Romans 1:1-7 Grace to you and Peace
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from Davidaccording 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, 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, To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul introduces himself as Παῦλος δοῦλος, Paulos doulos, little slave. Contrast this with Matthew 27:5-7, “They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.” Paul had been one of those Pharisees but now he is happy to call himself little and slave.
Paul writes that the gospel had been promised in the Old Testament in places like,
Isaiah 53:11-12, “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.”
Psalm 2:7, “I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.”
Jesus’ genealogy is found in both Matthew and Luke. The one in Matthew traces from Abraham to Joseph and in Luke from Adam to Mary. ( https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-genealogy.html ) Jesus is a real man, and I say ‘is’ because he is alive today. Acts 1:3, “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”
The calling and favor of God brings us to faith. John6:29, “Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” This calling is for everyone, including you.
Let Rome stand for this lost world we find ourselves in. Rome (our world) is looking for love in all the wrong places, it is graceless and in turmoil every day. What good news we have for the Romans. Is there anything more important to hear about than God’s love and grace and peace?
Are the chosen exclusive of the mass of humanity? No, for they are chosen for the gospel of God which is for everyone and Yes, for they answered the call and entered into belonging to Christ. Did God choose them? Yes, from the beginning of time and no, for salvation and forgiveness is available to everyone. There’s a lot more of this kind of thing in Romans. We’ll wrestle with it without having to come to conclusions that limit God’s power or minimize our responsibility to actively engage with our faith. Not all mysteries require resolution.
brotherpayne 