Paul's Confidence

This thirty-ninth message from Romans begins Paul's concluding remarks. He explains that verses 14-16 serve as a REMINDER to the Roman believers, to bring to their remembrance what they had learned before he wrote to them. Paul had great confidence in them - esteeming them for their Christlike character, praising them for their spiritual enlightenment of knowledge and encouraging them for their ability to warn others of spiritual dangers. Paul wrote with great courage, boldly repeating the truths they already knew, explaining that the reason for his boldness was because of God's generous gifts to him. In verses 17-21 he REVIEWS his achievements through Christ, emphasizing the submission of the Gentiles in their obedience to God, and the saturation of the gospel of Christ, from Jerusalem to Illyricum. He also reviewed his ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was unknown - reaching to those who had never heard. The results of Paul's efforts were explained in Isaiah 52:15 - those who never beheld the report...shall discern clearly for themselves, and those who never listened to the announcement...shall comprehend thoroughly.