Romans 11:13
in Romans 11I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But I speak to you that are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I glorify my ministry;
KJV
For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
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This verse in Romans 11
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
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.
This site's exposition
the apostle to the Gentiles
on Romans 11:13-16
Paul turns to address the Gentiles directly and names a Jewish aim for his Gentile work, to provoke his own people and save some. Verse 15 answers verse 12: their acceptance is life from the dead. Verse 16 lays the two figures, the first part of the dough with the whole batch, and the root with the branches.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Paul is showing the Gentiles here how much he loves the Jews. For he magnifies his ministry, by which he is the apostle of the Gentiles, if by loving his own people he wins them to the faith as well. For he is more honored …
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS · Written before 253.
proposed
"For I say to you Gentiles: As long indeed as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I will glorify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to emulation my own flesh, and may save some of them."
"For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office; if by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them." Again he endeavors much to get himself clear of untoward suspicion. And he seems to be blaming the Gentiles, and to be humbling their conceits, yet he gives a gentle provocation to the Jew also. And indeed he goes round about seeking to veil and allay this great ruin of theirs. But he finds no means of doing it, owing to the nature of the facts. For from what he had said, they deserved but the greater condemnation, when those who were far short of them had taken the good things prepared for them. This is why then he passes from the Jews to those of the Gentiles, and puts in between his discourse the part about them, as wishing to show that he is saying all these things in order to instruct them to be reasonable. For I praise you, he means, for these two reasons; one, because I am necessitated to do so as being your commissioned minister; the other, that through you I may save others. And he does not say, my brethren, my kinsmen; but, "my flesh." And next, when pointing out their disputatious spirit, he does not say, "if by any means I may" persuade, but, "provoke to jealousy and save;" and here again not all, but, "some of them." So hard were they! And even amid his rebuke he shows again the Gentiles honored, for they are causes of their salvation, and not in the same way. For they became purveyors of blessings to them through unbelief, but these to the Jews by faith. Hence the estate of the Gentiles seems to be at once equal and superior.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Again consoling the Jews, he humbles the pride of the Gentiles, saying: I commend you for two reasons: first, because having been appointed as a teacher to you, I have need to glorify "my ministry," that is, you; and second, because I have in view …
Then when he says, for I say to you, gentiles, he shows the same things by revealing the purpose of his ministry, which he first states; second, he assigns the reason, at for if the loss. In regard to the first it should be noted …
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
I magnify my office - Far from being ashamed of ministering to the gentiles, I glory therein; the rather, as it may be a means of provoking my brethren to jealousy.
For I speak to you Gentiles,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
This and the following verse should be read in a parenthesis. St. Paul, as the apostle of the Gentiles, wished to show them the high pitch of glory and blessedness to which they had been called, that they might have a due sense of God’s mercy in calling them to such a state of salvation; and that they might be jealous over themselves, lest they should fall as the Jews had done before them: and he dwells particularly on the greatness of those privileges which the Gentiles had now received, that he might stir up the minds of his countrymen to emulation, and might be the means of saving some of them, as he states in the following verse. I magnify mine office - This is a very improper translation of την διακονιαν μου δοξαζω, which is, literally, I honor this my ministry. Dr. Taylor has justly observed that magnify, except when applied to the most High, carries with it, in our language, the idea of stretching beyond the bounds of truth; whereas the apostle simply means that he does justice to his ministry, by stating the glorious things which he was commissioned to preach among the Gentiles: blessings which the Jews by their obstinacy had forfeited.
The words behind it
17 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ὑμῖν | humin | To you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| λέγω | lego | I am speaking | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| τοῖς | tois | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔθνεσιν· | ethnesin | Gentiles; | G1484 → | 161 times |
| ἐφ᾽ | eph᾽ | Upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| ὅσον | hoson | as much as | G3745 → | 110 times |
| μὲν | men | indeed | G3303 → | 176 times |
| οὖν | oun | therefore | G3767 → | 497 times |
| εἰμι | eimi | am | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἐγὼ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| ἐθνῶν | ethnon | of [the] Gentiles | G1484 → | 161 times |
| ἀπόστολος, | apostolos | apostle, | G652 → | 79 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| διακονίαν | diakonian | ministry | G1248 → | 34 times |
| μου | mou | of mine | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| δοξάζω, | doxazo | I magnify, | G1392 → | 61 times |
ὙμῖνTo you
huminG4771 →2973 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
λέγωI am speaking
legoG3004 →1325 times
τοῖς<the>
toisG3588 →19766 times
ἔθνεσιν·Gentiles;
ethnesinG1484 →161 times
ἐφ᾽Upon
eph᾽G1909 →883 times
ὅσονas much as
hosonG3745 →110 times
μὲνindeed
menG3303 →176 times
οὖνtherefore
ounG3767 →497 times
εἰμιam
eimiG1510 →2333 times
ἐγὼI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
ἐθνῶνof [the] Gentiles
ethnonG1484 →161 times
ἀπόστολος,apostle,
apostolosG652 →79 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
διακονίανministry
diakonianG1248 →34 times
μουof mine
mouG3165 →1936 times
δοξάζω,I magnify,
doxazoG1392 →61 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 9:15“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.
it leads to
- Ephesians 3:7–8
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 1:15–16
But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased
- 2 Timothy 4:16–17
At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them.
- Acts 26:17–20
I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
- Acts 22:21
Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
- Ephesians 3:7–8
Through
1 Timothy 2:7For this reason I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a faithful and true teacher of the Gentiles. I am telling the truth; I am not lying about anything.
it leads to
- Acts 9:15
“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.
- 2 Timothy 1:11
to which I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher.
- Romans 9:1
I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 9:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About Romans
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Frederic Godet, Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 19; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.