What does it mean that Paul was under obligation to Greeks and to barbarians (Romans 1:14)?

When the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, he had not yet had the opportunity to visit the church in Rome, for this was not one of the churches he had planted. In his introduction, Paul expressed his longing to be with the believers there (see Romans 1:10–13). As an apostle of Jesus Christ, Paul was deeply committed to the Roman believers, a mixture of Jews and Gentiles who had embraced the good news of Jesus Christ. Thus, Paul wrote, “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also” (Romans 1:14–15, NKJV).

In this passage, Paul used the Greek word opheiletēs, translated as “a debtor” in the KJV and NKJV, to explain why he was eager to preach the gospel in Rome. This term describes a person under a moral obligation to do something. Paul felt morally “obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish” (Romans 1:14).

Paul used the term Greeks to refer to people in the civilized world. Greeks were educated, wise, and sophisticated people of the Greco-Roman culture. Barbarians were native, non-Greek-speaking peoples who were uneducated and not assimilated into the culture. Paul was using a literary device known as merism, which cites opposites or contrasting extremes (such as “head to toe,” “high and low,” or “heaven and earth”) to indicate totality. Paul felt called to reach all people with the gospel—Greeks, barbarians, and everyone in between, from high-ranking officials to prisoners in jail.

There was no one in the world Paul would not attempt to reach with the gospel, such was the vastness of the debt he owed to Jesus Christ. He considered himself “the least of the apostles” who did “not even deserve to be an apostle” because he had persecuted the church of God (1 Corinthians 15:9). Paul said, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15). “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24–25).

Paul’s indebtedness to Jesus compelled Him to share the message of Christ: “Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News! If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust. What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone” (1 Corinthians 9:16–18, NLT).

Paul’s vision for evangelism stretched far beyond Rome. He understood that the Roman church was strategically positioned as a center for outreach to the whole world (see Romans 1:8). Paul was a debtor to Greeks and to barbarians because preaching to anyone and everyone was the purpose God had called him to fulfill (see Acts 9:15). He never lost sight of God’s immense love for him and for the whole world—that God was willing to send His Son to earth to die on the cross to pay the ultimate price for our sins (Romans 5:6, 8, 10). Later, as a prisoner under house arrest in Rome, Paul “welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 28:30–31, NLT).

As we consider Paul’s intense burden for the lost, may it inspire us to acquire the same passion for people who need to know Jesus, regardless of their culture, skin color, or level of education. May we always be mindful of the debt we owe God for sending His Son to save us, and may it spur us to reach as many souls as possible with the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.