17 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God.
18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,
19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
20 And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation;
21 but as it is written, "THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND."
V. 17 - “I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God” - It is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.
Not boasting about his education, or his zeal, or the superiority of Jewish worship, sacrifices, tabernacles or temples, but that salvation is in Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone. It is He who saves us, and not we ourselves. (See: 2 Cor 3:5, 4:7)
V. 18 - “For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me” This reminds me of the verse in Jeremiah, “The LORD says, ‘Wise people should not boast that they are wise. Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. Rich people should not boast that they are rich. If people want to boast, they should boast about this: They should boast that they understand and know me. They should boast that they know and understand that I, the LORD, act out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth and that I desire people to do these things,’ says the LORD.” (Jer 9:23-24)
Paul is boasting, “Christ did this!”
“the obedience of the Gentiles” - The result was Gentiles came to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus called them. They responded. The obedience was not pertaining to rules and rituals, but to accepting and believing. See: John 6:28-29: “Therefore they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’ “
V. 19 - ‘In the power of the Holy Spirit” - Not by Paul’s power, but by Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, with manifestations and signs which reinforced the actions of the Lord, and seen by others, accepted as proof their lives were changed.
“Jerusalem... as far as Illyicum” - (Illyricum - an area east of the Adriatic Sea, the sea east of the Italian ‘boot’ between the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea.) Paul’s ministry did not start in Jerusalem. He first spread the Gospel in Damascus. He travelled to Jerusalem to meet with the Church leaders there. (Acts 9:20-25) He and Barnabas went to Tarsus and Antioch (Acts 11:19-26). It was there that believers were first called "Christians!" They returned to Jerusalem to make the case for evangelism to the Gentiles, and were sent out with blessings from the leaders of the Jerusalem church. (Acts 15:1-35)
V. 20 - “I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named” - Paul was always seeking new territories in which to preach Jesus Christ. He was not here on earth to pirate believers from other evangelists. His goal was to witness to those who had never heard of Jesus. He wanted to reach as many people as possible.
V. 21 - “but as it is written” - A quote from Isa 52:15, which is a Messianic prophecy stating that finally, as mankind is totally amazed at what they hear and see, they will begin to understand what God has done for them. Many nations will hear, Gentiles and Jews, will hear the Gospel. People will be gobsmacked. Their jaws will drop, and then snap closed, silenced in total awe of what has happened.
They have never heard of anything so amazing as Christ’s resurrection.
They have been astounded beyond understanding that God would die for our sin.
And then understanding will dawn. They will see! They will understand! To God be the glory!
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