The Preacher of the Good News
 Romans 1:1      

 Introduction

A.  The Bad News - A quick look at any newspaper or magazine shows that the world is getting worse and worse.  The bad news that occurs on a larger scale is only the multiplication of what is occurring on an individual level.  The term "bad news" has become a colloquialism to describe our era. 

The reason there is so much bad news today is that people are in the grasp of a terrifying power that grips them deep inside their being.  It causes men to self-destruct.  The power that makes for bad news is sin.  There are four ways in which sin produces bad news in the human race. 

1.  Selfishness - It is truly bad news when everyone is bent on fulfilling his own particular desires at any price.  The basic element in selfishness is the dominance of your own ego above others. 

a.      It all started when Satan said, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the most high" (Isa.  14:13-14). 

b.      Man has inherited that propensity to sin and is utterly self-centered.  Whatever evil a society permits, man will attempt.  He will go as far as society's toleration will allow. 

c.        Man will consume everything in sight based on his own lust--things, people, and ultimately himself.  Many times when a friend, spouse, or family member ceases to provide what an individual wants, they are discarded like an old pair of useless shoes.  The ultimate goal in life for sinful man is to achieve self- satisfaction.  Whether it is in businesses or marriages, man ends up perverting everything because of his selfish lust for fame, dominance, popularity, money, and physical fulfillment. 

d.      Sin pushes humanity to self-consumption.  Someone has well said we ought to use things and love people, but instead we love things and use people.  The end result of man's selfishness is that he is unable to have meaningful relationships.  He is unwilling to give and thus he forfeits that which is the truest source of joy--an unselfish, sacrificial love for others. 

e.      Man becomes dominated by selfish greed that alienates him from everyone and everything.  He finally comes to a place of utter loneliness and despair.  When man follows his own lust, he begins to realize the law of diminishing returns--the more he wants, the less it satisfies. 

2.  Guilt -  Using and abusing people, or doing whatever else is necessary to indulge yourself brings about guilt. 

a.      God has designed man to feel sorrow when he sins, otherwise man could never prevent himself from going to hell.  It is like pain.  God has given the sensation of pain to allow you to recognize when your body is injured.  Likewise, God has given us the sensation of guilt as a way to tell us that we are sinful and something has to change. 

b.      The bad news is that man lives with anxiety, fear, psychological problems, ulcers, and a myriad of illnesses caused by his guilt.  He may try to alleviate his guilt by drunkenness, debauchery, or even suicide. 

c.       Men try to cover their guilt with a frivolous facade.  Some men even try to rationalize their guilt away with money, possessions, alcohol, drugs, sex, travel, and psychoanalysis.  Some blame their guilt on society, perhaps on a so-called antiquated biblical tradition.  People will push off their sin on anything But you only end up compounding your guilt when you blame someone else for it. 

3.  Meaninglessness -  When man experiences selfishness and guilt, he will invariably ask himself, "Is what I'm experiencing all there is to life? What are the real answers? The real questions? Why am I alive? What is the real meaning of life?" Man is fed a steady diet of lies by Satan himself, who runs the world's evil system.  And since his lies never really answer the question of man's existence, man is left with no answers

4.  Hopelessness - Born out of the trauma and anxiety of meaninglessness is the reality that you have nothing to live for and nothing to look forward to. 

a.      The only result of a self-centered, guilt-ridden meaningless life is the starkness of death.  That is why people mask the reality of death by laughing at it or ignoring it to avoid the inevitable hopelessness--the sense there is nothing for man here in this life or in the life to come--is the worst news of all. 

b.      As a result, sin produces bad news.  And even the small amounts of good news are but moments of rest in an unending saga of bad news.  It is like so many peace treaties--those moments when everyone stops to reload.  In between the bad news, much of the good news is short-lived. 

B.  The Good News

With so much bad news, can there really be any good news? Yes! The good news is that sin can be dealt with.  You don't have to be selfish.  Guilt and anxiety can be alleviated.  There is meaning to life and hope of life after death.  The apostle Paul says in Romans 1:1 that the good news is the gospel, which is the good news of God.  That is what the book of Romans is all about.  Paul begins this epistle with the good news of God, and ends with it as well (cf.  15:16).  Bracketing the entire epistle is the great reality that there is good news from God. 

1.  Its significance - Paul called the gospel by many different phrases, but whatever he called it, it was good news.  It is the good news that man's sin can be forgiven, guilt can be removed, life can have meaning, and a hopeful future can be a reality. Paul endeavors throughout the book of Romans to unfold the incomprehensible riches of the good news to man.  But did you know that the entire thrust of all 16 chapters of Romans is distilled into the first seven verses? Paul is so thrilled by what he wants to say that he can't wait to say it, so he capsulizes his foundational thoughts in Romans 1:1-7.  It is as if the seed of the gospel is in the first seven verses and then fully blooms throughout the rest of the epistle. 

2.  Its source -  The Greek word for gospel in verse 1 is euangelion.  It is used over 60 times by Paul in his epistles.  Paul had lived all his life hearing only the bad news, but once he heard the good news he couldn't help but tell everyone in sight about it.  Tyndale wrote that the word euangelion signifies good, merry, glad and joyful tidings that makes a man's heart rejoice and makes him sing and dance and leap for joy.  The good news is the merry, glad, and joyful news that God will deliver us from our sin. The thrust of the Greek text of Romans 1:1 is that the good news is from God.

I.  THE PREACHER OF THE GOOD NEWS (v.  1)

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. "

God called a unique man, Paul, to be a major spokesman for the good news.  God had committed to him mysteries concerning the church that had been hidden from past generations but were now to be revealed (cf.  Eph.  3:3, Col.  1:26-27).  Paul was God's keynote speaker for the heralding of the good news to the Gentiles.  He had a remarkable Jewish heritage, Greek education, and Roman citizenship.  He had incredible abilities as a leader, fighter, motivator, and articulator who was specially called and converted by God Himself.  From Jerusalem to Macedonia, Paul had completed three missionary journeys proclaiming the good news.  All the preachers who have ever preached since Paul have depended on his sermons for their material.  Paul left a great legacy of biblical teaching through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 

A.  Paul--A Servant of Jesus Christ (v.  1a)

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. "

1.  A slave of dignity

The Greek word used here for servant is doulos, which means "slave. " Those who love the Lord are his servants. 

a) Exodus 21:5-6--The Lord said, "If the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go out free; then his master shall bring him unto the judges.  He shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him forever. " Because of his love for his master, this servant became known as a "bondslave. " He didn't serve because he was forced to but because he wanted to.  He became a slave of love. 

b) Numbers 12:7--The Lord said, "My servant, Moses, is faithful in all mine house" (emphasis added). 

c) Joshua 24:29--Scripture says, "It came to pass . . .  that Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old" (emphasis added). 

d) 2 Samuel 7:5--The Lord said, "Go and tell my servant, David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in" (emphasis added). 

e) Isaiah 20:3--"The Lord said . . .  my servant, Isaiah, hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia" (emphasis added). 

f) Isaiah 53:11--The Lord prophesied about the coming Messiah by saying, "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities" (emphasis added). 

Paul was a bondslave.  It was something he chose out of love, not fear.  There were perhaps millions of slaves in the Roman Empire.  For the most part, they were treated not as persons but as objects.  If a master wanted to kill his slaves, he could.  Some Bible commentators think Paul is using doulos only in its Jewish sense--not in the Roman sense--and is thereby affirming love for Christ.  The Hebrew concept of servant could include someone in the highest ranks of service.  Kings had servants, and in that sense, a servant could be someone who had great honor and dignity. 

2.  A slave of humility

However, to see Paul as referring to his slavery to Christ only out of love does not encompass the entire point of the term.  There is a certain incomprehensible dignity in being called a servant of Jesus Christ.  But it is not correct to disregard the Gentile understanding of the term.  The Greek term itself (doulos) referred to abject slavery--a term of humility, not dignity.  Paul used two other words to speak of his servitude. 

a) 1 Corinthians 3:5--"Who, then, is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" The Greek word for "ministers" is diakonos, which means "table waiter. " Paul described himself as nothing more than a menial servant for Christ. 

b) 1 Corinthians 4:1--"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ. " Here the Greek word translated "ministers" is hup[ma]eretes.  The prefix of the word, huper, means "under" and the suffix, etes, comes from a word that means "to row. " A trireme ship had three levels of oars with three levels of galley slaves who rowed those huge ships.  Paul was saying he was a third-level galley slave for Christ. 

Paul paradoxically finds himself both exalted as the servant of Christ and debased as well.  That is the ambivalence every representative of Jesus Christ must face. 

B.  Paul--An Apostle of Jesus Christ (v.  1b)

"Called to be an apostle. "

1.  The calling

The best rendering of the Greek text of Romans 1:1 is that Paul was a called apostle.  His being an apostle was not based on his own decision.  God effectually called him to that office.  It was not a human appointment.  The term apostle was first used by the Lord in Luke 6:13.  He referred to the twelve as His apostles.  Paul was also called an apostle by God Himself. 

a) Acts 9:15--The Lord said of Paul, "He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. " Paul was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians, but the Lord stopped him dead in his tracks.  The decision for Paul to preach did not originate with him; it was God's sovereign choice. 

b) Acts 22:14-15--Recounting his conversion, Paul quoted Ananias as saying, "The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.  For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. "

c) Acts 26:16-17--The Lord had said to Paul, "Rise, and stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto thee. " Paul obeyed the heavenly vision given by God on the Damascus road.  He was called of God to be an apostle. 

d) Galatians 1:1--Paul began the epistle to the Galatians this way: "Paul, an apostle (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. " Later in verse 12 he said, "I neither received it [the gospel] of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. " Paul's call to the ministry was from Christ Himself. 

2.  The concept

The Greek word for apostle is ap[ma]ostolos which means "one who is sent, commissioned, or dispatched. " It refers to a messenger, ambassador, or an envoy.  There were certain vessels referred to as "apostolic boats. " They were common cargo ships.  The word apostle meant anything dispatched or sent.  Paul was saying he had been sent by Jesus Christ Himself.  The term apostle itself appears over 78 times in the New Testament, the majority of those references being used to describe the twelve disciples and Paul.  They were specially sent by Christ. 

3.  The credentials

a) The office of an apostle

There is also an official sense in which the word apostle must be understood.  An apostle was someone who held an official office within the church.  The term can have a broad meaning to describe all who bear the message of Christ.  All Christians are sent by Christ into the world to preach the gospel (cf.  Matt.  28:18-20).  But the ones who were specially sent by Christ bear the title of Apostle with a capital "A" in a sense. 

b) The origin of an apostle The New Testament describes various people as apostles in addition to the twelve and Paul.  But they did not hold the specific office of an apostle.  To be in the office of apostle, you would have to have been verbally called by Jesus Christ into the ministry and to have been eye witnesses of Christ and His resurrection.  Paul qualifies because he saw Christ on the Damascus road.  The apostles and their close associates were also to be the human authors of the New Testament because Jesus made the promise to them that the Spirit would come and bring to their remembrance all that He had said to them (cf.  John 14:26). 

The twelve apostles--Matthias replacing Judas--and Paul were called by Jesus Himself.  The Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah, "Woe be unto the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" (Jer.  23:1).  The church today is filled with preachers who are talking but should not be listened to.  They do not have the anointing of God on them and have corrupted the church throughout the centuries. 

c) The signs of an apostle

The apostles were given the ability to do signs, wonders, and miracles, which Paul calls the signs of an apostle (2 Cor.  12:12).  Their office was not restricted to a local church, or for a certain period of time in their lives.  Once you were an apostle, you were an apostle for life.  They became the foundation on which all the history of the church is built. 

C.  Paul--Set Apart by Jesus Christ (v.  1c)

"Separated unto the gospel of God. "

1.  The meaning of separation in the Old Testament

You cannot serve God unless you are separated.  The word has the idea of being set apart for a specific task or purpose. 

a) Numbers 15:20--The Lord said to Moses, "Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering. " God wanted the firstfruits of the land to be set apart to honor Him. 

b) Numbers 8:11--Again the Lord said to Moses, "Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the Lord. " God desired to set apart the best men by consecrating the Levites to His service. 

c) Leviticus 20:26--The Lord said, "Ye shall be holy unto me; for I, the Lord, am holy, and have separated you from other people, that ye should be mine. " God took the whole nation of Israel and separated them from all other nations for His glory. 

In each of those passages, the Septuagint--the Greek version of the Old Testament--uses a form of the word aph[ma]orizein, which is the same word used in Romans 1:1.  It refers to separation in the fullest sense.  Paul knew that once he was called as an apostle, he would be disconnected from his past.  In the middle of aph[ma]orizein is phoriz which may refer to the word Pharisee meaning "separated one. " Paul had been the most ardent Pharisee, separated unto the traditions of the Jewish people (Phil 3:5).  In a sense he could say, "I am a Pharisee separated unto the gospel of God. "

2.  The meaning of separation in the New Testament

a) Galatians 1:15--Paul said, "It pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace. " Paul was elected by God unto the gospel of God. 

b) Acts 13:2--The Holy Spirit said to the church at Antioch, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work unto which I have called them. " The secret of Paul's service was that he was a bondslave of Christ, utterly surrendered to the Lord.  He was sent to carry the message of the cross, so he cut the cord with the world.  There are so many people in the gospel ministry who see little fruit and no power, because they are unwilling to be separated from the world. 

Conclusion

Paul was not only a servant of Christ, but also called as an apostle and separated to God in holiness.  He didn't get himself entangled with the affairs of this life (2 Tim.  2:4).  Many men today have left the ministry because they love money or possessions.  They couldn't sever the ties with the world and fell into sin.  Some men are more concerned about their reputation, so when they get an opportunity to speak, they make sure they never offend anyone.  But in so doing, they offend God because they are not separated from evil men (cf.  John 12:42-43). 

Paul was a man after God's own heart.  Romans 1:1 says it all: his position--"servant", his authority--"called to be an apostle by God", his power--"separated", his message--"the gospel [good news] from God. "

The Preacher of the Good News
 Romans 1:1      

 Introduction

A.  The Bad News - A quick look at any newspaper or magazine shows that the world is getting worse and worse.  The bad news that occurs on a larger scale is only the multiplication of what is occurring on an individual level.  The term "bad news" has become a colloquialism to describe our era. 

The reason there is so much bad news today is that people are in the grasp of a terrifying power that grips them deep inside their being.  It causes men to self-destruct.  The power that makes for bad news is sin.  There are four ways in which sin produces bad news in the human race. 

1.  Selfishness - It is truly bad news when everyone is bent on fulfilling his own particular desires at any price.  The basic element in selfishness is the dominance of your own ego above others. 

a.      It all started when Satan said, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the most high" (Isa.  14:13-14). 

b.      Man has inherited that propensity to sin and is utterly self-centered.  Whatever evil a society permits, man will attempt.  He will go as far as society's toleration will allow. 

c.        Man will consume everything in sight based on his own lust--things, people, and ultimately himself.  Many times when a friend, spouse, or family member ceases to provide what an individual wants, they are discarded like an old pair of useless shoes.  The ultimate goal in life for sinful man is to achieve self- satisfaction.  Whether it is in businesses or marriages, man ends up perverting everything because of his selfish lust for fame, dominance, popularity, money, and physical fulfillment. 

d.      Sin pushes humanity to self-consumption.  Someone has well said we ought to use things and love people, but instead we love things and use people.  The end result of man's selfishness is that he is unable to have meaningful relationships.  He is unwilling to give and thus he forfeits that which is the truest source of joy--an unselfish, sacrificial love for others. 

e.      Man becomes dominated by selfish greed that alienates him from everyone and everything.  He finally comes to a place of utter loneliness and despair.  When man follows his own lust, he begins to realize the law of diminishing returns--the more he wants, the less it satisfies. 

2.  Guilt -  Using and abusing people, or doing whatever else is necessary to indulge yourself brings about guilt. 

a.      God has designed man to feel sorrow when he sins, otherwise man could never prevent himself from going to hell.  It is like pain.  God has given the sensation of pain to allow you to recognize when your body is injured.  Likewise, God has given us the sensation of guilt as a way to tell us that we are sinful and something has to change. 

b.      The bad news is that man lives with anxiety, fear, psychological problems, ulcers, and a myriad of illnesses caused by his guilt.  He may try to alleviate his guilt by drunkenness, debauchery, or even suicide. 

c.       Men try to cover their guilt with a frivolous facade.  Some men even try to rationalize their guilt away with money, possessions, alcohol, drugs, sex, travel, and psychoanalysis.  Some blame their guilt on society, perhaps on a so-called antiquated biblical tradition.  People will push off their sin on anything But you only end up compounding your guilt when you blame someone else for it. 

3.  Meaninglessness -  When man experiences selfishness and guilt, he will invariably ask himself, "Is what I'm experiencing all there is to life? What are the real answers? The real questions? Why am I alive? What is the real meaning of life?" Man is fed a steady diet of lies by Satan himself, who runs the world's evil system.  And since his lies never really answer the question of man's existence, man is left with no answers

4.  Hopelessness - Born out of the trauma and anxiety of meaninglessness is the reality that you have nothing to live for and nothing to look forward to. 

a.      The only result of a self-centered, guilt-ridden meaningless life is the starkness of death.  That is why people mask the reality of death by laughing at it or ignoring it to avoid the inevitable hopelessness--the sense there is nothing for man here in this life or in the life to come--is the worst news of all. 

b.      As a result, sin produces bad news.  And even the small amounts of good news are but moments of rest in an unending saga of bad news.  It is like so many peace treaties--those moments when everyone stops to reload.  In between the bad news, much of the good news is short-lived. 

B.  The Good News

With so much bad news, can there really be any good news? Yes! The good news is that sin can be dealt with.  You don't have to be selfish.  Guilt and anxiety can be alleviated.  There is meaning to life and hope of life after death.  The apostle Paul says in Romans 1:1 that the good news is the gospel, which is the good news of God.  That is what the book of Romans is all about.  Paul begins this epistle with the good news of God, and ends with it as well (cf.  15:16).  Bracketing the entire epistle is the great reality that there is good news from God. 

1.  Its significance - Paul called the gospel by many different phrases, but whatever he called it, it was good news.  It is the good news that man's sin can be forgiven, guilt can be removed, life can have meaning, and a hopeful future can be a reality. Paul endeavors throughout the book of Romans to unfold the incomprehensible riches of the good news to man.  But did you know that the entire thrust of all 16 chapters of Romans is distilled into the first seven verses? Paul is so thrilled by what he wants to say that he can't wait to say it, so he capsulizes his foundational thoughts in Romans 1:1-7.  It is as if the seed of the gospel is in the first seven verses and then fully blooms throughout the rest of the epistle. 

2.  Its source -  The Greek word for gospel in verse 1 is euangelion.  It is used over 60 times by Paul in his epistles.  Paul had lived all his life hearing only the bad news, but once he heard the good news he couldn't help but tell everyone in sight about it.  Tyndale wrote that the word euangelion signifies good, merry, glad and joyful tidings that makes a man's heart rejoice and makes him sing and dance and leap for joy.  The good news is the merry, glad, and joyful news that God will deliver us from our sin. The thrust of the Greek text of Romans 1:1 is that the good news is from God.

I.  THE PREACHER OF THE GOOD NEWS (v.  1)

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. "

God called a unique man, Paul, to be a major spokesman for the good news.  God had committed to him mysteries concerning the church that had been hidden from past generations but were now to be revealed (cf.  Eph.  3:3, Col.  1:26-27).  Paul was God's keynote speaker for the heralding of the good news to the Gentiles.  He had a remarkable Jewish heritage, Greek education, and Roman citizenship.  He had incredible abilities as a leader, fighter, motivator, and articulator who was specially called and converted by God Himself.  From Jerusalem to Macedonia, Paul had completed three missionary journeys proclaiming the good news.  All the preachers who have ever preached since Paul have depended on his sermons for their material.  Paul left a great legacy of biblical teaching through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 

A.  Paul--A Servant of Jesus Christ (v.  1a)

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. "

1.  A slave of dignity

The Greek word used here for servant is doulos, which means "slave. " Those who love the Lord are his servants. 

a) Exodus 21:5-6--The Lord said, "If the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go out free; then his master shall bring him unto the judges.  He shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him forever. " Because of his love for his master, this servant became known as a "bondslave. " He didn't serve because he was forced to but because he wanted to.  He became a slave of love. 

b) Numbers 12:7--The Lord said, "My servant, Moses, is faithful in all mine house" (emphasis added). 

c) Joshua 24:29--Scripture says, "It came to pass . . .  that Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old" (emphasis added). 

d) 2 Samuel 7:5--The Lord said, "Go and tell my servant, David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in" (emphasis added). 

e) Isaiah 20:3--"The Lord said . . .  my servant, Isaiah, hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia" (emphasis added). 

f) Isaiah 53:11--The Lord prophesied about the coming Messiah by saying, "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities" (emphasis added). 

Paul was a bondslave.  It was something he chose out of love, not fear.  There were perhaps millions of slaves in the Roman Empire.  For the most part, they were treated not as persons but as objects.  If a master wanted to kill his slaves, he could.  Some Bible commentators think Paul is using doulos only in its Jewish sense--not in the Roman sense--and is thereby affirming love for Christ.  The Hebrew concept of servant could include someone in the highest ranks of service.  Kings had servants, and in that sense, a servant could be someone who had great honor and dignity. 

2.  A slave of humility

However, to see Paul as referring to his slavery to Christ only out of love does not encompass the entire point of the term.  There is a certain incomprehensible dignity in being called a servant of Jesus Christ.  But it is not correct to disregard the Gentile understanding of the term.  The Greek term itself (doulos) referred to abject slavery--a term of humility, not dignity.  Paul used two other words to speak of his servitude. 

a) 1 Corinthians 3:5--"Who, then, is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" The Greek word for "ministers" is diakonos, which means "table waiter. " Paul described himself as nothing more than a menial servant for Christ. 

b) 1 Corinthians 4:1--"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ. " Here the Greek word translated "ministers" is hup[ma]eretes.  The prefix of the word, huper, means "under" and the suffix, etes, comes from a word that means "to row. " A trireme ship had three levels of oars with three levels of galley slaves who rowed those huge ships.  Paul was saying he was a third-level galley slave for Christ. 

Paul paradoxically finds himself both exalted as the servant of Christ and debased as well.  That is the ambivalence every representative of Jesus Christ must face. 

B.  Paul--An Apostle of Jesus Christ (v.  1b)

"Called to be an apostle. "

1.  The calling

The best rendering of the Greek text of Romans 1:1 is that Paul was a called apostle.  His being an apostle was not based on his own decision.  God effectually called him to that office.  It was not a human appointment.  The term apostle was first used by the Lord in Luke 6:13.  He referred to the twelve as His apostles.  Paul was also called an apostle by God Himself. 

a) Acts 9:15--The Lord said of Paul, "He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. " Paul was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians, but the Lord stopped him dead in his tracks.  The decision for Paul to preach did not originate with him; it was God's sovereign choice. 

b) Acts 22:14-15--Recounting his conversion, Paul quoted Ananias as saying, "The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.  For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. "

c) Acts 26:16-17--The Lord had said to Paul, "Rise, and stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto thee. " Paul obeyed the heavenly vision given by God on the Damascus road.  He was called of God to be an apostle. 

d) Galatians 1:1--Paul began the epistle to the Galatians this way: "Paul, an apostle (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. " Later in verse 12 he said, "I neither received it [the gospel] of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. " Paul's call to the ministry was from Christ Himself. 

2.  The concept

The Greek word for apostle is ap[ma]ostolos which means "one who is sent, commissioned, or dispatched. " It refers to a messenger, ambassador, or an envoy.  There were certain vessels referred to as "apostolic boats. " They were common cargo ships.  The word apostle meant anything dispatched or sent.  Paul was saying he had been sent by Jesus Christ Himself.  The term apostle itself appears over 78 times in the New Testament, the majority of those references being used to describe the twelve disciples and Paul.  They were specially sent by Christ. 

3.  The credentials

a) The office of an apostle

There is also an official sense in which the word apostle must be understood.  An apostle was someone who held an official office within the church.  The term can have a broad meaning to describe all who bear the message of Christ.  All Christians are sent by Christ into the world to preach the gospel (cf.  Matt.  28:18-20).  But the ones who were specially sent by Christ bear the title of Apostle with a capital "A" in a sense. 

b) The origin of an apostle The New Testament describes various people as apostles in addition to the twelve and Paul.  But they did not hold the specific office of an apostle.  To be in the office of apostle, you would have to have been verbally called by Jesus Christ into the ministry and to have been eye witnesses of Christ and His resurrection.  Paul qualifies because he saw Christ on the Damascus road.  The apostles and their close associates were also to be the human authors of the New Testament because Jesus made the promise to them that the Spirit would come and bring to their remembrance all that He had said to them (cf.  John 14:26). 

The twelve apostles--Matthias replacing Judas--and Paul were called by Jesus Himself.  The Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah, "Woe be unto the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" (Jer.  23:1).  The church today is filled with preachers who are talking but should not be listened to.  They do not have the anointing of God on them and have corrupted the church throughout the centuries. 

c) The signs of an apostle

The apostles were given the ability to do signs, wonders, and miracles, which Paul calls the signs of an apostle (2 Cor.  12:12).  Their office was not restricted to a local church, or for a certain period of time in their lives.  Once you were an apostle, you were an apostle for life.  They became the foundation on which all the history of the church is built. 

C.  Paul--Set Apart by Jesus Christ (v.  1c)

"Separated unto the gospel of God. "

1.  The meaning of separation in the Old Testament

You cannot serve God unless you are separated.  The word has the idea of being set apart for a specific task or purpose. 

a) Numbers 15:20--The Lord said to Moses, "Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering. " God wanted the firstfruits of the land to be set apart to honor Him. 

b) Numbers 8:11--Again the Lord said to Moses, "Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the Lord. " God desired to set apart the best men by consecrating the Levites to His service. 

c) Leviticus 20:26--The Lord said, "Ye shall be holy unto me; for I, the Lord, am holy, and have separated you from other people, that ye should be mine. " God took the whole nation of Israel and separated them from all other nations for His glory. 

In each of those passages, the Septuagint--the Greek version of the Old Testament--uses a form of the word aph[ma]orizein, which is the same word used in Romans 1:1.  It refers to separation in the fullest sense.  Paul knew that once he was called as an apostle, he would be disconnected from his past.  In the middle of aph[ma]orizein is phoriz which may refer to the word Pharisee meaning "separated one. " Paul had been the most ardent Pharisee, separated unto the traditions of the Jewish people (Phil 3:5).  In a sense he could say, "I am a Pharisee separated unto the gospel of God. "

2.  The meaning of separation in the New Testament

a) Galatians 1:15--Paul said, "It pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace. " Paul was elected by God unto the gospel of God. 

b) Acts 13:2--The Holy Spirit said to the church at Antioch, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work unto which I have called them. " The secret of Paul's service was that he was a bondslave of Christ, utterly surrendered to the Lord.  He was sent to carry the message of the cross, so he cut the cord with the world.  There are so many people in the gospel ministry who see little fruit and no power, because they are unwilling to be separated from the world. 

Conclusion

Paul was not only a servant of Christ, but also called as an apostle and separated to God in holiness.  He didn't get himself entangled with the affairs of this life (2 Tim.  2:4).  Many men today have left the ministry because they love money or possessions.  They couldn't sever the ties with the world and fell into sin.  Some men are more concerned about their reputation, so when they get an opportunity to speak, they make sure they never offend anyone.  But in so doing, they offend God because they are not separated from evil men (cf.  John 12:42-43). 

Paul was a man after God's own heart.  Romans 1:1 says it all: his position--"servant", his authority--"called to be an apostle by God", his power--"separated", his message--"the gospel [good news] from God. "