The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 28

11.nd, in G·od's t.imo, WRB fulfilled. But, up to the date of writing this Epistle, he had been hindered from carrying that wish into effect, Wo are taught that nll our plane evm those of special evangelistic services, should be formed with submission to th~ wi~dom and the will of God. II. SrIRITUAL EFFORT IS WITH A VIEW TO sPmITUAL FRUIT. The apostle looked f,,rw-ard to =e result of toil. He had ro:iped a harvest., more or less abundant in ,,ther fields of labour, and his purpose in visiting Rome was to gather fruit unto God. ,vbat was this "fruit"? The conversion of men to the faith and obedience of the i:ospel, and the growth of Christian character in those who professed to be followers of Christ-. In these spiritual results the evangelist, the pastor, reaps the harvest of his toil. To this end. the Lord of the harvest thrusts forth labourers. "Herein is the Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." Barrenness and unfruitfulness in the spiritual domain are a source of grief and distr<'ss and disappointment. Ill THE CHRISTIAN LABOURER IS A DEBTOR UNTO ALL :MEN. Paul felt that in preaching the icospel to his fellow-men, he was paying them what was their due-that necessity mi.s la.id up~>n him. W~at was, and is, the ground of this obligation? In t.be case of Paul, the signal conversion from the career of the persecutor to the life of the Chri..<:tian, and the Divine commission to preach the gospel to the Gentiles formed peculiar reasons and motives urging such devotion. Yet every Christian,' ha.ving received spiritual blessings through the agency of his fellow-men, is thereby bound to t:-ansmit to others wha.t be himself has received. .And Christ's own authority sanctions our regarding spiritual service rendered to men as some fulfilment of the great debt we all owe to him. The extent of this obligation is universal. It includes all nations a.nd races, Greek and barha.rian; all classes and characters, wise a.nd unwise. Paul was ready t.o minister to Hebrews a.nd heathen, Romans and Greeks, bond and free. He knew th.at the reception of his message would bring the true wisdom and the true liberty to men of every tribe and of every type, and therefore he sought to discharge his debt to all mankind. .APPLICATION. The Christian labourer should seek that his labour may be directed by the distinctively Christian spirit; that it should contemplate the special Christian a.im and result; and that it should display true Christian comprehensiveness and charity. Vers. 15, 16.-Glorying in tM gospel,. It was not through any shrinking from either publicity or persecution, criticism or cruelty, that Paul ha.d not, up to the date of writing this letter, visited Rome. Circumstances, in which he recognized the action of Divine providence, had hitherto hindered him from carrying his wish into effect. And now it was the holy ambition of his daring and benevolent heart to publish the gospel of Christ in the metropolis of the empire, of the world. L THERE WEBB REASOli'S WHICH WOULD BA VE RENDERED SOME :MEN ASHAMED OJI' THE GOSPEL OF ClmIBT. Now, indeed, in our day, when Christianity can point to the triumphs of ~hteen centuries, when Chrietia.nity has received the homage of the noblest intellects and the purest hearts, when Christianity commands the reverence of civilized hnmanity, it ie not easy to understand how, at the first, there should have been any temptation to be ashamed of the religion of Jesus. But let us put ourselves in the position of those who lived in the first century of our era, and we shall feel that, for them, confidence and courage in no ordinary degree were needed in order to profess and promulgate the faith. L There were such reasons connected with the religion of Christ, in itself considered. Its origin in Palestine; the birth of its Founder ae a Jew, and ae the Offspring of lowly parents; hie ignominious dea.th upon the cross; the mean condition of many of hie first adherents and missionaries ;-these were circumstances damaging to the religion in the eyes of ea.ma.I_ men. The re~igion _itae;r, deman?ing contrition and repentance from all men as smners, demandmg faith ID a cruo1fied Saviour u the ::Mediator of Divine mercy, demanding a new heart, a child-like spirit, 11 life of self-denial, mUBt have been repugnant to human pride. To this must be adoed the reproach that Christianity did not come among men recommended by the fa.scinationa of phi!OflOpby, or the pcnmaslveness of eloquence and poetry; and the further reproach that it provided no gorgeo\11 temples, no splendid rit1;1al, no lmpo~ing prit:stbood. 2. There were reason• personal to the Apostle Paul, which, some m1;ht have supy,sed, would have made him ashamed of the go■pel. He wa11 a Hol,row and lllL r. 1-82.] THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. 21