What does Romans 15:25 mean?
Paul has written that at long last it may be possible for him to travel to Rome to spend time with the Christians there. This is something he has longed to do for many years (Romans 15:23). Now he says he must first go to Jerusalem to bring aid to the believers there.As the following verses show, the aid Paul mentions is money for poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. The need there was great. Paul had taken it on himself to raise money from the Gentile Christians to meet the needs of these struggling believers. Now, having that money in hand, Paul was headed to Jerusalem to deliver it. Paul will continue by giving more details on this contribution, as well as asking his readers to pray for his safe and successful delivery of it.
Romans 15:22–33 describes Paul's plan to visit the Christians in Rome on his way to preaching the gospel in Spain. He has longed to see them for years. Before he comes, he must deliver a gift of financial aid from Gentile Christians to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem. He asks his readers to wrestle with him in prayer about this trip. Paul especially hopes to be delivered from the unbelieving Jewish religious leaders who want to kill him, and that the Christian Jews will receive the gift he is bringing.
Romans 15 begins with Paul's encouragement to those strong in faith: to please other Christians before themselves so the church can be unified. Christ came to fulfill God's promises to Israel and about the Gentiles. Paul is satisfied with the faith and practice of the Roman Christians. His work of taking the gospel to unreached regions of Gentiles in his part of the world is completed, and he longs to come see them. First, he must deliver financial aid to Jerusalem, a trip about which he asks them to pray along with him.
