Brothers and sisters:
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus,
who risked their necks for my life,
to whom not only I am grateful but also all the churches of the Gentiles;
greet also the Church at their house.
Greet my beloved Epaenetus,
who was the firstfruits in Asia for Christ.
Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you.
Greet Andronicus and Junia,
my relatives and my fellow prisoners;
they are prominent among the Apostles
and they were in Christ before me.
Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.
Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ,
and my beloved Stachys.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the churches of Christ greet you.

I, Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.
Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole Church, greets you.
Erastus, the city treasurer,
and our brother Quartus greet you.

Now to him who can strengthen you, 
according to my Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen.

We’re ending Paul’s Letter to the Romans this Saturday, his longest and most theological letter. In chapter 15 he speaks about his mission to Spain, (Friday) assuring the Romans he’s coming to Rome as a visitor, not to be part of their church. 

He knows a surprising number of people in the Roman church, but Paul’s not planning to settle down there with them. He obviously hopes the Roman church will support him on his Spanish mission; his aim is to bring the gospel to the whole world. 

First, he will return to Jerusalem, the city of his own people, the Jews. It’s not just to deliver some funds for their relief. He wants to assure them, to persuade them that the message he preaches is the gospel of God. 

Paul never gets to Spain; he’ll die in Rome.

I find it strange that Paul in his letters doesn’t offer extensive references to incidents in Jesus’ life, such as his miracles, or quotations from his teaching or his parables. We do that as a matter of course in talking or teaching about faith today. 

True, the gospels were not written when Paul wrote to the Romans, likely in 56 to 58 from Corinth, but certainly the stories of Jesus’ life and summaries of his teaching were important in Christian preaching at the time. Why doesn’t Paul use them?

Does he see the mystery of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus an immediate mystery, taking place now? The gospels bring us back to the time of Jesus, the events of his life and the words of his teaching. Does Paul see them, not just as events and words of the past, but a mystery happening now. Jesus is not dead, but living in the world here and now. 

Paul introduces us to someone, not from the past, but someone sharing himself and his promise with us now. Is that why Paul’s letters are read with the gospels? So that we may understand the gospels are happening now, in our time, in us? Maybe so.