Paul, the Lord's Chosen Instrument to Write Romans, Part 4Pastor/Teacher He prepared his chosen instrument Paul for his calling to proclaim the Gospel as the apostle to the Gentiles. We have to take stock of the marvelous way in which God prepared this particular man for his particular mission. Paul had this amazing unique background: he knew Greek culture, he had Roman citizenship, and he was a Jew by race and religion. Paul saw the world as both a Jew and a Gentile. 1. He wanted Paul to be the apostle to the Gentiles. 2. The LORD also wanted Paul to defend Christian doctrine against the attacks of the Judaizers while simultaneously teaching that the Gospel of Jesus Christ did not contradict the Old Testament but rather fulfilled it. 1. He wanted Paul to be the apostle to the Gentiles. 2. The LORD also wanted Paul to defend Christian doctrine against the attacks of the Judaizers while simultaneously teaching that the Gospel of Jesus Christ did not contradict the Old Testament but rather fulfilled it. In our book of Romans, Paul takes up Jewish objections to the teachings of the Gospel. He uses the debater’s technique, posing likely objections and then answering them. God does a masterful job preparing His man for his particular task. The problem - and it is a problem that many have today - was how to reconcile the Old Testament scriptures with the gospel and the mystery doctrine of the Church Age. Paul spent three years in Arabia, and during that time he received personal attention from the Lord Jesus Christ who taught Paul the Gospel and the mystery doctrine of the Church Age. He discovered that all of the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament pointed directly to Christ, His death and His resurrection, as well as His future Second Coming. So when it came to refuting Jewish objections to the Gospel, Paul was able to put in his writings just the right verses from the Old Testament to demolish the attacks on Christ, the cross, and salvation by grace through faith. By the time he died, Paul would write half the New Testament. He explained the mystery doctrine of the New Testament. He founded numerous churches across the Roman Empire. One was to defend the Christian doctrine against the Judaizers. The other was to be the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul addressed both aspects of his mission when he wrote the book of Romans. In this regard, the churches in Rome, while mainly made of Gentile believers, also had quite a few Jewish believers. Paul was a Roman citizen who knew Greek culture. He was well-prepared to be the Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul was racially and religiously a Jew, and had a unique education in the Old Testament scriptures. Who better to defend Christianity against the Judaizers while reconciling the Old Testament to the Gospel? Where were you born? Where have you lived? What cultures has God exposed you to? What country are you a citizen of? What privileges and advantages do you have by the grace of God? What have you been trained in? What life experiences have you had that have made you an expert in a certain realm through education or work? What spiritual gift did you receive from God the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation? How has the Lord been working in your life since your salvation to equip you to perform the specific task He has in mind for you? Paul was culturally a Greek, What is your particular, unique task, and how has God prepared you for it?
Paul the slave, the slave of Christ Jesus. Do you realize what God had to do to get this man to write these words? Paul the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, 1Co 15:9. Paul the very least of all saints, Eph 3:8. Paul, the foremost of sinners, 1Ti 1:15. |