Romans 15:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“But now, having no more place in these regions.” Do you see how he proved that he wrote to them and came not to gain glory from them? Lest it seem demeaning to the Romans if the Apostle said, “I am coming to you because I have no other work,” he again turns his words toward love and says. “having a desire for many years to come to you.” I desired to come to you not because I had spare time, but to satisfy the desire with which I have long been tormented.

He says, “I was hindered because I wished to preach. Now I write to you and am coming to you because I no longer have work in these regions.” It was not for some other reason, such as a desire to gain glory among them. Then, lest they say, “You visit us only casually, because you no longer have work there,” he adds, “For many years I have had this desire.” This is the desire I hasten to fulfill.

But since there is no longer any open place in these regions, for I have filled them with the Gospel of Christ, and since I had a very great desire to see you...

The Apostle set forth two reasons for going to them. The first was that others had received the preaching, and no people remained who had not heard the Gospel teaching. The second was his love for the Romans. When the former hindrances ceased, this love strongly urged him to go. He says that he had possessed the desire to be with them long before. “For many years,” he says, “I have desired to see you.”

He then appoints the time of his arrival in Rome. For many years his preaching labors in countries far from Rome had prevented it. The Apostle now only has to deliver monetary assistance to the Christians of Jerusalem from the brethren of Macedonia and Achaia. “When I have completed this and have faithfully delivered to them this fruit of zeal,” the Apostle says to the Romans, “I shall go by way of you to Spain” (Rom 15:28). Therefore the Apostle asks the Romans for prayers, “that by the will of God I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you” (Rom 15:32).

After indicating the great purpose of his epistle, the Apostle prevents anyone from thinking him self-confident. He says that his calling to preach is confirmed by the many signs of apostolic ministry. He also says that fruitful seeds of Christian teaching were sown by him over an immense expanse, from Jerusalem to Illyricum on the Balkan peninsula. His preaching was heard chiefly where no one had preached before. But in Rome the Gospel proclamation had already been sown earlier. Therefore the Apostle of the Gentiles, though he desired to be there, did not venture to go. Such a visit would have broken his custom of preaching chiefly to those who had not heard of Christ.

"Having no place" does not mean that all places everywhere had already been filled with the Gospel. It means that no place remained which, according to the Apostle's plans, still had to be sown with the Gospel. Paul, like all the Apostles, acted according to the parables of leaven in dough and of seed. Leaven is put in, and by itself it penetrates all the dough and makes all of it rise. Seed is cast into the ground, and by itself it produces stalk, ear, and grain; see Mk 4:28. So Paul placed the leaven and seed of the Gospel in the chief cities. He says, everything has been done, trusting that the power of Gospel truth and the grace of the Holy Spirit would act by divine providence.