THE AUTHOR -- THE APOSTLE PAUL
As we begin our series on Romans, we need to spend some time getting to know the author. In this opening verse, there are four facts about the author that we should always keep in mind.
I. He is Paul, who used to be Saul.
Saul was his Jewish name and Paul (meaning "little") his Roman name. In Acts Saul is the only name used until Acts 13, at which time "the Holy Spirit said "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." (Acts 13:2) "Saul" was a grand name, and yet embarassing. Saul was the first king of Israel, and he began well. But he ended badly. Paul used the Roman name because of his call to go to the Gentiles and because it (Paul = "little") expressed his attitude about who he was as a recipient of God’s grace.
As Saul, he persecuted the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 9:1-16). Later, he was intensely ashamed of his life as Saul, and called himself the "chief of sinners."
Who were YOU before you became a Christian? Were you a Saul? Don't worry about it. Look what God did in this man's life. There is a reason for everything, even your former non-Christian life. God is the one who takes lemons and makes lemon-ade. God takes Sauls and makes Pauls. God can do great things with your life too!
II. He is a bond-servant of Jesus Christ.
The word "servant" in the NIV does not do justice to the word. The NKJV is better, and reads "bond-servant."
"Bondservant" (doulos) really just means "slave." Slaves are people who are literally owned by other people. Slaves are property. Their masters can do with them whatever they please. As the Roman empire developed over the centuries, there were a variety of laws about the powers of slave owners over their slaves. But generally speaking, owners could do whatever they pleased with their slaves. Paul is saying that he is not a mere hired employee of Jesus Christ, but that Jesus owns him, lock, stock and barrel. Totally. Dead or alive, he served at the pleasure of his Master. He had no rights, only obligations.
Slavery was a common thing in the Roman empire of 2000 years ago. Along with most ancient civilizations, ancient Rome saw slavery as an integral component to developing and building its society. The institution of slavery proliferated all of Roman culture. It even reached a point in the Imperial period when slaves outnumbered citizens 5 to 3. Western civilizations did not begin to outlaw slavery, or view it as unnatural, until well into the eighteenth century. When Paul called himself the "doulos" of Christ, his readers would definitely understand he meant "slave."
If we don't yet see ourselves as Jesus' slaves, then we have not yet become mature in our Christian faith. When we come to Christ for salvation, there is nothing we can bring. We cannot persuade Him with our good works, our social standing, our religious affiliations, our devotion to the church, etc. We come to Him with nothing in our hands. We serve Him as slaves. He is our Lord and Master. Before Him we bow in humble adoration and service. That's what it means to be a Christian. And yet, He Himself says that He will call us His friends, and not His slaves. Wow!
III. He was called to be an Apostle.
The word "Apostle" is the Greek: apostolos, which means, according to my Greek lexicon: a delegate, a messenger or an envoy. Ephesians 4:11-12 says that the Apostles were God's special gift to the New Testament Church...
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up..."
Jesus chose only twelve of His many disciples to become Apostles. They were often called just "the twelve." When Judas became a traitor, Peter insisted that it was necessary for the remaining eleven to chose a successor (the story is in Acts 1:21-26).
Paul was called to be an Apostle later, by God, to be His messenger to the Gentiles. This story is in Acts 9:1-16.
There are no longer any Apostles, though there are many who claim to be Apostles, and who take the name Apostle. The Apostles were VERY SPECIAL messengers of God to the 1st century church. They were able to do miracles that others could not do. Also, they were able to GIVE SPIRITUAL GIFTS to other Christians, in a way that no one else could do. Paul wrote of this to the Corinthians (2 Co 12:11-12)...
One reason he wanted to visit the church in Rome was in order to impart some spiritual gifts to them (Romans 1:11).
What has God called YOU to be? Not an Apostle. But something. We are all members of the body of Christ. We all have an important function. Find out what your function is. Do it.
IV. He was set apart to preach the Gospel.
There were twelve Apostles. But the Bible does not say much about the preaching of any of the twelve, except for Peter and Paul. Peter preached the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost, when 5000 men, plus women and children, received Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Peter preached the Gospel to Cornelius the Centurian and to his household and soldiers, and many came to Christ. Paul preached all over the Mediterranean region, and Europe, and perhaps as far away as Spain. But we read very little about the preaching of the others.
Paul was the preacher and theologian of the New Testament Church. Jesus preached, and founded the Church. But Paul built on Jesus' foundation, and created the Church, and created Christianity as we know it today, through his missionary journeys, his preaching, and his Gospel teaching in the epistles. Apart from the four Gospels, the bulk of the New Testament was written by the Apostle Paul: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and many think he wrote the book of Hebrews, too.
Paul was trained by God for the task of preaching and promoting the Gospel. See what Paul wrote about himself in Philippians 3:4-8...
The Old Testament contains the seeds of the New Testament. The Old Testament points to Christ and the Gospel. Saul (before he became a Christian) was one of Israel's leading experts in the Old Testament. He was steeped in Old Testament knowledge. Not only so, but his heart was full of fiery zeal. And he understood legalism and works salvation from the inside. And when he found Christ, it was a blinding illumination of what he had already found to be wanting. After he was TAKEN captive by Christ on the road to Damascus, he then became TOTALLY ZEALOUS for the Gospel. Paul never did anything by halves. He gave it his whole heart. This is the man God picked to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, and God SET HIM APART TO PREACH THE GOSPEL as no one else could have done.
We are called to preach the Gospel too, but not all like Peter or Paul. Some of us can preach and teach, some can't. But we are all God's missionaries to somebody. It may be to your own children or grandchildren. It may be a neighbor, or a friend. It may be preaching by deed more than by word. But we all have a job to do.
Conclusion: As we go through Romans in these coming months, remember these four facts about Paul.