Paul found God’s inclusiveness throughout the Scriptures
Daily Scripture
Romans 15:7-12
7 So welcome each other, in the same way that Christ also welcomed you, for God’s glory. 8 I’m saying that Christ became a servant of those who are circumcised for the sake of God’s truth, in order to confirm the promises given to the ancestors, 9 and so that the Gentiles could glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles,
and I will sing praises to your name [Psalm 18:49].
10 And again, it says,
Rejoice, Gentiles, with his people [Deuteronomy 32:43].
11 And again,
Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and all the people should sing his praises [Psalm 117:1].
12 And again, Isaiah says,
There will be a root of Jesse,
who will also rise to rule the Gentiles.
The Gentiles will place their hope in him [Isaiah 11:10].
Daily Reflection & Prayer
In one of his earliest letters (cf. Galatians 2:7-8), the apostle Paul said he and the apostle Peter had agreed on a clear division of primary responsibility: Peter to Hebrew people (“the circumcised”), Paul to Gentiles. Christians with Hebrew backgrounds often struggled to accept Gentile believers who came from different environments. Paul spoke to some of that tension in Rome (cf. Romans 14:2-6) with four passages from the Hebrew Scriptures about God’s desire to reach all people, including Gentiles.
- “In [Romans] 1.1–5, Paul sets out the gospel he has been commissioned to announce to all the nations.… Jesus as the son of David who is also the son of God, Jesus who has risen from the dead, Jesus who is now the Lord of the whole world…. Beginning in 15:9, he quotes passage after passage to show that God always intended to bring the nations of the world into equal fellowship with his chosen people, Israel.” * How did Paul use his vast Biblical knowledge to emphasize how inclusive God’s kingdom is?
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Paul’s message had big “real world” meaning in Rome. “The word [‘rise’] in the version [of Isaiah 11] Paul quotes is one of two regular ones he and other early Christians used for the resurrection …. Paul is putting down a cheerful but direct challenge to the one whom most of the known world of the time… saw as ‘the ruler of the nations.’ Jesus is the reality; Caesar is just a caricature, a sham.” ** Can you see Jesus as the true “ruler of the nations” today, and give him your deepest allegiance?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, your victory over evil and death wasn’t imaginary—it happened in history. Thank you for a victory of grace over fear, and of self-giving love over selfish ambition. Amen.
GPS Insights
Janelle Gregory
Janelle Gregory serves on the Resurrection staff as Human Resources Lead Director. Janelle finds that her heart is constantly wrestling with the truth that she needs a Savior, and the times when she's at her very best are when she's just too tired to put up a fight.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Wright, N. T., Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part Two: Chapters 9-16 (The New Testament for Everyone) (p. 117). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
** Wright, N. T., Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part Two: Chapters 9-16 (The New Testament for Everyone) (p. 118-119). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
