Paul's Boasting

Romans 15:14–18 NKJV

14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—

In verse 16 we find an interesting statement from Paul which seems unexpected. The word translated glory here literally means boast. So Paul says he has reason to boast.

In fact in the NRSV this verse reads

The New Revised Standard Version Paul’s Reason for Writing So Boldly

In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast of my work for God

When you put it that way we can see how shocking of a statement this is. That Paul would boast of his work for God.

It is shocking because boasting is wrong.

Jeremiah 9:23 NKJV

23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

James 4:16 NKJV

16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

in fact Paul himself has told us this.

Romans 3:27–28 NKJV

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

Ephesians 2:8–10 NKJV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

So when Paul say in Rom 15:17 “I have reason to boast of my work for God we expect to see so major qualifier to that statement. And we do.

“In Christ Jesus”

So boasting is sin when we boast in ourselves but not only is it not a sin to boast in Christ Jesus it is necessary that we do so.

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 NKJV

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

So to boast in the work that Christ does in us and through us in not a prideful boasting but rather a humble boasting.

So Pauls work for God is no longer his work but the work of Christ as he said in

Galatians 2:20 NKJV

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Paul’s Work

Paul states the nature of his work in two ways first

Romans 15:15–16 NKJV

15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

In this letter Paul has written more boldly o some points to remind them of these doctrines. We all need continual reminding of the teachings of the gospel. Never get to a point where you feel that the simple preaching and teaching of the gospel is beneath you. The beautiful truths of the gospel message are so wonderful that true believers never tire of hearing it.

but in verse 16 he gets to the heart of his work. “that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

So Paul sees his work as a priestly work of offering an acceptable offering to God. That offering being Gentile believers who have been sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Notice the trinitarian involvement in this work.

Paul serves Jesus Christ the Son by preaching and ministering the gospel of God the Father to offer a people sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Paul’s work is a godly work where he is co-labouring together with the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. This should be the goal of every missionary, and every pastor. This is how we should think of our work, in terms of the end result. To offer as a priestly offering of a people who are holy and acceptable unto God.

Now look at verse 18 where Paul states the same work in other words.

Romans 15:18 NKJV

18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—

The New Revised Standard Version Paul’s Reason for Writing So Boldly

18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed,

This is Pauls reason for boasting in his work for God in Christ. He says that he would not dare even mention any work other than what Christ had done in and through him. Emphasising that his boasting is in christ alone and not in his own efforts.

it is easy to attempt to do the work of God only to find we are just be working in the flesh and God having no part in it. We must be sure that our work for the Lord is in Christ and not in the flesh otherwise we have nothing to show for our efforts.

the exception is that Paul does venture to speak of what Christ has accomplished through him and here is where Paul restates his work. “to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed. The preaching of the gospel for Paul had the purpose of seeing Gentiles come to faith in Jesus Christ but not only that. To also see the work of the Holy Spirit in these converts to produce obedience to God. This is the same as presenting an offering of Gentiles, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. It is also the purpose and calling that Paul stated at the very beginning of this letter.

Romans 1:5 NKJV

5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,

So Pauls work is God’s work. But God has chosen to use people like Paul and many millions of other people with all their faults and problems to do His work though. Never think it strange when God works on you through someone else. Thats the way God works.

So God works through ministers that he has called but what about everyone else.

Romans 15:14 NKJV

14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

Paul is confident that these Romans Christians are full of goodness and filled with knowledge so that they are able to teach and admonish one another. These Christians have th Holy Spirit in them sanctifying them and working in and through them to bring one another into obedience to God. The work that Paul is doing is not exclusive to him but is what we should all be doing for one another. So really Paul’s work is to equip others to do the work of the ministry.

Ephesians 4:11–16 NKJV

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The purpose of apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors and teachers is to equip the body the church so that each one is involved in the work of the ministry, edifying and admonishing one another in Christ Jesus, causing the growth of the whole body to be obedient to God to be an acceptable offering of a holy people to God. This is my calling and this is your calling.