The Apostolic Ambition
Introduction: A Fundraising Letter for World Conquest
We live in an age of anemic Christianity. Our ministries are often shaped by the marketplace, driven by consumer demand, and measured by therapeutic metrics. We want our faith to be comfortable, our churches to be non-threatening, and our God to be manageable. We send out fundraising letters with glossy photos of smiling faces, promising a good return on investment in the form of warm feelings. But the book of Romans, and this section in particular, is a fundraising letter of an entirely different order. It is a strategic briefing for a spiritual invasion. It is a theological manifesto designed to fuel the conquest of the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul is not trying to sell the Romans on a new program. He is laying out the divine logic of God's plan to reclaim the entire cosmos from the rebels. He has spent fourteen chapters detailing the gospel that levels both Jew and Gentile before the cross, and then raises them up as one new man in Christ. Now, as he concludes, he reveals his apostolic heart, his grand strategy, and his ultimate ambition. And it is an ambition that should shame our small-mindedness. Paul's goal is nothing less than the total obedience of all nations to the lordship of Jesus Christ, extending to the uttermost parts of the earth.
This is not the language of a niche religious leader trying to carve out a little space for his followers. This is the language of an ambassador of the King of kings, announcing the terms of surrender to a world that thinks it is in charge. As we unpack these verses, we must see them not as a mere travelogue or a personal update, but as a summons to join in this glorious, world-altering campaign. Paul is writing to the church in the seat of imperial power, Rome, to enlist them as a forward operating base for the gospel's push into the darkness of the West. This is a call to arms.
The Text
But I myself am also convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, having been filled with all knowledge and being able also to admonish one another. But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me by God for me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore in Christ Jesus I have reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. For I will not be bold to speak of anything except what Christ has brought about through me, leading to the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and all around as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. And in this way I make it my ambition to proclaim the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; but as it is written, “THEY WHO HAD NO DECLARATION OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.”
For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain, for I hope, passing through, to see you, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while. But now I am going to Jerusalem to serve the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to share with the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. Therefore, when I have completed this and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. And I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find rest in your company. Now may the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
(Romans 15:14-33 LSB)
A Priestly Ministry and a Gentile Offering (vv. 14-16)
Paul begins this section with a remarkable statement of confidence in the Roman church. He is not buttering them up. This is an objective assessment of their covenant status.
"But I myself am also convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, having been filled with all knowledge and being able also to admonish one another." (Romans 15:14)
He sees them as a mature church, full of goodness and knowledge, capable of self-governance and mutual correction. This is the goal of church planting. An apostle works himself out of a job. So why write this massive, dense letter to them? Because of his unique calling.
"But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me by God for me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:15-16)
Paul's authority to write so boldly comes from the "grace" given to him, his apostolic commission. And notice the language he uses to describe his ministry. It is shockingly priestly. He is a "minister," a leitourgos, a word used for public, priestly service. He is "ministering as a priest," hierourgounta, the gospel of God. This is not the old covenant priesthood of animal sacrifice, but it is a priesthood nonetheless. The gospel itself is his priestly labor.
And what is the result of this priestly work? It is the "offering of the Gentiles." Think about this. The Gentiles, once unclean and far from God, are now, through the preaching of the gospel, gathered up and presented to God as a holy and acceptable sacrifice. This is the fulfillment of prophecies like Isaiah 66:20, where the nations bring their brothers as an offering to the Lord. Paul, the apostle, is the new covenant priest, and the converted nations are the offering. This offering is made "acceptable" because it has been "sanctified by the Holy Spirit." The Spirit is the one who sets these former pagans apart, cleanses them, and makes them fit for the presence of God. This single image demolishes the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile and shows the breathtaking scope of God's saving plan.
Boasting in Christ and Pioneering the Frontier (vv. 17-21)
This priestly success gives Paul a ground for boasting, but it is a very particular kind of boasting.
"Therefore in Christ Jesus I have reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. For I will not be bold to speak of anything except what Christ has brought about through me, leading to the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit..." (Romans 15:17-19a)
Paul's boast is not in his own eloquence or strategic genius. His boast is entirely located "in Christ Jesus." He will only speak of what Christ has accomplished through him. This is not false humility; it is radical God-centeredness. The result of Christ's work through Paul is the "obedience of the Gentiles." This is not mere mental assent. It is a comprehensive submission to the lordship of Christ in "word and deed." And this was accomplished not by clever marketing, but "in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit." The gospel advances with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, confirming the truth of the Word.
"...so that from Jerusalem and all around as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." (Romans 15:19b)
Paul surveys his completed work. From the heart of the old covenant world, Jerusalem, in a great arc up to Illyricum (modern-day Albania), the gospel has been "fully preached." The word means to complete or fulfill. The foundational, apostolic work in that region is done. The flag has been planted. Churches have been established. So, what is a man with this kind of holy ambition to do? He looks for new territory to conquer.
"And in this way I make it my ambition to proclaim the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; but as it is written, 'THEY WHO HAD NO DECLARATION OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.'" (Romans 15:20-21)
Here is the heart of his apostolic strategy. His "ambition" is to be a pioneer, a frontiersman. He is not a pastor or a settled minister; he is a spiritual commando sent to take new ground. He has a holy aversion to building on another man's foundation (2 Cor. 10:15-16). This is not a criticism of those who come after and build up the church, but a recognition of his unique, foundational calling. He is driven by the prophetic word of Isaiah 52:15. His life's mission is to take the gospel to those who have never heard, to bring the light into the deepest darkness. This is a godly ambition, a desire to see God's name glorified where it has never been honored.
The Great Western Strategy (vv. 22-29)
This pioneering ambition explains his travel plans. He has wanted to come to Rome, but his work on the eastern frontier has kept him.
"For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain..." (Romans 15:22-24a)
The eastern front is secure. Now Paul turns his eyes to the West, to Spain, the very edge of the known world. His plan is not to retire in Rome, but to use the Roman church as a supply depot and launching pad for the invasion of Spain. He hopes "to be helped on my way there by you." This is the practical point of this fundraising letter. He is inviting them to invest in the expansion of the kingdom into new territory.
But first, there is a crucial detour. He must go in the opposite direction, to Jerusalem.
"But now I am going to Jerusalem to serve the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to share with the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things." (Romans 15:25-27)
This is not just a mercy mission; it is a profound theological act. The Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia, born out of Paul's ministry, have taken up a collection for the poor Jewish saints in Jerusalem. Paul insists this is not mere charity, but the payment of a debt. The Gentiles have received the "spiritual things", the covenants, the prophets, the Messiah, the gospel, from the Jews. It is therefore their duty and privilege to share their "material things" in return. This financial gift is a tangible symbol of the unity of the church. It is the Gentile offering, in a sense, being brought to the mother church in Jerusalem, proving that the one new man is a reality, not just a theory.
Once this is done, his path is clear. "When I have completed this and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain" (v. 28). Then, he says, "I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ" (v. 29). This is not a maybe. It is a confident assertion that his apostolic presence will bring a rich deposit of spiritual blessing to them, even as he prepares to press onward.
A Call to Spiritual Warfare (vv. 30-33)
Finally, Paul turns his request from financial support to spiritual support. He knows the road ahead is perilous, and he summons the Romans to join him in the fight.
"Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me..." (Romans 15:30)
The phrase "strive together" is sunagonizomai. It's an athletic term, a wrestling term. He is not asking for a polite mention in their evening prayers. He is asking them to get in the ring with him, to wrestle and struggle in prayer alongside him. This is spiritual warfare. Prayer is not a passive, pious sentiment; it is the exertion of spiritual force in the heavenly realms.
He identifies two specific fronts in this war. First, "that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea" (v. 31a). He is headed into the lion's den. He knows the unbelieving Jews are hostile and plotting against him. He needs prayer for divine deliverance. Second, "that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints" (v. 31b). This is a startling request. He is concerned that the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, perhaps influenced by Judaizers, might reject the gift from the Gentile churches. This would be a catastrophic blow to church unity. He needs prayer that the gift will be received in the spirit it was given, cementing the bond between Jew and Gentile.
The ultimate goal is that he might "come to you in joy by the will of God and find rest in your company" (v. 32). Joy and rest are the spoils of victory. After the battle in Jerusalem, he longs for a season of refreshing fellowship with the Romans before launching the next campaign. He concludes with a benediction that is also a promise: "Now may the God of peace be with you all. Amen" (v. 33). The God of peace is the God who brings victory over His enemies and establishes His shalom. This peace is what the whole apostolic mission is aiming for: the peace of God's kingdom covering the earth as the waters cover the sea.
Conclusion: Our Apostolic Ambition
Paul's plans were, from a human perspective, disrupted. He was arrested in Jerusalem and eventually came to Rome not as a missionary on his way to Spain, but as a prisoner in chains. But God's plan was not disrupted. Paul's imprisonment in Rome led to the gospel advancing throughout the Praetorian Guard and resulted in him writing the prison epistles. God's ways are not our ways.
But the spirit of this passage must challenge us. Where is our holy ambition? Where is our grand strategy for the gospel? Have we become so content with maintaining our own Christian subculture that we have forgotten that Christ has laid claim to the entire world? Paul saw the known world in terms of spiritual territories to be conquered for Christ. He saw churches not as cul-de-sacs for holy people, but as beachheads for further invasion.
We are called to the same mindset. We are to be priests, offering up our families, our neighborhoods, and our nations to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. We are to have a holy ambition to see the name of Christ named where He is not currently honored, whether that is in the unreached nations abroad or in the halls of power, the universities, and the public squares of our own nation. We are to be pioneers, not settlers. And we must strive together in prayer, wrestling for the victory of the gospel against real spiritual opposition. The God of peace will crush Satan under our feet shortly. Let us therefore get about our King's business.