Romans 15:14–21

Paul’s Reason for Writing So Boldly

¹⁴I myself feel confident about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.^{* 15}Nevertheless, on some points I have written to you rather 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.^{* 17}In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast of my work for God. ¹⁸For I will not be so bold as to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to win obedience from the gentiles, by word and deed, ¹⁹by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit,^p so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.^{* 20}Thus I make it my ambition to proclaim the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on someone else’s foundation,^{* 21}but as it is written,

“Those who have never been told of him shall see,

and those who have never heard of him shall understand.”^*