DRAFT ONLY

Introduction
      From 15:14 to 16:23 Paul deals with a range of personal matters. In our passage for study, 15:14-22, he covers a number of subjects.
      i] 15:14. He expresses his confidence in his readers' goodness, knowledge and ability to instruct others.
      ii] 15:15-16. He explains the basis of his bold writing. He is a minister (an apostle) of Jesus Christ, particularly to the Gentiles. He also explains his purpose for writing, namely to remind them of truths they already knew, so that they "might become an offering acceptable to God".
      iii] 15:18-22. He explains his missionary work and outlines his practice of preaching the gospel in areas where Christ has not yet been proclaimed.

The passage
      v14. From 14:1-15:13 Paul gets quite close to the bone in his words over the "weak" and "strong". Having touched a raw nerve, he wants to affirm the Christian maturity of the Roman church. He doesn't really know them personally, and although he is apostle to the Gentiles, they are not under his charge. So these words are a courteous assumption.
      v15-16. Paul admits that he has taken a liberty with them, but has only reminded them of knowledge which they should already possess. None-the-less it is appropriate for him to do this because he has a special ministry to the Gentiles. God has graciously (kindly) given him this task. He is to make known the gospel to the Gentiles. This important message from God concerns the gift of an eternal right-standing in the sight of God offered to all humanity, and appropriated through faith in the finished work of Christ. The NIV describes this ministry as a "Priestly duty", although probably it is more as a Levitical duty serving the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ. It is Paul's responsibility to communicate this message ("my gospel"), particularly his clear understanding of it as it relates to the Gentiles, ie. justification by grace through faith.
      Paul goes on to define the divine purpose behind his commission. God's sovereign plan is to incorporate a sanctified (holy) community of Gentiles into the "new Israel". Christ's priestly duty is to that end, and Paul serves Christ by communicating the gospel which both gathers the lost Gentiles (the broken ones before God who desire to be made whole) and serves to sanctify them (make them wholly acceptable, righteous, perfect, in the sight of God) through the renewal (regeneration) of the Holy Spirit. It is for this purpose Paul writes to the Romans, that they too might know the eternal right standing they possess in the sight of God through faith, a standing not by works of the law. Paul's whole purpose in this letter is to get his readers to understand, to know, the sovereign grace of God in Christ (to understand the doctrine of justification by grace through faith). This knowledge will free them from legalism (law obedience) and thus assure them of their salvation and release them to serve God in the power of the indwelling Spirit of Christ.
      v17. Paul is rightly proud of his service to Christ, but he gives God the glory.
      v18-19a. God must receive the glory for all that is achieved in Paul's ministry because not only is Paul's service subsidiary to Christ's priestly work, but its spiritual achievements are "through the power of the Spirit". The gospel proclaimed in word ("said") and sign ("done") achieves God's intended end. The phrase "leading the Gentiles to obey God" is best understood in the terms of both imputed and imparted righteousness graciously given to all who rely on the completed work of Christ. It is the "obedience of faith", the obedience that is reckoned to us through faith, 1:17.
      19b. Paul feels that he has completed the trail-blazing work of gospel proclamation which was his particular duty as apostle to the Gentiles. v20-22. As a pioneer preacher, he does not feel it is his function to build on the work of others. He clearly feels this is his commission from God. That doesn't mean he can't visit a church founded by someone else. He did intend to visit Rome, but the pressures of ground-breaking mission work has hindered him. He quotes Isaiah 52:12 to support his focus on "those who have not heard".

Boasting in God's work
      In our passage for study Paul happily boasts of the achievements of his ministry, while giving credit where credit is due. When it comes to the salvation of the lost, this is totally achieved by the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and of the renewing work of the indwelling Spirit. Paul has only participated at the level of communication.
      When I faced a selection committee for ordination, one of those present asked me, "when was the last time you led someone to the Lord?" I had to admit that I had never led anyone to the Lord. The question bothered me for many years until I concluded that the business of making disciples was something God handled. My responsibility is to see that God's message of salvation in Christ is communicated well and widely. "Leading the Gentiles to obey God" is His business, not mine. We may happily boast of sharing in that divine plan.