Romains 1:14

14 Je me dois aux Grecs et aux Barbares, aux savants et aux ignorants.

Romains 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.

Romains 1:14 In-Context

12 C'est-à-dire afin qu'étant parmi vous, nous nous consolions ensemble par la foi qui nous est commune, à vous et à moi.

13 Or, mes frères, je ne veux pas que vous ignoriez que j'ai souvent formé le dessein d'aller chez vous, afin de recueillir quelque fruit parmi vous, comme parmi les autres nations; mais j'en ai été empêché jusqu'à présent.

14 Je me dois aux Grecs et aux Barbares, aux savants et aux ignorants.

15 Ainsi, autant qu'il dépend de moi, je suis prêt à vous annoncer aussi l'Évangile, à vous qui êtes à Rome.

16 Car je n'ai point honte de l'Évangile de Christ, car c'est la puissance de Dieu, pour le salut de tous ceux qui croient, du Juif d'abord, du Grec ensuite.