Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; (31) That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; (32) That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed. (33) Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
There is somewhat very sweet and gracious in this earnest appeal of Paul to the Church. He was closing up his Epistle, which contained in its bosom, more or less, all the great leading truths of the Gospel of Christ. He had shewn them, the momentous doctrines of the Church, in which he himself was established, and which he affectionately recommended to them. And now in the end, he leaves the whole impression upon their minds, under the grace of God, in this sweet form of words: Now I beseech you brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me. And he adds, that he seeks an interest in their prayers, to be delivered from the enemies of the truth, and to be made a blessing to the friends: and that coming to them by the will of God, both himself and them might be mutually refreshed. And he prays the God of peace to be with them all. Amen.
Every word in this address of the Apostle hath signification. It is Paul, the prisoner of Christ for the Gentiles, which thus beseecheth the Church. And though by his Apostolical authority, he might have commanded what he requests: yet he rather makes it the subject of entreaty. We behold him as on the knee of supplication appearing before them. And, to enforce what he entreated yet more, he adds the endearing name of brethren. Now j Church as to give himself for it; and in whose sight, every individual member of his mystical body was alike dear. And as the love of the Holy Ghost, became the grand cementing cause of all union, and all joy and peace in believing, whereby the brethren were made blessed in the enjoyment of God the Father's favor, and God the Son's grace; the Apostle brings this also into the account, as forming together the full assurance of divine mercy. Reader! do not overlook the affection of Paul for the Church; neither the earnestness of his labors for them. But yet more particularly mark, where the Apostle placed his great confidence, and from whence alone he looked for success. His services could only be blessed of God, and accepted of men, when he came to them by the will of God, and God refreshed them together. And the Apostle closeth in prayer, that the God of peace might be with them, in proof of it. The God of peace, is a comprehensive expression, to denote the Covenant of peace in Christ, in which all the Persons of the Godhead have concurred. And where this is, all other Covenant blessings follow, and the Amen, or verily, as one of the names of Christ, is added, as the signing, sealing, and delivery of deeds, to confirm the free-grace deed of God in Christ. He that blesseth himself in the earth, shall bless himself in the God of truth; that is, Christ, the Amen, Isaiah 15:9. And the blessing in heaven, is confirmed in the same way, in the blessing of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, both in heaven and earth, Revelation 3:14.