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Paul and the gospel (1-6)
Paul and the gospel (1-6)
Paul begins by introducing himself to the church. Possibility he had never met them before. So must establish his credentials before he commences.
“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,” (, ESV)
Servant: doulos or slave (humility)
Apostle: qualifications (authority)
Directly and personally called and commissioned by Jesus (Damascus Road)
Eyewitness to the historical Jesus, especially the resurrected Jesus (Damascus Road)
Sent out by him to preach with his authority (Ananias’ home)
Prophet/rabbi (teacher)
Set apart/Pharisee ()
Special assignment
Life spent for the gospel and its proclammation
What Paul was set apart for…the gospel
“which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,” (, ESV)
Son of Man in
Suffering servant in
Twofold witness of the prophets (prior to) and the apostles (now and afterwards)
“concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,” (, ESV)
Son of David (messianic title, humanity)
Descended: kenosis, emptying, humiliation ()
Son of God (deity)
Declared to be…in power according to the Spirit: resurrection, glorification, exaltation ()
“through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,” (, ESV)
Grace and apostleship: the undeserved privilege of being an apostle (1 Cor. 15:10)
Obedience of the faith: the response which the gospel demands. A total, unreserved commitment to Jesus Christ.
For the sake of the honor and glory of Jesus Christ
Or, to simplify these truths by the use of six prepositions, we can say that the good news is the gospel of God, about Christ, according to Scripture, for the nations, unto the obedience of faith, and for the sake of the Name.
Paul and the Romans
Paul and the Romans
“To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (, ESV)
Rome: center of civilization, pax-romana, fount of law, yet home of every kind of idolatry.
Nevertheless, God had a remnant.
Loved by God, his dear children.
Called to be saints: God’s holy people ()
Recipients of God’s grace and peace
Grace=free-ness of God’s justification of sinners
Peace=reconciliation with God
He thanks God for them
“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.” (, ESV)
Remnant in Rome made the news
He prayed for them
“For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.” (, ESV)
Desire, humbleness, tenacity, care, love
He longs to see them and he tells them why
“For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—” (, ESV)
Meet their distinct spiritual needs, physician diagnoses problem by observing the symptoms and then recommending a remedy
“that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” (, ESV)
Reciprocal blessings of Christian fellowship
Heart of the humble servant of God: anxious to receive as well as give, to learn as well as teach, to be encouraged as well as to encourage.
He has often planned to visit them
“I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.” (, ESV)
The heart of an Evangelist!
What prevented him? Possibly his unfinished work in Greece.
Paul and Evangelism
Paul and Evangelism
I am obligation, I am eager, I am not ashamed…zeal and passion ()
The origins of Paul’s evangelistic zeal
The gospel is a debt to the world
“I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.” (, ESV)
Jesus Christ has entrusted Paul with the gospel (1 Thes. 2:4)
Good news is meant to be shared. This is the best news.
The gospel is God’s power for salvation
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (, ESV)
,
Paul had faced opposition and danger because of the gospel. ()
Yet, he knew the power which catalyst the gospel, the power of God (Damascus)
If it had saved him, it could save others.
The gospel reveals God’s righteousness
“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”” (, ESV)
The righteousness of God
The Message of Romans a. The Righteousness of God
It is a righteous status which God requires if we are ever to stand before him, which he achieves through the atoning sacrifice of the cross, which he reveals in the gospel, and which he bestows freely on all who trust in Jesus Christ.
The Message of Romans a. The Righteousness of God
Thus ‘the righteousness of God’ can be thought of as a divine attribute (our God is a righteous God), or activity (he comes to our rescue), or achievement (he bestows on us a righteous status).
Faith takes the primacy in this act of righteousness.
The Message of Romans c. The Habakkuk Quotation
Those who are righteous by faith also live by faith. Having begun in faith, they continue in the same path.