Romans 15:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.

NIV: Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.

NASB: Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God.

CSB: Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God.

NLT: So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God.

KJV: I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.

NKJV: Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God.

Paul has just described his work in writing God's Word to the Roman Christians. In a way, he has said, he is like a priest of the gospel of God and they are like the offering he presents to God. His desire is to see the Holy Spirit sanctify their lives in a way that will make them acceptable offerings on Paul's behalf.

Paul is not suggesting that he should be given personal credit for the lives of service to God that may come from these or other Christians. Instead, he is boldly pointing to them as the product of his effort in the power of Christ. He insists here that the fruit that comes from their lives gives him reason to be proud of the work that he has done for God and in Christ Jesus.

This is not selfish or sinful boasting about his own accomplishments. As Paul will clarify to a point in the following verse, he is proud to have been used by God to accomplish God's purposes in God's power.

Romans 15:14–21 begins with Paul's assurance to the Roman Christians that, though he has been bold in instructing them, he knows that they are full of goodness and knowledge. His mission from God is to preach the gospel to the Gentiles who have never heard it before. He is proud of the work that Christ has accomplished through him in bringing Gentiles to faith in Christ. He knows Christ has done this through the power of miraculous signs and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15 begins with Paul's encouragement to those strong in faith: to please other Christians before themselves so the church can be unified. Christ came to fulfill God's promises to Israel and about the Gentiles. Paul is satisfied with the faith and practice of the Roman Christians. His work of taking the gospel to unreached regions of Gentiles in his part of the world is completed, and he longs to come see them. First, he must deliver financial aid to Jerusalem, a trip about which he asks them to pray along with him.

Romans 15 concludes Paul's teaching that those strong in faith ought to sacrifice their own desires to live in harmony with other believers. Paul shows that God always planned to welcome the Gentile nations, and his mission is to introduce Gentiles to the message of salvation by faith in Christ. He longs to visit the Christians in Rome and plans to do so as soon as he delivers financial aid to poor Christian Jews in Jerusalem. He begins Romans 16 by greeting many friends and acquaintances in Rome by name, as part of a drawn-out ending to this letter.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.

Accessed 11/21/2024 10:10:32 AM