The Power of the Gospel

Introduction

The book of Romans is a powerful book about unity. Unity around all of the right things. We are struggling as a nation to find anything to be unified around. Almost nothing can bring the factions together in a way that is remotely satisfying. The tension of Covid and all the changes it has brought are added to racial division, political division, and moral division.

What we need is something radical enough to solve all of these divisions and bring a unity that satisfies the soul.

The Roman church was in a similar situation in terms of division. The church was polarized with the Jewish believers on one side and the Gentile believers on the other.

Among the 3,000 believers on Pentecost, some were from Rome. It is possible these believers went back to Rome and started a church the best they knew how.

At some point this mixed church of Jews and Gentiles was separated. We are told in Acts 18:2 that Aquila and Priscilla were in Corinth “because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome.” This left the church in the hands of the gentile believers.

By the time Paul writes this letter we find Aquila and Priscilla

back in Rome as Paul in Romans 16:3 sends them greeting in the letter.

Imagine the changes that took place in the church while the Jewish converts were away. Imagine the conflict of tradition and the fights over the keeping of the law and the holidays, etc.

Everything must be seen through the lens of racial tension

While this letter has a great deal of doctrine in it, it is not Paul’s exhaustive theological work. He deals with a certain set of doctrines and deals with them in great detail. But if you miss why he is making the arguments, in this racial conflict, you risk misinterpreting it.

Paul’s gospel message in this book is about bringing unity to a racially and culturally divided church. Two very different expressions of Christianity must be brought together. How can Paul bring unity to these two expressions, these two cultures, these two races? Paul believes in many things, but above all he believes in the power of the gospel.

The Power of the Gospel

Church, do you believe in the Power of the Gospel?

Then rise up in the honor of the reading of God’s Word as we read Romans 1:1-17 together this morning. May God be praised for sharing this Holy Word with us.

Romans 1:1–17 ESV

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

The Power of the Apostle

The letter begins with a power grab by Paul.

Paul did not start the church in Rome. It is possible that the church was started by the Roman visitors that witnessed the power of Pentecost.

Acts 2:5–12 ESV

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”

So, these Jews and proselytes (or God Followers) from Rome may have believed among the 3,000 saved that awesome day.

They may have then taken that faith home and started a church. We are not sure. What we know is that there is a church there now that is being marred by the separation of two factions.

Before Paul can give them instruction that he believes will unite them, he must show them that he has authority and can be believed and trusted. So, he begins to speak to them of the many connections he has to God. We are going to look at these connections as Powers, because each connection creates authority which brings about power.

Power of being a slave (1)

When we read in verse 1 “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus” we might think that a strange power. He has the power of servanthood. The truth is that the word would better be translated “slave”. The Greek word “δοῦλος” is not a servant by choice, and this is important.

First, Paul is claiming to be a servant of the Lord. That title was reserved for the great saints of the Old Testament like Moses, Joshua, David. So, it is at least in part a claim to a high position with God.

Second, it is a servile position which means he serves someone of a higher authority. In calling himself a slave, he is acknowledging that the authority that he exercises is not his own.

Third, he is telling them by using the term δοῦλος that he is a slave by calling, not by choice. The Apostles did not choose to be called Apostles. The people in our day who call themselves Apostles are errant, because only God can make someone an Apostle, and that age has ended.

Paul, in just two words, has laid a foundation of authority by laying claim to be a man of God.

Power of the call (1,5)

As Paul continues he says that he was “called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.”

The power of the call lies in the authority of the one giving the call. Who called him to be a slave of God? Christ Jesus. Paul was fond of putting the title before the name. I believe he did that to help some of you figure out that Christ is not Jesus’s last name.

Now, I want to make a point that some of you may disagree with. I believe, as I said before, that the context of the writing of this letter must inform the way we view its doctrinal statements. Paul says that he was called to be an apostle. He alone, not anyone at the church of Rome that he is writing to. So that the intent of using the language of calling is about authority, and specifically about the authority of the apostle. Paul had been called to be a messenger of the gospel at the outset of the church. We are sent to proclaim the gospel, but we lack the authority to define it. When we share the gospel, it must be the gospel we received from Paul, or the other Apostles. Luke and Mark were writing the gospel they had heard from Paul. Understand the special calling of the Apostle, they received and shared the gospel that came directly from God.

If you remember how the Apostles were called, Jesus simply went to them and said “follow me”. They were not given a choice as much as they were commanded to follow. The other disciples simply followed by choice. And some of them left when things became difficult, but no the called Apostles.

Now remember the nature of Paul’s call on the road to Damascus. He was blinded by the glory of Jesus and what he must do to regain his sight. So, when Paul says he was called (not by choice) to be an Apostle, you can see, not his reticence to follow Jesus, but the fact that Jesus chose Paul to be an Apostle, just like he chose the original twelve.

This, again, is about establishing authority. Paul had to defend his Apostleship in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 9:2 ESV

If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 11:5 ESV

Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles.

Why did he feel the need to defend his position?

2 Corinthians 11:13 ESV

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

Because false apostles were trying to change the gospel.

Set apart for the gospel of God

Finally, Paul says that his call to be an Apostle by Jesus himself was to set him apart for the gospel of God.

His calling was for the purpose he is now writing about. He is going to give correction to both factions concerning the nature and purpose of the gospel. Would to God that Paul would write the American church a letter to bring unity around the settled truths of the gospels, and to correct men who think themselves to be super-apostles in the way they use culture to change the nature of the gospel.

Power of presence (9-13)

Part of Paul’s message is his desire to go to Rome. He has long desired to love them in their presence. This is not an attempt to appease them, but to let them know that he has prayed exhaustively that “by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.” (10)

Many scholars believe that Paul wanted to go to Rome and make it his base for missions to Spain. It is easy to imagine Paul thinking about journey number four. But outside of that idea, he wanted to accomplish something in Rome. Rome was a power center, and to have the church there divided or teaching errant doctrine was very dangerous. Not to mention we hear in his letter a love for these saints in Rome and their lack of good instruction in the gospel. Like Apollos in Acts 18:24, these saints were simply lacking in the finer points of the gospel and needed instruction.

Paul longs to see them and wants to impart some spiritual gift to strengthen and encourage them. (11-12). He also wants to go to Rome in power and bring the gospel evangelistically to the whole of Rome. (13)

The Power of the Savior

His calling to be an apostle is only as powerful as the one calling him. Intermixed with his claim of authority is the authority he derives from Jesus and his authority. He could easily call their attention to Matthew’s gospel where Jesus says “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” except most scholars date Matthews gospel to 57 AD, which is ten years after the writing of Romans. When Paul is writing this letter, none of the now canonized gospels existed. You can understand the confusion.

Power of Prophecy (2)

This first appeal to authority is found in verse two where Paul claims that the gospel of God was promised beforehand, which we understand as prophesied, by the prophets in the holy Scriptures. Paul appeals to prophecy in the OT to lend authority to his claim of authority.

Power of Lineage (3)

Part of this prophecy was that the Messiah would come from the direct lineage of King David.

Let’s take a look at some of these passages.

2 Samuel 7:12–16 ESV

When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”

Solomon is the one whom God would discipline, but the promise of a throne that would be established forever is a reference to a future son.

Isaiah 11:1 ESV

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

This is a claim that the future messianic king would come from Jesse which was David’s father.

Jeremiah 23:5–6 ESV

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

Each of these prophecies that the coming Messiah must come from the seed of David, which Jesus did through Mary.

Power of the Resurrection (4)

Prophecy and lineage pale in comparison to the greatest sign - the resurrection. Paul says that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead was a declaration that Jesus is the Son of God. The power of God resurrected Jesus and showed Him to be the powerful heir to the Almighty.

This is what you might call a mic drop. Boom! I am called by Jesus to proclaim the gospel and He is the Son of God by virtue of His resurrection. Now lets talk about authority.

Paul, having established his authority, moves on to the final power he wants to wield in this mission of unification.

The Power of the Gospel

We still don’t get this church. We underestimate the power of the gospel almost daily. You say “How have we underestimated the power of the gospel?”. To which I say “Every time you think something else is going to solve mankind’s problems.”

Can the gospel of God solve racial tensions? Absolutely! Though we think our rants will do better.

Can the gospel of God solve troubles in your workplace or school? Every time! Live out the gospel and see what happens.

Can the gospel of God solve our political strife? It would if Christians would approach their opponents in a gospel way.

Can the gospel of God solve the Pandemic? It already has! People who are promised eternal life to come and believe it are not phased by the death that the virus brings! Oh Death, where is your sting!

Power of Prophecy (2)

It starts with the prophetic nature of the gospel found again in verse two. God makes promises to His people and He never fails to keep them. How often does God fail to keep His promises church? (never) say it again (never) with power (never).

Knowing that God has promised to use the gospel to bring in His kingdom is all we need to know. It will be done.

Power of God (16)

After all it is His power that brought it in. Only God has the power to resurrect a person after being dead for three days. And only God has the power to use that message to change the hearts of people everywhere.

Paul says in verse 16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”! Paul doesn’t cower when he meets a sinner, he proclaims the gospel because that story alone has the power to change lives. He doesn’t worry about eloquence or manipulative speech, he just proclaims the good news. It has a power that Paul only exercises by virtue of the message. Paul did not save people, the message he was called to give out had the power. He is just a slave following the plan.

Too many of us believe ourselves to be more worthy than the message. We think we have to win the day, but Paul says the message contains all the power it needs.

And it uses that power to to save everyone who believes.

Power of Faith (16-17)

For all the arguments that are made around the efficacy of the call and who is called, I want you to see the opening statement about the Good News Paul is sharing: it is the power of God to save everyone who believes. It is that simple.

I believe right now that God is calling you. If you have never believed the message of Jesus, that He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life of perfect love, and died on the cross to willingly pay the penalty for our sins, and was then resurrected on the third day, then God is calling you today.

The power of the gospel has been offered to you. The only power you now have is belief. Will you believe? What more must you know before you give your life to Him?

“As it is written ‘The righteous shall live by faith’”. You will never be good enough to enter the kingdom! You are not capable of loving God and your neighbor at the level required to enter eternal life. No words spoken over your grave can give you entrance. Only belief in the Son of God can do that.

As Jesus said in His days on earth I now say to you “Repent, and be baptized”. Have faith in God and respond by being baptized. Will you come and make that claim today? Will you make a comment on facebook to let us know that you have made a decision to follow Jesus? We will work out the baptism, you just make the statement of faith. Do you believe?

Church, you worship the Almighty who gave us the good news and made a way for us to come into His kingdom. Give Him thanks this morning and pray for the ones who have yet to believe.