Romans 15:15-16 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Paul reveals more about his motive in writing this letter and in overall ministry. First, he wrote with boldness and through the assistance of God’s grace in his calling to preach to the Gentiles. It courage to lay out the gospel in such a systematic way that called out both Jews and Gentiles for the pride and sin. No one is left unaffected by this letter. He also reveals in this letter the special inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s plan of salvation. Second, he writes to remind the Romans of things they should already have known. Much of what Paul says can be found in other letters, though perhaps not in such detail. Also, a lot of what he says is self-evident if a person logically works out the ramifications of the gospel message and looks to Old Testament Scriptures. We see in this letter the heart of Paul’s message, which he states at the beginning of the letter.
Another key insight in these verses is a closer look at Paul’s calling to the Gentiles. He sees his mission in service to Christ analogous to a priest. A priest is someone who goes between one party and another as a representative. Paul is that representative who goes two directions. First, he represents Christ to the Gentiles by preaching the gospel. Second, he represents the Gentiles to Christ through his constant prayers of intercession. His sacrifice to be laid on the altar are all the Gentiles. His goal is to bring them as living sacrifices who have dedicated their lives totally to Christ. On the altar they are sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Another way to say this is that Paul’s desire is that the Gentiles be found a worthy sacrifice because they have been entirely sanctified to Christ by having fully consecrated themselves to Christ’ lordship in their lives. This is what drove Paul’s ministry throughout his travels.
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