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ROMANS…PAUL’S OBLIGATION – 4

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“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul wanted to go to Rome. He planned to go to Rome but…it didn’t work out for him.. not yet. As he worked his way from Syrian Antioch, his headquarters, across the province of Asia, preaching and starting churches in cities and towns as he went, through southern Europe, Rome would always be his goal.

He had answered the call to enter Europe and eventually, to reach Spain, so he thought, which, for him, was the outer reaches of the empire but…Rome was his target. Why Rome? We can only guess. 

Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire, the centre and hub of government. Its influence, like the spokes of a wheel, radiated outwards to the farthest reaches of Rome’s territory. Caesar, whoever he was, was the mighty human power that controlled the lives of its citizens and those who lived in its conquered colonies. The Caesar’s power, however despotic, was everywhere but…

Paul had a message to share with the world that would lift its people above the power of an earthly tyrant into the realm of God’s reign. Jesus, and what He did would free them from fear and give them hope of a life now and a future beyond their wildest imagination and beyond Rome’s reach. He had to go to Rome from where the influence of his message would spread throughout the world. 

Paul’s letter, after giving his credentials, which were so necessary because of those masqueraded as apostles, began in the best possible way…thanksgiving for the news of their faith that had spread across the whole Roman world. In Paul’s day, he didn’t need social media or the internet to get information out. Constant movement of people took news everywhere, good or bad. 

So, Paul could be sincerely grateful that there, in Rome, was a group of people who believed in Jesus and were not afraid to make it known. However, he was also keen to ensure that they clearly understood the ramifications of their faith so that they would be grounded in the truth…especially in the face of the danger they faced daily, the threat of death at the hands of a ruthless despot, should they be discovered. 

These Roman believers had to live their faith in secret. Like many Christians in the Islamic world today, they gathered in small groups in hidden places, to worship, read Scripture, pray, and share their stories, to avoid being discovered,  arrested, and often tortured to death. 

It was to these people that Paul wrote…to anchor their faith in the timeless truths of God’s eternal plan and the grace that brought Him to earth to set His plan in motion. They had begun well. Now it was important that they understood the foundation of truth upon which their faith rested. 

Paul’s calling to preach the good news was as wide as the world itself…and it was not optional. 

“I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus had given Paul the task of taking His message across the world…from Jerusalem, where it began, to Rome where the world was centred. No one was excluded from hearing and responding to the good news. His was more than a calling. It was an obligation that pressed hard on him, moving him ever onward to wherever the Holy Spirit led him. 

Paul had learned that, far from his narrow view of God’s exclusive dealings with Israel as His covenant people, God was offering His mercy to whoever would receive it. Jew, Gentile, Greek, Roman, men, women, slave or free…His grace was available for everyone who would believe. So, he had to tell them or they would never know. 

His message was both broad and narrow…broad because it was for everyone and narrow because everything God offered was about one man, Jesus,  and one foundation…God’s righteousness. 

To be continued

LUKE’S GOSPEL…A CAREFUL RECORD – 1

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Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Nothing recorded and preserved in Scripture is there by chance. Let’s take a step back and view Luke’s story of Jesus within God’s purpose and the greater scheme of things. 

Was it by chance or by design that Luke shone the light on the humanity of Jesus? His research and his carefully-crafted report brings to the surface a man, although He was undoubtedly God,  who was an equally a human in every sense of the word. 

Why was it important for Theophililus, his target recipient, to have accurate details about Jesus in whom he had obviously come to believe? If one has put one’s life and destiny into the hands of someone who claims to be both God and man, at last one must be sure of His credentials. 

“Luke was a physician and companion of Paul, while Theophilus was a high-ranking individual (possibly a Roman official or patron) to whom Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts to provide an accurate, faith-building account of Jesus and the early Church. Theophilus’ name means “friend of God,” and Luke’s detailed, eyewitness-style writing aimed to solidify his faith and understanding.” (Source: Google)

How did Luke know Paul? We don’t know. Luke was a Gentile, Paul’s companion on some of his journeys and a loved and trusted fellow-believer.  Paul’s calling to evangelise the Gentiles suggests that this association began through Paul’s preaching to the Gentiles. Then, perhaps, Luke influenced Theophilus and out of these associations, he wrote his record of Jesus and the of the early church to provide the foundation for Theophilus’ faith, culminating with Paul’s eventual destination…Rome!

“Scholars have noted that Luke had an outstanding command of the Greek language. His vocabulary is extensive and rich, and his style at times approaches that of classical Greek, as in the preface of his gospel (Luke 1:1–4), while at other times it seems quite Semitic (Luke 1:5—2:52). He was familiar with sailing and had a special love for recording geographical details. All this would indicate that Luke was a well-educated, observant, and careful writer.” 

(Source: got questions.org – “Who was Luke in the Bible?”)

Luke was neither an eyewitness nor a servant of the word, but one who used these records as part of his “careful investigation” around which he built his narrative. 

Luke had the credentials to be the author of two books included in the canon of Scripture. He was a careful, accurate, and accomplished writer, adding another dimension to the story of Jesus. His background in medicine, in keeping with his times, gave him a special interest in Jesus’ healing ministry. His own history and that of Theophilus as Gentiles was in line with prophecy…that Jesus came for Jew and Gentile. 

So, his “mini-biography” of Jesus begins… not with Jesus Himself but with the birth of John the Baptist, a key figure in prophecy and in the narrative of the God-man. 

Can we trust the authenticity of Luke’s version of Jesus? Does it match up with the Jewish writers who were associates and companions of Jesus or, In the case of Mark, a close associate of a disciple…Peter? The ancient scholars who carefully complied the canon of Scripture, said a resounding “Yes!”  

To be continued…

PAUL’S DESIRE — GOD’S INTENTION

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PAUL’S DESIRE — GOD’S INTENTION

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last, by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to make you strong — that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” Romans 1:8-12.

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, took his job seriously. He had been commissioned by his Lord to take the good news to the world. This did not necessarily mean that it was his personal responsibility to preach to every Gentile in the world. That would have been impossible then, even if he had all the technology and all the facilities we have today.

Paul relied on God’s amazing strategy of multiplication. It was God’s plan that the church grow by multiplication, the same strategy that works in nature. In spite of the slow modes of transport then, people, including believers, moved around from place to place and wherever they went, believers spread the story of Jesus.

Some new churches began through the work of faithful men, for example, men like Epaphras, who started the church at Colossae. Other churches sprang up as ordinary believers witnessed to their faith in Jesus as they moved around. No one knows how the church at Rome began but nevertheless Paul felt responsible to visit the believers in Rome, to ensure that they were on the right track and to strengthen them in the face of persecution.

The city of Rome was the hub of the Roman Empire. Paul knew how influential the church there was and it was his task to ensure that they understood and believed the truth of the gospel.  The news of their faith had already spread to the whole world. Paul would not exaggerate lest he be thought a liar. He rejoiced in their faith but he also prayed faithfully for them. They were in the firing line for both persecution and error.

Life for believers anywhere in the empire was an uphill battle. They were the targets of hostility from both Jews and Gentiles and the pernicious false teachings of self-proclaimed “apostles” who twisted the truth or added to it to make it more palatable. Part of Paul’s commission as an apostle was to interpret the events of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and to teach the infant believers the truth that would steer them through the morass of false teachings.

This responsibility included the churches he did not personally found. The letter to the Roman church was borne in his heart as he battled the Judaisers, Jewish “believers” who insisted that Gentiles first be circumcised before they could embrace Jesus as their Lord. Paul was enraged by any teaching that subtracted from the sufficiency of Jesus for salvation by adding rules and ritual to faith in Him.

The church in the province of Galatia, possibly more than one church group, was hounded by these false teachers and had been taken in by them. Paul wrote a heated and emotional letter to them, pleading with them not to throw away their salvation by adding the law to their faith in Christ. Even submitting to circumcision would disqualify them from receiving God’s grace in Christ.

Paul’s letter to the Romans is like Mount Everest in the mountain range of New Testament letters. Through it, Paul paved the way for his intended visit to them by giving them a detailed explanation of God’s righteousness revealed through justification by faith in Christ alone, no doubt flowing out of his hot defence of the gospel to the Galatian believers. He wanted to see them face-to-face, to connect with them, to fellowship with them and to share his heart with them in person. A letter was good but a personal visit was better.

He was submitted to the will of God, no matter how much he longed to go to Rome. Little did he know, when he penned his letter, that his visit to Rome would be sponsored by the Roman government and his accommodation provided at Rome’s expense right in Caesar’s palace, albeit as a prisoner chained to a Roman soldier! All the better because his witness would spread throughout the palace guard and infiltrate Rome from the very top.

Talk about God’s wisdom in action! Paul may not have thought it up, but he certainly recognised it when it happened. In this masterplan of God, Paul’s desire to visit Rome and God’s plan to take him there, came together.

“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” Philippians 1:12-14.

Acknowledgement

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