I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
Romans 1:13-15 ESV
Rome was the biggest city in the known world at this time, reaching around 1 million inhabitants at the turn of the 1st century A.D. It would have been a potentially ripe harvest for Paul in terms of the number of people he would have been able to reach in Rome, both for those who may have personally heard him preach, as well as those who may have heard second-hand from those traveling to and from Rome. This ancient metropolis was likely a strategic target for Paul in being able to reach Greeks (those “civilized” gentiles of the Greco-Roman culture) and barbarians (anyone outside the scope of the Greco-Roman world). Though he had been hindered up until later in his ministry, Paul is communicating that he would like to come and preach the gospel to this area so that he may fulfill his obligation to the Lord to preach to all. Paul knew there was still work to be done in Rome and was eager to do it. May we have this same eager attitude to preach to those who still need to hear the gospel of God in our lives; Paul’s sense of obligation to share the good news with his known world should be ours in our world.