Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Paul's Sense of Obligation in Romans 1:14

What did Paul mean when he called himself a "debtor" in Romans 1:14?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, when Paul says "I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise," he's using the word "debtor" to express a sense of obligation and constraint. Lloyd-Jones explains that this word means "to be under obligation, bound by duty or necessity to do something." It describes "a necessity imposed either by law and beauty, or by reason, or by the times, or by the nature of the matter under consideration." Paul felt compelled to preach the gospel with an obligation as strong as if he were "in a debtor's court... standing in a box, and the processes of the law are pressing upon him."

How does Lloyd-Jones describe what a Christian possesses that makes them a "debtor"?

Lloyd-Jones states that a Christian is "the possessor of something which he can give." This includes:

1. Knowledge - A Christian knows something they can pass on to others. As the apostle Peter says, Christians should "be ready at all times to give a reason for the hope that is in you."

2. Experience - Not merely theoretical knowledge, but experiencing the power of the gospel in one's own life.

Lloyd-Jones illustrates this with a scenario: If a dying non-Christian friend sent for you in their final hours, do you have something you can pass on to them? A true Christian has the knowledge and experience to help such a person face eternity.

Who did Paul believe needed the gospel according to Lloyd-Jones?

Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Paul believed everyone needed the gospel without exception. He points out Paul's words "both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise," explaining:

"Greeks and barbarians" - This was how the world was divided, covering all nationalities and cultures.

"Wise and unwise" - This covers all intellectual abilities, from "professors" to those with no education.

Lloyd-Jones states: "The Gospel of Jesus Christ is needed by everybody. It doesn't matter whether you've been born in Great Britain or in Japan or in one of the countries of South America. The gospel is needed by all. There is no such thing as a Christian nation."

How did Lloyd-Jones critique modern approaches to gospel ministry?

Lloyd-Jones criticized the idea that preachers need specialized training to reach different groups. He mentioned the contemporary idea that "students and others who are going to be trained for the ministry should be compelled to spend a part of their time working in factories" to understand factory workers before preaching to them.

He called this approach "unscriptural" and "quite foolish," arguing: "If I am told that I can't preach effectively to factory workers unless I've been a factory worker, surely I'm equally entitled to argue that I can't preach to drunkards unless I go and spend three months in public houses."

Instead, Lloyd-Jones insists that "the preacher needs to know nothing about his congregation because he knows already the one thing that needs to be known, which is that they, like himself, are sinners, and that apart from the grace of God, they are lost and damned."

What reasons did Lloyd-Jones give for why Christians should feel constrained to share the gospel?

Lloyd-Jones identified several reasons why Paul felt constrained to share the gospel:

1. His call and commission - "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of the deeds done in the body."

2. Consciousness of others' needs - "If you and I only realized fully the state and the condition of men and women by the thousand round and about us... we'd be unable to sleep sometimes."

3. Awareness of what the gospel had done for him - The joy, peace and happiness it brought him made him want others to experience the same.

4. The gospel itself - The inherent wonder of the good news compels sharing, like when you find something wonderful, "you feel you're bound to tell people about it."

As Lloyd-Jones concluded: "The love of Christ constraineth me. That's the thing, he says. He's like a man in a vice, and the vice has been screwed up and tightened up, and it's being pressed out of him. What's pressing him? The love of Christ."