Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (Lesson XXII)

Martin Luther has an interesting take on Paul’s desire to drop by and visit the Roman congregation on his way to Spain. In his mind, while all these words fill many pages, yet they were written out of love. The fact that he was inviting himself instead of them begging him to come showed that they would not be all that disappointed if it didn’t work out. Luther then quotes an old German proverb that says: “It is not the stall that longs for the cattle, but the cattle that long for the stall.” So in Luther’s mind, the cattle represents Paul’s. He wanted to see them more than they wanted to see him. Paul says all this to exemplify what he had taught concerning love: “Love does not seek her own.¹”² In other words, Paul was not trying to go to Rome just to brag that He went there, but only out of his desire to help them grow in the truth and knowledge of Christ and the Gospel. Every evangelist knows the difference between an invitation to speak and a burning fire in their heart to go preach.

John Calvin believes that Paul is going out of his way to make sure that the Roman church does not conclude that he is only paying them lip service. He really wanted to spend time with them, not just make his visit a stopover on his way to Spain. Paul is not bashful about sharing how much he looked forward to being the recipient of their kindness. This can sometimes be the best way of letting someone know that you consider such a reception to be one of great honor, of which you are undeserving. For the more a person hears of about how gracious and kind they are the more they want to live up to their reputation. No one wants to be disappointed by finding out that they are not that hospitable and begin to question the good opinion formed about them.³

Adam Clarke feels it is very likely the Gospel had not yet been fully explained to the believers in Rome, even though there are legendary tales about the Apostle James having planted the Gospel there long before this and founded many diocese! But Clarke finds this as unfounded as it is ridiculous and absurd. Things like parishes and bishoprics were not developed until many years after Paul went to Rome and died there. Also, whether the Apostle Paul ever fulfilled his design of going to Spain is unknown; but there is no evidence whatever that he did, and the presumption is that he did not undertake this voyage. Antiquity affords no proof that he fulfilled his intention.⁴ Many such legends were invented during the Middle Ages as various centers of Catholicism vied with one another for supremacy by claiming the Apostles personally visited them. There’s even a story of the Apostle James being buried in Spain, although the Scriptures say he died as a martyr in Jerusalem.

With regard to Paul’s longing to take the Gospel to Spain, Robert Haldane’s missionary instincts were impacted and point out that the great commission of the Apostles extended to all countries, but they were not always immediately directed with respect to their ultimate field of labor. Sometimes, they made plans they were then unable to carry out. This no doubt was the case because God had more important things for them to do at that time to carry out His own purposes by sending them to the places where He needed them the most. The fact is after Jesus gave His great commission He allowed the Apostles to carry out their mission by the course of their own choosing. However, there were times when Christ, through the Holy Spirit, overruled their choices, which should be an example to all of us. When we make plans according to our own views and desires we often do so without any immediate directions from above. Potential missionaries sometimes err on this point. They sit around and keep waiting for some divine announcement to direct them in going or not going to a certain place and end up going nowhere.⁵

15:25-26: Now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to God’s people there. Some of them are poor, and the believers in Macedonia and Achaia wanted to help them. So they gathered some money to send them.

Paul now informs the believers in Rome of his plans to go to Jerusalem because many in the churches there were experiencing hardship. It thrilled him to take an offering with him that the believers in Macedonia and Achaia collected and gave him to carry. Achaia was a province in the southern part of Greece, not the name of a city. The church in Antioch also showed compassion about the plight of the believers in Jerusalem and sent an offering there by way of Paul and Barnabas.

When it comes to Paul’s efforts to help the believers trying to cope with the growing threat of a Roman siege of Jerusalem, several early church scholars expressed their views. For instance, Ambrosiaster believes that Paul wants the Romans to understand that they ought to be concerned with this sort of thing because of compassion, and also those justified before God ought to show their devotion to their brothers and sisters in Christ.⁶ Then Chrysostom sees Paul taking this opportunity to teach the Romans about the importance of charitable giving.⁷ And Pelagius points out, that in Jerusalem there were saints who sold all their possessions and laid them at the feet of the Apostles, devoting themselves to prayer, reading, and teaching. It’s clear from this text that their character was such that Paul is traveling around in order to appeal to churches in person in hope to be given an offering to carry upon arrival, thereby showing that it’s more blessed to give than to receive⁸.⁹

Also, early church theologian Origen makes the point that Paul is subtlety exhorting the Romans to give by first praising the believers of Macedonia and Achaia for doing so. If all these other churches collected offerings, then certainly the Romans were capable of doing likewise? Most people think that Paul wanted the Romans to give with the same purpose as those of Macedonia and Achaia, but this interpretation appears too narrow for Origen. There were poor saints everywhere and Paul wanted the Romans to develop a spirit of generosity toward them all.¹⁰ And Pelagius seems to have the same idea. Except when it came to the believers in Jerusalem, perhaps Paul thought it might be a good idea if they took up an offering for the needs of the saints who voluntarily become poor for their benefit.¹¹

In addition, when it came to remembering the poor, Theodoret points out that when Barnabas and Paul took on the task of preaching to the Gentiles, they entered an agreement with Peter, James, and John, promising to encourage Gentile believers to come to the aid of believers in Judea. Paul mentions this in his epistle to the Galatians: When they perceived the grace given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars in the church, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that we go to the Gentiles and them to the Jews; they wanted us to remember the poor, which I was very eager to do¹².¹³

When it comes to Paul giving the Romans an opportunity to emulate the generosity of the Macedonians and Achaians by taking up an offering for the poor believers in Jerusalem, Luther says that Paul does so with the utmost diplomacy. Luther saw no pressing reason for Paul to mention this matter to the congregation in Rome. Rather, he wanted to motivate them by using the example of others rather than demanding they do so. Let it be done out of their own free will without any pressure. Luther hears the Apostle Paul saying that he will demand nothing from them, but would gratefully accept what they were willingly to contribute. Paul encouraged the other Apostles to follow this sense of obligation in the ministry of love¹⁴.¹⁵

John Calvin makes the point that Paul is serious about how the Roman believers feel about him as a leading Apostle and his honest desire to come and minister to them. But he must guard against them thinking that he’d be able to come right away, so if he didn’t show up in a month or two they’d feel deceived. That’s why he needs to let them know what business he must attend to before the way cleared for him to visit Rome. Truth is, some urgency existed in his needing to go to Jerusalem where things were getting quite bad for the believers there. Some scholars think that the siege by Roman General Titus was already being talked about. This formed part of his plan to take the donations he received from the churches in Macedonia and Achaia. Availing himself of the opportunity in this letter to Rome, he proceeds to hint how nice it would be if they were able to add something to help out their brothers and sisters in Judea. In fact, why not accept it as part of their Christian duty since he recommended the same thing to the church in Corinth¹⁶.¹⁷

John Taylor notes that when Paul talked about his plans of going to Jerusalem to minister to God’s people there, there’s no mention of bringing the Gospel to them but bringing the financial gifts that he collected along the way to help them out in their time of distress. This laid close to Paul’s heart, and for which he had spent extra time and effort to coordinate among the churches he visited.¹⁸ This he made clear in his letter to the Corinthians.¹⁹ Taylor also points out that the Jews were generally treated as objects of contempt and insult throughout the Roman empire. So he certainly didn’t want the converted Gentiles to adopt the same opinion. That’s why he hoped that this liberal contribution by the Gentile Christians touched the hearts of their Jewish brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. Paul wanted so badly that they all grow together in love and form a solid coalition in spreading the Gospel to the rest of the world.²⁰ It makes you wonder, were Paul alive today he might try the same thing in bringing all the denominations and churches together to preach the same Gospel to the world. Maybe that day is coming in the great last day awakening promised in God’s Word.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (Lesson XXI)

15:21 But as the Scriptures say, “Those who were not told about Him will hear, and those who have not heard about Him will understand.”

Paul now quotes from the prophet Isaiah to further confirm his efforts and calling.¹ Clearly, it says that those who never heard of the Messiah would be enlightened and would understand the meaning of His coming death and resurrection, as it relates not only to the Jews but to them as well. Later on, God would reiterate to Isaiah this plan for the Gentiles: “I made myself accessible to those who didn’t ask for me, I let myself be found by those who didn’t seek me. I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ to a nation not called by My Name.”²

This idea of the message of the Messiah being preached everywhere was not new to Judaism. In Isaiah, we read more about the text from which Paul was quoting, where it says: “See how my servant will succeed! He will be raised up, exalted, highly honored!”³ In the Chaldean paraphrase, it goes: “Behold, my servant the Messiah will prosper, He will be exalted and extolled, and He will become renown.”⁴ A Jewish Rabbi admitted that he was aware that Christians refer to this “servant” as Jesus of Nazareth and explains that His being raised up and exalted indicated His body which was likened to the Temple would be raised up from the grave. Later, many Jewish scholars say that when Isaiah speaks of the Messiah as a servant, it means that the Messiah would be born on the day in which the Temple was destroyed and then bound with chains.⁵ If that was what the Jews thought in Paul’s day, that’s why he wanted to get the truth out to replace any speculation about who the Messiah really was.

On Paul’s use of the prophet Isaiah’s words to validate his own ministry, John Calvin sees that by Paul speaking of the kingdom of Messiah, among other things, he is predicting that by the knowledge of Christ spreading among the Gentiles throughout the whole world, His name would be declared to those by whom it had never been heard before. It is only proper that this is done by the Apostles to whom the command was specifically given. That’s why the Apostleship of Paul was made evident from the fact that this prophecy was also being fulfilled through his ministry.

Calvin feels that it would be absurd for anyone to apply this same template to all those who hold a pastoral office. Pastors are charged with constantly preaching the Gospel so that churches founded by the efforts of evangelists will grow and strengthen. Paul served as a preacher and teacher of the Gospel, especially to those foreign nations where Christ’s name was unknown. But after founding a church and upon his departure, he declared that the same doctrine should be daily proclaimed in every place by the preaching of the pastors. Calvin felt that it would be very permissible for us to take the words of the prophet Isaiah as announcing the commencement of the kingdom of God.⁶

As we mentioned before, since Robert Haldane had the spirit of a missionary he speaks here of feelings he’s familiar with concerning the spread of the Gospel to places where people still lived in ignorance of God’s plan of salvation. He feels that the fulfilling of this prophecy involves the spread of the Gospel in uncivilized countries. As such, it is God’s way of fulfilling His predictions and purpose. He gives His people an earnest desire to be the means by which this was accomplished at the time of His choosing. This will make the Gospel much more effective as it is carried to every country under heaven.

Having been a missionary myself, and studied missiology as part of church history, I can see these seasons come and go in the spread of the Gospel around the world. It must be understood that once the season of planting and harvesting in any field is over, it’s time to take that seed to another field for planting so it can produce fruit for the next harvest. But a problem develops when the spirit of evangelism wanes into just keeping the gathered seed from spoiling and not used to promote church growth. In some places, it has gone from being a mission to being a museum. But whenever the Lord has work to do He raises up servants with a heart to perform the work needing to be done.⁷

One Jewish writer makes note that Paul has given us an interesting sequence of verses to explain his concept of missions. In verses 20 and 21 Paul states how his mission has been to preach the Gospel in various places. In verse 22, he says this has also been his plan for those in Rome – although already believers. So why would he need to go there as though they never heard Gospel? No doubt it was because he learned that something was missing from how they practiced their faith. It could have been that they got away from a proper Torah-based foundation. Furthermore, the Roman congregation seems not to have been founded by one of Yeshua’s original disciples, but by those converted by the Apostles’ efforts elsewhere and then returned to Rome following the events of Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2. Paul will clarify his desire later on in verse 29.⁸

15:22  That’s what has kept me so busy and prevented my coming to see you even though I have wanted to come many times.

Paul was hoping by this explanation that the Roman church would understand why he never made it to their city. There is no indication that Paul knew, or was even told by the Spirit, that he one day he’d be in Rome to meet the saints there, and that it would not be as part of his missionary travels but because he appealed to Caesar. This was not the first time Paul was prevented from visiting the believers in a certain location. He told the Thessalonians: “Christian brothers, because we have not been able to be with you, our hearts have been with you. We have wanted very much to see you. We wanted to come to you. I, Paul, have tried to come to you more than once but the Adversary got in our way.”⁹

Some early church scholars share their reasons as to why Paul may have been hindered from visiting Rome. Origen is of the opinion that Paul was not hindered by Satan, as some think, but by the fact that he was too busy planting churches in other places where nobody ever preached the Gospel before.¹⁰ Then another writer, Ambrosiaster, makes the point that Paul already mentioned at the beginning of the Epistle that although he wanted to come to them, he felt the obligation to counter the heretical teachings of false apostles spreading in Jerusalem and throughout Galatia. These imitation apostles would have found the journey to Rome very difficult, so Paul thought that it would do little harm if he postponed his visit for a short while.¹¹ So it is clear that some 100 plus years after Paul wrote this letter, early church scholars could not find any other particular reason that kept him from going to Rome, so we should feel relieved of trying to find one ourselves.

As John Calvin sees it, Paul here is not apologizing or trying to make an excuse for not having visited Rome earlier. As far as Calvin is concerned, Paul is trying to tell the Roman church that in spreading the Gospel from Judea as far away as Illyricum he carried out the mission assigned to him by the Lord. But even though he wanted to include Rome, the right time had not yet come. But most of all, he wanted them to know it was not on purpose that he did not dismiss earlier chances to visit them. So the only reason he never came to them sooner was that of impediments not of his own making. But now he saw a glimmer of hope and would be coming as soon as the Lord made it possible.¹²

15:23-24  Now I have finished my work in these areas. And for many years I have wanted to visit you. So I will visit you when I go to Spain. Yes, I hope to visit you while I am traveling to Spain, and I will stay and enjoy being with you. Then you can help me continue on my trip.

We must keep in mind that Alitalia Airlines did not exist in Paul’s day. Most Bible scholars believe that Paul wrote this letter while in Corinth around 57-58 AD. So an overland trek from Corinth to Rome required a long walk to a port in northern Greece, a ferryboat ride over to the east coast of Italy, and then an equally long overland trip up to Rome on the west coast. So the hardship keeping him away might have been his health or lack of funds. Yet, Paul did not take it off his want-list. He was planning to visit Spain and would use Rome as a stopover on the way. Paul’s wanting to go to Rome was no secret. When he was ministering in Ephesus, Luke tells us: “Paul thought he would go through the countries of Macedonia and Greece. Then he would go to Jerusalem. He said, ‘After I have been there, I must go to the city of Rome also.‘”¹³

In what appeared to be Paul’s plans to pass through Rome on his travels elsewhere, some early church scholars expressed their thoughts. Origen thinks that what Paul says here must not be understood to mean that Paul had so little love for the Romans that he was only going to drop by to see them briefly because he was in a hurry to go elsewhere. What he says in the next few verses will prove he had no such thought or intention.¹⁴ For Chrysostom, Paul expresses himself in this manner in order to keep the Romans from feeling proud. They were not used to being a mere stopover on someone’s journey.¹⁵ And Pelagius notes that it is not certain whether Paul ever got to Spain or not. The reason he says that he will enjoy their company for a little while is that they did not need him to come in order to believe, he wanted to visit in order that they might be strengthened in their belief. ¹⁶

The great American psychologist, Abraham H. Maslow, once stated that the thing most necessary to change a person is to change their awareness of themselves. This is made even more forcefully when we add, among others.

How true this is! For instance, the entrance/exit areas of our auditorium church empty out to walkways alongside the sanctuary that lead to the parking lots. I’m always amazed at how many people stop and begin visiting, or in the doorways and in the middle of the walkway just outside the doors. (We’re talking about 2,500 worshipers). It’s as though they are oblivious to all those trying to squeeze by to get around them. I”m not saying that there’s anything wrong in parishioners visiting after the service, but be aware of others who need to go their way.

The same thing happens on the highway. Often, on a fast moving three or four-lane freeway a car out in the fast-car-lane will suddenly swerve right to get across to the innermost lane in order to exit. The first thought that goes through my mind is, “If they knew where they were going, and they knew their exit is coming up soon, why did they wait until the last minute to veer over into the right lane so they could exit? Maybe, they have their mind on other things or doing something as careless as looking at the cell phone. That’s why as soon as I enter a freeway, I know exactly what lane will be the one that leads me to my exit. So I get in that lane, stay in that lane, and leave the freeway in that lane. I don’t put anyone around me at risk by suddenly having to change lanes at the last second.

I’ve also noticed this when driving through town in the business area where there are plenty of shops, restaurants, gas stations, etc., and happen to be in the right lane because it will take me where I need to go, but all of a sudden have to slam on the brakes because the car in from of me decides to turn into a parking area. They didn’t turn their turn signal to warn those behind them or even slow down in order to make the turn until the last second. Not only that, but they only get halfway into their turn and the car’s rear end is blocking me, and those behind me, from going around them because of the cars next to me in the left lane. It’s as though they have no idea they are backing up traffic, making them miss the green light up ahead. It must be that in their world there is only one person in one car on the road.

The same goes for us, our spouses, families, neighborhoods, church attendees, and so on. Remember, every move you make will affect some person or persons around you. They will be able to tell if you were expecting to make that move, or if it catches you off guard because your mind was on other things? Was it part of your plan all along or the component of a quick last-minute decision, notion, or idea? Do you know how that will cause every around you to change course?

So as you get up each day, have a plan ready. And if you have some things to do that will affect those around you, let them know so they can be prepared to stop or adjust to the change. The more they see that you don’t care what your changes do to them, the more they will become convinced that you simply don’t care much about them and where they’re trying to do. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

A SENIOR MOMENT FOR SENIOR CHRISTIANS

I read this story told by a lady who did not give her name. But having been in the ministry for over 55 years, and will be reaching the end my 80th year in a few months, I certainly related to what she remembered. So this is for all of you who may be in the stratosphere of age. I hope you enjoy it.

Not able to go to church, she was watching television one Sunday morning, and she watched a church service being broadcast in which the congregation was honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years. He was 92 years old at this time and she wondered why the church would even think of asking such an elderly gentleman to preach at that age.

After a warm welcome and introduction of their beloved pastor, as the applause quieted down he rose from his chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gait to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind, he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak.

In a trembling voice he told them that when he was asked to come and talk to them, their pastor asked him to tell them what was the greatest lesson ever learned in his many, many years of preaching. He thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in his life and sustained him through all his frequent trials. The precious memory that he could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow seemed to paralyze him, the thing that brought him the most comfort was this verse…

“Jesus loves me this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
We are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me…
The Bible tells me so.”

When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his footsteps as he shuffled back to his chair. It’s something this lady says she will never, ever forget.

She then remembered her own pastor saying that he always noticed that it was the adults who chose this children’s song during a hymn sing on Sunday nights, and it was the adults who sang the loudest because they knew it the best. She was so inspired by what happened that she sat down and wrote what she called her “Senior’s Version of Jesus Loves Me.” She remarked, that even if the person singing it had no white hair or no hair at all, she thought they would enjoy it.

JESUS LOVES ME

Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.

Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I’ll go
On through life, let come what may,
He’ll be there to lead the way.

When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song,
Telling me in words so clear,
“Have no fear, for I am near.”

When my work on earth is done,
And life’s victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I’ll understand His love.

I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.

(CHORUS)

Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me,

Yes, Jesus loves me, for the Bible tells me so.

As I read this, I was reminded of a song we used to sing when I was young that went like this: Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before, every day with Jesus I love Him more and more. Jesus saves and keeps me and He’s the one I’m waiting for, every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.

So if this New Year did not start out like you thought it could, and if things are not going the way you think they should, just remember a song or hymn that gave you comfort during life’s times of stormy weather. Start singing because you know Jesus loves you just as much now as ever, and every day with Jesus you draw closer and closer to Him until one day you will stand face to face with Him in glory. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (Lesson XX)

In the late 1800s, Albert Barnes gives his description of the area Paul refers to as the circumference of his ministry: Illyricum was a province lying to the northwest of Macedonia, bounded on the north by a part of Italy and Germany, on the east by Macedonia, on the south by the Adriatic Sea, on the west by modern Croatia. So by taking Jerusalem as a center-point, Paul preached not only in Damascus and Arabia, but in Syria, in Asia Minor, in all of Greece, in the Grecian Islands, and Macedonia. This included a large part of the known world at that time. That means the Gospel reached into areas where Christianity is still active today, all because of the labors of one tireless man. There is no place in the Acts of the Apostles where it is recorded that Paul actually made it into Illyricum (modern day Albania), nor that he preached the Gospel within its borders, but only to its borders. It may have been, however, that when in Macedonia, he crossed over into that country; and this is rendered somewhat probable from the fact that Titus is mentioned as having gone into Dalmatia,¹ which was a part of Illyricum (east coast of Croatia on the Adriatic sea).²

F. F. Bruce adds his research to what he understands to have been the extent of Paul’s travels: The province bordering the Adriatic Sea on the east. Illyricum is not mentioned in Acts or in any of the Pauline letters up to this time. But the interval between the end of Paul’s Ephesian ministry and his setting out on his last journey to Jerusalem, while compressed into the brief space of Acts 20:1–6, probably covered the best part of two years. At some point, during this period Paul appears to have traversed Macedonia from east to west along the Egnatian Way³ and turned north into Illyricum. To spend some time in a Latin-speaking environment would be helpful preparation for his planned campaign in Spain.⁴

15:20  My aim has always been to share the Gospel in places where people have never heard of Christ. I do this because I don’t want to build on the work that someone else has already started.

Here Paul shares an ethical code which in some cases has been ignored. Today the word “evangelism” seems to be an acceptable way of luring disgruntled sheep away from another shepherd’s flock. Consequently, Christian unity is disrupted and weakened. Often, new congregations formed in this manner only last until another sheep in wolf’s clothing comes in to lead the unhappy members away from them. And you can be sure that God’s blessing will not be upon such dubious endeavors. However, in many cases, evangelistic services are often conducted in churches, auditoriums, arenas, and even sports venues.

Someone might say, well what about the reformation? Did this apply to how God used Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, John Wesley and others in leading hungry believers into a new relationship with Christ? Theirs’ was not a case of promising that the grass was greener on the other side of the fence. These converts were led out of the bondage of a formal religious vacuum into the expansive freedom of grace and then excommunicated from the universal church of that era It is alright for members of any congregation to leave when they become subject to false doctrine or questionable teachings. Paul made it clear, “My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.”

Paul repeats here what he said to the Corinthians: “We take no credit for the work others have done there. Instead, we hope your faith will keep growing because of help from others. Then we will grow because of you.”⁵ In fact, says Paul, “Through God’s loving-favor to me, I laid the stones on which the building was to be built. I did it like one who knew what he was doing. Now another person is building on it. Each person who builds must be careful how he builds on it. Jesus Christ is the Stone on which other stones for the building must be laid. It can be only Christ.”⁶ He had the same message for the Ephesians: “You have been built on the foundation laid by the missionaries and the early preachers. Jesus Christ, Himself is the Cornerstone, which is the most important part of the building. Christ keeps this building together and it is growing into a holy building for the Lord.”⁷

What Paul says here about not taking credit for what others have done but being satisfied in plowing new soil for the seed of the Gospel, made an impression on several early church scholars. Ambrosiaster does not find it surprising that Paul wanted to preach in places where the name of Jesus had never been heard. For he knew that false apostles were going around spreading doctrines that were not based on the teachings of Christ and the disciples. This was disheartening because once people were led astray by these false instructions it was so difficult to get things straightened out again.⁸ Therefore, he wanted to be the first to reach those who had never been evangelized because if these false disciples got there ahead of him, then the job of putting things right would be twice as difficult.⁹

Then we read of Paul’s reluctance to build upon another missionary’s foundation without giving them credit. In fact, he was so reluctant to force himself upon other evangelists’ disciples that he was determined to go where nobody had preached before. He wrote all this to show the Roman believers that he was not in this for fame, or glory, or notoriety but in order to fulfill his calling by the Lord Jesus Christ to preach everywhere the doors would open to him. If he loved anything, it was seeing people come to know Jesus as their personal Savior for the first time, even at his own expense.¹⁰

Pelagius looks at this subject from a different angle. As he saw it, any person who built on someone else’s foundation is not doing anything wrong as long as they build to improve and enlarge the project.¹¹ In some cases, if the original project had been abandoned, this would simply be completing work that was started but not finished. But Paul was ready to lay the foundation and then let someone else build upon it to the glory of God. We see from Scripture that Paul never named his efforts “The Ministry of Paul the Apostle,” nor did he ever name a church after himself such as St. Paul’s Cathedral in Ephesus.¹²

Then Patriarch Gennadius (458-471), from the Orthodox Church in Constantinople, where Paul was venerated as the main Apostle, sees an ulterior motive in Paul actions. In explaining why Paul had not yet managed to visit the Romans seems to be that he believed that maybe Peter had already been there as their teacher, so he went to places where as yet no one had preached the Gospel of Christ.¹³ Gennadius’ theory is just a guess because no historical record exists showing that Peter ever traveled into Greece or made it to Rome.¹⁴

When it came to Paul’s desire not build his ministry on the foundation of another preacher of the Gospel, thereby giving him an advantage so that it might appear as though he had done it all on his own, Luther believes that had Paul done so his Apostolic office would have suffered a loss of great respect. The Apostles were sent out to found churches since they themselves were the foundation stones of the Church.¹⁵ He speaks of another person’s foundation, not as though it was founded on another Gospel, but that the same Gospel was preached through the service by another Apostle¹⁶.¹⁷ What Luther is aiming at is to show that he did not believe Paul ever took over the work of another missionary and then claimed that it was all done by him.

John Calvin has a few things to say about Paul’s urgent desire to preach the Gospel. He feels that Paul not only felt it necessary to prove himself to be the servant of Christ and missionary for the Christian Church but also to be effective in his office as an appointed Apostle. This is what he was trying to do in order to get the attention of the Roman believers. That’s why he mentions here the proper and peculiar distinction of Apostleship. First and foremost, the work of an Apostle was to preach and teach the Gospel where it had not been heard before. The Apostles then were the founders of what would become known as the assembly or fellowship of believers in Jesus the Messiah. The pastors who succeeded them built on that foundation to strengthen and enlarge the congregation raised up by them. So what Paul is really saying is that he was not called to pastor but to evangelize and take the Gospel to places that were still without the Word of God so that others could follow and build upon the foundation that he laid down in Christ’s honor¹⁸.¹⁹

Robert Haldane, a man with a missionary heart, finds kinship with Paul in his dedication to preach the Gospel, especially to those who had somehow been missed in evangelistic or missionary efforts. He notes that the Greek verb philotimeomai has been translated as “strived” (KJV), and signifies “to be fond of good honor,” or “to strive earnestly.” Haldane feels that both efforts may have been in Paul’s mind. First, to try as hard as he could to accomplish his mission for the honor of being a good and faithful servant. This is not worldly ambition but a desire which is lawful and commendable.

Similar ambition has often been seen in the work of missionaries who by their labors, the Gospel has been carried to countries that were previously strangers to the very name of Christ. This then would cause others to attribute to them the honor of bringing more sheep into the fold of Christ the Shepherd. It is through this means that God excites men and women to fulfill His purposes of mercy to the different nations of the earth.²⁰ I can say from personal experience that it is an honor to be named a missionary and to have as one’s main aim, the spreading of the Gospel at all cost.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (Lesson XIX)

Robert Haldane disagrees with those who claim that the Lord’s servants should never speak highly of things they’ve done for God with Christ’s and the Holy Spirit’s help. He notes that Paul never took credit for anything that someone else had done for which they should be recognized as an instrument of God.¹ He only spoke of the success which Christ had given him in the work that he did. This shows that although all success is of God, yet that it is an honor and a reason to be commended for having been willing to let God’s Spirit use you. Many have supposed that it is wrong to give any praise to the Lord’s servants on account of their labors, diligence, and accomplishments in His service. They have judged that this encourages a spirit of self-righteousness and of egotistical pride.

But this is not wisdom from God. It is corrupt human logic based on jealousy and tends to dampen enthusiasm in serving Christ. All success is Christ’s success in using us. Why else would Jesus, in His parable, have the estate owner, who represents God, say: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”² So we see that God gives praise to His servants for their determination and success in His work. It is not wise to blame something as being wrong that God approves of. In this case, the Apostle speaks of what God did with his help, while in other places he also speaks of what he did with God’s help³.⁴

Charles Hodge proposes that in these verses the Apostle Paul explains more fully what he had intended by saying he gloried or exalted. It was that God had given ample testimony to his claims as a divinely commissioned preacher of the Gospel so that he had no need to refer to what others had done. He was satisfied to rest his claims on the results of his own labors and the testimony of God. According to another view, the meaning could be: I will not speak of anything as being grounds for boasting which Christ has not done by using me. The contrast is not between what he had done and what others had accomplished, but between he had done with Christ’s help and what Christ had done with his help. He would not glory in the flesh, or in anything pertaining to himself, but only in Christ. The conversion of the Gentiles was Christ’s work, not Paul’s, and, therefore, Paul could give praise for it without taking any credit. It is to be remarked that the Apostle represents himself as merely an instrument in the hands of Christ for converting sinners; the real efficiency he ascribes to the Redeemer.⁵ This should be the attitude of every servant of Christ.

One Christian Jewish writer makes the comment that Paul is reiterating his opening statement from chapter one that his mission to the Gentiles is one of teaching them obedience. The reference to “word and deed” here in verse 18 is the same as taught by Paul earlier in this letter. Also, the Apostle James said: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”⁶ What will make the Gentiles acceptable is a humble faith that looks to the higher purpose of God, particularly with regard to Israel.⁷

15:19 And they obeyed Him because of the power of the miraculous signs and wonders that happened – all because of the power of God’s Spirit. I have told people the Good News about Christ in every place from Jerusalem to Illyricum. And so I have finished that part of my work.

Paul was sure that it was not only his preaching of the Gospel but also by the accompanying miracles that caused many to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. This was foretold by Jesus Himself who said: “These signs will accompany those who do trust: in my name, they will drive out demons, speak with new tongues, not be injured if they handle snakes or drink poison, and heal the sick by laying hands on them.”⁸ Of course, much of these happened under Paul’s ministry.⁹ Paul reminded the Corinthians of what happened when he was with them: “When I was with you, I proved to you that I was a true missionary. I did powerful works and there were special things to see. These things were done in the strength and power from God.”¹⁰ The Galatians also experienced these blessings.¹¹

Paul makes it clear he could not have been used by God to do any of these things without the help and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself made it clear to those who doubted the miracles He performed: “If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you!”¹² Paul made sure the Corinthians understood: “There are different kinds of gifts. But it is the same Holy Spirit Who gives them. There are different kinds of work to be done for Him. But the work is for the same Lord. There are different ways of doing His work. But it is the same God who uses all these ways in all people.”¹³ One can not help but notice that Paul includes the Trinity in these operations. Paul then tells the Roman believers that this was the operation of Holy Spirit everywhere he went.

Early church preacher Chrysostom had a great appreciation for Paul travels in spreading the Gospel. He suggests that we count up all the places Paul had been to – not just in the Roman Empire but beyond its frontiers to places like Phoenicia, Syria, Cilicia, and Cappadocia for a start, but also the areas of Arabia, Persia, and Armenia. This is why he said, “as far abroad as Illyricum,” so that you would not only think of the direct route from Jerusalem to Illyricum but consider all the surrounding countries as well.¹⁴ And Theodoret puts the same thought a different way when he notes Paul saying, “as far away as Illyricum.” Paul means that he got to Illyricum in a roundabout way via the eastern provinces, the Black Sea region, Asia Minor, and Thrace.¹⁵ When you think of the few transportation options Paul had in his day, then look at the map, it should make you shake your head in wonder.

On Paul’s confession that he had no desire to build on another man’s foundation and then claim that it was all his doing, and then pointed out that he purposely went to places were the Gospel had never been preached before, John Calvin sees Paul adding a testimony to explain the reason for the success which followed his preaching that exceeded everyone’s expectations. For who could have started so many churches for Christ without being aided by the power of God? Paul says it started in Jerusalem and spread as far as Illyricum,¹⁶ and not by hastening to the end of his course by a straight way, but by going all around and through the intervening countries. The Greek verb plēroō, translated as “fully preached” (KJV), and “fully proclaimed” (NIV), means “to fill up” or “to complete” in the sense of “to abound, to furnish or supply liberally.” Calvin was disposed to explain it this way, – that Paul distributed Christianity, as it were, by providing the preaching of the Gospel as a supplement to what others had begun in order for it to spread even wider.¹⁷

Adam Clarke puts Paul’s missionary travels into perspective by naming those places where Paul preached the Gospel. Given the age in which Paul lived and the methods of transportation it makes his efforts even more amazing. Among ancient writers, Illyricum has been known by a great variety of names. Its precise limits have not been determined by either ancient or modern geographers. It seems to have been divided by Caesar Augustus into two provinces, the upper and lower. It now forms part of Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, and Slavonia of what used to be Yugoslavia. When the Apostle says that he preached the Gospel from Jerusalem round about to Illyricum, he implies his journeys over land. By looking at the Bible map, the reader will see that from Jerusalem the Apostle went around the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and on today’s map would include Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Greece, besides the isles of Cyprus and Crete. And no doubt he visited many other places in between that are not mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles or his Epistles.¹⁸

Robert Haldane gives us his view of what the term “mighty signs and wonders by the Holy Spirit” meant in Paul’s day. They referred to the deeds through which, as well as by Paul’s preaching, the Lord brought the heathen Gentiles to salvation in Christ, someone they had never heard of. This includes all the miraculous works of the Apostle for the confirmation of the Gospel. By the phrase, “the power of the Spirit of God,” some understand this being the power itself by which the signs and wonders were performed. Some believe that it refers to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel, etc. However, a number feel that it is the spiritual gifts like: gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, the ability to discern between good and evil spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.¹⁹

Haldane is convinced that it is this later set of gifts that Paul had in mind.²⁰ From the tone and tense of Haldane’s writings, it is apparent to me that he does not speak of such things as the Gifts of the Spirit and miracles as something once in fashion but no longer trending, or possibilities that are no longer probabilities. He talks of them as though they were needed, presently in the church, and practiced by every Spiritual believer. Haldane’s motto for his ministry was: “Christianity is everything or nothing; if it is true, it warrants and commands every sacrifice to promote its influence; if it is not true, let us lay aside the hypocrisy of professing to believe it.”²¹ One thing is for sure, they were all done through Paul and his missionary team by the power of the Holy Spirit. So if it took the Holy Spirit to do those things back then, is it not reasonable to believe that it would take the Holy Spirit to do them today?

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (Lesson XVIII)

In Paul’s statement that any feeling of worthiness that he may have is the result of his call to this ministry, and is shown to God through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. John Calvin observes, that after having shared about his calling by Jesus so that the Romans might know that he was a true and unquestionable Apostle of Christ, Paul now adds his testimony by which he verifies that he had not only received the ordination as an Apostle conferred on him by God’s appointment but that he had also done his best to make God proud that He had chosen him. At the same time, he records the faithfulness with which he discharged the duties of his office. His calling would have served little purpose if he had not taken it seriously and done all that he was called to do to the best of his ability. He did not make this declaration out of any desire to stand in the glow of the spotlight, but that he laid everything on the table for the Roman believers to see so that they could accept and appreciate the authority by which he shared his doctrine with them. It was in God then, not in himself, that he gloried. He had nothing else in mind except to bring all praise and honor to God.¹

John Locke focuses on Paul’s emphasis on doing the things that pertain to God, not to himself. Locke sees this as a reference to what was said in Hebrews, “For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.”² This, of course, is a reflection on those things that were offered to God in the Temple. For Paul, bringing the Gentiles in from the dark cold world of heathenism into God’s warm house of love, grace, and mercy was the same as a priest bringing an offering to the altar in the Temple. He, therefore, saw himself a part of the priesthood of believers and was so happy to be bringing such a wonderful offering of converted Gentiles and presenting them to the Lord as a living, holy, and acceptable sacrifice to God. That’s what Paul lived for; that was Paul’s purpose in life. This, then, becomes Paul’s subject in the following four verses.³

Robert Haldane does not find any contradiction in Paul’s statement that he has a reason to be elated. Paul had written on another occasion, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”⁴ So it is not a contradiction, then, to say here, “I have a reason to be elated.” There is no contradiction: The joyfulness he feels in what he is saying is based on the acceptance of his ministry by God. His being in high spirits comes from his success in the preaching of the Gospel. And even this is not a glorying himself but glorying in Christ Jesus who made it possible and gave him the privilege of doing what he was called to do. It was the highest honor of his life that his Lord installed him in the office of an Apostle, qualified him to carry it out, and made him successful to God’s honor and glory.

From all the Apostle’s writings, we learn that he was more convinced of this than anything else in his life. He gives thanks to the Lord, who had counted him worthy, putting him into the ministry. But elsewhere he declares, that he had “obtained mercy from the Lord to be faithful.”⁵ In like manner, he gives credit to God for everything he accomplished in his ministry. That’s why he said, “To this end, I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”⁶ He had every reason to glory in the abundant and unmerited favor of God, but he always carefully avoids speaking of anything that he did that was not Christ working through him as a sacred vessel.⁷

15:18 I will not talk about anything I did myself. I will talk only about what Christ has done with me in leading the non-Jewish people to obey God. They have obeyed Him because of what I have said and done.

It is clear that Paul wanted to give all the credit for his success to God. If Christ had not met him on the road to Damascus; had he not received the infilling and baptism of the Holy Spirit; had not Christ told him to go to the non-Jews and share the Good News of salvation he would still be persecuting the church as an out-of-control radical Pharisee. I’m sure Paul was aware of the words of Solomon: “Like clouds and wind that bring no rain is he who boasts of gifts he doesn’t have.”⁸

Paul is clear on how he feels about what God has made out of him. To the Corinthians, he said: “But we will not talk with pride more than God allows us to. We will follow the plan of the work He has given us to do and you are a part of that work. We did not go farther than we were supposed to go when we came to you… If anyone wants to be proud, he should be proud of what the Lord has done. It is not what a man thinks and says of himself that is important. It is what God thinks of him.”⁹

Paul wanted the Romans to know that he was fully aware of who he was and whose he was. This is the hallmark of all God’s servants. Mark tells us that after Jesus commissioned his followers to go out and preach the Gospel: “The followers went from there and preached everywhere. The Lord worked with them. The Lord showed that the Word of God was true by the special works they had the power to do.”¹⁰ It was the same with Paul and Barnabas after they finished their first missionary endeavor that involved all kinds of persecution, even stoning, they gave this testimony to the church in Antioch that sent them out: “They told them everything God had done for them. They told how God had opened the door for the people who were not Jews to have faith.”¹¹ In other words, it wasn’t what “we “ did it was what “God” did.¹²

Paul was keenly aware that God did not call him and give him the many spiritual and natural gifts that he now possessed to pump up his ego and make himself famous. He followed the same instructions Jesus gave all of His disciples prior to His ascension: “Go and make followers of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do all the things I have told you. And I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”¹³ That’s why Paul explained to the Corinthians: “We do not use those things to fight with that the world uses. We use the things God gives to fight with and they have power.”¹⁴ So to the Colossians Paul reiterates: “Whatever you say or do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus.”¹⁵ Paul does not mean here to used the name of Jesus like some mantra or to cast a magic spell. Rather, he uses “name” in the sense of given authority. In other words, you do it because Jesus gave you the authority to do it. Just like a policeman can say, “Open up in the name of the law,” so believers can say to a demon, “Come out in the name of Jesus.”

Martin Luther feels that with these words Paul is exempting himself from any presumption of being an upperclass prophet, and at the same time is rebuking those who are preaching to gain popularity for themselves, rather than fulfilling their calling. Luther understands the Apostle Paul saying something like this: I will not dare to speak or do anything unless Christ speaks and works through me. So if I get excited, it’s not because it is I who have done this – making the Gentiles obedient – but because it is Christ working in and through me. That’s what makes anything I feel good about having any validity in God’s eyes.¹⁶ I can say without equivocation that Billy Graham never advertised his meetings for self-glorification. They were promoted so that people could hear the Gospel. But it must be admitted that most, if not all, who attended these meetings did so because it was Billy Graham preaching. Paul did not want to become known as promoting himself as an elite emissary of God, but that he was promoting the Gospel and Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. Still, I’m sure that many came out to hear him because it was Saul of Tarsus, the converted Pharisee, preaching the Gospel of the One he once persecuted.

John Calvin believes that Paul wanted more than anything to have his ministry approved by the Roman fellowship so that his efforts, when he finally visited Rome, would bear fruit. Calvin feels Paul’s urge to prove that God, by the presence of His power, had given His approval to his preaching, and by so doing has sealed his Apostleship was so that the Romans would receive him as an emissary from God. This left no door open for anyone to doubt that he was appointed and sent by the Lord Himself. The evidences were: word, work, and wonders. So it appears that the term “work“ includes miracles. Paul believed beyond all doubt that it was only through the power of the Holy Spirit that any of these things were done. Paul could not have performed them without the Holy Spirit being the author. In short, he declares that with regard to his teaching as well as he’s doing, he had such strength and energy in preaching Christ, that it was evidently the wonderful power of God and miracles were also added, which were stamps of approval that all of this was from God.¹⁷

John Bengel sees Paul in a quandary here. He has a lot to share with the Roman church, but he’s hesitant to go beyond a certain point. He wants to make sure that everything he says is what God has inspired him to say, not necessarily what he personally feels inspired to say. He doesn’t want to tell them about all his success in preaching the Gospel to the non-Jews, even though that may motivate them to believe him even more. He will stick to the doctrines in the Gospel. Bengel says, this was another way of Paul saying: I would never dare to claim that I said or did anything on my own, it was Christ speaking through me. Bengel feels as though Paul could have ended by saying, “That’s the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God!”¹⁸

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (Lesson XVII)

This should cause each one of us to contemplate this reality: No matter what your calling, career, or profession in life may be if you are a true child of God you have been sanctified for service. That doesn’t mean you should have been called to be a pastor or evangelist or teacher but as a vessel and tool of the Holy Spirit to be used by God according to His will whenever and wherever He may choose to do so. As Paul told the Corinthians: “Do you not know that your body is a house of God where the Holy Spirit lives? God gave you His Holy Spirit. Now you belong to God. You do not belong to yourselves.”¹ Paul also told the Ephesians: “You are also being put together as a part of a dwelling place for God to live in you by His Spirit.”² And to the Thessalonians Paul wrote: “May the God of peace set you apart for Himself. May every part of you be set apart for God. May your spirit and your soul and your body be kept complete.”³

Also, Augustine makes the point that the Gentiles are offered to God as an acceptable sacrifice when they believe in Christ and are sanctified through the Gospel.⁴ And then Pelagius notes that Paul, by his example, was showing that what he performed with such reverence is holy, meaning, it was all done to the glory and honor of his God and his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Augustine said that some people try to pass off as divine what is, in fact, mere human activity with the result that what is meant to be holy starts looking unholy because it is not done in a holy way. But by listening to Paul, however, the Gentiles became an acceptable sacrifice to God, sanctified, and exalted before God, not by fire as the sacrifices were done on the Temple altar, but by the Holy Spirit.⁵

As to Paul claiming the role of a minister to the Gentiles Martin Luther explains that by using the word “minister,” Paul glorifies most wonderfully his ministry and teaches that we should preach the Gospel as something holy, and with all sacredness and seriousness. Luther acknowledges that Paul is making reference to the ministry of Jewish priests when he talks about offering up the Gentiles as a sacrifice to God through the Gospel. He is proud yet humbled that God chose him for this ministry.⁶ Luther goes on to note that the words “ministering the Gospel” means to him: Since I am the priest who through the cleansing of the Gospel makes the sacrifice presentable, then those unbelievers who receive this Gospel can then become a sacrifice offered up as God.⁷

As to Paul’s claim that he was now ministering in the role of a priest, John Calvin points out that nothing is more certain than that Paul here alludes to the holy mysteries which were performed by the priests in the Temple. He then makes himself a chief priest or a priest in the ministration of the Gospel, to offer up as a sacrifice the people whom he gained for God, and in this manner, he labored in the holy mysteries of the Gospel. And doubtless, this is the priesthood of the Christian pastor, that is, to sacrifice people, as it were, to God, by bringing them to obey and be cleansed by the Gospel.

Calvin then states that by instituting the mass, the priests in the Roman Catholic church were offering up Christ to reconcile men to God, instead of preaching the Gospel so that they could bring people into a reconciled relationship with God. Calvin does not believe that Paul is giving the name “priests” to the pastors of the Church simply as a title but intending to commend the honor and power of their ministry. Let preachers of the Gospel then have the view in mind that while discharging the duties of their office they are ministering in a priestly manner: they have been called to bring to God souls that have been purified by faith and the Word of God.⁸

On the subject of Paul claiming to serve as a priest, Adam Clarke believes Paul simply meant that he was ministering as a priest would do. This is no doubt an allusion to the Jewish sacrifices offered by the priest and sanctified, or made acceptable, by the wine and water poured out on them. He is only comparing himself, in preaching the Gospel, to the priest performing his sacred functions – preparing his sacrifice to be offered. The Gentiles, converted by him and dedicated to the service of God, are his sacrifice and offering. The blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the libations poured out over this sacrifice simultaneously by which it was cleansed, sanctified, and rendered acceptable to God. In the words of Isaiah, “And they shall bring all your brethren for an Offering unto the Lord, out of all Nations,”⁹ might have suggested the above idea to the mind of the Apostle.”¹⁰

Robert Haldane shares his view of Paul’s bringing the Gentiles to God as a sacrifice. As he sees it, the Gentiles became an acceptable sacrifice to God only through faith in the Gospel. It is only by the blood of Christ that sinners can be washed clean from sin, and only through faith in Christ that any sinner is lead to accepting Christ’s blood for cleansing, and only through the Gospel that faith in Christ is produced. All those who attempt to come to God in any other way are unacceptable to Him. This immediately eliminates all the self-righteous individuals hoping to earn that privilege, and of all unbelievers who only take it as a ritual. This also takes away any basis for the doctrine of some who teach that Christ can be called Savior by pious unbelievers with high morals, even though they have never heard of Him. According to the Apostle Paul, the offering of the Gentiles is acceptable only through the Gospel and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. As the sacrifices under the law were typically sanctified externally, the sanctification by the Holy Spirit begins internally and then spreads externally. No person, then, can be acceptable to God who is not sanctified by His Spirit.¹¹

As far as Paul seeing himself as a minister ministering to the Gentiles, Charles Ellicott explains it by pointing to the two different words in Greek which are tied together. However, in their meaning, both refer originally to the liturgical service of the Temple. The first, leitourgos, refers to the entire function both of the priests and Levites. The second, hierourgeō, is assigned to the special function of the priests in the offering of sacrifice. Paul is a “minister of Jesus Christ;” that is, his sacred office was given to him by Christ; it was Christ who appointed and ordained him to it, and his special duty as a priest of the Gospel was to see that all those who became part of the Church of the Gentiles were made fit to be offered up to God as a living sacrifice, made holy by the indwelling of the Spirit and, therefore, acceptable to the One to Whom they were being offered.¹²

Theologian F. F. Bruce writes concerning Paul’s statement that his presentation of the Gentiles to God as an offering was based on their being sanctified. Bruce notes that there were some Jews, no doubt, who maintained that Paul’s Gentile converts were unclean because they were not circumcised. To such quibble, Paul’s reply is that his converts are “clean,” having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit who has come to dwell within them (cf. verse 19, “by the power of the Holy Spirit”). We are the true Jews, he says in another letter, who worship God in spirit, to the honor of Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh.¹³ The Judaizers, who did glory in the flesh (namely, in the privileges inherent in their being born Jews), were less sanctified than Gentiles who had learned to glory in Christ alone.¹⁴ Similarly, Peter at the Council of Jerusalem meeting reminds his Jewish fellow-believers how, when Gentiles heard the Gospel, God gave them “the Holy Spirit just as he did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith.¹⁵”¹⁶

15:17 That is why I have a reason to be elated because of what God helped me do for Him in my service to Christ Jesus.

Paul wants the believers in Rome to know that he is not a grumpy old man who loves ordering people around just to make their lives miserable. Rather, he is a happy servant of God who loves what he’s doing because God gave it to him as his ministry. Here’s how he explained it to the Corinthians: “We thank God for the power Christ has given us. He leads us and makes us win in everything. He speaks through us wherever we go. The Good News is like a sweet aroma to those who hear it. We are a sweet aroma of Christ that reaches up to God.”¹⁷ Paul goes on to say: “We know we are not able in ourselves to do any of this work. God makes us able to do these things. God is the One Who made us preachers of a New Way of Worship. This New Way of Worship is not of the Law. It is of the Holy Spirit.”¹⁸

As far as Paul feeling like he was of value to Christ Jesus, Origen makes the point that to be proud of one’s work for God without Christ being involved would be like saying one has glory in God’s eyes without having done something right that is worth anything or of any value.¹⁹ Ambrosiaster looks at this from a positive view by noting that believing in, and serving, Christ Jesus with a pure conscience is what made Paul worthy in the sight of God the Father. Paul also went so far as to say that nothing that he did to encourage the Gentiles was done without Christ’s help.

What made Paul feel like he was worth anything was that God and Christ chose to use him to perform signs and wonders with their power in preaching of the Gospel to these former pagans.²⁰ Then Pelagius gives his interpretation. For him, Paul is being smiled upon by God as His chosen servant even though he was defamed and attacked by the Judaizers as being a fraud in the public’s eye.²¹ This is important for those who worry about what the world may think of their dedication and contribution to the work of God. According to secular historians of Paul’s day, he was not worth their time to comment on or quote from. Yet today, their works are rarely read while the penmanship of Paul is the basis for thousands of sermons, Bible studies, and devotions every day.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (Lesson XVI)

So it would behoove all readers of this Epistle, both then and now, not to just give these writings a cursory glance, but read them slowly, over and over again. Paul said this to young Timothy about the letter he wrote him: “If you present all this to the brothers, you will be serving the Messiah Yeshua well; it will show that you have digested the words of the faith and of the good teaching which you have followed.”¹ And then in his second letter, Paul said: “All Holy Scriptures are God-given and are made alive by Him. Man is helped when he is taught God’s Word. It shows what is wrong. It changes the way of a man’s life. It shows him how to be right with God. It gives the man who belongs to God everything he needs to work well for Him.”²

Ambrosiaster feels that Paul rightly says that he has been given authority by the grace of God to embolden him to write to all the Gentiles, exhorting and confirming their calling in Christ. He does this gladly so that he can show his concern in his service to Christ as a teacher. Whatever they might do to help mend any rifts that appear in their relationship with the Jewish brethren will be reckoned as acceptable because of their sanctification in the Holy Spirit. For whatever is offered with pure faith and a sober mind is purified by the Holy Spirit.³

And Chrysostom points out that Paul is seen here as a humble and wise servant of God. Like a surgeon, he cut deep in the first part of his discourse, and after removing what he feels contributes to the agony of disharmony, he now sutures the incision with strings of kindliness. Even without anything else he might have said, his confession of being bold for Christ and the Gospel should be enough to calm their hurt feelings. Paul does this often in his epistles, but here even more than usual. For the Romans felt they were of a higher rank than the others, and Paul had to bring them down to their proper size.⁴

Early church scholar Origen takes a different point of view on what Paul meant by bringing the Gentile converts as an offering pleasing to God. We noted above, that the Peace Offering was a good choice, but Origen points out that the priests had to make sure when they offered sacrifices that there were no blemishes on the sacrificial animal, so that the sacrifice might be acceptable and pleasing to God.⁵ However, the Jewish interpretation of this concept as written in Genesis 49, was not so much the purity of the animal being sacrificed, but the purity of the one making the sacrifice. According to Rabbi Saba, this was God’s way of bestowing an additional level of “perfection” on these priests-to-be. God would confer some of His own sanctity on them. Becoming a priest without this sanctification process was impossible. It was only after these procedures had been completed that any newly consecrated priests were ready to perform their functions and to serve in the House of the Lord.⁶

So also the one who willingly sacrifices their time and effort for the Gospel sake must ensure that there is no blemish in their preaching, nor fault in their teaching. Failure to do so might make them culpable at the judgment.⁷ Just like Paul said earlier, they must first offer themselves as a living sacrifice in order for God’s sanctifying power to help strangle their sinful tendencies so that they prevent any sins being committed by their physical members. This would make sure that they would be a more effective servant not only by their teaching but also by their example. The Holy Spirit is the source of sanctification and, therefore, the offering of the Gentiles which is made by Paul, in the role of priest, is said to be made acceptable to God by the Holy Spirit and not by the observance of the law.⁸ In this case, Origen reminds us of what Paul said earlier to the believers in Rome of presenting their bodies as a living sacrifice, sanctified, and acceptable to God.⁹

Then Chrysostom shares his view. He gives the Apostle Paul credit for raising his discourse to a loftier tone, speaking no longer of mere ministry but also of “priestly service.” Paul uses the same Greek root word leitourgos here, once as a masculine noun and then as a verb to define him as a minister and his ministry. As a masculine noun, it means, “a minister, a kingly servant, or priest.” Thayer in His Lexicon places its use under the heading of “someone busy with holy things.” As a verb it becomes hierourgeō which means, “to minister in the manner of a priest,” or “to do the ministry of a priest.” In Paul’s metaphor, he likens it to the preaching of the Gospel. In other words, Paul was a ministering minister.

Paul may have had in mind the scene where the priest pours the water and the wine over the sacrifice on the altar. This took place during the Feast of the Gathering of the Harvest called Sukkot, also known as the “Feast of Tabernacles.” They used two silver looking clay pitchers with two different spouts, one wide (for the water) and one slender (for the wine) so that both the water and the wine pitchers would empty simultaneously in the appropriate amount.¹⁰ Nobody would reproach a priest for desiring to offer the most perfect sacrifice possible. Paul says this both to lift up their thoughts and show them that they are a sacrifice and to explain his own part in the matter because he was appointed to this office. My sacrificial knife, he says, is the Gospel, the subject of my preaching.¹¹

John Calvin believes that Paul continues his effort to make the Roman believers know that he is not some big shot whose throwing his weight around just because he used to be a Pharisee and then had a personal encounter with the risen Lord, who then called him to go preach to the Gentiles. Then in order to show his modesty, he says by way of concession, that he acted boldly by interjecting himself in a matter which they themselves were able to resolve but did not do so. However, he was motivated to be fearless about it on account of his office. Although he was called by Christ as a minister of the Gospel to the Gentiles, he could not, however, pass the Jews by without saying something. By doing this he humbles himself so that the excellency of his office might be recognized. And by mentioning the favor of God, by which he was elevated to that high honor, he shows that he could not remain silent so that his apostolic office would then be thought little of. Besides, he denies that he had assumed the part of a lecturer, but that of a counselor.¹²

John Bengel believes that Paul’s statement that he had to act somewhat courageously in writing them about all these ethical matters and doctrines since it was not possible for him to have done so in person. Today we might express it this way: “Since I am unable to come to you and deliver my strong message in person, I’ve taken the liberty of making a video and I hope you will accept it this way.” Bengel also says that Paul is saying all this with great modesty because he does not assume that he knows everything they should hear. So he is giving them what he does know because it was given to him by the grace of God.¹³

On Paul’s method of introducing some subjects to believers that they were already knowledgeable of in the Word and Gospel, Charles Hodge notes how striking was the sincere humility of the great Apostle here. All that he said so far involved his counsel and instruction, for which he apologizes if they were too strong even though they were full of affection and heavenly wisdom. What a rebuke is this for any arrogant or demeaning sermons or lectures so often given by people who think they are using the Apostle Paul for an example!¹⁴ And once Paul shows that he is truly humbled by the opportunity to write such mature Christians, Paul then believes they will more easily accept the facts that they know about him, that it was the favor of God that called him to be minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. We see this also reflected in what Paul told the Ephesians: “Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, He graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.”¹⁵

We must remember, Paul was brought up under the influence of Pharisaical Jewish manners, customs, and doctrines, along with observing the role of Rabbis in teaching, and priests serving in Temple where they brought offerings to God every day. There was the Burnt Offering, the Meal Offering, and the Peace Offering, all of which were voluntary. Then there was the Sin Offering, and Trespass Offering that was mandatory. I’m almost certain that Paul thought of the Gentiles as a Peace Offering since it symbolized fellowship with God. And Paul was thankful that God had chosen him to take the Good News to the Gentiles.¹⁶ And Paul had no doubt concerning his calling and mission: “The task I received from the Lord Yeshua — to declare in depth the Good News of God’s love and kindness.”¹⁷

And speaking of giving an offering to God, Paul tells the Corinthians about his ministry in Macedonia. He wrote: “It was more than we expected. They gave themselves to the Lord first. Then they gave themselves to us to be used as the Lord wanted.”¹⁸ The Apostle Peter phrases it in a different way. He writes: “You are to be as living stones in the spiritual house God is making also. You are His religious leaders offering yourselves to God through Jesus Christ. This kind of offering pleases God.”¹⁹ As such, Paul declares that by offering themselves to God for His cause, they are thus sanctified for service. He told the elders of the Church in Ephesus: “I give you over to God and to the word of His love. It is able to make you strong and to give you what you are to have, along with all those who are set apart for God.”²⁰

Sometimes we think that the fastest way to get where we want to go, do what we want to do, or even be what we want to be is by a straight line. If you’ve lived long enough, you know how untrue that is. Ramon Schönborn from Germany came up with a neat way of showing why. Here it is, I hope it causes you to ponder your plans for the immediate future.

First, Ramon says, let’s get a few things out of the way: In real life, we can’t put a metal pole between the Earth and the Moon. The end of the pole near the Moon would be pulled toward the Moon by the Moon’s gravity, and the rest of it would be pulled back down to the Earth by the Earth’s gravity. The pole would be torn in half. Another problem with this plan. The Earth’s surface spins faster than the Moon goes around so the end that dangled down to the Earth would break off if you tried to connect it to the ground.

There’s one more problem: The Moon doesn’t always stay the same distance from Earth. Its orbit takes it closer and farther away. It’s not a big difference, but it’s enough that the bottom 50,000 km of your fire station pole would be squished against the Earth once a month.

But let’s ignore those problems! What if we had a magical pole that dangled from the Moon down to just above the Earth’s surface, expanding and contracting so it never quite touched the ground? How long would it take to slide down from the Moon? If you stood next to the end of the pole on the Moon, a problem would become clear right away, you’ll have to slide up the pole, and that’s not how sliding works. Instead of sliding, you’ll have to climb.

People can climb poles pretty fast. World-record pole climbers can climb at over a meter per second in championship competition. On the Moon, gravity is much weaker, so it will probably be easier to climb. If you climb up the pole far enough, Earth’s gravity will take over and start pulling you down. When you’re hanging onto the pole, there are three forces pulling on you: The Earth’s gravity pulling you toward Earth, the Moon’s gravity pulling you away from Earth, and centrifugal force from the swinging pole pulling you away from Earth. At first, the combination of the Moon’s gravity and centrifugal force are stronger, pulling you toward the Moon, but as you get closer to the Earth, Earth’s gravity takes over. (Are you dizzy yet trying to keep all this in mind?)

This is a great example of what we must go through and figure out as we plan any major move in life. Should I go or should I stay? The gravity of familiarity keeps pulling back to remain where we are, but the gravity of “what could be” is also tugging at us to go ahead and make the break. We see this happen when we go on a diet; think of changing jobs; making new relationships; dealing with old habits; etc.

But it’s also true in our spiritual life. If you’ve been a Christian for any amount of time, no doubt you are settled in your ways. Your daily devotions, going to church, reading your Bible, having your prayer time, etc., have by now become habitual at the same time, on the same day, for the same amount of time. But God did not rescue us from sin’s prison just to sit around on a luxury ride to heaven. Every day we pass by opportunities to serve Him more, but we may not like all the changes it will require in our daily or weekly regime.

So if and when we do decide to get out of our rut and try something different to honor our God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we make a mistake if we think we can draw a straight line between what we are doing now and what we want to do. Because once we start, just like Ramon’s illustration of trying to connect to the moon by a straight pole, the forces of gravity will take over. But don’t let that discourage you. Remember, you will never get stronger until you overcome your weaknesses. You may not get to where you want to be with God by a straight line, but getting there is the most important thing to keep in mind. Remember, the reward is not at this end of the pole, but at the other end after we finish our climb – Dr. Robert R Seyda