THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS - Chapter 15 - Verse 33

Verse 33. Now the God of peace. God, the author or promoter of peace and union. In Ro 15:13 he is called the God of hope. Here the apostle desires that the God who gives peace would impart to them union of sentiment and feeling, particularly between the Jewish and Gentile Christians—the great object for which he laboured in his journey to Judea, and which he had been endeavouring to promote throughout this epistle. See 1 Co 14:33; Heb 13:20.

This is the close of the doctrinal and hortatory parts of this epistle. The remainder is made up chiefly of salutations. In the verses concluding this chapter, Paul expressed his earnest desire to visit Rome. He besought his brethren to pray that he might be delivered from the unbelievers among the Jews. His main desire was granted. He was permitted to visit Rome; yet the very thing from which he sought to be delivered, the very opposition of the Jews, made it necessary for him to appeal to Caesar, and this was the means of his accomplishing his desire. (See the closing chapters of the Acts of the Apostles.) God thus often grants our main desire; he hears our prayer; but he may make use of that from which we pray to be delivered as the means of fulfilling our own requests. The Christian prays that he may be sanctified; yet at the same time he may pray to be delivered from affliction. God will hear his main desire, to be made holy; will convert that which he fears into a blessing, and make it the means of accomplishing the great end. It is right to express our desires—all our desires—to God; but it should be with a willingness that he should choose his own means to accomplish the object of our wishes. Provided the God of peace is with us, all is well.

{p} "peace be with you all" 1 Co 14:33; Heb 13:20