poured out by the same God. We don’t get to distance ourselves from other parts of the body of Christ just because their theology and tradition is different than ours. We don’t get to “other-ize” someone else just because their church has a different kind of name above the door. Rome is to see Jerusalem in itself, and Jerusalem is to see Rome in itself.
This is what Paul has been getting at for the whole letter. “There is no condemnation for anyone who is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) “By the grace of God, I urge everyone of you not to think more highly of yourself than you have to.” (12:3) “So far as it depends on you, live peaceably with everyone.” (12:18) “Let us no longer pass judgment on each other.” (14:13) “Welcome one another, just as Christ has welcomed you.” (15:7) This is Romans: to get the Church to love the Church, to be a community devoid of judgment and division. That’s what grace and the Holy Spirit are making us. Let’s not resist.
0 Comments