Names in the Bible are significant, none more than the names and titles of God. The biblical authors emphasize one of God’s strengths or an aspect of his character by the names they use for him.
In his epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul is no exception. Among others, he refers to “God our Father” (Romans 1:7), the “immortal God” (Romans 1:23), the “living God” (Romans 9:26), the “God of endurance and encouragement” (Romans 15:5), and the “God of peace” (Romans 16:20). Each title or description of God is both informed by and informs the context in which it is used.
I have been writing about hope for some time now, so I was quite drawn to Paul’s use of “the God of hope” in Romans 15:13.
Why Jesus Came to the Jews
After writing about church unity in the previous chapters, in Romans 15:8 Paul starts to address the inclusion of the Gentiles among God’s people.
He writes, “Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs” (Romans 15:8). Because God promised a deliverer to the Jewish people, and because God keeps his promises, Christ came to Israel first.
However, part of showing “God’s truthfulness” involved the Gentiles “glorify[ing] God for his mercy” (Romans 15:9). Though God’s promises were given to Israel, they have never been limited to Israel. One of God’s earliest covenant promises mentioned blessings in Abram for “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3).
The Gentiles Will Hope in Christ
Note the way Paul quotes the Old Testament in a crescendo in Romans 15:9–12. He layers promises and exhortations to reach the final truth about the Gentiles.
- There will be praise (by Israelites) “among the Gentiles” (Romans 15:9).
- Gentiles are called to rejoice “with his people” (Romans 15:10).
- The Gentiles are exhorted to “praise the Lord,” that “all the peoples” would extol him (Romans 15:11).
- Finally, the Messianic promise mentions the “root of Jesse” who will “rule the Gentiles,” and “in him will the Gentiles hope” (Romans 15:12).
This hope in Christ connects to the beginning of the passage, that Jesus came to the circumcised so that “the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (Romans 15:9). The gospel message came first to the Jews and then spread to the Gentiles; this was a message that brought hope for people who experienced the mercy of God.
Abounding in Hope
We cannot understand what it means to refer to God as “the God of hope” without this context in Romans 15.
First, this title labels Jesus as God. The Gentiles would hope in the root of Jesse, which refers to Jesus. By using “God of hope” in the next breath, Paul underlines Jesus’s divinity.
Additionally, God is the one who brought all prophecies and promises to fulfillment. The presence of Gentiles in the church at Rome shows “God’s truthfulness”—he sent his son, showing mercy to countless people, as he said he would.
Further, God is the one who can “fill” us with joy and peace, so that by the Holy Spirit we can “abound in hope.”
It may be tempting to think this “filling” is passive, like a donut being filled with jelly. And while such filling will not happen without God’s work, as with many aspects of the Christian life, our seeking and God’s providing go hand in hand.
We abound in hope, therefore, by looking to the God of hope. We seek joy and peace in believing what he has said. In this context, this means we read and rehearse his promises. We envision a world in which these promises all come to pass, and we rejoice at the peace present in that world. We can rest when we are convinced that our promise-keeping God keeps his promises.
I see a lot of pessimism and cynicism in the world today. These attitudes can breed deep discouragement and anger. But there is no need for Christians to be trapped in this whirlpool.
When the God of hope fills us with all joy and peace in believing what he has said, we will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). May it be so for us all.
