 |  |
A simplified analysis of Rom. 15: 16-33 may be helpful at this point. The fuller
structure will be found on page 81.
Romans 15: 16-33.
a2 | 16-18. Paul a minister. Gentile's acceptance.
d2 | 19-20. Fully preached.
b2 | 21. Scriptures asserting Gentile blessing.
d3 | 22-29. Fulness of blessing.
a3 | 30-32. Ministry at Jerusalem. May it be accepted.
c2 | 33. The God of Peace.
The uneven appearance of the structure is partly due to the fact that certain members
in it correspond with similar members in other parts of the section which are not here
shown.
It will be observed that where ministry is mentioned elsewhere in this section of
Romans, the word is diakonos (Rom. 15: 8 and 16: 1), or diakoneo (Rom. 15: 25), or
diakonia (Rom. 15: 31). In Rom. 15: 16 and 27, however, the word "minister" is
leitourgos or leitourgeo ("public service") while in Rom. 15: 16 the word "ministering"
is hierougeo ("priestly ministry"). The choice of word in verses 16 and 27 lies very near
the crux of the passage. Paul's ministry was in some measure a priestly act, and therefore
the offering of the Gentiles was sanctified. The Gentiles being sanctified, they could in
their turn perform a kind of "Levitical" service for their Hebrew brethren. This, however,
was offensive to the prejudices of the believing Jews, as the sequel at Jerusalem makes
very clear.
We must now go a little more closely into the meaning and usage of the two important
words for ministry mentioned above. The word heirougeo is a combination of ergon, "a
work" and hieron, "sacred". It occurs nowhere else in the N.T., classical writers use it
with reference to "offering sacrifices". The Apostle's intention in using the word in
Rom. 15: is to indicate that, through the gospel, Gentile service can be spoken of as a
sanctified sacrifice quite as truly as that of a Hebrew believer.
The second word, leitourgeo, is used of public ministry (Rom. 13: 6), ministry in the
Church or among the saints (Phil. iil. 30 & Acts 13: 2), and the ministry of the priests
(Heb. 10: 11).
In Rom. 15: 16 the Apostle is expanding an aspect of truth that had already been
expressed in Rom. 12: In the first verse of this chapter, we read:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service"
(Rom. 13: 1).
The Apostle also uses similar terms in connection with the service of the Hebrew
believers in Heb. 13::