Romans 15:19

Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. THROUGH MIGHTY SIGNS - `in the power of signs' AND WONDERS (I:E., GLORIOUS MIRACLES), BY THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD - `of the Holy Spirit' (as the true reading would seem to be). This seems intended to account for the efficacy of the word preached, as well as for the working of the miracles which attested it. SO THAT FROM JERUSALEM, AND ROUND ABOUT UNTO (OR 'AS FAR AS') ILLYRICUM - lying to the extreme northwestern boundary of Greece, and corresponding to the Modern Croatia and Dalmatia (). See Paley's 'Horae Paulinae,' ch. 2:, No. 4:; and Acts 20:1....

19._So that from Jerusalem, etc. _He joins also a testimony from the effect; for the success which followed his preaching exceeded all the thoughts of men. For who could have gathered so many churches for Christ, without being aided by the power of God? “FromJerusalem,” he says, “I have propagated the gospel as far as Illyricum, and not by hastening to the end of my course by a straight way, but by going all around, and through the intervening countries.” But the verb πεπληρωκέναι _, _which after others I have rendered _filled up _or completed, means both to perfect and to supply what is wanting. Hence πλήρωμα in Greek means perfection as well as a supplement. I am disposed to explain it thus, — that he diffused, as it were by filling up, the preaching of the gospel; for others had before begun, but he spread it wider. (455)...

14-21 The apostle was persuaded that the Roman Christians were filled with a kind and affectionate spirit, as well as with knowledge. He had written to remind them of their duties and their dangers, because God had appointed him the minister of Christ to the Gentiles. Paul preached to them; but what made them sacrifices to God, was, their sanctification; not his work, but the work of the Holy Ghost: unholy things can never be pleasing to the holy God. The conversion of souls pertains unto God; therefore it is the matter of Paul's glorying, not the things of the flesh. But though a great preacher, he could not make one soul obedient, further than the Spirit of God accompanied his labours. He principally sought the good of those that sat in darkness. Whatever good we do, it is Christ who does it by us....

Verse 19. _THROUGH MIGHTY SIGNS AND WONDERS_] This more fully explains the preceding clause: through the power of the Holy Ghost he was enabled to work among the Gentiles _mighty signs and_ _wonders_; so that they were fully convinced that both his doctrine and mission were Divine; and therefore they cheerfully received the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. _ROUND ABOUT UNTO ILLYRICUM_] Among ancient writers this place has gone by a great variety of names, _Illyria, Illyrica,_ _Illyricum, Illyris_, and _Illyrium_. It is a country of Europe, extending from the Adriatic gulf to Pannonia: according to Pliny, it extended from the river _Arsia_ to the river _Drinius_, thus including Liburnia on the _west_, and Dalmatia on the _east_. Its precise limits have not been determined by either ancient or modern geographers. It seems, according to an inscription in _Gruter_, to have been divided by Augustu...

THROUGH MIGHTY SIGNS AND WONDERS - By stupendous and striking miracles; see the note at Acts 2:43. Paul here refers, doubtless, to the miracles which he had himself performed; see Acts 19:11, “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul,” etc. BY THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD - This may either be connected with signs and wonders, and then it will mean that those miracles were performed by the power of the Holy Spirit; or it may constitute a new subject, and refer to the gift of prophecy, the power of speaking other languages. Which is its true meaning cannot, perhaps, be ascertained. The interpretations “agree” in this, that he traced his success in “all” things to the aid of the Holy Spirit....

EXPOSITION ROMANS 16:1 IV. SUPPLEMENTARY. Questions have been raised and much discussed as to the connection of the last two chapters, 15. and 16., with the rest of the Epistle. The facts and the opinions founded on them may be summarized as follows. (1) There is sufficient proof that in early times copies of the Epistle existed without these two chapters. The evidence is this— (A) Origen (on Romans 16:25) speaks of some copies in his time being without the concluding doxology, and also without any part of these two chapters, attributing the omission to Marcion, for his own purposes, having mutilated the Epistle. His words are, "Caput hoc (_i.e._...

THROUGH MIGHTY SIGNS AND WONDERS,.... Or "in", or "through the power of signs and wonders", as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions render the words. These carrying along with them evidence and conviction of the truth of what was delivered, wrought wonderfully and powerfully on the minds of the Gentiles to embrace the Gospel, and submit to the ordinances of it; though all would have been insufficient, had it not been for what follows, BY THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD: the Alexandrian copy and one of Stephens's read, "by the power of the Holy Spirit", and so does the Vulgate Latin version; meaning, either that the mighty signs and wonders in healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, raising the dead, c. were performed not by the efficacy and working of Satan, as the signs and lying wonders of antichristian men, but by the Spirit of God, by whom Christ and all his apostles w...

Romans 15:13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God. That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed. Through mighty signs and wonders,...

ROMANS 15:19 pneu,matoj @qeou/# {C} On the one hand, it can be argued that the presence of a`gi,ou in some witnesses and qeou/ in others is suspicious because each can be explained as a scribal addition to complete what in B and Vigilius seems to be an unfinished expression. (The reading pneu,matoj qeou/ a`gi,ou is an obvious conflation.) On the other hand, despite the generally excellent text preserved by B, a majority of the Committee was unwilling to adopt a reading based on such slender Greek evidence. As a compromise, therefore, it was decided to follow the testimony of the earliest witness (î46), but in deference to transcriptional considerations to enclose qeou/...

CHAPTER 15 _ 1. The Example of Christ. (Romans 15:1 .)_ 2. The Ministry of Christ. (Romans 15:8 .) 3. Paul's Personal Ministry. (Romans 15:14 .) Romans 15:1 An additional motive is brought in why the strong should bear the infirmities of the weak and not please themselves. It is Christ. He did not please Himself, but bore in great meekness and patience the reproaches with which men reproached God, and these reproaches fell on Christ Himself. It was the reproach of God He bore in perfect meekness. We are therefore to be likeminded one to another according to Christ Jesus. Wherefore receive ye one another