Romans 15:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

No one can say, says the Apostle, that my words are mere boasting. I can present many marks of my sacred ministry and proofs of my ordination. They are not the robe, the bells, the breastplate, or the mitre, as among those of the Old Testament. Rather, they are what inspires far greater reverent awe: signs and wonders.

It cannot be said that I was appointed by God and failed to fulfill what was entrusted to me. Better still, I did not accomplish this, but Christ did. Therefore I glory in Him. I glory not in some insignificant works, but in spiritual things.

This is what the words mean: "in the things pertaining to God" (Rom 15:17). That I accomplished what I was sent to do, and that my words are not boasting, is witnessed by the miracles and by the obedience of the Gentiles.

Since he had said of himself, "I am a minister of the Gospel among all nations," he adds: I do not boast or vaunt myself in anything that I have not done. Indeed, I did not do it, but Christ did it, using me as an instrument.

Whether I utter something, speaking and philosophizing about heavenly things, or do something, living a life according to God, or perform miracles, all this belongs to Christ.

There is a distinction between a sign and a wonder. A sign is something done according to nature, but in an extraordinary manner. Such was the sudden healing of Peter's mother-in-law, who was sick with fever. Here the healing of fever is something according to nature. Yet it took place in an extraordinary manner: as soon as Christ touched her, the fever left her (Mt 8:14-15).

Paul, declaring that for the profit of the Gentiles he glories in the works accomplished through him by the Savior, says: "I have therefore my boasting in Christ Jesus in the things pertaining to God. For I dare not speak of anything which Christ has not wrought through me, for the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Holy Spirit."

For I will not dare to speak of anything else except what Christ has accomplished through me. The works performed through me confirm my words.

I magnify myself not in my labors, but in the gift of Christ the Master. He gave me the grace of the All-Holy Spirit to perform signs and wonders, so that through them the Gentiles might be caught and receive the ray of the knowledge of God.

"By word and deed." The Apostle brought the Gentiles into obedience to the faith by preaching; this is "by word." He did so also by the power of signs and wonders; this is "by deed."

As a new reason for his zeal and boldness in the epistle to the Romans, the Apostle points to his usual success in preaching: "in bringing the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God. Thus the Gospel of Christ has been spread by me," the Apostle adds, "from Jerusalem and the surrounding region as far as Illyricum."

Having indicated the great purpose of his epistle, the Apostle prevents any thought of self-confidence on his part. He says that his calling to preach is confirmed by many signs of apostolic ministry. Through him fruitful seeds of Christian teaching were sown over a vast region, from Jerusalem to Illyricum on the Balkan Peninsula.

Moreover, the preaching sounded chiefly where no one had preached before. But in Rome the evangelical proclamation had been sown earlier. Therefore the Apostle of the Gentiles, though he wished to be there, did not venture to go. This would have violated his custom of preaching chiefly to those who had not heard of Christ.

"I dare not," ou tolmeso, speak of what Christ the Lord has not done through me. That would be base falsehood and empty boasting. I dare not, out of reverence before God, Who is truth.

Yet this also contains another thought. I dare not fail to speak of what the Lord has done through me. Since these deeds are visible to all and were done through me, some might think that I performed them myself. That again would be false, for I did not do them. Christ did them through me.

This is why I speak of these works. Yet, in speaking of them, I do not ascribe them to myself, but openly refer them to their source, Christ the Lord, that He alone may be glorified in all things, our Savior and Lord.