Introduction

At first, I wanted to call this sermon "The Almost Closings of the Book of Romans." It is as if closes the back door without leaving the house; perhaps he exits the house but then builds a family room with another door and then a porch with yet another door. There is an "almost" quality here. But there is decisiveness as well; there is a closing to the book though it is unusual, spread out, and fourfold. There are two things for us to consider here today: 1) Paul's fourfold "closing" grounds his doxology, and 2) Paul's fourfold "closing" guides our praying.

1A. Paul's fourfold "closing" grounds his doxology

Normally Paul ends his letters with a benediction, as is the case in all his other letters besides Romans. Notably, Romans ends with a doxology, which is praise to God versus a benediction or prayer. So questions emerge including textual critical questions as we saw last week. It seems odd to many commentators that Paul would end all his letters except this letter with a benediction. However, in a round about way we can say that the letter does end with benediction.

Actually, the benediction has four parts. A number of benedictions or closing prayers lead up to ending the book with doxology:

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (15:5-6).

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may over flow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (15:13).

The God of peace be with you all (15:33).

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you (16:20b).

1) The closing unfolds in steps. It is as if Paul initially anticipates closing the book in 15:5. But he has more to say about unity as he thinks again about the basic Jew/Gentile relationship that has come about by Christ who is the servant of circumcision to confirm the promises to the patriarchs so the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy (15:8-9). Having put this relationship into final perspective by means of some OT quotes (thus grounding it in Scripture), Paul then closes the book proper with a benediction (15:13). But he cannot quite close yet. He wants to share some thoughts about what he has written, how bold he has been (15:15), how his bold writing is part and parcel of his ministry to the Gentiles, and how this spills over to his mission to the Gentiles and future plans (cf. 15:14-32). Looking to the future he requests prayer in mutual struggle (15:30-32). Now he can close the book with a benediction at 15:33 (bringing the after thoughts to a close). But then he must give his commendations and greetings, which he closes with the 16:20b benediction. In a sketch we have something to this effect:

• He begins to close (15:5-6)
• He closes the book proper (15:13)
• He closes the after thoughts (15:33)
• He closes the greetings (16:20b)

Thus, in stages he has closed the book with what we might call a fourfold benediction. In 16:21-23, he gives the greetings of others. And then his final words are a packed doxology or praise to God, which is filled with a sketch of the doctrine of the book. The benediction flows into praise.

2) How can benediction be said to close the book when it is not at the very end? Paul has no need to literally end the book with a benediction because he has already done so in four steps.

We might try to think of the end of the book from 15:5 on a vertical line moving down in stages to the doxology at the literal end. The whole vertical line is the closing; thus 15:5-16:27 is the closing benediction-doxology of the book of Romans.

He doesn't need a benediction after the greeting from others or after the doxology because the four benedictions in fact close the book by anticipation. It is as if he has said four times: "now I close with my usual letter ending benediction. But due to the nature of this long letter, my past and future work, and the many greetings, I have to close this book in stages. So my final words are a doxology that is wrapped in the fourfold benediction. To God be the glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen." Thinking about the book proper, the end was reached at 15:33 (refection on what he has written shows that Paul has completed the book at 15:12.

3) Decisively, we have an answer to those who are troubled that Paul does not end this letter like he ends all his other letters, with a benediction. He does end this book with a benediction that is fourfold and on which all the closing parts of the book hang. Even though these parts follow the benedictions chronologically, their dependence on the benedictions shows that the benedictions have what might be called liturgical preeminence (versus chronology or literalism). So when he then gives the greetings of others in 16:21-23 he comes to the final end of the book and closes with a doxology having already given four closing benedictions (or a fourfold benediction).

4) It appears that Paul had so many thoughts on behalf of the Romans (and us, with all the people of God between the times) that he couldn't find a simple close to the book. It sort of winds down in stages with the four closings: 15:5; 15:13; 15:33; and 16:20b. This inability to close without more thoughts coming to mind speaks of the richness and fullness of the book of Romans along with its personal church and family orientation. Those are great lessons on their own, but the main lesson before us presently relates to prayer.

2A. Paul's fourfold "closing" guides our praying

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (15:5-6).

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may over flow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (15:13).

The God of peace be with you all (15:33).

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you (16:20b).

Reflection on this manifold benediction causes us to see a number of things that guide our praying. Some observations can be made for our benefit.

1) They are indirect prayer-exhortations

Each state a desire expressed to men that God would accomplish something in them. They are exhorted by these prayers for God's enabling grace (cf. Murray II 200). So what is the central exhortation in each?

• a) Have a spirit of unity (work at this) in order to glorify God with one voice from one heart.
• b) Trust in the Lord.
• c) Be a peacemaker.
• d) Acknowledge and depend on the grace of the Lord Jesus.

2) We pray these things for the people of God.

The identity of those for whom Paul prays is found in the "as" phrases (15:5, 13, NIV). The people of God are those who trust in the God of hope and those who follow Christ Jesus ("in accord with Christ Jesus", ESV). This reminds us of the basic teaching of the book of Romans regarding the obedience of faith. Thus a Christian is one who confesses with the mouth and believes in the heart that Christ Jesus is the risen Lord (Rom. 10:9-10). A Christian is one who submits to the Lordship of Christ in the obedience of baptism (Rom. 6:1-4, 17; union with Christ comes to concrete expression in the obedience of baptism). A Christian is one who strives after holiness defined by the God's law (Rom. 8:4); he does this because he has holiness/righteousness of God already by faith apart from the merits of law keeping (Rom. 3:28).

3) Every line indicates our need of the Lord

We need endurance, encouragement, a spirit of unity, joy, peace, hope, and grace. We need the powerful working of the Holy Spirit. We need a sense of the presence of the God of hope and peace. We should continually admit how needy we truly are.

4) Every line indicates our dependence on the Lord

Every petition is an acknowledgement of the fact that none of these needs can be met without the giving (by grace; grace gifts; gracious giving) of God, the working power of the Spirit and the grace of Christ. These are to be embraced by faithfulness, by faith and obedience or the obedience of faith (by faith filled obedience).

5) We learn again that prayer is a means of grace

This multifaceted benediction shows us that prayer is a real and vital means in the outworking of God's purposes. There is a "you have not because you ask not" aspect to prayer. Of course, it is not something automatic. God will bless us. He will bless us through prayer one for another. He will bless us in such a way that is for our good and His glory.

6) We have a model for intercession

Thus we can easily see the importance of praying along these lines for ourselves. However, this text exemplifies intercessory prayer. Paul's praying is a model or guide for how believers ought to pray for one another. We can solidify the unit of thought here for meditation and then go from meditation to earnest and thoughtful prayer.

Recall how Paul asked for the church to struggle with him in prayer: "join me in my struggle by praying" (15:30). This is an example to us. We are to join with one another in each others struggles by praying. We have to share our struggles with one another. This involves wisdom because some people want to put all there dirty laundry out on the line for others to see and others want it to appear that they have absolutely no dirty laundry, no struggles, no needs, no heartaches, and failures. We need a middle road here that has the gospel in clear focus. In order to promote the gospel in the Christian family we must be a people who discuss the gospel in relation to our lives, needs, concerns, struggles, successes, and failures in some measured way. Otherwise, how can we share in prayer in each other's struggles? This is not to be overdone; we have to keep many things to ourselves taking them privately to the Lord. But having said that, we should still emphasize how important it is that we share in one another's struggles (this is a pride issue to act as if we need no one and thus to not share our weaknesses and struggles with others). Sharing is especially the case when experience deep waters and fiery trials. For example, when I first cut my finger while working on the roof, I came down to the kitchen and got help from my wife to deal with the blood dripping all over the place. Days later if I hit that finger it smarts but I don't go running to my wife each time it smarts. We need wisdom here and the control of our emotions.

Conclusion

Paul's closing is not the end of the book. He in effect closes the door without leaving the house. There is something abiding about this approach that looks to the future. As we trust and obey, we also pray. And this compound benediction is a good pattern from which to draw as we get a sense of what others are going through even if in a general way. Thus we can ask the Lord to give endurance and encouragement, to give a spirit of unity (15:5), to give a fullness of joy, to give an overflow of hope, to give an abundance of peace. We should ask Him to cause an overflowing of hope (15:13, 33), and to do so graciously and powerfully by Christ and the Spirit (16:20b; 15:13b).

May the Lord richly bless you. May He give you endurance and encouragement unto abundant joy and overflowing hope. May He bless your prayer life encouraging you to help one another by your prayers.