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Romans 1:14 “I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.”

Think

Paul’s language here is not casual. It’s not polite. He doesn’t say he feels inspired to share the gospel. He says he’s obligated—bound, compelled, in debt. This wasn’t a passing impulse for him. It was a driving force. The word Paul uses in the Greek carries the sense of being under a moral and spiritual weight—a burden, not of guilt, but of gratitude. Something had happened to Paul, something so significant that staying silent was no longer an option.

We’re used to choosing what we talk about. We speak when it’s convenient, when it’s comfortable, or when it benefits us. But Paul doesn’t describe the gospel as a message he’s just excited to share—he sees it as something he must deliver. Like someone who’s been entrusted with urgent news, he understands that the gospel doesn’t belong to him. It belongs to everyone who hasn’t heard it yet. He is obligated, not because he’s afraid of punishment, but because he has experienced grace that demands a response.

What’s striking is who Paul says he’s obligated to: “both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.” In other words, everyone. Paul knew how the Roman world worked. It was a culture built on hierarchy—intellectual superiority, ethnic pride, and class divisions. Greeks looked down on non-Greeks as “barbarians.” The educated elite had no interest in mixing with those they considered ignorant. But Paul, once a spiritual elitist himself, had been so thoroughly changed by Jesus that he no longer categorized people as worthy or unworthy. He simply saw people in need of the gospel—regardless of how cultured, successful, intelligent, or broken they appeared.

We often say that the gospel is for everyone, but we don’t always live like we believe that. We hesitate to share it with the boss who intimidates us, or the friend who seems uninterested in spiritual things. We avoid the difficult conversations with family members who already “know how we feel.” Maybe we hold back out of fear or we hope someone else will reach them. But if Paul had lived that way, we wouldn’t have most of the New Testament. And countless people would have missed their chance to hear about Jesus.

There’s a difference between feeling led to share and living sent. Paul wasn’t waiting for a divine nudge—he had already been commissioned. And so have we. If you belong to Jesus, you’ve been called to carry this message. It doesn’t mean you’ll always feel confident. It doesn’t mean you’ll always know what to say. But it does mean you’re responsible for showing up with love, boldness, and the truth.

Think of it like carrying a lit torch through a dark forest. If someone handed you that flame and said, “Keep walking, but as you go, pass this to everyone you see,” you wouldn’t stop and wait for someone to feel “ready” to receive it. You’d offer it wherever there’s darkness. Not because you’re superior, but because you’ve been given something that pushes back the night. That’s what Paul felt. That’s what we often forget. This is not about spiritual performance. This is about spiritual responsibility. We’re not keeping the flame to ourselves. We’re called to pass it on.

And that truth isn’t a motivational slogan or a feel-good quote. It’s a message that confronts sin, challenges pride, and offers real rescue. It’s not always comfortable to share, but it is always necessary. Paul understood what was at stake. He had seen what life without Jesus looked like—he had lived it. And he couldn’t bear the thought of others walking in darkness when he had been brought into the light.

Here’s the tension for many of us: we’ve grown so familiar with grace that we forget how desperate the need is. We’ve been so surrounded by Christian content, sermons, songs, and community that we lose the urgency. But look around. The world is searching. People are exhausted, anxious, disillusioned, addicted, and quietly aching for meaning. The very people you think aren’t interested in Jesus may be the ones most hungry for him. They just don’t know where to look.

Paul didn’t evaluate people based on their perceived openness. He didn’t worry about whether it would be awkward. He saw his obligation as sacred. Not because someone had forced it on him, but because Jesus had entrusted it to him. It wasn’t about personality or gifting. It was about faithfulness.

So what does this mean for you?

It means the gospel isn’t just yours to receive. It’s yours to carry. And not just to the people who are easy to talk to. Your neighbor. Your coworker. The friend who seems too far gone. The parent who wounded you. The classmate who challenges everything you believe. The gospel is for all of them. And if God put them in your life, maybe, just maybe, he did so because you are the one called to carry that message to them.

Apply

Write down one conversation from the past few weeks where you felt the nudge to speak but didn’t follow through. This week, take one step to reengage—whether it’s revisiting the conversation, reaching out to check in, or simply praying for the courage to go first. Don’t wait for perfect conditions. Just be ready to offer what you’ve been given.

Pray

God, make me eager again. Not out of guilt, but out of joy. Not because I feel pressure, but because I’ve been changed. Help me speak when I’d rather stay silent. Help me see people as you see them. Give me a heart that expects open doors and a willingness to walk through them. Let me be a light in the places you’ve placed me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.