For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,
Parallel translations
- WEB For I will not dare to speak of any things except those which Christ worked through me, for the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed,
- BSB I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,
- NKJV For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—
- NASB 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,
- NLT Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul will speak only of what Christ has accomplished through him to bring the Gentiles to obedience, by word and deed. He attributes all genuine fruit to Christ's working.
Overview
Paul refuses to claim anything Christ did not do through him. The aim of his labor is the 'obedience of the Gentiles', the obedience of faith, accomplished 'by word and deed,' that is, by gospel proclamation and a life that backs it up. His careful disclaimer keeps Christ at the center: the apostle is merely the instrument through whom the Lord works.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 26
- Acts 15:12Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
- Rom 1:5By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
- Acts 21:19And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
- Prov 25:14Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.
- Gal 2:8(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
- 2 Th 2:17Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
- Rom 16:26But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
- 2 Cor 12:6For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
- Acts 14:27And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.
- 1 Jn 3:18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
- 1 Cor 3:6–9I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
- Heb 11:8By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
- Col 3:17And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
- Heb 5:9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
- Jas 1:22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
- Mark 16:20And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
- Jude 1:9Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
- 2 Cor 3:1–3Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
- Acts 15:4And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.
- Matt 28:18–20And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
- Acts 26:20But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
- Rom 6:17But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
- 2 Cor 11:31The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
- 2 Cor 6:1We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
- 2 Cor 10:4–5(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
- 2 Cor 10:13–18But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 15:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.