The Great Sending, Chapter 25

Reverand Dr. Russell Sommerfeld

This passage, Romans 1:8-16, demonstrates that being in debt and under obligation are familiar experiences. Paul, personally called by Jesus to serve as an Apostle, described himself as debtor, yes, under obligation. His debt was not financial and his creditor was not the holder of a loan. Paul, a Jew-become-Christian, declared his debt, yes, his obligation, to Greeks, barbarians, the wise, and the foolish. He was committed to paying his debt by preaching the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.

We dare not forget to whom Paul was writing. God the Holy Spirit inspired him to pen a letter to a congregation of Christians whom he had not met. Ah, he had friends from the congregation in the ancient city of Rome. His good friends and fellow tent makers, as well as missionaries, Aquila and Priscilla originated from the Roman church. Paul had a deep fraternal affection for them.

Paul also had a burning desire to visit the Roman congregation. He was fully aware of the faith in Christ the Spirit had worked among those Christians of Rome. He wanted to encourage their faith in Christ and be encouraged by their faith in Christ. But mutual encouragement was not his sole motivation for visiting these fellow Christians. Paul had harvest on his mind.

The harvest he anticipated would be among people to whom God had indebted him. Paul, a self-proclaimed Hebrew of Hebrews from the honored tribe of Benjamin, (Philippians 3:5) was obligated to those who were not Hebrews. Like today, people back then created categories artificially separating people from one another. Such categories resulted in discrimination and ridicule. To Paul, this meant he was indebted to them to pay with what God had given him; namely, the Good News of Jesus, the Savior for all of humanity.

Preaching such Good News might seem foolish to these varying classes of citizens, non-citizens, educated, uneducated, wise, and foolish. But proclaiming the best news there is for humanity was exactly what Paul must do. It was his obligation as a Christian and one called to apostolic ministry by Jesus.

Therefore, Paul, with fearless courage, announced what has come to be known as the heart of his letter to the Christians in Rome: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Paul knew the source of the power to move every kind of person to reliance upon Christ for forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. The power did not come through him, but through the Good News of Christ. Paul knew he was obligated to unashamedly proclaim this News for humanity.

In 1882, pastor, theologian, and seminary and church body president C. F. W. Walther preached a sermon titled, “The Holy Desire and Duty of all Christians to Lead Souls to Christ.” He reminded his listeners, “Yet, my Beloved, a Christian through faith receives not only such a desire to lead souls to Christ. He also has a sacred duty… Through holy baptism a Christian has received not only power and authority and the right, but also the high and holy obligation to guard and to sustain against the loss of divine grace and to assist to the end that others are enlightened and brought to Christ, the bishop of their souls.” (Walther, C. F. W.; Pohlers, Donald, trans. “The Holy Desire and Duty of All Christians to Lead Souls to Christ,” The Year of Grace Sermons. Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1890).

To be sure, Paul was called directly by Christ to serve as an
apostolic ministry. As Walther proclaimed so long ago, so it is today: “Indeed, it is true: not everyone is a minister or bishop in the Christian congregation. God is a God of order. For the sake of order it is always required that only one or a few be chosen from the congregation and they, in the name (stead) of all, administer the rights of the spiritual priesthood publicly. However, just as in the construction of a visible church (building) the building supervisors are not the only workers who organize and lead. They necessarily have many helpers.”

Like Paul, we baptized Christians are given the desire and dutiful joy of being helpers to share the hope in Christ dwelling within us.

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