Romans 15:33

Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. [The prayer is fourfold. (1) Personal safety. (2) A successful mission with the offering. (3) Divine permission to reach Rome. (4) Joyful rest in Rome. The prayer designates as "saints" those thousands of believers whose prejudice against Paul amounted to hatred (Acts 21:20-21). As to these Paul asks prayer that they may fully appreciate the offering which the Gentiles have made them, and that they may be properly softened and broadened by it. This prayer, as we have seen (Romans 15:26), was answered. He describes as "disobedient" those Jews who were beyond all hope of conversion. Paul was already filled with dark forebodings and painful presentiments as to these latter, and like feelings were soon expressed by others (see Acts 20:22-23; Acts 21:4-14); yet God, who restrains the wrath of men (Psalms 76:10), caused the very illwill of these disobedient to provide for Paul the long rest at Cæsarea and the free journey to Rome, attended with no greater hardship than usually accompanied his travels. Here, too, prayer was answered. He closes with his prayer for them, which is, as Lard remarks, "the sum of all prayers, the embodiment of all good wishes."]