John Calvin Commentary Romans 15:16

"that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus unto the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit." — Romans 15:16 (ASV)

Consecrating the gospel, etc. I prefer this rendering to the one Erasmus first adopts, which is, “Administering”; for it is quite certain that Paul here alludes to the holy mysteries performed by the priest. He then presents himself as a chief priest, or a priest in the ministry of the gospel, to offer up as a sacrifice the people he gained for God. In this way, he labored in the holy mysteries of the gospel. And undoubtedly, this is the priesthood of the Christian pastor: to sacrifice people, as it were, to God by bringing them to obey the gospel, and not, as the Papists have until now arrogantly boasted, by offering up Christ to reconcile people to God. However, he does not give the name “priests” to pastors of the Church here simply as a permanent title. Instead, intending to commend the honor and power of the ministry, Paul took the opportunity to use this metaphor. Therefore, let preachers of the gospel keep this goal in mind while carrying out their office: to offer up to God souls purified by faith.

What Erasmus later suggests as more correct, “sacrificing the gospel,” is not only improper but also obscures the meaning; for the gospel, on the contrary, is like a sword by which the minister sacrifices people as victims to God.

He adds that such sacrifices are acceptable to God. This is not only a commendation of the ministry but also a unique comfort to those who surrender themselves to be consecrated in this way. Just as the ancient victims were dedicated to God after being externally sanctified and washed, so these victims are consecrated to the Lord by the Spirit of holiness. Through His power, working inwardly in them, they are separated from this world. For although the purity of the soul proceeds from faith in the word, yet because the human voice is in itself ineffective and lifeless, the work of cleansing truly and properly belongs to the Spirit.