"I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in things pertaining to God. For I will not dare to speak of anything of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation: but as it is written, TO WHOM HE WAS NOT SPOKEN OF THEY SHALL SEE; AND THEY THAT HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND."
Romans 15v17-21
Paul is writing from Corinth towards the end of his third missionary journey. He wants to make Rome the next base for his gospel campaigns. He describes now the nature of his mission.
- The success of his mission: "I have therefore whereof I may glory....." The word for glory here is "boasting"; Paul is boasting. He discourages us elsewhere to be boasting about anything, but he allows himself the right (and so should we) to be somewhat proud of the achievements in the things of God. Later he will balance this out, but he allows himself the leeway to be perfectly human about the situation, because of the colossal work that has been done, and the equally colossal success. Everywhere he went people were saved. God used him mightily. A reading of Acts 9v31; 11v26; 12v34; etc. missions in Cyprus, Antioch, Derbe, Lystra, over to Europe to Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, all saw individuals brought to Christ. Even when his movements were curtailed by imprisonment he still succeeded, as is evident from his letter to the Philippians where he says "my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace (Caesar's palace in Rome); and again in chapter 4v22 he says "all the saints salute you, chiefly they which are of Caesar's household." This man had unique success in the things of God, and it is indeed something to boast about.
- The secrets of his mission: He attributes his success to Divine beings working in him and through him. He says "I glory ...... through Jesus Christ." He speaks about "the things which Christ has wrought through me." He says it was "by word and deed." Not only speaking the gospel but living it out. In this he followed his Saviour, Jesus Christ, of whom it was said "of all that Jesus began to do and to teach." (the opening verse of the Acts of the apostles). Notice the word "began." This suggests that the work would continue, and it did through Paul and many, many others. The secret was not anything in the men themselves, but the glorified Lord Jesus Christ working in them and through them. They proclaimed His words, they displayed his deeds. He said it was "through mighty signs and wonders." These were miraculous gifts given to the apostles (Hebrews 2v4). This was God's way of gaining the attention of the heathen world to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Finally he says it was "by the power of the spirit of God." Paul thus reveals the unseen divine power that became the secret of his success in the gospel. He is not boasting about his own efforts. God's work can only be done in God's way and in God's power, otherwise it will be fruitless.
- The scope of his mission: "So that from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." A study of this itinerary will reveal that this is 1,400 miles! This in days of limited public transport; not only from one place to another but "all round about." He uses a word "fully" in connection with his preaching. He was thorough in everything he did, he was strategic, he allowed himself to be guided by a Divine power. This does not mean he preached to every individual within that scope but that he did enough to establish the ongoing work of the gospel, such that, as we know today, 2,000 years later the same gospel is being preached! Not only was this a massive mission field but it moved from the Middle East to Asia and into Europe, and the intention was to finally use Rome as a centre for the propagation of the gospel "to the uttermost part of the earth." Infact Paul did not reach Rome in freedom, nor was he able to go to Spain as he wished, but he was able to say at the end of his life " I have fought a good fight, I have finished (fulfilled) my course, I have kept the faith." The scope of this mission is enormous when we consider that it was achieved by only a small band of individuals. Today, with tens of thousands more, we probably achieve less.
- The struggles of his mission: "Ye, so have I strived to preach the gospel." The mission was not without its problems. Paul was a pioneer, a trail blazer, a church planter over three continents. Unlike today, he did not build on another man's foundation, he moved on to new pastures. In fairness to people today, Paul's mission field was mostly all new ground, but we do well to observe the courtesy towards others who are doing the same work, that we do not enter into carnal competition, giving rise to unnecessary confusion. He enumerates some of his struggles in 2nd Corinthians 6v4-10 and a reading of this will reveal the problems he had to bear. People took counsel to kill him, he was imprisoned, he was hounded by false teachers, confronted by demon doctrines, shunned by those who did not like him. In short he followed the pathway of his Lord by, in his own words, "filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body's sake which is the church." Colossians 1v24 It is interesting that he quotes from Isaiah chapter 52 which describes the success of the greatest servant of God, Christ the Messiah. This quote comes in the context of the deep suffering and tribulation of the Christ at the hands of men and from Almighty God on behalf of men (the details are in Isaiah 52 - 53). No servant can ever suffer as Christ did in the service of God, but there are areas of suffering in which we will most certainly share if we are to preach the rejected Man of Calvary. So Paul says " so have I strived to preach the gospel." Like Paul, if we engage in this work, this most glorious of all works, we will come across great difficulties and struggles and agonies in the process. History records the mighty struggles of all gospel preachers through the ages, yet this is the greatest message ever to fall on the ears of man and every struggle, whatever it may be, will be more than compensated in eternal glory.
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