Romans 15:20 - Exposition

Yea (or, but ) , so striving (or, earnestly desiring, or making it my aim. The word is φιλοτιμούμενον , cf. 2 Corinthians 5:1-21 . 9; 1 Thessalonians 4:11 ) to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation . In the compact between St. Paul and the apostles of the circumcision referred to in Galatians 2:1-7 , it was agreed that he should confine his apostolic ministry to the Gentiles. Consequently, we find him selecting as centres of his work the principal cities of the heathen world. But he was further careful to avoid places, wherever they might be, in which Churches were already founded. It was the function of an apostle to extend the gospel by founding new Churches, rather than to invade the provinces of others. Those founded by himself, and thus under his immediate jurisdiction, as e.g. the Corinthian Church, he visited as need arose, and addressed them in authoritative letters, commanding as well as exhorting. But his rule in this respect did not preclude his writing also letters of general encouragement and admonition to any whom his peculiar commission as apostle of the Gen- tiles gave him a claim to be heard by. Thus he wrote to the Colossians, though he had never seen them ( Colossians 1:4 ; Colossians 2:1 ); and thus also to the Romans, at the same time (as we have seen, Romans 15:15 , seq.) almost apologizing for doing so; and, though he proposes visiting them, it is nor with the view of staying among them long, so as to take up the superintendence of them, but only on his way to Spain for mutual comfort and edification (see Romans 1:11 , Romans 1:12 ; Romans 15:24 ).