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I
A Revolutionary Portrayal of the Working of God
(1:1–18)
The Platform of the Faith Revolution
The opening section of Romans relates the stupendous redemptive initiative of God toward all humanity, which produces the faith revolution.
In the first paragraph there is the description of how the working of God provides the completely trustworthy platform for the faith revolution. A platform is commonly known as a stage on which an activity or event is presented. It can also mean the foundational ideas or principles which give definition to a movement or an organization. Political parties have their distinctive platforms.
The faith revolution also has a definitive platform, a reliable foundation, which is completely trustworthy.
Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. (1:1–4)
Here is laid the foundation of the working of God on which all that follows rests. It is the bedrock that supports the structure of Christian belief. It is the platform of the faith revolution.
This platform is completely trustworthy because the spokesman is fully credible. He is Paul, the appointed apostle of Christ. First, we find that he is fully credible because of his competence.
It is apparent that most of those in Rome knew Paul, or knew of him. He had made mission trips all around what is now turkey and Greece. His itinerary included all the major cities and many of the lesser ones. He was a clear and bold preacher who produced controversy and conversions wherever he went. During the twenty years of his travels, some who met him then found their way to Rome. To them Paul wrote, with the guidance that made it God’s truth.
Paul was prepared by his heritage and personal experience to be the spokesman for the faith revolution. As is often said of someone whose competence is recognized, “He knows what he’s talking about.” Christianity arose out of Jewish history, to which the apostle was connected by his personal history. In his letter to the Philippians he outlines the following connections.
- He was “of the stock of Israel,” defining his national heritage.
- He was “of the tribe of Benjamin,” defining his paternal line of genealogy over a thousand years.
- He was “a Hebrew of the Hebrews,” an authentic model of cultural pride and patriotism.
- He was “concerning the law, a Pharisee,” emphasizing his professional prominence as an authority of the Torah Law and the unwritten traditions and rules governing Jewish life.
- He was “concerning the righteousness which is by the law, blameless,” relating to his conduct and reputation, to be in strict compliance with every performance requirement.
- He was “concerning zeal, persecuting the church,” which says that Paul was totally committed to the official Jewish opposition to Jesus and to those who believed in him.
As an astute enemy turned strong advocate, Paul had full competence to evaluate the faith revolution. This was often shown as he made the case for Jesus being the one promised by the prophets, when he frequently spoke in the synagogues where he visited. He told of how, on his prosecution expedition to Damascus, he was intercepted by a blazing light and commanding voice that halted him in his tracks, leaving him blinded and baffled.
This life-changing event turned the prosecutor into the promoter of the Christian belief. The apostle’s immediate ability to represent Jesus to the world was by his knowledge of history, the Law and the prophets. His superb skill in proclaiming the meaning of Christ was due to his thorough understanding of God’s purpose, in preparation by Jewish history. He finally realized that all the Law and the prophets pointed to and were fulfilled in the Savior.
So Paul was well equipped, at his encounter with the living Christ, to be the spokesman for the faith revolution. By his lifelong preparation, he was fully competent to present this platform, which was by the working of God.
The apostle’s credibility was due not only to his obvious competence but also to his personal cost. It was measured by vicious opposition, perilous journeys, and painful beatings and stonings. He gave up his position of privilege and power among approving colleagues to face their ridicule and anger. He wrote:
I bear in by body the marks of Jesus.
Later in this Roman letter he wrote:
I have heavy and continuing sorrow in my heart for my brothers.
It was they who denounced and pursued him even as he was confronted by entrenched Gentile oppositions.
It is said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. This kind of toughness is witness to the validity of the reason and purpose driving such persistence. The staggering price paid by Paul to take the message about Jesus, as God’s way to eternal life, to the world, is a measure of both his credibility and that of his message. He was a determined spokesman of truth.
Over a twenty-year period Paul brought the faith revolution to Damascus, Antioch, Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Iconium, Lystra, Athens, Ephesus, and Jerusalem. Most of the cities were visited twice. Then, over a period of four years of imprisonment in Jerusalem, Caesarea, and Rome, he continued to define and defend the faith. The last record we have of Paul was his conversation with Jewish leaders while a prisoner in Rome:
He explained and testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the prophets.
The great apostle remained always true to his assignment!
So we have over twenty-four years of all-out effort, and the final episode in Roman prison, as a measure of the high cost the apostle was willing to pay to represent Jesus. Such dedication and sacrifice by this very capable and determined lawyer says to us that his credibility is clearly established.
A spokesman also needs credentials that reinforce his credibility. They are qualifications for the assignment given that promote validity and acceptance. Recognition of credentials increases credibility.
The first of Paul’s credentials is that of attitude. He calls himself “a servant of Jesus Christ.” On the Damascus road, when he was turned around by an intense light and a commanding voice, he responded, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” This was the immediate servant attitude that defined his life from that moment on until, in all probability, Paul put his head on the executioner’s cold block, after he wrote “the time of my departure is at hand.”
Paul surrendered to ownership by Christ and was no longer Saul the proud Pharisee but Paul the servant apostle. He was no longer driven by religious tradition but by connection with Jesus. The chain of command for Paul had but one link: to Jesus. He was loyal to one Employer and answered to one Boss. The roadside encounter was so powerful that he was a very different man thereafter. It was a unique and powerful event that produced his total, absolute, and permanent transf...
