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remembering that time also stood for a public and honourable office (Heb. 5: 4), and a
reward for a service (I Tim. 5: 17).
As an apostle, he said, I have been ambitious to press on into the regions beyond, and
to avoid building upon another man's foundation, and, as an apostle, he was right to do
this. But are we to understand from this passage that we, too, who follow the Apostle,
are to be actuated by same principle? We think not. In our case we awake to the claims
of service, surrounded by the fruition of centuries of christian honour, and if all those in
christian service felt it incumbent upon them to avoid building upon another man's
foundation, they must needs soon go out of the world. Paul was a "master builder" and
laid the foundation (I Cor. 3: 10) but so far from thinking that his successors would also
be called upon to do such work, the opposite is the fact, for in the passage referred to he
immediately adds "and another buildeth thereon".
Paul's work was unique. The foundation of all subsequent ministry has been laid, and
we all are, if we are in the will of God, building upon that initial foundation, laid during
so much stress and strain by the Apostle of the Gentiles.
There are other cases where statements of the Apostle must not be taken as of
universal application, as for example the oft-quoted lamentably misunderstood,
statement,
"I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified"
(I Cor. 2: 2).
Returning to Rom. 15:, a very precious characteristic of the Apostle is seen where he
indicates, by the Scripture which follows his boast, how much he sought to regulate his
conduct by the teaching of the Word of God:
"But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that
have not heard shall understand" (Rom. 15: 21).
The LXX suggests the idea: "Men to whom no tidings have been sent concerning
Him shall we see", and Paul saw in this enough of the mind of the Lord to justify his
action.
It may be an open question whether it be possible or even desirable to probe into the
human reasons that prompted the writings of the various epistles, but it looks very much
as though the Apostle began this mighty epistle merely to prepare the Roman church for
his long-deferred visit. This is his theme in chapter 1:, immediately after the opening
salutation of verses 1-7 and the commendation of verses 8 and 9:
"Making request if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by
the will of God to come unto you" (Rom. 1: 10),
but by easy stages and the most natural transition he passes on from his desire to his
indebtedness, and then from his obligation to his theme, and, once started on the gospel
and its glorious provision of righteousness, the succeeding chapters flow on until he