This redemptive-historical perspective of Paul is important for us to know as we think about Paul and missions. As he contemplates his future and his ministry–where he wants to go and what he wants to do–Paul’s mind is not too far from the redemptive work of God in Christ. What Paul is doing cannot be understood apart from his view of history of redemption: in the fullness of time, God sent his son, and in this eschatological event–the result and fulfillment of centuries of prophecies and models ultimately anticipating rescue not only of Jews but also of Gentiles by God himself–is at the forefront of Paul's mind. It is no wonder that scholars like Graham Goldsworthy conclude, "Salvation history is perceived as the context of Paul's understanding of the Gospel and his own mission."⁵ God is at work in history, and Paul is saturated with the thought of God at work.

Paul at Work
That God is at work motivates Paul in his ministry. You see a glimpse of the centrality of the work of God for Paul in a number of ways. First, he often refers to the activities of God as gracious. For instance, his call is gracious. Romans 15:15-16, "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." Paul’s unique description of his ministry in cultic language is worthy enough for further exploration, but for our purposes it is important to note the graciousness of God calling Paul in the first place. This echoes what Paul has written elsewhere, including Galatians 1:15-16, "But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his son to men in order that I might preach Him among the Gentiles…." To those who challenged his apostolic authority, Paul simply points out that his apostolic authority was given to him not by man but by God. Again, it is the graciousness of God that he emphasizes. He has been set apart, borrowing language of Old Testament prophetic literature where the prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah were set apart for the ministry of God. The point is simply this: he did not choose God nor did anyone else choose him, but it was God who graciously chose him. The Damascus experience is the result of divine pleasure which reinforces Paul’s understanding of God’s grace in his life.

Second, despite referring to the gospel as “my gospel,” Paul makes clear that the message he proclaims is not his but the “gospel of God.” This he does from the beginning when he introduces himself to the Romans in 1:1-3: "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God  which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son.” It is interesting to note that of the eleven occurrences of the word "gospel" or its derivatives in the epistle, eight of them are found either in the introduction or in the final two chapters of the epistle, seemingly bracketing the whole letter with the concept of the gospel. According to Paul, this gospel that he is about to proclaim is not his message, but a message from God. Not surprisingly, the three occurrences of the word “gospel” in our text again emphasize the origin of the gospel: “the gospel of God” (Rom 15:16). Not only has Paul been called by the grace of God, but the message he proclaims has also been given to him by God.

Third, even his success is the result of the work of God. Was he successful? It seems he has been very successful. In vv. 18-19, he says, “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…" Then he says something remarkable at this stage when he further states, "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." "I have fulfilled,” he says. Here the word "fulfill (plēroō)" covers a wide range of meaning, including “to fill, to make full, fulfill, complete, finish, complete the task.” All these are possible glosses. What does it mean for Paul that he “fulfilled” his work? I do not think that he means to say that everyone in those regions has been converted, nor that there is no more work to be done. But as explained by his description of his ministry in vv. 20-21, he is saying that the work of establishing churches in these areas–particularly in places where no one has been before–that work that he has been called to do has been completed and that it was time for him to move on to a new region, a region like Spain where the gospel of God must be proclaimed. To whom does Paul attribute his success? Not to himself nor to anything he has done, but “what Christ has accomplished through [him] by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God.” If we remember that “signs and wonders” was a way of speaking of the Exodus miracle, then Paul is pointing out that his work is a part of God's ongoing redemptive activity. What he is now doing is simply his “work for God” (v. 17). It is God who is at work in him.

Simply put, Paul is at work because God is at work. He is a mere instrument in the continuing redemptive work of God. This self-understanding becomes clear in vv. 20-21. Verse 20 explains why Paul believes that he must proceed to a new destination: "…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." We see something like a missions policy for Paul here—not in that he is prohibiting where he, or for that matter, we should preach, but in determining where he will make strategic choices to proclaim the gospel. Using the metaphor of a building for his ministry in v. 20, he indicates his desire to go where there is a need for a new foundation.

I am sure you’ve met someone who’s driven by a desire to preach and build where no one has. I am often amazed by them. In the past, I’ve had the privilege of visiting Indonesia a number of times, particularly their seminaries. One of the requirements for graduation for certain seminaries in Indonesia is that the students have to plant a church. On a side note, if church planting was a requirement here at WSC, I think many of us, myself included, would find it difficult to graduate. Being nearly 90 percent Muslim, there are plenty of areas in Indonesia without a church. On one of my visits, I met a couple who were graduates of the seminary that I was visiting. When they were ready to graduate (nearly twelve years ago at that time), they decided to plant a church in their home town, a town that was nearly 99 percent Muslim. You can just imagine the initial difficulties. I was told that they could not even shop for groceries in their town and had to go to the next village to find their daily needs. It took six years before they witnessed their first convert. When I met them, about twelve years into their ministry, they had ten members in their church. If “success” is measured by size or grandeur, this couple should be considered utter failures. But if success is measured by one's faithfulness, I dare say they have a special place before God.

Footnotes (on this page)

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