ROMANS UNWRAPPED 224

"And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.   Nevertheless brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost."                                                                                                      Romans 15v14-16

Paul has just completed the biggest parenthesis in all of scripture to describe the gospel (chapter1v16-15v13) and its implications for our lives.   He now reverts to the subject matter of chapter 1v8-15 to explain why he is writing to them, having never actually seen them.   Verses 14-16 can be summarized as follows;

• Verse 14    -    His persuasion of them.
• Verse 15    -    His reminder to them. 
• Verse 16    -    His service for them

The word "persuasion" means "fully convinced," that is taking into account all he knows about them from others, and what he has been able to judge about them for himself.   He has used this word before in chapter 8v38 where he speaks of his persuasion of the things of God.   This is threefold:

• Full of goodness:  Goodness in the Bible is moral excellence, virtue, beneficence.   He has already made clear in Romans chapter 3 that in our natural state  " there is none that doeth good, no not one."    Romans 3v12    "Good" in scripture is always placed as the opposite of evil or bad.    Jesus said in Matthew 19v16-17 that  "there is none good but One that is God."   So then what he is persuaded of them is that they are actually living out the life of God within them and not giving way continually to the old nature.   Any goodness that any of us have comes from God.
• Filled with all knowledge:   If goodness is moral excellence the apostle is now speaking of intellectual excellence; not that which we have by nature but which we have gained in our new life in Christ.   The word "filled" is in the perfect tense and means "constantly being filled"; an ongoing process and he is persuaded the Romans are doing this.   We might well ask ourselves the question, what has happened today when Christians appear to look on knowledge in the things of God as an optional extra rather than something which is their very spiritual life- blood.   In this, Paul was persuaded that the believers at Rome were indwelt by the risen Christ who is said to be  "the treasury of all wisdom and knowledge ( Colossians 2v8) . There is no excuse for the people of God to be lacking in knowledge. 
• Able also to admonish one another:    This is functional competency.   This word admonished occurs eight times in the New Testament and the practice of it is necessary if we are to progress as a church.   This goes to the warnings, the counselling that Paul suggests is necessary in the church.   We should not be  "walking on eggshells"  round about each other, there needs to be confrontation, reproof, rebuke, as well as much encouragement:  Colossians 1v28  "Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."   Colossians 3v16  " In all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another."   1st Thessalonians 5v14  "Warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble minded, support the weak."  

In verse 15 Paul explains that the reason for his writing to them was to remind them of the great things of the grace of God.   The ministry of reminding, of repetition of the things of God, is stamped all over scripture.   The whole of the book of Deuteronomy is basically three sermons by Moses, prior to his death. reminding Israel of their responsibilities before God.  The apostle Peter in his second epistle, again just before his death, would send a reminder of the things of God to his converts.   "Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them."   2nd Peter 1v12    Again in 2nd Peter 3v1 he says  "This second epistle, beloved I now write unto you; in which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance."   The people of God need constant reminders of the things of God, because we so quickly forget.     Paul writes boldly to them because the subject matter is so important.  

In verse 16 Paul describes his official ministry in the gospel of God.   He is the PUBLIC MINISTER OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE GENTILES.   He views himself as a priest and the Gentile believers as his offering to God.   He is not merely concerned to see them saved, but wants them to be sanctified.   There is a positional sanctification that is true of all believers (1st Corinthians 6v11) but Paul's desire is that this will be answered by a practical sanctification on the part of the saints.   He says he is writing is so that  "the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost."   In a sense he merges here the twin truths of positional and practical sanctification before God.   Only the Holy Spirit can make us fit for the service of God, but Paul's appeal here is that they would  be pleasing God in their lives.  

This then is a summary of the reason for his writing to them as he has done.