Romans – A Treatise
Chapter Fifteen
PAUL’S COMMISSION
Scripture Reading: verses 14-17
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. I HAVE THEREFORE WHEREOF I MAY GLORY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST IN THOSE THINGS WHICH PERTAIN TO GOD.
We are now approaching some of the Apostle Paul’s personal remarks regarding his companions in service, and these remarks widen out into the next chapter. It is always most refreshing to notice how the truth of the Holy Scriptures is ever seasoned with the charm of grace. We find this very forcibly in the Roman Epistle. Like a lawyer’s brief it is a brilliant legal document, setting forth in meticulous language a righteous foundation for God’s merciful dealings with mankind. While it maintains the honor and dignity of the courtroom, there is nothing austere or cold about it. That is the peculiarity of Holy Scripture. Thus at the close of this legal document Paul himself, the individual, the champion of faith, yet the beloved brother, steps forth and in verse 14 speaks of “my brethren.”
Notice the wording of this verse. “And I myself also” shows that others had brought information to Paul regarding the Roman church and that the high opinion of such informants had been well attested to the extent that Paul was convinced of the truth of their favorable report of the Christians in Rome. With this verse, the last section of the epistle begins, in which there are many things of a personal nature, including greetings from personal friends to personal friends in the great city. This section is full of interest.
“Am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” Just having devoted a large section of his letter to questions regarding the maintenance of unity and love in the congregation, Paul, in this verse, said with great tact and consideration that he believed the Christians in Rome were full of goodness and able to handle all such problems themselves without any special admonitions from him. Such a statement on Paul’s part was probably for the purpose of avoiding any impression that he was critical of their congregations, or that he had been discoursing on the sins of a church which he had never seen. Furthermore, Paul’s words must be understood in the light of being actually true and complimentary in a high degree of the body of Christ in the great imperial capital, which never having enjoyed the visit of an apostle, having come from various lands and provinces and being a truly cosmopolitan group, had, nevertheless, maintained unity of the faith, not being deficient in any vital knowledge and truly exhibiting all the virtues and graces of Christianity. One limitation of Paul’s word regarding “all knowledge” does not mean all possible knowledge, nor does it suggest that the Romans had nothing more to learn; but that they had all necessary knowledge so that they could proceed safely and securely.
Paul is not using flattery; there is nothing of that character about his letter. He is just as pronounced in his denunciation of the unbelief of his brethren after the flesh, as he is of the right of the Almighty to show mercy to the transgressor. He is always the forthright character speaking truth in love. Therefore, we must take this verse at its face value, for Paul was not the kind of man to allow the end to justify the means. His straightforward language is not colored in any way. Con-cerning his brethren he says, “Ye are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” Undoubtedly this was true in every way.
Keep in mind that Rome was a highly cultured and sophisticated center of the world at that time. It was a great cosmopolitan city. But Paul is not addressing his brethren regarding human culture or sophistication. He is confessing their goodness, knowledge, and ability to admonish one another. How easy it is to address our brethren if we are assured in our own heart they are full of good-ness. So often in these days, evil in the heart is ready to quickly misconstrue anything that is stated, and the good servant of Christ is often under certain limitations because of envy and misunderstanding. Grievous wolves have entered the flock and play havoc with Christians. So much so that the gifted servant of the Lord is often beset by limitations which are difficult to maintain.
Paul’s brethren were full of goodness. Thus he had a great deal of confidence in them. Also they were filled with knowledge so he could speak to them not as children but as mature men and women, being assured they would understand his language. The characteristic of the last days is that the people of God will not endure sound doctrine; they will be blown about with every wind of doctrine. We are living in an age of spiritual infancy. In this age, for a variety of reasons, there is a lack of coming to maturity in the things of God. But Paul had a great deal of confidence in his brethren at Rome, because they were equipped in three ways. They were good at heart, well informed and had the capability of admonishing one another. The last is perhaps the greatest, for it is often a difficult problem to accept and admonish one another.
Nevertheless, Paul says he is writing more boldly because of this. He is reminding these brethren at Rome of the grace of God that has been specially extended to him; that he should be the minister of Jesus Christ, ministering the Gospel of God to the Gentiles. Paul had no diffidence about speaking of his commission. It was a definite commission given him by the Lord Himself, and he would not let any human instrument deflect him from the purpose to which he had set his heart and hand. We are living in such apologetic days in these times that if a servant of Christ has any definite purpose about the pathway he is pursuing, he is often called an independent and accused of arrogance and pride. We all need to be far more definite about whatever commission the Lord has given us, and He has given a commission in one way or another to each of His people. Our lack of definiteness, our lack of purpose, is the underlying reason for our lack of accomplishment.
Paul had no misgivings regarding this. He had been commissioned as the “minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles,” and the subject of his ministry is summed up in these words in verse 16: “the gospel of God.”
Indeed the subject of this entire Epistle is the “gospel of God.” We should not limit this to what is sometimes called “the simple gospel,” or the enunciation of the simple way of salvation. For an amplification of the meaning of this term, “the gospel of God,” we need go back to chapter one, where it is stated, “the gospel of God concerning His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.” The Gospel of God includes the whole truth of God from the declaration of the sinnership of all men, onward and including all the varied truths of the New Testament. It includes all church truth, as well as all individual truth. The Gospel of God is the glad tidings that God has devised a vast scheme of blessing of which Christ His beloved Son, our Lord, is the Head and Center, and that He has a body here on earth made up of members who are believers in His Name. There is not a truth of the New Testament that is not included in the term, “the gospel of God.”
The purpose of the Gospel is stated in verse 16, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctifiedby the Holy Ghost. The Gospel of God goes beyond the range of Israel and earthly blessing. It is that men out of alI nations might come and be offered up, as it were, as an acceptable offering to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.The kernel truth of the Gospel of God is the formation of the Body of Christ as the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, who sets apart all members of that body, that they might live lives that go up to God as an offering, acceptable as a sweet smelling savior.
