The fulness of the blessing of Christ

[bbyrd009]

Romans 15:29 (NASB95)
29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

Anyone know what "the fulness
of the blessing of Christ" might be?

[bbyrd009]

Ya, me neither! I've only been searching for like 30 years, though...

Paul and the Prostitute of Babylon

Paul led a group of disciples to separate from the Jewish synagogue in Ephesus to form a church there. During the two years Paul spent in Ephesus on his Third Missionary Journey, all of the province of Asia was evangelized (Acts 19:1-10). His ministry was so successful that the silversmiths and merchants who thrived because of the Temple of Diana feared for their livelihood and ran Paul out of town (Acts 19:23-20:1).

Paul had been doing fine until he decided the he would go back to Jerusalem to offer a vow after he had gone to Macedonia and Achaia (Greece). Afterward, he intended to go to Rome.
Now after these things were finished, Paul resolved in his human spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome." (Acts 19:21)

Paul had been obeying the Holy Spirit, but he had a wild idea that he wanted to take the Nazarite vow. He wanted to do this as an act of consecration. He resolved in his own mind that this human good, which the Holy Spirit did not order would be compatible with his Spiritual life. Nothing could be further from the truth. Over the course of time as Paul worked out the details, he decided he would collect an offering and take it personally to the poor saints in Jerusalem (Romans 15:25-27).

Then he could offer the vow in the Temple while he was there. This is the second clue. Money was involved. Paul's idea of becoming a Nazarite was not obedience to God. It was from the Prostitute of Babylon, who sponsored religion in the heathen temples. Furthermore, going to Jerusalem was contrary to the will of God, which was for Paul to go to Rome. Consequently, the Prostitute of Babylon in the form of Demetrius and the local silversmith trade union of Diana stirred up a riot against Paul and ran him out of town.

Paul was blind-sided by the Prostitute of Babylon in Ephesus.

Paul continued his Third Missionary Journey (ref. illustration) to Macedonia and as far as the borders of Illyricum (Romans 15:19), but he stopped short of taking the high ground in Rome. It was God's will for Paul to be the pastor at Rome, but Paul took a detour. He went to Corinth and then left for Jerusalem to offer his Nazarite vow. He had to return through Macedonia overland, but he set sail from Philippi for Jerusalem (Acts 20:1-6). Paul was going down. He minimized his stops along the way as he made haste to get to Jerusalem. His Christian friends could see his mistake, but he refused to see or listen. Paul received three very strong warnings not to go to Jerusalem.

The disciples at Tyre warned Paul (Acts 21:4)
Agabus, the prophet, warned Paul (Acts 21:8-11)
Paul's traveling companions and the residents of Caesarea warned Paul (Acts 21:12-14).

What happened to Paul? Was he in reversionism? No, Paul was using the same paradigm that he had been using all along in Spiritual Warfare. He was trying to obey the Holy Spirit tactically; however, his strategy was obviously flawed. The Lord allowed Paul to get himself in this situation for a very good reason. Paul needed a promotion. He had not yet reached Spiritual Maturity.

Even though the Lord had blessed his ministry, and Paul had special gifts of the Holy Spirit, like healing, he had not yet received the grace promotion to Spiritual Maturity.
What happened for the next four years in his life is living proof that Paul was being promoted to Spiritual Maturity...
http://www.biblenews1.com/babylon/babylon6.html

[Sam]

In my opinion, Paul always wanted to take his message to Rome. When he wrote the Book of Romans from Corinth while he was there from December AD 56 through February AD 57 (Acts 20:2-3) he had not been in Rome. The church was already in existence there. On the feast day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two there were people there from Rome who heard the message. He expressed his desire to visit them in Romans 1:10-13; 15:22-33 and asked them to pray for him to have a prosperous journey and to minister in the anointing and blessing of God, even imparting spiritual gifts to them. He wanted to be in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost which would have been May 28 AD 57.

Instead of ending his third missionary journey at Antioch like he had the first two he headed for Jerusalem. He was warned by prophecy that danger awaited him in Jerusalem but felt bound in his spirit to go there (Acts 20:22-24). Some people believe that Paul missed the will of God or was disobedient to God by going to Jerusalem. I think he was just doing what he felt like he was supposed to do.

We know the story. When he arrived in Jerusalem, James and the elders asked him to participate in a vow along with some of the local brethren. Paul, following his custom of being all things to all men went along with it. He was arrested and wound up spending a couple years incarcerated until he was released to go to Rome because he had appealed to Caesar, a right of every Roman citizen. Had he not appealed to Caesar he might have been killed in Jerusalem for the name of Jesus Christ just as he had killed others years ago.

When he finally arrived in Rome in the spring of AD 60, he came as a prisoner. He spent two years under house arrest but was able to minister to people and to write four epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon) which became part of our New Testament. So, the prayer request was answered but not quite the way he expected.

[bbyrd009]

Don't know if you clicked the link for...
what I can only call "the rest of the story,"
but I always thought him wanting to take the
Nazarite vow there was weird; of course, I was
reading it as supposedly Spirit-led, and so the
accompanying verses were just mush to me...

[Sam]

Paul's arrest in Jerusalem in Acts 21 was in the spring of AD 57.

In Acts 18 he came to Corinth in September AD 51. In Acts 18:11 it says he continued there a year and six months and that he was brought before the judgment seat of Gallio (who became proconsul in July AD 51). In verse 18 of that same chapter it says that he and Priscilla and Aquila sailed 250 miles across the Aegean Sea to Ephesus. This would be on what we call his second missionary journey. It is recorded in verse 18 that while Paul was at Corinth he had "shorn his head in Cenchrea for he had taken a vow."This was a Nazirite vow that Paul had taken several years before he went to Jerusalem in Acts 21. So we know that the vow in Jerusalem was not his first. We don't know how often Paul may have taken Nazirite vows. The one in Corinth and the one in Jerusalem may have been the only ones he did.

[mizpeh]

The fullness of the blessing of Christ is walking in the power and anointing of Christ with miracles and signs following as well as hearts opened and souls saved. Paul expected to come to Rome with love, power, blessing, anointing, etc...not lacking one thing that was evidenced in the ministry of Jesus Christ when he was on the earth.

[bbyrd009]

Originally Posted by Sam

Paul's arrest in Jerusalem in Acts 21 was in the spring of AD 57.

In Acts 18 he came to Corinth in September AD 51. In Acts 18:11 it says he continued there a year and six months and that he was brought before the judgment seat of Gallio (who became proconsul in July AD 51). In verse 18 of that same chapter it says that he and Priscilla and Aquila sailed 250 miles across the Aegean Sea to Ephesus. This would be on what we call his second missionary journey. It is recorded in verse 18 that while Paul was at Corinth he had "shorn his head in Cenchrea for he had taken a vow."This was a Nazirite vow that Paul had taken several years before he went to Jerusalem in Acts 21. So we know that the vow in Jerusalem was not his first. We don't know how often Paul may have taken Nazirite vows. The one in Corinth and the one in Jerusalem may have been the only ones he did.

Ah, well, the way you retell it still sounds as though that was God's will for him, the vow thing; the link puts forth the theory that Paul was acting contrary to God's will, was repeatedly warned, and then imprisoned (so that God's will might ultimately be done). I'm not schooled enough to know, but I can say this guy writes with authority.

[bbyrd009]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

The fullness of the blessing of Christ is walking in the power and anointing of Christ with miracles and signs following as well as hearts opened and souls saved. Paul expected to come to Rome with love, power, blessing, anointing, etc...not lacking one thing that was evidenced in the ministry of Jesus Christ when he was on the earth.

Hmm, maybe. This leaves out why Paul "expected" this? and I'm not sure "miracles" enter the picture, but you have the right idea, imo. What the link resolves is the ethereal (diaphonous? wispy?) nature of your reply, the one the preachers have always given us, but never really explained. Paul "expected" this for a reason.

[bbyrd009]

:crickets
But hey; it's just "the fulness of the blessing of Christ,"
that's all...

[Coady]

Acts 23:11 "And the night following the Lord stood by him,
and said, Be of good cheer, Paul:
for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem,
so must thou bear witness of me in Rome."