Let's turn together in God's word this morning to Romans 15, and we will be looking at verses 14 through 21 this morning. Romans 15, beginning in verse 14, beginning in verse 14, where God's word reads as follows. I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 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. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, to bring the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum, I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ. and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand. So far, the reading from God's word this morning, may He add its blessing to our hearts. Please be seated. Who has helped you in your Christian walk? Can you think of some people who have been an example to you, who have been a teacher to you? And isn't it true that as Christians, when we think of those people and their ministry to us, we are eager to tell others of the work that God did through them? In my own life, one man stands out. He was a man who loved me enough that when this young man, who was raised in the church, who was diligently taught by his parents, and who knew many of the Sunday school and catechism answers, when this young man was living contrary to the gospel, this man loved me enough to call me out on that point exactly. to call me out by pointing out that I'm saying one thing and doing another. And I have told many people of this man's ministry in my life, the way that the Lord used this man to show me my guilt, to turn me from my sin, to be an agent of my sanctification in some way. And it's natural for us as Christians to tell these stories, to tell these accounts of these people whom God used to work in our lives, to build us up in our holy faith. But a first reading of this text seems like it may be coming at it from an opposite perspective. In this text, it seems like Paul, who is the one having the impact on the Romans, is bragging about the work that he has done in shaping the Gentile church and the Roman church. It talks about how Paul is proud of his work. It talks about how Paul is ambitious and how he's unwilling to build on another person's foundation. But would we really want to say that Paul is using the conclusion or the beginning of the conclusion of the book of Romans as a launching pad for a self-promotion? Well, we can look at that question together this morning. But just by way of spoiler, if we look carefully at this text, what we see Paul doing is, rather than calling attention to himself, we see Paul saying that God, through the ministry of the gospel, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, saves and sanctifies his people." So that's what Paul's saying, just by way of spoiler, and we'll revisit this question about whether or not Paul is boasting or bragging at several points as we work our way through the text. So we want to learn that God, through the ministry of the gospel and by the power of the Holy Spirit, saves and sanctifies his people. We're going to learn that lesson by looking at this text in three parts. First, we're going to look at the state of the church, specifically the Roman church, kind of as an exemplary place where the church ought to be. So the state of the church of Rome. Then we're going to look at the ministry of the apostle. How does Paul understand his participation in this state of the Roman church? And then lastly, we're going to think together about the hope of the gospel. So the state of the church, the ministry of the apostle and the hope of the gospel. We'll begin by thinking together from verse 14 to 16 about the state of the church in Rome. So as we come to verse 14, we're entering into a new section. There's been several large sections in the book of Romans, but all the formal teaching that Paul labored to establish for the Roman church, all that formal teaching has, in some sense, been concluded. Chapter one through 11, the apostle Paul has, in a prolonged way, said before us what we're to believe about God. What does it mean to need salvation? Where is salvation to be found? When we fail as renewed Christians, how do we cope with that? Where do we find our assurance of salvation? How can we know that God is faithful? All these grand themes have been laid out for us over 11 chapters, and that section is over. And then Paul has also said before us the duties that are required of us as Christian people. So from chapter 12, verse 1, all the way through chapter 15, verse 13, there has been this intense section of teaching of the renewed life of the Christian. Because of all of chapter 1 through 11, because all of that is true, now therefore we have certain Christian duties. Joyful duties, not to be a discouragement to us, not something that we're to drag ourselves around doing, but joyful duties, knowing of God's redemption by faith alone in Christ Jesus, his promise of the freedom of condemnation for all who are in Christ Jesus, the promises of his faithfulness, all of these things giving us impetus, motivation to serve him gladly. All of that section is done. And now he's beginning another lengthy section where he concludes his letter. And if you're to read through it, you might think of it as a series of personal annotations, some updates about what's going to be happening, some scheduling questions, some greetings to people with strange names to our ears anyways. And we can be tempted then to think of these personal notes as if they're not important, as if there's nothing to be learned in them. They can be ignored because the really important stuff we looked at before, that was in the section of teaching, whether it be in the section of what we're to believe about God or in the section of our duties before God, the really important stuff came in Romans 3 verse 10 through 18 where we learn about the total depravity of man, how man is sinful to his core and cannot save himself. Or maybe we see Romans 3 verse 22, this is the text that we hold on to where it talks to us about the righteousness that we have by faith alone. Or we can turn to Romans 6, verse 12, if our bent is more towards understanding how we are to live a Christian life. And in Romans 6, verse 12, it tells us that we're not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies, and we hold onto that verse. Or we look at chapter eight in verse one, this promise of no condemnation, or chapter 11, verse 36, this exclamation of God's grace that by Him and from Him and to Him are all things for the Christian. Maybe we look at those things and we say, that's the important part of the book of Romans. But we have to remember, that chapter 15, verse 14 and following, and the list of names that come in chapter 16 and so on, those are no less part of God's inspired word than any other part. And so we give our attention to them with the understanding that through these things also, God reproves us. He teaches us, He corrects us, He trains us in righteousness that we would be complete and equipped for every good work. So in this concluding section, we pay attention, perhaps in a different way than we would to the linear doctrinal teaching of Paul, Or we might pay attention differently to the explicit commandments that Paul gives to us in his practical section, but we give attention to it nonetheless to see what God's words should teach us from these parts. And first of all, in verse 14, we see this picture that Paul gives. Paul gives a picture of the church as it should be. And you see it in the encouragement that Paul gives to the Roman church. So if you look in verse 14, he says three things about the Roman church. It says that the people in this church are full of goodness, that they are filled with all knowledge, number two, and that they are able to instruct each other in number three. Paul, in other places, is not afraid, in God's Word, to critique an erring church. So he has no such kind words for the Galatian church, for example. The beginning of the book of Galatians chapter one, verse six, this is how Paul starts that letter. He says, I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. So Paul is not just keeping up empty flatteries on the Roman church, he is praising them Because they are these three things, they are full of goodness, they are full of knowledge, and they are able to teach. Now what is the implication of those three things? What does it mean that the Roman Church was full of goodness? that means that the Apostle Paul recognizes in them the transforming work of God. Because the Apostle Paul has not forgotten Romans 3, verse 10, that there's no one good. And so he can say that there is none who is good, that there is none who seeks after God, and at the same time say that the Roman church is full of goodness because he is recognizing the Lord's work in this church, that they have turned from those who are bent on evil to those who are good, who are reflecting the goodness of the Lord. It says also in verse 14 that they have all knowledge. That means that Paul recognizes in this church that they are attentive to God's word, whether it be in hearing it because of illiteracy at that time, that they could have heard God's word or they could have read God's word, but they have all knowledge. And then lastly, Paul sees that they are able to teach. He recognizes in this church of Rome the internal ability to multiply the grace of the gospel through the teaching ministry of that church. See, the teaching ministry of the church multiplies the church. The gospel truth that Paul has said before them in chapters one through 15, is to be multiplied in the church, is to be taught to others in the church by those who have heard the truth, who have known the truth, who have entrusted themselves to the truth. And so you see the Apostle Paul teaching that in another place. His second epistle to Timothy, chapter two, verse two, he says, what you have heard from me, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach it to others. And so what Paul has to exhort Timothy to do, he recognizes as being a reality in the Roman church. He doesn't have to tell them to equip themselves in that way, as he has to tell Timothy, but he sees in them already established this ability to teach each other in the Roman church. So Paul is commending the Roman church to that end. He has seen a church that is prepared to be healthy, a church that is full of goodness, that has all knowledge, and that is able to teach others as well. In verse 15, you see Paul almost explaining himself. Why did he write this epistle? And he says that he wrote very boldly in some places. It's almost like Paul is kind of making an apology. for some of the things that he said in this letter. It's not necessarily an apology but an explanation because in some letters Paul writes truth by way of reproof, by way of correction. But here in verse 15 he makes it clear that he writes very boldly not to correct the Romans but to remind the Romans. So he's saying, I see these things in you. What I've written to you is not to correct you. I see that you are full of goodness. I see that you have all knowledge, but I am reminding you of the things that you already know. So Paul has written very bold words, but he's not written them for correction. He's written them by way of reminder. Why does Paul do that? In some sense, Paul is compelled to do that. He has a ministry. He is appointed by God. He has graciously been given by God this ministry of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, the Roman church, a Gentile church. And so Paul, as an apostle to the Gentiles, is fulfilling the ministry he has been given by God's grace. He is ensuring. that this church that is filled with the kind of people that he is responsible for as an apostle, that this church is equipped and reminded of the truth. And even if he wasn't the apostle of the Gentiles, wouldn't we agree that even healthy churches need exhortations, even healthy churches need reminders at times of the things that they know? So Paul writes very boldly as a minister. He intercedes, he says, in some ways as a priest in the service of the gospel of God, meaning he stands between the people and God and delivering the gospel to them. And the result is that the offering of the Gentiles is acceptable. End of verse 16. Now, what does that mean? What does it mean that the offering of the Gentiles? It could mean two things. It could mean, first of all, that Paul is offering up the Gentiles as a group, as a sacrifice to God, and that is acceptable to the Lord. Or it could mean that the maturity of the Roman church, the offering made by the Gentiles, is acceptable in the sight of God. I think it's more likely that Paul is talking about the maturity, the second one. Not that the Gentiles themselves are being offered up, but the things that the Gentiles are offering up by God's grace are acceptable in the sight of God. Well, all that to say that the Roman church is doing well. that God has saved and sanctified them by Paul. And that teaches us as a church today that we likewise should strive to be a healthy church. The word strive to be a healthy church, can that be taken legalistically? Certainly it can and certainly it has. Church can have certain benchmarks that it would like to meet and it could exercise interpersonal pressure on the members of the church to ensure that those goals are met. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how we as those who are beneficiaries of the gospel, should delight ourselves in serving God in his body as the church. So we are to, in our right relationship with God through the gospel, strive to be a church that is like the Roman church, that is full of goodness, that has all knowledge, and that is able to teach others. And these qualities are not simply reserved for officers and pastors, but these qualities should be present in the whole church. So, what does it mean for a church to be full of goodness? Well, goodness is the opposite of evil. That means as a church family, living in light of the gospel, living because we have been made new by the Holy Spirit, we should put off what God forbids, and put on what God commands. It's an evangelical obedience. It's not an obedience that could lead to our condemnation if we are in Christ. But because we are in Christ, it is our joyful duty to be filled with goodness, to set aside evil and to put on good. It is a thankful living out, a thankful obedience to God's commandments. We are to be filled with all knowledge. What does that mean? To be filled with all knowledge only happens as the result of serious study of what God has written. It is your familiarity with God's revelation. To be familiar with God's word is not just the exercise of the young. We should, and it's good for us to strive to teach children God's Word, have them memorize parts of it and so on. It is not just an exercise for them. The study of God's Word is for all, for the adults as well. The call to be a student of God's Word never expires. It is our pursuit, our daily pursuit of the truth. And perhaps more than at any time in history, we have access to resources that would help us with this. On the very superficial level, you could think about audio books, if you're not a reader, right? You could have an audio book that you're listening to. You could listen to podcasts that edify you, that help you in your understanding of God's word. More significantly, we have such open and free access to God's Word in our country. So many translations of the Bible. So many good books that teach us about the Bible. And then we also have the public gathering of God's people where God's Word is preached. the preaching and reading of God's word. One of the main ways that God saves and sanctifies his people, we have them available morning and evening. We can give ourselves to these means, these means of grace, these ways that God shares with us the benefits of his blessings in Christ Jesus. And we can recognize these as provided by God, and we can, in that way, work our way towards having all knowledge. And we are to be, as a church, able to teach. Let me speak to parents. As parents, you are laying that foundation. This guy is not the only teacher. The Sunday school teachers aren't the only teacher in this church. We are all teachers. first and foremost, in our homes. So parents, you are to lay that foundation by leading your family in worship, by reading to your children, teaching them, like we said before, to memorize scripture, helping them to understand what the Bible is saying by exposing them to the catechisms and helping them understand these doctrines, taking time to teach them these things. If you're looking outside the family, of course we are to teach each other by example. Sometimes we are to teach each other with our words. Oftentimes we are to teach, be involved in the teaching process by recognizing godly men who are teachers in the church and to set them in, to select them for places of office where they are the regular teachers. of the church. These are all different ways and there are many besides where we can pursue with zeal and diligence and out of thankfulness to God this healthy church life, where we are filled with goodness, where we have all knowledge, and where we are able to teach. By God's grace, our offering, like the offering of the Gentiles in the Roman church, will be acceptable in the sight of God. Well, how did the church get this way? That's perhaps the next question we can ask from this text. How is it that the church became full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to teach? Well, that's the ministry of the apostle. And if we start looking in verse 17, that's where we really begin to get the sense, if we're reading it superficially, that Paul is kind of boasting. He's bragging about himself. It seems like that to us when we read it at first. But even if we back up just a little bit in verse 16, at the end of verse 16, we already have an indication that Paul is not talking about what he views as a personal accomplishment in the Roman church. The apostle Paul is recognizing God's work in that church. And you see that at the end of verse 16, where he talks about how the offering of the Gentiles is sanctified, is made holy by the Holy Spirit, not by Paul. So here we have the Roman, their work sanctified by the Holy Spirit. So what's going on in verse 17 to verse 19 as we look at Paul's ministry? Well, Paul is saying that he is pleased to participate with God in his work. So here in verse 17, when you're reading it in the English Standard Version, it says, And the translators of the ESV have a difficult job. because the object of Paul's pride is actually not stated in the Greek language. And that's often the case in the Greek language. It doesn't have the same obsession with naming the objects of its verbs. So, if you were to read this text literally, The apostle Paul is talking about how he is proud, he has cause for boasting of these to God. So therefore, Paul says in Christ Jesus, I have cause for boasting of these to God. Now the translators in English have to decide what is the these that Paul is talking about. And you can look at the English translations of this verse and you will see there's a range of objects that translators fill in in that section. And here in the ESV, they have chosen that Paul is proud of his work. But there are other options as well of things that Paul could be proud of in this section. So first of all, from verse 16, it could be that since it says that Paul is boasting of these, it could be boasting of his priestly service in the gospel. Or he could, from verse 16, be boasting of the work of the Holy Spirit and sanctifying the offering of the Gentiles. Or in verse 14, he could be boasting of the refinement and these three things that he sees in the Roman church. So which one is it? Well, we can look at verse 18. And in verse 18, in the overall context of what Paul's saying, I think we can settle on something. So in verse 18, it talks about how Paul will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished in him. And so it makes most sense that the Apostle Paul is looking back to this offering that the Gentiles make, which is sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and is boasting of those things. So in Christ, Paul is boasting of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Roman church. And so you see how that removes Paul from the equation altogether. This is not Paul saying, look at what I've done. Paul is saying, look at what the Holy Spirit has done in the life of this church. So Paul isn't bragging about himself. He is talking about himself as an instrument as a tool used by God in the ministry that he has among the Romans, the Roman church. Again, verse 18, I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me. You can go to 1 Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians 1 verse 31, we have to understand Paul, not by looking at one verse that we can take out of context, but understand how he speaks and how he teaches as a whole. So in 1 Corinthians 1 verse 31, he says, let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. Paul hasn't forgotten that. He hasn't forgotten that, he said that. This is the ministry of Paul, to boast in the work of the Lord. The obedience of the Gentiles, what is that? Is that Paul's work? Is that what Paul's excited about? No, it's God's work. It's the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in them, and that is what Paul is talking about. Now, even as he does that, even as Paul directs our attention away from him to the work of God in Christ through the Spirit in the life of the church, he at the same time doesn't dismiss his role altogether. Now, why is that? Because Paul recognizes that in the ministry of the gospel, there is man's work in God's work. There is God's work in establishing the church, which He does through different people. So people are involved in serving the Lord in His overall task. We talk about that as secondary causes. God doesn't miraculously establish churches. He could do that. He doesn't. He works through the ministry of people to establish churches. And so Paul is boasting in the Lord's work while at the same time rejoicing that as an instrument in the hand of the Almighty, he has been privileged to participate in that work. Christ did it through me. That's Paul's refrain as he talks about his ministry. And that is not the pride of man. It is celebrating being able to participate in God's work through the apostolic ministry, which Paul says is delivered by word and deed at the end of verse 18. The word is fairly obvious, the preaching and the teaching that Paul is engaged in. But then also in verse 18, it talks about the deeds which are defined for us in verse 19, the power of signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God. And so what is Paul talking about there? Well, just read the book of Acts, and you will understand the apostolic ministry being one of word and deed, where the preaching and teaching of what is true of Christ, God's word, the preaching and teaching is mixed and matched and complemented by signs and wonders. In the book of Acts, you read of the apostles engaged in healings, miraculous healings, the casting out of demons, even raising the dead. This is the Holy Spirit's work in the Apostle Paul, and he is boasting of that work in which he is able to participate as an instrument. It is the work of God, the establishment of the church. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to renew man's heart. No man can accomplish it. No man can achieve it. But at the same time, The men in the book of Acts do go out, and they do face danger, and they are persecuted, and some of them are even executed as they serve the Lord in that work. And there is a great joy to being able to participate in that work. to walk under the provisions of God and serve Him in a small way in the work that He is doing in this world. Maybe you've had this when you've had a chance to witness to somebody. When you don't feel like it, you wish they would leave you alone, don't ask me those questions, trying to just get through my day, and you feel maybe inadequate at times, you don't know what to say, you don't know how to rightly define the terms, and yet, by God's grace, you do speak, and it's not perfect, but you're grateful that you said it. You're grateful that you did it. Or maybe it's in your home, and it's been a long day, and the children are behaving as children do, they're not always as receptive to your schedule as you think they should be, and you're hurting all of these cats and you're trying to keep them at the table and you don't feel like praying and you don't feel like reading but you do it and in the end of it you see the fruit of it and you praise God for him working through your imperfect and faltering words, he uses it to establish an understanding in your children. It's that kind of sense of satisfaction that Paul is describing for us. The sense of satisfaction that he could have as an apostle of God working in word and deed to bring about the establishment of the Gentile church in Rome for the glory of God. And through Paul, we can have a sense then also that we should rejoice in the ways that we are able to participate in the work of Christ. No, we are not apostles. None of us are. There are no more apostles. That expires when those who saw Christ were laid in the grave. It doesn't matter what's on some of the signs of the churches around here. There are no apostles anymore. They have to have a unique qualification of having been part of Christ's ministry. And nobody has been. So we are not apostles. And so the ministry of the apostles in the gospel, in the spreading of the gospel, will look different than ours. Their task was establishing the truth, explaining Christ's ministry. And to enable them to do that, God gave them a season in which they could, by mighty deeds, validate their words. They could demonstrate that what they were saying about Jesus of Nazareth was in fact true. It came from God because look at the signs he gave them to do as well. Well, we're not apostles, and so we shouldn't expect to have a ministry like the apostles. Perhaps that may make us discouraged. And we might say, well, my ministry is not worth anything. My ministry is so boring. My ministry is just so mundane. I get to minister to my kids in the home. That can be hard some days. I have to serve them. I sacrifice sleep for them. I give my whole life to prepare them for faith in Christ. I I feed them. I make sure they have the right nutrition only for them to tell me that is not yummy. Those kinds of things, that is a ministry. Where you're participating in the work of God in your home, setting before your children the truth of the word of God. That's what. participating in Christ's work looks like for some of us. It looks like the work of family worship, where father and mother set before their children God's Word, lead them in memorizing God's Word, hiding it in their heart, It is the work of doing that day in and day out, establishing for your children, even more so by just the words that you read to them, the obligation or the desire that this book would be the center of your life. It's a ministry that you do for Christ. For some of us, it's serving the church in practical ways. Administration, organization, maybe not standing up and teaching other people, but equipping the body for fellowship, equipping the body for unity, that there are places where we can share with each other, places where we can encourage each other, places where we can come together and pray for each other. People do that work so that the church can meet in that way. That's part of the ministry of the work of Christ. Of course, it is also the person who teaches. the person who shares patiently the truth of God's word. None of it, none of those instances, and there are many other examples besides, but none of those examples are independent from the Holy Spirit, are they? None of them will be blessed apart from Christ, being anchored to Christ and united to Christ. They are His work through you. and praise God that He gives us the privilege of participating in His ministry, whether we think it's mundane or not. We are serving our risen Savior and God Almighty in heaven. Now, that's what Paul's rejoicing over, his role in serving Christ, his role in building up Christ's church in Rome. Now, what specifically is he doing in that role? So he sees the church doing well. He sees his role as an apostle in establishing that church. What has he done? What specifically is he looking at as this is the core of my ministry? And you see that in verses 20 and 21. where it talks about Paul's ambition. Again, if we were to read it sloppily or quickly, we might come away thinking that Paul is being a bit egotistical here. He is not willing to share the spotlight with anybody else. It talks about Paul having an ambition to preach the gospel. Ambition is a word with negative connotations for us. So Paul has an ambition to preach the gospel, but he doesn't want to do that where Christ has already been preached, because he doesn't want to build on somebody else's foundation. The least charitable reading would say Paul wants it to be First Presbyterian Church of Paul in Rome. First Presbyterian Church of Paul in Corinth. First Presbyterian Church of Paul in Ephesus. And it's all about Paul establishing his name in the ministry of the church. But we have to look back and understand this word ambition as it is listed, as it is translated that way here in verse 20. There are several other places in the Bible where that same word is used and where we would come away with a much more charitable reading of what that word means. So for example, in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 9, Paul also writing says, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him. It's the same word. Or you can go to 1 Thessalonians 4 in verse 11, where Paul is instructing that church and he tells them to aspire to live quietly. Aspire, it's the same word. So it's not the negativity of ambition. It is Paul having an aim. He wants to make it his aim. He wants to aspire to preach where Christ is not named. He's doing that in fulfillment of an Old Testament text. It says so in verse 21. It's Isaiah 52 and verse 15. There, the Old Testament prophet is describing a time when people who are ignorant of the gospel will hear of the gospel for the first time. And Paul sees that as his ministry. So again, if you read the book of Acts, you see the apostle Paul functioning in Acts as an evangelist. Paul is what we would call today a church planter. He doesn't stay anywhere long. He goes in, he establishes a church, he leaves other people to build it up. That doesn't mean that Paul is egotistical. It just means that Paul has a specific understanding of what his ministry is according to the work of God in him, the grace of God given to him. We wouldn't talk about a church planter today as somebody who is an egomaniac, somebody who just wants to establish their own way. That's what Paul is saying. When you think of Paul, how long did he stay in churches when you read the book of Acts? I think the longest one is the church in Ephesus. And it seems like he stayed there for two years and three months. And then he moved on to another place, or he would go revisit churches that he had previously established. Now, Paul, we know from the rest of the Bible, is not criticizing those who build on the foundation of others. We've already read 2 Timothy 2, verse 2, where Paul is commanding Timothy. that he should entrust his teaching to faithful men so that they can build on Paul's foundation. It is not that Paul is saying here is my word. Paul is bringing God's word for the first time to people who have not heard it and have never seen it and he sees that as his ministry. He goes to the place where Christ has never been preached before. He is, first of all, an evangelist, but not to exalt himself. Throughout this text, we've seen that Paul is dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit. He does it according to the grace of God in Christ. He does it for the glory of God, that the work of the Gentiles would be sanctified by the Holy Spirit, that the Gentiles also would be folded into the kingdom of God. Now, that's ultimately the hope of the gospel for the church in any age, is it not? The Jews are the instruments that God uses to fulfill the expansion of the gospel to the Gentiles. And from that time on, Jews and Gentiles together have propagated the gospel by the work of God in them, by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in them, when they are filled with goodness, have all knowledge, and are able to teach each other. All of it is God's work. All of it is God's plan. And he uses the ministry of Paul here in this place, other places, many other people to save the Gentiles out of darkness and to bring them into light. See, far from being a text that would allow us to charge Paul with arrogance and pride, this is a text that helps us to see that God is at work among His people. This is not a text that points to Paul. No, Paul in this text is encouraging and exhorting a church, even a healthy church. He is seeing the good fruit that God has established among them and he looks at his own labors and he is praising God that he was used in such a way to bring the Gentiles to obedience to God in faith. That's the ministry of the gospel of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is the God-centered message of this text. It is not a text that makes us look at Paul. It is a text that teaches us that the gospel of truth is proclaimed by men and that God uses that proclamation to call his people out of the world and to sanctify them in his church. Let's pray together.