ROMANS 15
14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”– Romans 15:14-21
ROMANS 15 FULFILL CHRIST’S MINISTRY
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
If you have heard the gospel, go and preach it
Remember that you’ve been told to spread it
The good news must be heard by many
Make it your goal to fulfill Christ’s ministry.
Paul commends the church of their goodness. In this letter, he instructs them to be a minister of Christ to the Gentiles in the priestly service of God’s gospel. By doing so, the offerings of the Gentiles can be acceptable and consecrated by the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament, the offerings were coursed through the priests who were the only ones authorized to handle offerings to God. In the same manner, the believers act like priests to the Gentiles because their offerings cannot go straight to God. It has to pass through the believers since they are consecrated and set apart by God to act like priests to them. In verse 20, Paul recommends believers to aim to preach the gospel to those who haven’t heard it in order that we fulfill Christ’s ministry.
REFLECTION
- What are you currently doing as a believer in order to fulfill Christ’s ministry?
