He prays that the believers from among the Jews be filled with joy, for they were grieved by reproach, and that the believers from among the Gentiles be filled with peace, for they were hostile toward those who adhered to the law; or rather, he prays that both groups be filled with joy and peace. How then is this to be accomplished? By faith. And what good does faith provide us? Richness in hope. For whoever believes in the future blessings and remains content with the present ones is rich in hope, that is, he awaits the future blessings and endures all temporal afflictions. And what good does hope provide us? The acquisition of the power of the Holy Spirit, which makes our hope most firm. For hope, on the one hand, provides us with the power of the Holy Spirit, and on the other hand, becomes stronger in us through the Holy Spirit.
Rom. 15:14. And I myself am convinced about you, my brethren, that you too are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and are able to instruct one another;
Having said much that was harsh above, he finally heals the wounds he inflicted. He did not say: I have heard, but: "I myself am convinced," he who was reproaching and accusing you, "that you also are full of goodness," that is, of good disposition and brotherly love, though perhaps he calls goodness the fullness of virtue. He also did not say: you have goodness, but: "full." And since there is no benefit in having only goodness while not knowing how to make use of it, he added: "and are able to instruct one another," not only to learn, but even more — to teach others.
Rom. 15:15. But I have written the more boldly unto you, brethren, in some sort, as putting you in mind,
The Romans enjoyed respect and were quite arrogant. Therefore he heals them when he says, "I have written to you with some boldness"; for by this word he greatly humbles them. But he was not satisfied even with this, and added: "in part," that is, somewhat and briefly, and moreover not as one instructing, but "as if by way of reminder," that is, gently reminding.
Rom. 15:15. according to the grace of God given to me:
Rom. 15:16. to be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, performing the priestly service of the gospel of God.
Imparting a humble tone to his speech, he says: I did not seize this honor for myself, but God commanded me to do this, having set me apart for this purpose, not because I was worthy, but by grace. And for what was this grace given to me? To be a minister and priest of the Gospel. Therefore do not blame me for speaking to you. My priesthood consists precisely in proclaiming the Gospel. And who would dare to accuse a priest who brings the knife to that which has been chosen for sacrifice?
Rom. 15:16. that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
I wrote to you, he says, not so that along with other nations you too might be saved, and so that the offering of the Gentiles might be entirely acceptable because all bring fruits to God. "Sanctified by the Holy Spirit," that is, by a spiritual life; for not faith alone sanctifies, but also one's manner of life. It is true that having believed and been baptized, we received the Spirit; but if we do not also live spiritually, the grace of the Spirit will be extinguished. He humbles the pride of the Romans, so that they would not consider it beneath them to have as their teacher the One who brings all nations to God.
Rom. 15:17. Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus in the things pertaining to God.
Since as before he had greatly humbled himself, now again he elevates his word, lest they consider him contemptible, and says: I boast not of myself and not of my own cares, but of the grace of Christ. In what then do I boast? In that which pertains to God, that is, not in some trivial things, but in spiritual things.
Rom. 15:18. For I will not dare to speak of anything which Christ has not accomplished through me, in bringing the Gentiles to obedience of faith, by word and deed,
Rom. 15:19. By the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God.
Since he said of himself: I am a minister of the Gospel to all nations, he adds: I do not boast or pride myself on anything that I have not done; indeed, I did not do it, but Christ did, using me as an instrument. Whether I speak something, discoursing and philosophizing about heavenly things, or whether I do something, leading a life according to God, or whether I perform miracles—all this belongs to Christ. And there is a difference between a sign and a wonder. A sign is something that is accomplished in accordance with nature, only in an extraordinary manner. Such was the sudden healing of Peter's mother-in-law, who was sick with a fever. Here the healing of the fever is a deed in accordance with nature, but it was accomplished in an extraordinary manner: as soon as Christ touched her, the fever left (Matt. 8:14-15). But a wonder is an action performed upon that which does not occur in accordance with nature. Such was the healing of the man blind from birth (John 9:1-7). But since signs and wonders can also be performed by the power of demons, he added: "by the power of the Spirit of God." Here the dignity of the Spirit is also shown, Who is able to perform true signs and wonders.
Rom. 15:19. So that the gospel of Christ was spread by me from Jerusalem and the surrounding region as far as Illyricum.
Do you want, he says, to have proof of what I am speaking about? Behold the multitude of my disciples from Jerusalem even unto Illyricum, which constitutes the borders of present-day Bulgaria. He did not say: I preached, but: I have fully preached the gospel, in order to show that his word was not fruitless, but effective. When you hear: "from Jerusalem unto Illyricum," do not think that the apostle traveled by a straight and main road. "And the surrounding regions," he says, that is, I went around the nations with preaching both to the north and to the south.
Rom. 15:20. Moreover, I strived to preach the Gospel not where the name of Christ was already known, so as not to build upon another's foundation.
I not only preached the gospel to these and so many peoples and converted them, but I also did not go to those people to whom the name of Christ had already been proclaimed. So far am I from subjecting other people's disciples to myself and doing this for my own glory. Therefore I wrote to you not out of a desire to gain glory from you, but because I am fulfilling my ministry. He calls the teaching of the apostles "another man's foundation" not because they were alien to him, nor because they preached something different, but in relation to the reward; because the reward for their labors was foreign to Paul, it did not belong to him.
Rom. 15:21. but as it is written: Those who had not been told about Him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.
Here he shows the fulfilled prophecy; and whoever resolves to teach the ignorant, to which Paul resorted, much labor and sweat awaits him.
Rom. 15:22. For this reason I have also been many times hindered from coming to you.
At the beginning of this epistle he said: "I was hindered even until now" (Rom. 1:13), and here he presents the very reason that hindered him from coming to them. I, he says, went everywhere preaching, and therefore encountered many hindrances, that is, I often intended and desired to come to you, but was always hindered.
Rom. 15:23. But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you,
Rom. 15:24. Whenever I undertake the journey to Spain, I will come to you. For I hope that, passing through, I will see you and that you will send me on my way there, as soon as I have enjoyed fellowship with you, even if only in part.