THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS - Chapter 11 - Verse 13

Verse 13. For I speak to you Gentiles. What I am saying respecting the Jews, I say with reference to you who are Gentiles, to show you in what manner you have been admitted to the privileges of the people of God; to excite your gratitude; to warn you against abusing those mercies, etc. As Paul also was appointed to preach to them, he had a right to speak to them with authority.

I am the apostle of the Gentiles. The apostle of the Gentiles, not because other apostles did not preach to Gentiles, for they all did, except perhaps James; nor because Paul did not himself preach occasionally among the Jews; but because he was especially called to carry the gospel to the Gentiles, and that this was his original commission, (Ac 9:15) because he was principally employed in collecting and organizing churches in heathen lands; and because the charge of the Gentile churches was especially entrusted to him, while that of the Jewish churches was especially entrusted to Peter. See Ga 1:16; Eph 3:8; Ga 2:7,8.

As Paul was especially appointed to this office, he claimed special authority to address, those who were gathered into the Christian church from heathen lands.

I magnify mine office. I honour (doxazw) my ministry; I esteem it of great importance; and by thus showing that the gospel is to be preached to the Gentiles, that the barrier between them and the Jews is to be broken down, that the gospel may be preached to all men, I show that the office which proclaims this is one of signal honour. A minister may not magnify himself, but he may magnify his office. He may esteem himself as less than the least of all saints, and unworthy to be called a servant of God, (Eph 3:8) yet he may feel that he is an ambassador of Christ, entrusted with a message of salvation, entitled to the respect due to an ambassador, and to the honour which is appropriate to a messenger of God. To unite these two things constitutes the dignity of the Christian ministry.

{n} "apostle of the Gentiles" Ac 9:15; Ga 1:16; Eph 3:8