Romans 15:16

λειτουργὸν Χρ. Ἰης. Cf. Romans 13:6 n.; cf. Philippians 2:25 (ὑμῶν—λειτουργὸν τῆς χρείας μου = εἰς ἐμέ); Christ Himself is a λειτουργός, Hebrews 8:2; cf. S. Paul 2 Corinthians 9:12; the Philippians Philippians 2:17; Philippians 2:30; cf. here Romans 15:27; 2 Corinthians 9:12; angels Hebrews 1:7 : in a more special sense Luke 1:23; Acts 13:2; Hebrews 9:21; Hebrews 10:11. The classical meaning of a public service performed to the community still colours the word. S. Paul adds here the name of the authority, who orders the performance, and the persons to whose benefit it is directed. As compared with διάκονος the public and representative character is emphasised. The Ecclesiastical usage for services of public worship is to be interpreted by rather than to interpret the wider use. Here the context gives it the specially religious sense.

εἰς τὰ ἔθνη with λ.; cf. πρός με Philippians 2:30.

ἱερουργοῦντα. Only here in N.T. 4Ma 7:8 (Sixtine edtn; Sw. δημιουργοῦντες) with τὸν νόμον, but the doubt as to text makes this passage useless. Subst. 4Ma 3:20 = sacrifice. The verb is rare and late. It is used (1) abs. = to act as priest in sacrifice: (2) with accus. when the object is the victim sacrificed; and in the pass. of victims. It is very difficult to apply this sense here; τὸ εὐ τ. θ. can hardly be the matter offered as a victim; the next clause shows that the matter of the offering is the Gentiles or the consecrated lives which they bring: and this agrees with the other uses of sacrificial terms by S. Paul (θυσία Romans 12:1 n.; cf. Hort, 1 Peter 2:5, λειτουργία Philippians 2:17). As however ἱερουργεῖν prop. = to be a ἱερουργός, the transitive use must be secondary: and we may perhaps take it here as abs. and τὸ εὐαγ. as an accus. of reference = exercising a priesthood in reference to the Gospel of GOD. So Lid., S. H. alibi ἱ. then specialises the meaning of λειτουργόν, and τὸ εὐαγ. describes the rule or standard of this priesthood, in contrast with the priesthood of the law; cf. Hebrews 7:28. So Rutherford tr. “discharging priestly duties of the Gospel of GOD.” The accus. With the verb would then correspond to the gen. with the subst. μυστηρίων ἱερουργός qu. from Galen. See Field, ad loc[302]

[302] ad loc. ad locum

ἵνα depends on the whole preceding clause λ. Χρ. Ἰ. ἱ.…

ἡ προσφορὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν, for the gen. cf. Hebrews 10:10 only. In προσφορὰ and προσφέρειν the dominant notion is of ‘approach to GOD,’ the offering symbolising the approach of the offerer to GOD’s presence; cf. Westcott, Hebrews 10:10; Hort, 1 Pet. ii. 5, p. 111a. The gen. is probably therefore objective. The Gentiles are the offering which S. Paul as Gospel-priest brings to God; this is the matter of the ministry which he exercises under Christ Jesus.

εὐπρόσδεκτος; cf. 1 Peter 2:5 = δεκτὸς, Philippians 4:18; εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, Ephesians 5:2 (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:14 f.); τῷ θεῷ εὐάρεστον, Romans 12:1.

ἡγιασμένη ἐν πν. ἁγ. gives the ground of acceptability; cf. πνευματικός, 1 Peter 2:5.