The Apostle Paul’s “Glory”

We know that the apostle Paul in his younger years was an extremely self-satisfied man, taking great pride in his accomplishments. We know this because he tells us so himself, perhaps most notably in Philippians 3:4–6. But he freely confesses that when he encountered the risen Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, he gained a new perspective on his “accomplishments”—they were nothing but “rubbish” (Phil. 3:8). From that day forward, as Paul writes in Romans 15:17, he had “reason to glory” in Christ and in the things Christ accomplished through him. But the word glory here has little to do with pride; Paul is speaking here of rejoicing. He is saying that he finds joy and satisfaction in seeing Christ work through him to reach the Gentiles. So deep is this joy that he doesn’t want to speak of anything except what Christ does through him “in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient” (v. 18).

What were these great things Christ did through him? First, Paul mentions “mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God.” As He did through the other apostles, God performed miracles through Paul to authenticate his message. A sorcerer was struck blind (Acts 13:11); a crippled man was healed (Acts 14:9–10); a slave girl was delivered from an evil spirit (Acts 16:18); Eutychus was raised from the dead (Acts 20:9–12); and more (Acts 14:3; 19:11–12). Second, Paul speaks of the vast territory he was used to evangelize: “from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum.” Some commentators point out that Paul is not known to have preached the Gospel in Jerusalem or in Illyricum (north of Macedonia), but he certainly worked in many places in between those locations. He planted churches and developed disciples for Christ all over Asia Minor and the Greek peninsula. Third, Paul speaks of the fact that he has been used to lay foundations. He has been a pioneering missionary, taking the Gospel to places it had not yet gone. He did not want to build on foundations other people had laid or water seeds others had sown. Instead, he saw himself as being Christ’s instrument to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 52:15, which he cites here and which speaks of those who have not encountered the Gospel finally hearing it for the first time. Through him, Christ brought the light of the Gospel to many in darkness.