The gospel enables us to both hate the sins around us and love the sinners with a desire for their salvation. Instead of shunning notoriously sinful places and people, Paul brought the gospel directly to this dishonest, brutish island. Calvin marvels: “It was truly a wonderful purpose of God, that he called a nation so depraved, and so infamous on account of its vices, to be among the first who should partake of the gospel.… In that country so corrupt, as if in the midst of hell, the Church of Christ held a position, and did not cease to be extended.”

福音使我们既恨恶周围的罪恶，又爱罪人，渴望他们得救。保罗没有避开臭名昭著的罪恶之地和人民，而是将福音直接带到了这个不诚实、野蛮的岛屿上。加尔文惊叹道：“上帝确实有一个奇妙的旨意，他把一个如此堕落、因恶习而臭名昭著的国家称为第一批应该分享福音的国家……在那个如此腐败的国家，如果在地狱之中，基督的教会仍占有一席之地，并且没有停止扩展。”