Romans 15:32

That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(32) The way in which he was received at Jerusalem would make a great difference to the feelings with which the Apostle would arrive in Rome. A favourable reception in Jerusalem would add much to his enjoyment and benefit from intercourse with the Roman Christians.

With you be refreshed.—The Greek word is a rare compound, which is found besides in the LXX. version of Isaiah 11:6, “the leopard shall lie down with the kid.” The whole phrase (“and may with you be refreshed”) is wanting in the Vatican MS.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

15:30-33 Let us learn to value the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous. How careful should we be, lest we forfeit our interest in the love and prayers of God's praying people! If we have experienced the Spirit's love, let us not be wanting in this office of kindness for others. Those that would prevail in prayer, must strive in prayer. Those who beg the prayers of others, must not neglect to pray for themselves. And though Christ knows our state and wants perfectly, he will know them from us. As God must be sought, for restraining the ill-will of our enemies, so also for preserving and increasing the good-will of our friends. All our joy depends upon the will of God. Let us be earnest in prayer with and for each other, that for Christ's sake, and by the love of the Holy Spirit, great blessings may come upon the souls of Christians, and the labours of ministers.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

That I may come to you - That I I may not be impeded in my intended journey by opposition in Judea.

With joy - Joy to myself in being permitted to come; and producing joy to you by my presence.

By the will of God - If God will; if God permit. After all his desires, and all their prayers, it still depended on the will of God; and to that the apostle was desirous to submit. This should be the end of our most ardent desires, and this the object of all our prayers, that the will of God should be done; compare James 4:14-15. Paul "did" go by the will of God; but he went in bonds.

And be refreshed - Greek, May find "rest" or "solace" with you.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

32. That I may come unto you with—"in"

joy by the will of God—(Ac 18:21; 1Co 4:19; 16:7; Heb 6:3; Jas 4:15)

and may with you be refreshed—rather, "with you refresh myself," after all his labors and anxieties, and so be refitted for future service.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God: q.d. This would be a means to make me come unto you with the more comfort, if God will, or if God grant it to our prayers. This condition, if God will, he had before inserted upon this very occasion, Romans 1:10. See the like, 1 Corinthians 4:19 Jam 4:13,15. This he did to free himself from the suspicion of inconstancy, in case it should fall out otherwise; as also to show, that always, and in all things, he referred himself to the good pleasure and providence of God.

And may with you be refreshed; i.e. with your company and converse. This hath the same sense with Romans 1:12: see the notes there.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

That I may come unto you with joy,.... The end the apostle had, in desiring them to request the above things at the throne of grace for him, was, that he might come to them, which unless he was delivered from the unbelieving Jews, could not be; and therefore since they had an interest in this matter, he might hope they would be the more importunate in their supplications for him, the he might escape their hands; and seeing also, should the saints there use him in an ungrateful manner, and slight the kindness of the Gentile churches, and his service should not have the desired effect, his coming to them would be with sorrow: wherefore he puts them upon praying for success in this affair, that so when he came among them he should have no uneasiness upon his mind, or, anything of this kind to distress him, and interrupt that pleasure and delight he promised himself in their company and conversation: he adds,

by the will of God: resigning himself, and submitting all things to the sovereign will of God, and the wise disposals of his providence: he knew his deliverance from his enemies must be by, and the success of his services owing to, and his coming to Rome entirely according to, the will of God, and as he should think fit and proper; so he acted himself, and so he taught these believers to have their regard to, and sit down contented with the will of God in all things; to which he subjoins,

and may with you be refreshed; with the presence of God among them, with the Gospel in the fulness and blessing of it with which he should come and with the mutual faith and comfortable experience of him and them, which they should communicate to each other; than all which nothing is more reviving, and refreshing to the spirits of God's people.

Geneva Study Bible

That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Romans 15:32-33. Ἵνα] Aim of Romans 15:31, and so final aim of συναγωνίσασθαι κ.τ.λ., Romans 15:30. Comp. Galatians 4:5.

ἐν χαρᾷ] in joyfulness.[32] But as a prisoner he came to Rome, whither the will of God (διὰ θελήμ. Θεοῦ) led him, nevertheless, otherwise than it had been his desire (comp. Romans 1:10).

συναναπαύσωμαι] refresh myself with you, namely, through the mutual communication of faith, of inward experiences, of love, of hope, etc. Comp. συμπαρακληθῆναι, Romans 1:12.

In the closing wish, Romans 15:33, the designation of God as Ὁ ΘΕῸς Τῆς ΕἸΡΉΝΗς, the God who brings about peace, was the more naturally suggested, as the forebodings of the opposite of ΕἸΡΉΝΗ which he was going to encounter had just been before the apostle’s mind. Hence we have neither to assume a reference to the differences in Romans 14:1 ff. (Grotius and others), nor to take ΕἸΡΉΝΗ of the peace of reconciliation, Romans 5:1 (Philippi), or in the wide sense of salus (Fritzsche). Comp. rather 1 Corinthians 14:33; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Php 4:9; Romans 16:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

[32] It would even with the reading ἐλθών (see the critical notes), which Hofmann follows, belong to this word, beside which it stands, not to συναναπ. (Hofmann).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

32. that I may come unto you, &c.] His coming might be hindered either by violence from “the unbelieving,” or by revivals of controversy and prejudice among “the saints;” and the latter would also grievously mar the “joy” of his visit to Rome when at length that visit was made.—Here again the event forms a remarkable commentary. St Paul was permitted to come “with joy” (see Acts 28:15-16, and cp. Php 1:12; Php 1:18,) to Rome, and to spend there a time of even unusual opportunity and influence; but the unforeseen circumstances of his imprisonment were to lead to this.

“Thus God grants prayer, but in His love

Makes times and ways His own.”

by the will of God] As exercised in answer to your prayer.

may with you be refreshed] Lit. may with you repose; (same word as 1 Corinthians 16:18; 2 Corinthians 7:13;) a beautiful metaphor for the refreshment of holy intercourse in the midst of toil and care.—Cp. Romans 1:12.—The “repose” would come in “the mutual communication of faith, inner experiences, love, hope, &c.” (Meyer.)

Bengel's Gnomen

Romans 15:32. Ἐν χαρᾷ ἔλθω, that I may come to you with joy) I may come, has respect to the former part of Romans 15:31, and, with joy, to the latter.

Romans 15:32

Vincent's Word Studies

With you be refreshed (συναναπαύσωμαι ὑμῖν)

See on give rest, Matthew 11:28.