THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS - Chapter 15 - Verse 19

Verse 19. Through mighty signs and wonders. By stupendous and striking miracles. See Barnes "Ac 2:43".

Paul here refers, doubtless, to the miracles which he had himself wrought. See Ac 19:11,12, "And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul," etc.

By the power of the Spirit of God. This may either be connected with signs and wonders, and then it will mean that those miracles were performed by the power of the Holy Spirit; or it may constitute a new subject, and refer to the gift of prophecy, the power of speaking other languages. Which is its true meaning cannot, perhaps, be ascertained. The interpretations agree in this, that he traced his success in all things to the aid of the Holy Spirit.

So that from Jerusalem. Jerusalem, as a centre of his work; the centre of all religious operations and preaching under the gospel. This was not the place where Paul began to preach, (Ga 1:17,18) but it was the place where the gospel was first preached, and the apostles began to reckon their success from that as a point. Comp. See Barnes "Lu 24:49".

And round about. (kai kuklw) In a circle. That is, taking Jerusalem as a centre, he had fully preached round that centre until you come to Illyricum.

Unto Illyricum. Illyricum was a province lying to the northwest of Macedonia, bounded north by a part of Italy and Germany, east by Macedonia, south by the Adriatic, west by Istria. It comprehended the modern Croatia and Dalmatia. So that, taking Jerusalem as a centre, Paul preached not only in Damascus and Arabia, but in Syria, in Asia Minor, in all Greece, in the Grecian Islands, and in Thessaly and Macedonia. This comprehended no small part of the then known world; all of which had heard the gospel by the labours of one indefatigable man. There is nowhere in the Acts express mention of Paul's going into Illyricum; nor does the expression imply that he preached the gospel within it, but only unto its borders. It may have been, however, that when in Macedonia, he crossed over into that country; and this is rendered somewhat probable from the fact that Titus is mentioned as having gone into Dalmatia, (2 Ti 4:10) which was a part of Illyricum.

I have fully preached. The word here used means, properly, to fill up, (peplhrwkenai), to complete, and here is used in the sense of diffusing abroad, or of filling up all that region with the gospel. Comp. 2 Ti 4:17. It means, that he had faithfully diffused the knowledge of the gospel in all that immense country.

{a} "signs and wonders" Ac 19:11 {b} "I have fully preached" Ro 1:14-16