Every preacher who has served a congregation would be delighted to say what Paul said about the church in Rome.
I myself feel confident about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another (Romans 15.14).
Imagine a congregation filled with goodness and knowledge, where the people are capable of instructing one another in the truths of God.
Paul’s Qualifications
Paul humbly points out that his letter to the church in Rome was written as a reminder of things they should already know.
Nevertheless, on some points I have written to you rather boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God
To be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15.15-16).
He could write to them because of the grace of God given to him, his commitment to serve as a priest in God’s gospel, and the fact that he was set apart for this work by the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s Boast
Paul humbly described this remarkable letter, filled with powerful theology, to the Romans as simply a reminder. However, he could boast—not about himself, but about what God had accomplished through him.
In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast of my work for God.
For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed,
By the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the good news of Christ (Romans 15.17-19).
When a sports figure hits a home run or scores a touchdown and points to heaven, they are, hopefully, indicating that the glory belongs to God.
In the same way, Paul repeatedly points to the glory that goes to God in these verses. His work is done in Christ—meaning that it is Jesus working through him that produces the results.
It is Christ who accomplishes everything through Paul, both in words and actions, all done with the power of the Lord. Paul could speak of signs and wonders, not by his own ability, but through the Holy Spirit.
This was the foundation of his proclamation and his boasting—not in himself, but in what God had done.
Paul’s Ambition
Paul places boasting and pride in their rightful context. He boasts only in what Jesus has done through him and expresses his ambition to preach the gospel in places where it has never been heard before.
Thus I make it my ambition to proclaim the good news, not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on someone else’s foundation,
But as it is written,
“Those who have never been told of him shall see,
and those who have never heard of him shall understand.” (Romans 15.20-21)
It is no surprise that Paul draws inspiration for his ambition from the Suffering Servant passage in Isaiah 52:15.
Just as our Lord was willing to serve all by giving His life, Paul, after his experience on the road to Damascus, followed in His footsteps with the same servant heart.
Reflections:
As a preacher, I have had to continually battle pride throughout my entire time serving the Lord. It’s a healthy reminder that anything we accomplish is not by our own ability, but through our relationship with the Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit.
It’s also important to reflect on Paul’s ambition—his greatest desire was to share the gospel with others. May that same ambition guide all of us today.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. You can find it on the Bob Spradling YouTube channel.
Real Voices 