Post by LDM on Aug 10, 2009 9:51:31 GMT -5
1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2. (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
3. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
5. By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
6. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
7. To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
9. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
10. Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
11. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
12. That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
13. Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
14. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
15. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
The biggest attribute of being called by God is that one is a servant. Those who seek special favor, honor, or devotion based on some "calling" are of the wrong spirit. Those who are truly called by God are called to be servants, laying down their lives for others.
Next, we see that Paul was separated unto the Gospel. Preaching the Gospel was the purpose of his being, and it also required him to be separated from everything else. This doesn't mean that he didn't come into contact with other things and people. However, it meant that everything in his life was valued against that one goal: preaching the Gospel. What he said, where he went, things he did, people he interacted with...it was all with that one goal in mind: preaching the Gospel. He was separated into that, and nothing else was of any significance.
2. (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
Jesus' coming was promised via the prophets in the Old Testament. These Scriptures tell of Jesus and God's plan to reconcile man back unto Himself. As my pastor has said, the Old Testament is Christ concealed; the New Testament is Christ revealed.
3. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
Jesus is the God's Son and is also Lord. He was "made" or begotten of the seed of David through Mary's ancestry. He is the only begotten Son of God. God has promised David that his lineage would sit on His throne forever, and this is true through Jesus.
4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Jesus was without sin and therefore, death could not hold Him. The Spirit and resurrection attest to who He is, God's Son. Jesus said that no one can take His life from Him, but He has power to take it down and power to take it up again. (John 10:18)
5. By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
The grace of God given and His calling is to enable us to obey Him and be witnesses. Through our obedience to Him, we become a testimony to His name (His life, His power, His authority, His love...) everywhere we go.
6. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
People think only certain people are "called." While we are certainly not all called to serve in the same roles, there is a purpose, a mission, a calling that God has for each and every one of us. Do you know your calling? Do you know what tasks God has set before you to complete? If you do not know what God has called you to do, seek Him. There is purpose behind everything He does. Don't let personal trials (family, job, school, etc.) blind us to the fact that there are things He has for us to accomplish each day. Jesus said that He had come to do God's will. We must seek His will so that we can walk with Him.
7. To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are the beloved of God. That is such a tender word. It means someone who is greatly loved or dear to the heart. This is how God feels towards us.
8. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
When we live for God and are a testimony to Him, our faith can speak and move mountains. It is sometimes said that the best Bible anyone will ever read is your own life. Faith in Jesus is not something that we put on and take off like we put on our shoes. It is not something that we append to ourselves when we need something. Neither is it something that we are mindful of when we are going to church. True faith converts our souls and "separates us" (as Paul said above) for God's purposes. THIS is the type of faith that impacts others.
9. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
That is a strong statement. How many can say that God is our witness that we serve Jesus Christ? How many can God really stand up for and say, "Yes, this is my servant?"
How do we serve God? In Spirit and in truth. It is not about fleshly works or even words of our mouth. We must be led by Hid Spirit for only then are we the Sons of God.
Paul's fervor for the Body of Christ is inspiring. He never ceases to mention them in His prayers to God. We too must cultivate a meaningful prayer life with God. One that is not based on a sense of duty or obligation, but one that is borne out of a heartfelt concern and love for the church. If we love God, then we will be concerned about His Body, and will intercede for the church against the spirits which war against us.
10. Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
Everything in Paul's life was made subject to God's will, even his travels.
11. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
Paul tells Timothy that spiritual gifts were imparted to him via the laying on of hands. This seems to be the same sort of thing Paul references here. Notice that the spiritual gifts help to establish, equip, and strengthen us in the faith.
12. That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
When fellowship occurs amongst the saints, it comforts and builds up each person. This is why we are admonished to not forsake the gathering together of ourselves, especially as we see the last days approaching.
13. Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
The church in Rome was primarily made of Gentiles. Paul spent much of his time ministering to Gentiles or non_jewish believers in Jesus Christ. This is an important understanding if we are to comprehend what Paul says - and WHY - in the rest of Romans. The goal is that their foundation in Christ be secure enough and on solid enough teaching to allow them to be fruit for God.
14. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
Paul's preaching is for everyone.
15. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
And he wishes to share the words God has given him with the church at Rome as well.