Exposition by Max A Forsythe
Christ Covenant Reformed (PCA)
In the ninth chapter of Acts where Paul's conversion is reported, there is also mentioned the hesitancy of the Christian leaders to accept Paul into their fellowship. Even throughout his ministry there are repeated indications that the Judaizers amongst the Christian brethren continued to oppose Paul for the spiritual emphasis of his preaching. Certainly, after the initial period of confusion, the Apostles in Jerusalem did accept his calling and eventually commissioned him as the Apostle to the gentiles. Still, as we read in the various letters, there were occasions when Paul had to defend the authority of his calling. In 1 Corinthians 9: 1-6 we read: "... Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. Don't we have the right to food and drink? Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas? Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?" (NIV)
Obviously, as we know it in the context of the New Testament and the proof of the Church's existence, Paul's calling was valid and most effective in the spreading the Gospel throughout Anatolia and on into Europe, then Greece and finally to Rome. This was the goal of his missionary burden to share the Gospel as far and widely as the Lord our God would allow. Again in 1 Corinthians fifteen we read of his calling and his labors: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. ... and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed." (1 Corinthians 15: 3-5& 8-11)
By such a witness and ministry the numbers of Christians multiplied as the Spirit added the Lord's elect and the Church spread far and wide within the Roman Empire. Even to Rome itself by some missionary activity of which we are not familiar. To the band of saints in the Imperial Capital Paul earnestly desired to go. But, before he was able, he sent ahead the most important of his letters in the New Testament.
The one before us today: the Epistle to the Romans. In this letter, Paul was not writing to close friends or converts of his ministry. So, we see in this introductory chapter that he introduces himself carefully and sets forth the points of the polemic that is to follow. Oops, that word "polemic" is a word not often used, and when it is in our time, it is strongly associated with the idea of "controversial opinion". John Murray is my commentator who suggests this word. Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary at least leaves out the word opinion and settles only upon the controversial definition. Well can we in our day appreciate that label for what we believe, like the elect of Paul's day, to be highly controversial.
In my own life, people who have guessed the Reformed nature of my teachings and beliefs have dismissed those as controversial opinions. Even when I preached at my grandmother's funeral, one of my relatives hoped that I had not gone so far spiritually to be in the Reformed camp. She was not happy when I affirmed the accusation. Like Paul, it has been a lifelong struggle for me to be accepted on the authority of the Word that I must preach. Early on, in the Liberal "Church" I was charged with having too fond of a love for the truth of Scripture and the terrible opinions of The Westminster Confession. Like those terrible brutes in control of the House of Representatives, who take the Constitution seriously, I was ordered to be more flexible in my understanding and application of the Scriptures. After all, the Scriptures were to be used as mere tools to preach the message agreed upon by the leaders of the modern "Church".
And therein lies a major point of friction between Paul and the Old Covenant community as well as those Judaizers who came over to the New Covenant community without putting away entirely the traditions and assumptions of the Jewish elders. To be faithful to his Christ, Paul and I and you must not be caught up in any man made traditions. No indeed we must always focus our faith and our teachings upon Jesus Christ alone. To that end, let us consider the seven verses before us today.
In the opening verse Paul shows us our proper relationship to our Lord. The word servant that you read in most modern translations would better be translated as bond-servant or even slave. Now that is a humbling title that very many professional ministers would not appreciate. We know from history and experience that the Church has been plagued by self-important bishops and careerists for many centuries. At one time in Europe, men even had to purchase their parish so that they could live off of the income. Those who could not afford the price, became mere hirelings like Adia employees today who receive only a portion of the real wage. From these under-paid servants, bishops kept the majority of the benefits for the servant's labor. Such corruption is not the complete image here.
The bond-servant relationship here is more of the grateful service done for the far greater rewards which Christ has given in atonement for Paul's and our sins. For Paul, and all Christians who understand the great gift of salvation, ministry is indeed a profound labor in love. Paul's labor was so much so that when he went to the mission field he gathered gifts and funds for the home church in Jerusalem! How many of our missionaries would go out today under the same arrangement? Do you begin to appreciate Paul's observation about his and Barnabas having to earn a living in our passage from Corinthians?
In addition to this servant image, Paul reminds the Romans that he too was called to be an apostle to spread the long predicted and promised gospel eagerly awaited by the elect. This gospel Paul points towards Jesus Christ who must be understood as the very Son of God as well as the descendant of David. John Murray in his commentary urges us to consider that "there are good reasons for thinking that in this instance the tile refers to a relation which the Son sustains to the Father antecedently to and independently of his manifestation in the flesh". Charles Hodge also urges the same consideration of Sonship not as "a term of office, nor an expression of any relation assumed in time. He was and is the Eternal Son". John Calvin also points us towards this essential duality. "Two things must be found in Christ, in order that we may obtain salvation in him, even divinity and humanity".
There is no warrant as some liberals would allege that Paul, the theologian, takes the primitive witness of the Christian community and develops Christian theology in a different direction than Jesus of Nazareth would have hoped. Just as Paul was earlier careful to establish his authority as an apostle so in verse five he turns it all over to "his name's sake". That is, for glory and honor of Christ, which Hodge tells us is the final end of apostleship. This is our calling as well, to take that great gift of mercy which we have received and take our testimony to the worldly wherever they may be found.
We are assured from the proof in the sixth verse that people are indeed called into "obedience that comes from faith". Ah, there is a kicker that is not much talked about in our day. "obedience that comes from faith". Here Luther would have us understand that Paul expects his readers to have an "implicit trust in him as one having divine authority". And because of this authority, they should learn to obey the Gospel through his polemic arguments which will follow . Now, this is heavy duty stuff here before us today.
Here you are, assembled in Christ's Church to hear me talk Calvin, Hodge, Murray and others who write about Paul's writing about Jesus Christ. For those of us called to the ministry this is indeed an awesome responsibility. Ministers ought never to raise the authority of the message on our own recognizance, but must always like Paul tie the message into the very Word of God, which must also be verified in your hearts by the Holy Spirit.
However, this responsibility travels in two directions. Just as Paul urges the elect in Rome to understand that his message comes only from the Spirit of God, so too he would expect them to accept the authority of his teaching! Did you get that? Let me rephrase it slightly. He is saying to the Romans that if they have the Spirit, they will acknowledge the authority of his teaching! And so too, if you all here consider the joint authority exercised by the session of elders raised up by God from your midst, so must you accept the words of Paul on the authority of Christ. Of course, the derived authority which we may understand must always be measured against Scripture. And Paul, when he gets to Rome will certainly have ample opportunity to explain more fully the exceptional, the unique polemic which he has set forth for the up building of those saints who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. May the "Grace and peace" from God our Father, be yours as well as we delve into the deep deep complexities of God's polemic revelation which we will find in this awesome letter to the Romans.
Resources Used: The Holy Bible, New International Version
Places Preached:Bruce, F.F. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: Romans. Calvin, John. Commentaries on the Epistle of Paul to the Romans. Hodge, Charles. Romans. Marshall, Alfred. NASB-NIV Parallel New Testament. Mueller, J.T. Luther: commentary on Romans. Murray, John. New International Commentary: Epistle to Romans.
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Rom01a.htm 02 April 95
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