What does Paul mean when he says, "I have fully preached the gospel of Christ"?

What does Paul mean when he says, "I have fully preached the gospel of Christ"?

Romans 15:18-19 says,


Is not fully preaching the gospel of Christ include this verse?

"For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient" (Romans 15:18).

Anyways, may God bless you all today;
And may you all have the power by God to preach the gospel to all.

With loving kindness to you all in Christ,

Sincerely,

~ Jason.

Can nobody honestly explain this passage in Romans 15:18-19?

ronandcarol said:

What does Paul mean when he says, "I have fully preached the gospel of Christ"?
I believe he is saying that everything he has preached is totally words from the Holy Spirit that is within him. He has not embellished any preaching with his own interpretation or opinions, only the truth from the Spirit.
ronandcarol

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So you believe that what Christ accomplished in Paul in word and deed is not a part of fully preaching the gospel?

Soyeong said:

Jesus began his ministry with the Gospel message to repent from our sins for the Kingdom of God is at hand (Matthew 4:17, 23) and the Mosaic Law was how the people knew what sin is, so repenting from our disobedience to the Law is an integral part of the Gospel message. Paul's Gospel message involved bringing the Gentiles to full obedience in word and in deed, so he was on the same page as Jesus about teaching repentance from what God has revealed to be sin.

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Yes, repenting of our disobedience to the Law is integral. I agree. However, I think we disagree about which Law we are to obey today. Yes, before Christ died upon the cross, followers of Christ obeyed the Law of Moses. However, they also obeyed new changes that Christ made, as well. This was letting us know that Christ was getting followers of God prepared for the New Covenant. This New Covenant (that went into effect with Christ's death) involved a change in the Law (and not a destruction of all law). For Hebrews 7:12 says the Law has changed (along with the priesthood).

In other words, you believe we need to obey both the commands in the Old and New Covenant. However, Scripture is clear that we are only to obey the commands in the New Testament (i.e. the New Covenant).

he-man said:

What Paul means is that the task of preaching to everyone has been accomplished and we are not to assume what Paul finished. We are not commanded to preach the gospel but to contend earnestly for the faith not as evangelists, but as providing the examples of the true gospel. We are not to charge money in exchange for our standard in the faith but to be honest and freely give from our Lord given knowledge. If we do not work and labor day and night neither do we eat. Preachers who are paid a salary are wolves in sheep's clothing. 1 Colossians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 15:1; Romans 15:19

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Is not believing in Jesus a part of the gospel? Then what do you make of 1 John 3:23 that says that believing on Jesus is a commandment?

he-man said:

that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, ? We are not commanded to preach the gospel but to contend earnestly for the faith not as evangelists, but as providing the examples (like loving one another) of the true gospel.

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Well, believing in the name of Jesus can give one power to become a son of God (i.e. to become saved). The apostle John says,


This was a commandment given to the disciples (followers) of Jesus Christ. For John also says,

In addition, Jesus says,


As mentioned in 1 John 3:23, these commandments would include to love one another (i.e. the brethren - see 1 John 2:10, 1 John 3:10, 1 John 3:15).
Note: Yes, we are also commanded to love our neighbor (i.e. the poor or everyone), and we are also commanded to love our enemies, as well.

You said:

To love one another is the second greatest of all commandments but what does that have to do when Paul said he has already preached the gospel?

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Paul defines what he means by fully preaching the gospel in the previous verse.

Paul fully preached the gospel of Christ by speaking by the power of the Spirit of God and by which Christ has wrought in him by Paul's words and deeds so as to make the Gentiles obedient. We see elsewhere in Scripture, Paul says, God has chosen us to salvation through the Sanctification of the Holy Spirit (i.e. the process of living holy) and in belief of the truth (i.e. believing God's Word) as a part of God's call to for us to believe in the gospel (i.e. to believe in Jesus).

Paul says in another place, that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes ..... FOR THEREIN is the righteousness of God is revealed! The Just shall live by faith.

The righteousness of God is revealed by believing in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sin and by then living holy or by living by faith. For we are chosen by God for salvation through the Sanctification of the Spirit which is a part of God's call to believe the gospel (believe in Jesus).

If you were to read the words of Paul to the Gentile churches, you would see that he spoke about how what he had written should be regarded as the Lord's commandments (1 Corinthians 14:37). This is why Romans 15:18 says his words and deeds done worked by Christ and the Holy Spirit in Paul was to make the Gentiles obedient. Paul commanded things for the Gentiles to do so as to make them obedient to God. One such command, is that Paul says, "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Romans 13:8-10). This is all a part of Paul fully preaching the gospel of Christ as mentioned in Romans 15:19. For verse 18 proceeds verse 19. Verse 18 is the definition of "fully preaching the gospel" as mentioned in verse 19.

However, it is wrong to say that all believers are not commanded to preach the gospel (i.e. the good news of Jesus Christ).

You said:

What has that to do with fake preachers who want to money for telling that to people? We are not to charge money in exchange for our standard in the faith but to be honest and freely give from our Lord given knowledge. If we do not work and labor day and night neither do we eat. Preachers who are paid a salary are wolves in sheep's clothing. 1 Colossians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 15:1; Romans 15:19

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Nowhere does Romans 15:19 or even Romans 15 talk about money or any kind of financial support of the ministry.

To all:

Colossians 1:21-23
21 “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”

Colossians 2:6-7
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught,”

he-man said:

You missed it then:
1 Corinthians 9:18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
The apostle was exposed to the accusations of false teachers, who asserted that he carried on his evangelisation and his labours from interested motives, and that he took the property of Christians, availing himself of their devotedness. It was the power of charity which denied itself in all things, in order to be the servant of all, and not the selfishness which indulged itself under the pretence of gaining others.
The passage distinguishes between participation in christian ordinances and the possession of salvation: a distinction always true, but which it is not necessary to make when christian life is bright in those who have part in the outward privileges of the assembly. [DARBY]
Paul immediately states the circumstance that showed that he was entitled to the reward, and that was, that he denied himself, and was willing to forego his lawful enjoyments, and even his rights, that he might make the gospel without charge.
I may make the gospel of Christ without charge - Without expense to those who hear it. I will support myself by my own labor, and will thus show that I am not urged to preaching by mere “necessity,” but that I love it. Observe here:
It is right, and well for a man if he chooses and can do it, to make the gospel without charge, and to support himself. That I abuse not my power in the gospel - Paul had a right to a support. This power he might urge. But to urge it in his circumstances would be a hinderance of the gospel. And to do that would be to abuse his power, or to pervert it to purposes for which it was never designed. [BARNES]
What is my reward? — The answer is in 1 Corinthians 9:19; namely, that by making the Gospel without charge, where I might have rightfully claimed maintenance, I might “win the more.” “What is my reward?” But really the “reward” is that which is the ultimate aim of his preaching without charge, namely, that he may gain the more; it was for this end, not to have matter of glorying, that he did so.
[BROWN]

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Where does it say any of this in Romans 15?