So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
The first chapter of Romans is to be read whole, weighed, marked, and given in its full force as a true experience to families claiming to be sons and daughters of God, especially to fathers and mothers, as well as to churches and to ministers who preach the Word. So given, it charges its hearers to be sanctified through belief of the truth and to be converted, to meet accountability to God as faithful, exemplary believers and laborers together with God. It does this by calling them to the greatly and strangely neglected work of sanctifying grace in the home and in home religious life, which cannot be neglected without guilt. It calls those who have failed to obey the truth in righteousness to become cleansed from every species of iniquity. Having names on the church record, claiming to believe the truth, and having knowledge of the truth does not cleanse while they hold the truth in unrighteousness as supposed belief and deny practical truth in works, for truth received must sanctify the heart.
The verse expresses Paul's eager, willing readiness to preach the gospel at Rome as well as elsewhere. That readiness came from being debtor to all people, meaning the commission to go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and teaching them to observe all things Christ commanded, with Christ's presence to the end of the world. In accepting Christ, Paul accepted that commission, which rests on every disciple of Christ and obligates labor for all classes — Jew and Gentile, learned and unlearned, those in high positions and those in the most lowly walks of life, people of every class and background. His readiness reflects continual saving faith combined with good works, not a superficial faith that means nothing, but constant cooperation with God in the great work of salvation. It is a continually growing faith that grows in earnestness and corresponding works, shows itself by works, works by love and purifies the soul, and holds fast without drawing back so as to meet God's standard; it reflects a life wholly devoted to Christ with a purpose nothing could turn aside, winning souls to the Saviour.
Though so ready, when he arrived at Rome in chains and stigmatized as a criminal, he feared his circumstances would prevent him from proclaiming the gospel and disappoint his hopes of winning many people to the truth there. Rome became a place where both Paul and Peter bore witness for Christ, and where their deaths helped bring a great harvest of saints and martyrs. Together with the preceding verse, the verse means everyone who is a partaker of Christ's pardoning love, enlightened by the Spirit of God and converted to the truth, owes a debt to every soul with whom he comes in contact. The debt is to be paid by going to camp-meeting not merely to receive but to impart, speaking words that reveal Christ's saving grace, with the humble in heart reaching souls whom ordained ministers cannot approach. When grace reigns within, the soul is surrounded with an atmosphere of faith and courage and Christlike love that invigorates the spiritual life of all who inhale it, and in blessing others the giver is himself blessed. For God gives opportunity to impart grace that He may refill with increased grace, and hope and faith strengthen as the agent for God works with the talents and facilities God has provided together with a divine agency.
The first chapter of Romans is to be read whole, weighed, marked, and given in its full force as a true experience to families claiming to be sons and daughters of God, especially to fathers and mothers, as well as to churches and to ministers who preach the Word. So given, it charges its hearers to be sanctified through belief of the truth and to be converted, to meet accountability to God as faithful, exemplary believers and laborers together with God. It does this by calling them to the greatly and strangely neglected work of sanctifying grace in the home and in home religious life, which cannot be neglected without guilt. It calls those who have failed to obey the truth in righteousness to become cleansed from every species of iniquity. Having names on the church record, claiming to believe the truth, and having knowledge of the truth does not cleanse while they hold the truth in unrighteousness as supposed belief and deny practical truth in works, for truth received must sanctify the heart.
The verse expresses Paul's eager, willing readiness to preach the gospel at Rome as well as elsewhere. That readiness came from being debtor to all people, meaning the commission to go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and teaching them to observe all things Christ commanded, with Christ's presence to the end of the world. In accepting Christ, Paul accepted that commission, which rests on every disciple of Christ and obligates labor for all classes — Jew and Gentile, learned and unlearned, those in high positions and those in the most lowly walks of life, people of every class and background. His readiness reflects continual saving faith combined with good works, not a superficial faith that means nothing, but constant cooperation with God in the great work of salvation. It is a continually growing faith that grows in earnestness and corresponding works, shows itself by works, works by love and purifies the soul, and holds fast without drawing back so as to meet God's standard; it reflects a life wholly devoted to Christ with a purpose nothing could turn aside, winning souls to the Saviour.
Though so ready, when he arrived at Rome in chains and stigmatized as a criminal, he feared his circumstances would prevent him from proclaiming the gospel and disappoint his hopes of winning many people to the truth there. Rome became a place where both Paul and Peter bore witness for Christ, and where their deaths helped bring a great harvest of saints and martyrs. Together with the preceding verse, the verse means everyone who is a partaker of Christ's pardoning love, enlightened by the Spirit of God and converted to the truth, owes a debt to every soul with whom he comes in contact. The debt is to be paid by going to camp-meeting not merely to receive but to impart, speaking words that reveal Christ's saving grace, with the humble in heart reaching souls whom ordained ministers cannot approach. When grace reigns within, the soul is surrounded with an atmosphere of faith and courage and Christlike love that invigorates the spiritual life of all who inhale it, and in blessing others the giver is himself blessed. For God gives opportunity to impart grace that He may refill with increased grace, and hope and faith strengthen as the agent for God works with the talents and facilities God has provided together with a divine agency.