At the cathedral in Corinth they have list of all of the bishops in the city going back 2000 years. St. Paul is the first one listed, but I suspect he would object to being called the bishop of a city. He insisted on his role as an apostle, someone who planted the seed while another would nurture and sustain it — the role of the bishop. Paul’s letter to the Romans is by way of introduction since he did not know the Church there. He was not planning on staying as bishop but passing through on his way to evangelize Spain. I aspire to proclaim the Gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another’s foundation. (It’s kind of a fund raising letter so the Roman Church would support his endeavor.) All of which serves as a reminder that there are different gifts. St. Paul was not gifted as a local administrator but as a traveling missionary. We each have a gift — encouraging others, consoling someone grieving, bringing peace — and if we each use the gift that we have together we help to proclaim the kingdom of God.
