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Section A: The Evangel Made
Known; Justification (1:1-6)
Balanced by Section a - Evangel: Hushed Up,
Conciliation (16:25-27)
01:02
(which He promises before
through His prophets in the holy
scriptures),
Paul wants us to keep in mind that this 'evangel of God' that he speaks of
had been promised earlier in the scriptures extant prior to his writings.
However, though the evangel was promised, the scope and details were not
given. In other words, it was promised that there was to come some good
news for the nations, which they would rejoice in, but the content of that
message was not elaborated on.
Jn.5:39
Search the scriptures,
for in them you are supposing you have life eonian,
and those are they which are testifying concerning Me
Gen.12:2,3 And make you will I into a great nation,
and bless you will I and make your name great,
and become must you a blessing.
3 And bless those will I who bless you,
and those making light of you will I curse.
And blessed in you and in your seed are all the families of the ground.
Mt.12:21 And on His name the nations
will be relying.
Rom.15:9 Yet the nations are to glorify God
for His mercy,
according as it is written,
"Therefore I shall be acclaiming Thee among the nations,"…
Rom.15:10 And again he is saying, "Be
merry, ye nations, with His people!"
Rom.15:11 And again he is saying, "Praise
the Lord, all the nations,"
And "let all the peoples laud Him."
Rom.15:12 And again Isaiah is saying, there
will be "the root of Jesse,
And He Who is rising to Chief of the nations: On Him will the
nations rely."
Gal.3:8,9 Now the scripture,
perceiving before that God is justifying the nations by
faith,
brings before an evangel to Abraham,
that In you shall all the nations be blessed.
9 So that those of faith are being blessed together with believing Abraham.
Lk.24:44-48 Now He said to them,
"These are My words, which I speak to you, still being with you,
for all must be fulfilled that is written in the law of Moses
and the prophets and psalms concerning Me."
45 Then He opens up their mind to understand the scriptures,
46 and said to them that
"Thus it is written, and thus must the Christ be suffering
and rise from among the dead the third day,
47 and there is to be heralded in His name
repentance for the pardon of sins,
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
48 Now you shall be witnesses of these things.
Act.10:42,43 And He charges us to herald to the
people and to certify
that this One is He Who is specified by God
to be Judge of the living and the dead.
43 To this One are all the prophets testifying:
Everyone who is believing in Him is to obtain the pardon of sins
through His name."
There were parts of God's operations in which the nations are involved,
that were kept secret until Paul was assigned his ministry. Such
withholding of information was necessary for events to occur in accord with
God's plan. It is only through Paul's writings that these secrets have been
opened to us.
1Cor.2:7,8 but we are speaking God's wisdom in a secret,
wisdom which has been concealed,
which God designates before--before the
eons, for our glory,
8 which not one of the chief men of this eon
knows,
for if they know, they would not crucify
the Lord of glory.
Rom.16:25,26 in accord with my evangel, and the
heralding of Christ Jesus
in accord with the revelation of a secret
hushed in times eonian,
26 yet manifested now…..
Eph.3:6,7 the nations are to be joint
enjoyers of an allotment,
and a joint body, and joint
partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus,
through the evangel 7 of
which I became the dispenser,
in accord with the gratuity of the grace of
God,
which is granted to me in accord with His
powerful operation.
Eph.3:8-10 To me, less than the least of all saints,
was granted this grace:
to bring the evangel of the untraceable
riches of Christ to the nations,
9 to enlighten all as to what is the
administration of the secret,
which has been concealed from the
eons in God,
10 that now may be made known
to the sovereignties and the authorities
among the celestials,
through the ecclesia, the multifarious
wisdom of God,
Col.1:24-29… to complete the word of God--….
the secret which has been concealed
from the eons and from the generations,
yet now was made manifest…
The word 'prophet' comes from prophę'tęs, BEFORE-AVERer, one who
speaks of an event before it occurs, one who foretells. In Scripture, it
refers to one through whom God speaks about what is to come, one
delegated by God to speak for Him about it.
The word 'holy' is from (h)a'gion. It qualifies something that is
consecrated or set apart for particular and exclusive use. When referring
to persons, it is rendered 'saint'. It does not refer to any intrinsic
value of the subject.
01:03
concerning His Son
(Who comes of the seed of
David according to the flesh,
This evangel, this encouraging good news that God sends, is concerned with Jesus,
not so much regarding His position as the suffering Messiah of the nation
of Israel, not even as the Saviour of the world, but of Jesus in His
capacity as God's SON. This indicates a context of love and family
ties. This message, then, speaks of God's fundamental relationship
to the One Who is His Image and His Logos. It lets us in into otherwise
unknowable secrets, revealing to us God's intimate feelings and desires,
giving us an insight into His motives and operations. Jesus is God's Son,
His Beloved Son, His Chosen.
Mk.1:1
The beginning of the evangel of Jesus Christ, Son of God,
Jn.1:34 And I have seen and have testified
that This One is the Son of God.
1Jn.4:15 Whoever should be avowing that Jesus is the
Son of God,
God is remaining in him, and he in God.
Jn.10:36 are you saying to Him
Whom the Father hallows and dispatches into the world
that `You are blaspheming,' seeing that I said, `Son of God am I'?
Mt.27:43 He has confidence in God.
Let Him rescue him now, if He is wanting him,
for he said that 'God's Son am I!
Lk.9:35 And a voice came out of the cloud saying,
"This is My Son, The Chosen; Him be hearing."
Mt.17:5 While he is still speaking, lo! a luminous
cloud overshadows them,
and lo! a voice out of the cloud, saying,
"This is My Son, the Beloved, in Whom I delight. Hear
Him!"
Mk.9:7 …there came a cloud overshadowing
them.
And a voice came out of the cloud, saying,
"This is My Son, the Beloved. Hear Him!
2Cor.1:19 the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
Who is being heralded among you through us-
Col.1:13 Who rescues us out of the jurisdiction of
Darkness,
and transports us into the kingdom of the Son of His love
Hinduism, at one extreme, claims that every one can be looked on as a son
of God because in each there is a part of Him that gives life - so that to
them being 'God's Son' is really no big deal. In fact it believes that all
the great leaders of religion are 'avatars', manifestations of the
Cosmic Being and that all its thirty three million gods fall under the same
category.
Islam, at the other extreme, vociferously denies that God could have a Son,
asserting that it would be blasphemous to even suggest that God would have
intercourse with a human woman - but they have no problem claiming to be
children of God, themselves.
Christianity, whether orthodox or evangelical, has ignored the
recommendations of Scripture and has inevitably developed spurious
doctrines by ignoring its pattern of sound words. It has made a mockery of
facts and created a nonsensical caricature of the true God by irresponsibly
ascribing to Jesus a status He never had nor aspires to.
What does Scripture say about this? It asserts that by God's creation of
him, Adam is a son of God.
Lk.3:23-38
And He, Jesus, when beginning, was about thirty years old,
being a son (as to the law) of Joseph, of Eli,… 38of Enosh,
of Seth, of Adam, of God.
Gen.1:26,27 And saying is the Elohim,
"Make will We humanity in Our image, and according to Our likeness,…
27 And creating is the Elohim humanity in His image.
In the image of the Elohim He creates it. Male and female He creates them.
Gen.2:7 And forming is Yahweh Elohim the human of
soil from the ground,
and He is blowing into his nostrils the breath of the living,
and becoming is the human a living soul.
Scripture declares that Jesus is the Original, the very first of
God's creative acts, the Beginning of the creation of God. Before
the Original came into being, there was only God, and God alone! This
Original is the Logos of God, the Word of God, the Expression
of God. God brought every thing else in creation into existence
through this One.
Rev.3:14
…Now this is saying the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness,
and God's Creative Original:
Greek he archę tęs ktiseös tou Theou
KJV the beginning of the
creation of God;
ASV the beginning of the
creation of God:
RSV the beginning of God's
creation.
ISV the beginning of
God's creation
Jn.1:3 All came into being through it, and
apart from it not even one thing came into being which has
come into being.
Col.1:15-17 …Firstborn of every
creature,
16 for in Him is all created, that in the heavens and
that on the earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones, or lordships, or sovereignties, or authorities,
all is created through Him and for Him,
17 and He is before all, and all has its cohesion in Him.
But, more than that, God wanted to be involved with His creation
through His Son in an even more intimate way. God is infinite,
pervading, permeating all of His creation. As such He can 'feel' the
experiences of each of His creatures, and knows them more minutely than
they know themselves. He knows their feelings and emotions. He knows their
every thought. Nothing can possibly be hidden from Him. But, being spirit
(not just a spirit), He can never be actually seen and
heard by His creatures. There could never be any verifiable communication
from Him. Anyone could claim anything as 'God said' and 'God sent' - as
many attempt to do even today. Therefore He has an Appointed Intermediary
to bridge this otherwise impassable obstacle.
Jesus, even as the Logos, is finite. This has to be so. He must be visible
and He must be audible - otherwise He could not fulfill His function
as a representation, the Image, and a representative, the
Mediator, of God. We can know God only through Him.
Though He was perfect for His function as the Logos in the bringing
into being and the sustaining of the rest of creation, He was not
complete in His make up.
Of course, many will take offence over such statements. But Scripture makes
no apology for its declarations.
1Cor.8:6
there is one God, the Father, out of Whom all is, …
and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom all is, ….
1Tim.2:5 For there is one God,
and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus,
Heb.2:10 For it became Him,
because of Whom all is, and through Whom all is,
in leading many sons into glory,
to perfect the Inaugurator of their salvation through sufferings.
Heb.5:8,9 even He also, being a Son,
learned obedience from that which He suffered.
9 And being perfected,
He became the cause of eonian salvation to all who are obeying Him,
Heb.12:2 … the Inaugurator and Perfecter of faith,
Jesus,
Who, for the joy lying before Him, endures a cross, despising the shame,
besides is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
The Logos, then, divested Himself of all His glory that was then His, to
carry out His Father's will.
Phil.2:7,8
… empties Himself,
taking the form of a slave, coming to be in the likeness of humanity,
8 and, being found in fashion as a human, He humbles Himself,
becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Jn.1:14 And the Word became flesh and
tabernacles among us,…
The Word was complete at His being brought into being by God. And,
as a complete Being He was transformed by God into a complete
embryo and was placed in the womb of the virgin, Mary, by His Father
through the power of holy spirit. Note that He was not transformed
into a sperm which had to impregnate an egg of Mary to find
completion and become an embryo! He was complete at all times.
Act.13:33
that God has fully fulfilled this for our children in raising Jesus,
as it is written in the second psalm also,
`My Son art Thou; I, today, have begotten Thee.'
Heb.1:5 For to whom of the messengers said He at
any time,
"My Son art Thou! I, today, have begotten
Thee"?
And again, "I shall be to Him for a Father and He shall
be to Me for a Son"?
Heb.5:5 Christ also does not glorify Himself
by becoming a chief priest,
but He Who speaks to Him,
"My Son art Thou! I, today, have begotten Thee,"
Mt.1:20,21 a messenger of the Lord appeared to him in
a trance, saying,
"Joseph, son of David, you may not be afraid to accept Miriam, your
wife,
for that which is being generated in her is of holy spirit.
21 Now she shall be bringing forth a Son,
and you shall be calling His name Jesus,
for He shall be saving His people from their sins."
Lk.1:30-33 And the messenger said to her,
"Fear not, Miriam, for you found favor with God. 31 And lo!
you shall be conceiving and be pregnant and be bringing forth a Son,
and you shall be calling His name Jesus.
32 He shall be great, and Son of the Most High shall He be called.
And the Lord God shall be giving Him the throne of David, 33 His
father,
and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for the eons.
And of His kingdom there shall be no consummation."
Lk.1:34,35 Yet Miriam said to the messenger,
"How shall this be, since I know not a man?"
35 And answering, the messenger said to her,
"Holy spirit shall be coming on you,
and the power of the Most High shall be overshadowing you;
wherefore also the holy One Who is being generated
shall be called the Son of God.
God lovingly watched His Son grow up from infancy to the time He began His
ministry, protecting Him from the schemes of the Adversary who worked
through Herod, and even through the testing ordeals in the wilderness.
Every facet of His upbringing was done 'according to the law of the Lord'.
Lk.2:21-24
And when the eight days to His circumcising are fulfilled,
His name also was called Jesus,
which He was called by the messenger before His conception in the
womb.
22 And when the days of their cleansing are fulfilled
according to the law of Moses,
they brought Him up into Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
23 (according as it is written in the law of the Lord,
that every male opening up the matrix shall be called holy to the
Lord),
24 and to give a sacrifice
according to that which is declared in the law of the Lord,
a pair of turtle doves or two squabs of the doves.
Mt.2:12-16 And, being apprised in a trance not to go
back to Herod,
through another way they retire into their country.
13 Now, at their retiring into their country, lo!
a messenger of the Lord is appearing in a trance to Joseph, saying,
"Being roused, take along the little Boy and His mother and flee into Egypt,
and be there till I should speak to you,
for Herod is about to be seeking the little Boy to destroy Him."
14 Now he, being roused, took along the little Boy and His mother by night
and retires into Egypt.
15 And He was there till the decease of Herod,
that that may be fulfilled which is declared by the Lord through the
prophet,
saying, "Out of Egypt
I call My Son."
16 Then Herod, perceiving that he was scoffed at by the magi,
was very furious, and, dispatching,
he massacred all the boys in Bethlehem
and in all its boundaries,
from two years and below,
according to the time which he ascertains exactly from the magi.
Mt.2:19-23 Now at the decease of Herod, lo!
a messenger of the Lord is appearing in a trance to Joseph in Egypt,
20 saying, "Being roused, take along the little Boy and His mother
and go into the land
of Israel,
for they are dead who are seeking the soul of the little Boy."
21 Now he, being roused, took along the little Boy and His mother
and entered into the land
of Israel.
22 Yet, hearing
that Archelaus is reigning in Judea in the
stead of his father Herod,
he was afraid to pass forth there.
Now, being apprised in a trance, he retires into parts of Galilee.
23 And coming, he dwells in a city termed Nazareth,
so that that may be fulfilled which is declared through the prophets that:
A Nazarene shall He be called.
Lk.2:40 Now the little Boy grows up and was staunch
in spirit,
being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on Him.
Lk.2:51,52 And He descended with them and came
into Nazareth,
and was subject to them. …
52 And Jesus progressed in wisdom and stature,
and in favor with God and men.
Though God proclaims to all humanity through Scripture that Jesus is His
Son, He opens the minds only of those whom He calls so that they
do believe His declaration. We must see this to understand the
almost universal rejection of this doctrine.
Mt.16:15-17
He is saying to them,
"Now you, who are you saying that I am?"
16 Now answering, Simon Peter said,
"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Now, answering, Jesus said to him, "Happy are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,
for flesh and blood does not reveal it to you,
but My Father Who is in the heavens.
Scripture also reveals that others are also coming to be sons
of God, making Jesus the Eldest in Whose image these others are being
conformed.
Rom.8:29
…whom He foreknew, He designates beforehand, also,
to be conformed to the image of His Son,
for Him to be Firstborn among many brethren.
2Cor.5:17 So that, if anyone is in Christ, there
is a new creation:
the primitive passed by. Lo! there has come new!
Rom.8:14-16 whoever are being led by God's
spirit, these are sons of God.
15 For you did not get slavery's spirit to fear again,
but you got the spirit of sonship, in which we are crying, "Abba,
Father!"
16 The spirit itself is testifying together with our spirit
that we are children of God.
Gal.4:6 Now, seeing that you are
sons,
God delegates the spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying "Abba!
Father!"
Rom.8:9 … Now if anyone has not Christ's spirit,
this one is not His.
So that we, believers of the nations, can come to grips with the fact of
Who this Jesus is Who is God's Son, He is identified as none other
than the One Who is, according to the flesh, "of the seed of
David". Our Lord is not another Jesus but the very same One Who,
according to the scriptures, is legally David's descendent. He will
yet assume the throne of David over Israel.
Mt.1:1-21
The scroll of the lineage of Jesus Christ, the Son of David,…
16 now Jacob begets Joseph, the husband of Mary
of whom was born Jesus, Who is termed "Christ."…
20 "Joseph, son of David, you may not be afraid to accept
Miriam, your wife,
for that which is being generated in her is of holy spirit.
21 Now she shall be bringing forth a Son,
and you shall be calling His name Jesus,
for He shall be saving His people from their sins."
Lk.1:27 …the messenger Gabriel was dispatched from
God…
to a virgin, espoused to a man whose name is Joseph,
of the house and kindred of David. And the name of the virgin is
Miriam.
Jn.7:42 Did not the scripture say that out
of the seed of David,
and from Bethlehem,
the village where David was, comes the Christ?"
Lk.3:23 And He, Jesus, when beginning, was
about thirty years old,
being a son (as to the law) of Joseph,…
2Tim.2:8 …Jesus Christ, Who has been
roused from among the dead,
is of the seed of David, according to my evangel,
Lk.1:32,33 …And the Lord God shall be giving Him
the throne of David, 33 His father,
and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for the eons.
And of His kingdom there shall be no consummation
Scripture also refers to Jesus as 'Abraham's Seed'. And, rather than through
Ishmael, He is traced through Isaac.
Act.3:25
And in your seed all the kindreds of the earth shall be blessed
Rom.4:13 not through law is the promise to Abraham,
or to his Seed
Gal.3:16 to Abraham the promises were
declared, and to his Seed
Gal.3:19 until the Seed should come to Whom
He has promised
Gal.3:29 if you are Christ's, consequently you
are of Abraham's seed,
Rom.9:7 neither that Abraham's seed are all
children,
but "In Isaac shall your seed be called."
Heb.11:18 he to whom it was spoken that
"In Isaac shall your seed be called,"
This passage, however, links Jesus to David rather than to Abraham
who even has the distinction of being called 'friend of God' (Jas.2:23).
How is this relevant to our evangel? It may be said of us who are believers
of the nations that we, too, just as David, are people 'according to My
heart, who will be doing all My will' and to whom, also, 'God is reckoning
righteousness apart from acts'.
Act.13:22,23 … He rouses David for their
king,
to whom He said also, in testifying, `I
found David, of Jesse,
a man according to My heart, who will be
doing all My will.'
23 From this one's seed,
God, according to the promise, led to Israel
a Saviour, Jesus.
Rom.4:6-8 Even as David also is telling
of the happiness of the man
to whom God is reckoning righteousness
apart from acts:
7 Happy they whose lawlessnesses were
pardoned
and whose sins were covered over!
8 Happy the man to whom the Lord by no
means should be reckoning sin!
01:04 Who is designated Son of God with power,
according
to the spirit of holiness,
by the
resurrection of the dead), Jesus Christ, our Lord,
'… designated Son of God with power…'
The word 'designate' is from horizö, SEEize, specify, to make
clearly visible to the mind. It is God, the Subjector and the Placer,
Who specifies that it is Jesus Who is to have the power to
bring on the resurrections that will take place.
Christ is much more than a mere legal offspring of a great Israelite king!
He is the Son of GOD, the Firstborn of ALL Creation! God openly and
repeatedly declares His relationship with the Original of His
creative acts. Not only is He the God of Jesus Christ, He is, emphatically,
the Father of Jesus Christ.
2Cor.1:3
Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,….
2Cor.11:31 The God and Father of the
Lord Jesus,…
Eph.1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory,
may be giving you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the realization of
Him,
Rom.15:6 that, with one accord, with one mouth,
you may be glorifying the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
Eph.1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ,
Who blesses us with every spiritual blessing among the celestials, in
Christ,
Col.1:3 We are thanking the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, …
1Pet.1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ,….
Who, according to His vast mercy, regenerates us into a living expectation,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead,
'…according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the
dead…'
And here Christ is being presented, not in His humility or in His
humiliation, but in His glory and position of POWER! It is not an empty
title. His status carries with it the power, in keeping with the spirit which
distinguishes Him from the rest of creation, through which He raises the
dead.
It is true that God raised Jesus from the dead. But, if this passage
were speaking of His resurrection by God, that would not demonstrate His
power but, rather, God's! It is God Who designates it to be that, as the
Son of God, it is now Christ's prerogative to exercise His God-given
authority to bring about the resurrection of the dead.
Jn.5:26
For even as the Father has life in Himself,
thus to the Son also He gives to have life in Himself.
Jn.5:21 For even as the Father is rousing the
dead and vivifying,
thus the Son also is vivifying whom He will
Jn.14:6 "I am the Way and the Truth and the
Life.
No one is coming to the Father except through Me.
It is interesting to note that Scripture uses a number of different words
to specify the emphasis with regard to the bringing to life of the dead. It
would be good for us, too, to observe these distinctions for accuracy.
rise, raise:
'anistemi' UP-STAND, for the body
resurrection : 'anastasis' UP-STANDing,
with special reference to the body - which will stand up at resurrection
rouse: 'egeirö' as from sleep,
with special reference to the soul being roused from 'sleep'
vivify: 'zöopoieö' LIVE-DO make alive,
emphasising the return of the spirit, giving life beyond the reach of
death
'The dead' is from nekrön, which is in the plural. The resurrection
of 'the dead' speaks of the bringing to life of many who had been
dead until then. This work of resurrecting the dead was already evident
during Christ's ministry.
Mk.5:21-42 the
raising of Jairus' daughter
Lk.7:11-15
the raising of the widow's son at Nain
Jn.11:38-44 the raising
of Lazarus
These, among others who were brought back to life before, were not
resurrected to vivification, to a life beyond the reach of death and the
taint of sin. They did not experience vivification. So, too, will it
be with those in some of the resurrections that will follow.
Jn.5:28,29
all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice,
29those who do good shall go out into a
resurrection of life,
yet those who commit bad things, into a
resurrection of judging.
Rev.20:4-6 And I perceived thrones,
and they are seated on them, and judgment
was granted to them.
And the souls of those executed
because of the testimony of Jesus and
because of the word of God,
and those who do not worship the wild beast
or its image,
and did not get the emblem on their forehead
and on their hand--
they also live and reign with Christ a
thousand years.
5 (The rest of the dead do not live
until the thousand years should be
finished.)
This is the former resurrection.
6 Happy and holy is he who is having part in
the former resurrection!
Over these the second death has no
jurisdiction,
but they will be priests of God and of
Christ,
and they will be reigning with Him the
thousand years.
Rev.20:11-15 And I perceived a great white
throne,
and Him Who is sitting upon it,
from Whose face earth and heaven fled, and
no place was found for them.
12 And I perceived the dead, the
great and the small,
standing before the throne. And the scrolls were opened.
And another scroll was opened which is the
scroll of life.
And the dead were judged
by that which is written in the scrolls in
accord with their acts.
13 And the sea gives up the dead in it,
and death and the unseen give up the dead in
them
And they were condemned, each in accord
with their acts.
14 And death and the unseen were cast into
the lake of fire.
This is the second death--the lake of
fire.
15 And if anyone was not found written in
the scroll of life,
he was cast into the lake of fire.
That distinction and privilege of being the very first to be vivified
fits only the One for Whom it was reserved, Christ. Others can only be subsequent
to this in accord with God's schedule for all to be vivified.
1Cor.15:22-24
For even as, in Adam, all are dying,
thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified.
23 Yet each in his own class:
the Firstfruit, Christ;
thereupon those who are Christ's in His presence;
24 thereafter the consummation,
Col.1:18 … Firstborn from among the dead,
that in all He may be becoming first,
1Thes.4:16,17 for the Lord Himself will be descending
from heaven
with a shout of command,
with the voice of the Chief Messenger,
and with the trumpet of God,
and the dead in Christ shall be rising first,
17 Thereupon we, the living who are surviving,
shall at the same time be snatched away together with them in clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus shall we always be together with the Lord.
1Cor.15:51-55 Lo! a secret to you am I telling!
We all, indeed, shall not be put to repose, yet we all shall be changed,
52 in an instant, in the twinkle of an eye, at the last trump.
For He will be trumpeting,
and the dead will be roused incorruptible, and we shall be
changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal put on immortality.
54 Now, whenever this corruptible should be putting on incorruption
and this mortal should be putting on immortality,
then shall come to pass the word which is written,
Swallowed up was Death by Victory.
55 Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?
'…our Lord…'
The word 'Lord', comes from the Greek Kurios, SANCTIONer, meaning
Master, as opposed to servant or slave. In Scripture Lord is
associated with service; Christ with status. Recognition of Jesus as
our Lord is crucial to our relationship with God. It is the
difference between being a believer (and a member of the ecclesia which is
the body of Christ), and a non-believer (and remaining among the sons of
stubbornness).
Act.2:36
Let all the house of Israel know certainly, then,
that God makes Him Lord as well as Christ--this Jesus Whom you
crucify
Rom.10:9 that, if ever you
should be avowing with your mouth the declaration that Jesus is Lord,
and
should be believing in your heart
that God rouses Him from among the dead,
you shall be saved.
1Cor.8:6 nevertheless for us there is …
one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom all is,
1Cor.12:3 … no one is able to say "Lord
is Jesus" except by holy spirit.
Phil.2:10,11 in the name of Jesus every knee
should be bowing, …
11and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord,
for the glory of God, the Father.
This is no mere lip service, a magic formula that lets one in into the body
of Christ. This acknowledgement, this confession, that Jesus is our Lord
can only come with a recognition of Who He is in truth, a
distinction which only God gives. Only when God gives us His holy spirit,
which enables each called one to believe Him, can we truly acknowledge that
Jesus is our Lord!
Having paid for us with His blood, He is our Lord, our Master, and our
Owner. If Jesus is truly each one of these to us, then we are His slaves
ready to carry out His bidding. Lord and slave. His directives and our
obedience.
If Jesus is truly our Lord, then the God we worship and serve is the
Father. If Christ is not acknowledged as our Lord, then the object of
our veneration is not the One and Only, the True God, but some other being
or some mere concept of our imaginations.
1Cor.12:3
… no one is able to say "Lord is Jesus" except by holy spirit.
Rom.8:14 …whoever are being led by God's spirit,
these are sons of God.
Rom.8:16 The spirit itself is testifying together
with our spirit
that we are children of God
Rom.16:17,18 Now I am entreating you, brethren,
to be noting those who are making
dissensions and snares
beside the teaching which you learned, and
avoid them,
18 for such for our Lord Christ are not
slaving, but for their own bowels, and
through compliments and adulation are
deluding the hearts of the innocent.
Gal.4:8 But then, indeed, having no perception of
God,
you were slaves of those who, by nature,
are not gods.
Those who sit back and watch the world go by, content with their supposed
salvation, and uncaring for their own spiritual growth or for that
of others may not be believers at all! For, for believers, there is still
much work to be done. Our salvation, that which is 'especially for
believers' is for a purpose set by God.
We are a new creation. Gone is the old where the self reigned supreme in
self-centredness, self-aggrandisement, self-confidence, self-indulgence,
self-satisfaction, and the like. We are being created in Christ Jesus for
involvement in God's service. God prepares the opportunities for us to be
participants in the work at hand. Can we reject such work, can we have
other priorities, if Christ is truly our Lord and we have the same
spirit He has of pleasing the Father?
A lackadaisical attitude is cause for self-examination, an obvious signal
that something is seriously amiss. Like Christ, and like Paul, we should be
striving and endeavouring for excellence in serving our God. If God is
operating in us, this will be so with us, too.
Eph.2:10
For His achievement are we,
being created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God makes ready beforehand, that we should be walking in them
Phil.3:13,14 Brethren, not as yet am I reckoning myself
to have grasped,
yet one thing--forgetting, indeed, those things which are behind,
yet stretching out to those in front-- 14 toward the goal
am I pursuing
for the prize of God's calling above in Christ Jesus.
2Tim.2:15 Endeavor to present yourself to God qualified,
an unashamed worker, correctly cutting the word of truth.
Phil.2:12,13 … with fear and trembling,
be carrying your own salvation into effect,
13 for it is God Who is operating in you
to will as well as to work for the sake of His delight.
01:05 through Whom we obtained grace and apostleship
for faith-obedience among all the nations, for His name's sake,
'…through Whom we obtained grace and apostleship…'
Only those whom God calls now to be believers will recognise and
acknowledge Christ as LORD. Only they will be able to. And to these
called-out ones He sends Paul with His message for them to believe.
This is the Saul who persecuted the believers out of Israel
in his misdirected zeal and fanaticism. What a choice this is! God converts
His erstwhile enemy into His most enthusiastic agent to accomplish His purpose.
Paul least deserved the call, yet, to demonstrate with an extreme case His
principle of absolute and pure grace, God not only saves him but
entrusts him with the commission and responsibility of getting this message
of grace across to others.
Paul's case is the pattern along which the other members of the body of
Christ are treated by God! Every aspect of salvation under the evangel of
the Uncircumcision is dependent on God's grace. This grace, that
applies to our evangel is so special and unique that Scripture needs to
define it for us to avoid our confusing it with that which applies in
the evangel of the Circumcision, in particular.
Eph.1:13
In Whom you also--on hearing the word of truth,
the evangel of your salvation--
in Whom on believing also, you are sealed with the holy spirit of
promise…
1Tim.1:12-16 Grateful am I to Him Who invigorates me,
Christ Jesus, our Lord, for He deems me faithful, assigning me a
service,
13 I, who formerly was a calumniator and a persecutor and an outrager:
but I was shown mercy, seeing that I do it being ignorant, in
unbelief.
14 Yet the grace of our Lord overwhelms, with faith and love in
Christ Jesus.
15 Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all welcome,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,
foremost of whom am I. 16 But therefore was I shown mercy,
that in me, the foremost, Jesus Christ should be displaying all His
patience,
for a pattern of those who are about to be believing on Him for life
eonian.
Rom.11:6 Now if it is in grace, it is no longer
out of works,
else the grace is coming to be no longer grace.
Now, if it is out of works, it is no longer grace,
else the work is no longer work.
'…for faith-obedience…'
Scripture uses the term 'faith-obedience'. This does not mean an
obedience that generates or qualifies the faith that saves. It is not a
faith that is dependent upon obedience. It is an undeserved and
God-given faith which generates obedience in an atmosphere of
love and appreciation. It is a faith that is not dependent on our obedience
but which, rather, motivates us to do the things that please God. It
is not that we are to obey so that we will be saved but, rather, we
should obey because we have been saved.
Eph.2:8-10
For in grace, through faith, are you saved,
and this is not out of you; it is God's
approach present,
9 not of works, lest anyone should be
boasting.
10 For His achievement are we, being created
in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God makes ready beforehand,
that we should be walking in them.
Phil.2:12,13 … with fear and trembling,
be carrying your own salvation into
effect,
13 for it is God Who is operating in you
to will as well as to work for the sake of
His delight
1Cor.15:10 Yet, in the grace of God I am what I am,
and His grace, which is in me, did not come
to be for naught,
but more exceedingly than all of them toil
I--
yet not I, but the grace of God which is
with me.
'… among all the nations…'
Paul takes care to specify that this message that he is preaching, and
which brings about this faith-obedience, is to be preached 'among all
the nations'. In Scripture,
Israel
became the nation of God's choice out of all the nations of the world. The
rest of the world's inhabitants came to be known by the generic, 'the
nations'.
Deut.4:7,8
For what great nation is there
which has elohim so near to it
as Yahweh our Elohim is in all that we call
to Him?
8And what great nation is there
which has statutes and judgments so
righteous
as all this law that I am putting before you
today?
Deut.7:6-8 For you are a people holy to Yahweh your
Elohim;
Yahweh your Elohim has chosen you to become
His,
a special people from all the peoples who are on the surface of the ground.
7It was not because your multitude was more
than all the other peoples
that Yahweh was attached to you and chose
you,
for you were the fewest of all the
peoples.
8But it was because of the love of Yahweh
for you
and because of His keeping the oath that He
had sworn to your fathers
that Yahweh brought you forth with a
steadfast hand
and ransomed you from the house of servants,
from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
2Sam.7:23,24 And who [is] as Your people, as Israel--
one nation in the earth,
whom Elohim has gone to redeem to Him for a
people,
and to make for Him a name--and to do for
you the greatness--
even fearful things for Your land, at the
presence of Your people,
whom You have redeemed to You out of Egypt--
[among the] nations and their elohim?
24Yea, You do establish to You Your people Israel,
to You for a people unto the eon,
and You, Yahweh, have been to them for
Elohim.
Scripture shows that though Paul taught the nations (or Gentiles) this
message, he did not teach the same message to those of Israel
in the synagogues - and he was quite ready to publicly so demonstrate!
Act.21:20-26
Now those who hear glorified God.
Besides, they said to him, "You are
beholding, brother,
how many tens of thousands there are among
the Jews who have believed,
and all are inherently zealous for the
law?
21 Now they were instructed concerning you
that you teach all the Jews among the
nations apostasy from Moses,
telling them not to be circumcising their
children,
nor yet to be walking in the customs.
22 What is it, then? Undoubtedly a multitude must
come together,
for they will hear that you have come.
23 This, then, which we are saying to you, do.
With us are four men having a vow on
them.
24 Taking these along, be purified together with
them,
and bear their expenses, that they should be
shaving their heads,
and all will know
that what they have been instructed
concerning you is nothing,
but you also are observing the elements
and you yourself are maintaining the law….
26 Then Paul, taking the men along on the next day,
being purified together with them, had been
in the sanctuary,
publishing the full completion of the days
of purification,
till the approach present for each one of
them was offered.
'…for His name's sake…'
This message to the nations is to reveal God to them and to advance the
name of Jesus, the Christ of God, through Whom God delegates His
operations. This One humbled Himself and obeyed even to dying on the cross.
For this God rewards Him with the highest honours.
This apostleship of Paul's is a means to the exaltation of the name of
Christ - a name which GOD has determined will be above every name. It is
God's purpose to head up all in the Christ - both that in the heavens and
that on the earth. Those of the nations who are being called out by God, through
Paul's evangel, are privileged to be instrumental in this exaltation of
God's Christ, their Lord.
Phil.2:7,8
…empties Himself,
taking the form of a slave, coming to be in
the likeness of humanity,
8 and, being found in fashion as a human, He humbles Himself,
becoming obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross.
Phil.2:9-11 Wherefore, also, God highly exalts Him,
and graces Him with the name that is above
every name,
10 that in the name of Jesus
every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and
subterranean,
11 and every tongue should be acclaiming
that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the
glory of God, the Father.
Eph.1:8-10 …in all wisdom and prudence
9 making known to us the secret of His will
(in accord with His delight, which He
purposed in Him)
10 to have an administration of the complement of
the eras,
to head up all in the Christ--both that
in the heavens and that on the earth--
11 in Him in Whom our lot was cast also,
being designated beforehand according to the purpose of the One
Who is operating all in accord with the
counsel of His will,
12 that we should be for the laud of His glory,
who are pre-expectant in the Christ.
1Cor.6:3 Are you not aware that we shall be
judging messengers,…
Phil.3:20,21 For our realm is inherent in
the heavens,
out of which we are awaiting a Saviour also,
the Lord, Jesus Christ,
21 Who will transfigure the body of our humiliation,
to conform it to the body of His glory, in
accord with the operation
which enables Him even to subject all to
Himself.
01:06
among whom are you also, the
called of Jesus Christ:
'among whom are you also…'
The Roman ecclesia is counted 'among the nations' to whom Paul has been
commissioned. It is, thus, an assembly of called-out ones who are
predominantly of the nations. To such as these, instead of their having to
come to God, since they had had no perception of Him before then and,
therefore, could not, it is God Who approaches them and
extends this gift of faith to them through granting of holy spirit which enables
them to believe. These believers, and all those called through the evangel
of the Uncircumcision, belong to this faith-obedience model for
salvation.
Rom.11:13
Now to you am I saying, to the nations,
in as much as, indeed, then, I am the apostle of the nations,…
Rom.15:15,16 Yet more daringly do I write to you, in
part,
as prompting you, because of the grace being given to me from God,
16 for me to be the minister of Christ Jesus for
the nations,
acting as a priest of the evangel of God,
that the approach present of the nations may be becoming well
received,
having been hallowed by holy spirit
Eph.2:8 For in grace, through faith, are you saved,
and this is not out of you; it is God's approach present,
Rom.16:25,26 Now to Him Who is able to establish you
in accord with my evangel,
and the heralding of Christ Jesus
in accord with the revelation of a secret hushed in times eonian,
26 yet manifested now and through prophetic
scriptures,
according to the injunction of the eonian God
being made known to all nations for faith-obedience--
'…the called of Jesus Christ.'
To be known by His creatures, God must reveal Himself and He must open
the minds of those whom He wants a response from so that they will be
able to accept that revelation. God must initiate the process. It is
impossible to know God in any other way.
Jn.6:44 No one can come to Me
if ever the Father Who sends Me should not
be drawing him.
Jn.6:65 … no one can be coming to Me
if it should not be given him of the Father
Jn.14:6 "I am the Way …
No one is coming to the Father except through Me
We are privileged to have been called. To us now, He is no more a product
of our imagination and no more 'the Unknowable God'. It is
imperative, however, that we keep in mind that this calling is a
privilege, a gift of God and not something we deserve because of
what we do.
Tit.3:5
not for works which are wrought in righteousness which we do,
but according to His mercy, He saves us,
1Cor.1:26-29 For you are observing your calling,
brethren,
that there are not many wise according to
the flesh;
not many powerful, not many noble,
27 but the stupidity of the world God chooses,
that He may be disgracing the wise,
and the weakness of the world God chooses,
that He may be disgracing the strong,
28 and the ignoble and the contemptible things of
the world God chooses,
and that which is not, that He may be
discarding that which is,
29 so that no flesh at all should be boasting in
God's sight.
Who is to be called, and when, was determined long before the
disruption of the world, and before the eons were created.
It is definitely God's decision, entirely. It stands firm and unshakeable.
Rom.8:28-30
Now we are aware that God is working all together
for the good of those who are loving God,
who are called according to the purpose
29 that, whom He foreknew, He designates
beforehand, also,
to be conformed to the image of His Son,
for Him to be Firstborn among many brethren.
30 whom He designates beforehand, these He
calls also,
and whom He calls, these He justifies
also;
now whom He justifies, these He
glorifies also.
Rom.11:29 For unregretted are the graces
and the calling of God.
2Tim.1:9 Who saves us and calls us with a holy
calling,
not in accord with our acts,
but in accord with His own purpose
and the grace which is given to us in Christ
Jesus before times eonian,
1Cor.2:7 but we are speaking God's wisdom in a
secret,
wisdom which has been concealed,
which God designates before--before
the eons, for our glory,
Because of Christ's obedience, because of His work from Bethlehem
to Calvary, God takes pride and pleasure
in placing all of creation under His Son's feet. We, the called of Jesus
Christ, have the distinct privilege of being among the first who are being
made subject to the Son in His exaltation. We are God's present to His
Son. We have been called to belong to Jesus Christ, to have Him
as our Lord and to be conformed to His attitude to the Father.
Phil.2:9-11
Wherefore, also, God highly exalts Him,
and graces Him with the name that is above
every name,
10 that in the name of Jesus
every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and
subterranean,
11 and every tongue should be
acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord,
for the glory of God, the Father.
1Cor.15:27,28 For He (God) subjects
all under His (the Son's) feet.
Now whenever He may be saying that all is
subject,
it is evident that it is outside of Him (God)
Who subjects all to Him (the Son).
28 Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him
(the Son),
then the Son Himself also shall be subjected
to Him Who subjects all to Him,
that God may be All in all.
Rom.8:29 whom He foreknew, He designates
beforehand, also,
to be conformed to the image of His Son,
for Him to be Firstborn among many brethren.
Col.3:9,10 …stripping off the old humanity
together with its practices,
10 and putting on the young, which is
being renewed into recognition,
to accord with the Image of the One Who
creates it,
1Cor.3:23 yet you are Christ's, yet
Christ is God's.
Back to:
Index of
Articles - Romans
Proceed to:
Chapter 1,
Verse 7-17
June 2004
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