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.