Romans 15:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"By the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God": see Rom 15:18.

Then, in confirmation of this, he points to the multitude of disciples, since this too had been mentioned. Therefore he added: "so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fulfilled the Gospel of Christ."

Thus he enumerates cities and countries, peoples and tribes, not only within the Roman dominion, but also among the barbarians. Do not only complete the journey through Phoenicia, Syria, Cilicia, and Cappadocia. Imagine also all the peoples lying beyond them: the Saracens, Persians, Armenians, and the other barbarians.

See Rom 15:18. Do you want, he says, to have proof of what I am saying? Here is the multitude of my disciples, from Jerusalem even to Illyricum, which forms the borders of present-day Bulgaria. He did not say, "I preached," but, "I fulfilled the Gospel," to show that his word was not fruitless, but effective. When you hear, "from Jerusalem to Illyricum," do not think the Apostle traveled by a straight and broad road. He says "and the surrounding region," meaning: I went around the nations with preaching, both to the north and to the south.

Paul, declaring that for the benefit of the Gentiles he glories in the works accomplished through him by the Savior, says: "I have therefore a boast in Christ Jesus in the things pertaining to God. For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has 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." Therefore. If Christ works signs and wonders through Paul by the power of the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit is a natural and living energy, and, so to speak, the quality of the Godhead of the Son. If this is so, how can That which exists by nature in God and from God be a creature? How can the whole power of the Son be in a creature? Even to utter such a thing is impious.

What was done by me among the Gentiles was not empty words, but actions, powers, signs, and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God. With His help I was able to travel through the countries from Jerusalem even to the borders of Illyricum, spreading the Gospel of Christ in all lands.

"By the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God"; see Rom 15:18. He also declares how many nations he preached to: "So that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fulfilled the Gospel of Christ." I cultivated not only the nations I met on the straight road. Going around, I filled with teaching the eastern and Pontic regions, and besides these the nations dwelling in Asia and Thrace. This is what the word "round about" means.

By saying that Christ accomplished everything through him by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle shows that Christ and the Holy Spirit have one power and might.

"As far as Illyricum." The Acts of the Apostles does not mention the Apostle Paul's journey to Illyria, or Dalmatia, adjoining the Adriatic Sea. But its nearness to Macedonia gives grounds for supposing that the Apostle passed through it after his journey to Macedonia.

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.

"The power of signs and wonders" embraces all the supernatural actions that accompanied the preaching of the Gospel. They assured the hearers that the preacher was truly a messenger of God, and that his word was the word of God, to Whom creation must be subject.

Chrysostom says: "When the Apostle says, 'by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders,' he means by this teaching, philosophizing about the Kingdom of God and striving toward it. The manifestation of works and life, the raising of the dead, the casting out of demons, the sight of the blind, the leaping of the lame, and all the other wondrous acts which the Holy Spirit performed through him."