Kehillah in Rome 1:14

14 I am meshubad (obligated) morally, under shiebud (obligation), to both cultured Greek-speakers and non-Greek-speaking barbarians, both the learned and the untutored.

Kehillah in Rome 1:14 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 1:14

I am a debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians,
&c.] The meaning is, that he was obliged by the call he had from God, the injunction that was laid upon him by him, and the gifts with which he was qualified, to preach the Gospel to all sorts of men; who are here distinguished into Greeks and Barbarians: sometimes by Greeks are meant the Gentiles in general, in opposition to the Jews; see ( Romans 1:16 ) ; but here they design only a part of the Gentiles, the inhabitants of Greece, in opposition to all the world besides; for the Greeks used to call all others that were not of themselves Barbarians {e}: or else by Greeks are meant the more cultivated nations of the world, and by Barbarians the ruder and more uncivil parts of it; to which agrees the next division of mankind,

both to the wise and to the unwise.
The Gospel was to be preached "to the wise"; such who thought themselves to be so, and were so with respect to human wisdom and knowledge; though it should be despised by them, as it was, and though few of them were called by it, some were, and still are, though not many; and such wisdom there is in the Gospel, as the wisest of men may learn by it, will be entertaining to them, is far beyond their contempt, and what will serve to exercise their talents and abilities, to search into the knowledge of, and rightly to understand; and it must be preached "to the unwise"; for such God has chosen to confound the wise; these he calls by his grace, and reveals his Gospel to, whilst he hides it from the wise and prudent; and there is that in the Gospel which is plain and easy to the weakest mind, enlightened by the Spirit of God.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 Cornel. Nepos, l. 1. c. 2, 7. & 2, 3. & 3. 6. & 4. 1. & passim. Quint. Curtius, l. 3. c. 4, 7. & 6. 5. & passim.

Kehillah in Rome 1:14 In-Context

12 Or rather, so that there may be mutual chizzuk (strengthening, encouragement) among you through each other’s emunah (faith), both yours and mine.

13 Now I do not want you to lack da’as, Achim b’Moshiach of mine, of how I often made plans to come to you, though I have been prevented thus far, in order that I might have some p’ri for Hashem among you as well, just as among the rest of the ethnic peoples.

14 I am meshubad (obligated) morally, under shiebud (obligation), to both cultured Greek-speakers and non-Greek-speaking barbarians, both the learned and the untutored.

15 Hence my eagerness to preach the Besuras HaGeulah to you who are in Rome as well.

16 For I am not ashamed of the Besuras HaGeulah. It is the ko’ach (power) of Hashem for the Geulah deliverance (IYOV 19:25; YESHAYAH 43:1), to all who have emunah, to the Yehudi (the Jew) above all, but also the Yevani (Greek).