Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

Paul commends the Roman believers’ goodness and capability, then explains the boldness of his writing as flowing from his commission as Christ’s minister to the Gentiles.

I¹⁴ myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another. ¹⁵However, I have written you a bold reminder on some points, because of the grace God has given me ¹⁶to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Paul rejoices in what Christ has actually done through him — word, deed, signs, Spirit — fully preaching the gospel from Jerusalem around to Illyricum.

¹⁷Therefore I exult in Christ Jesus in my service to God. ¹⁸I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, ¹⁹by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

Paul’s aim is to preach where Christ is not yet named, which is why he has often been prevented from coming to Rome where others have already built.

²⁰In this way I have aspired to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. ²¹Rather, as it is written: ²²That is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.