Romans 1:1 PAUL’S CALLING

A BOND SERVANT Romans 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, Phil. 1:1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, James 1:1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ Jude 1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,

BONDSERVANT Doulos: “one who is subservient to, and entirely at the disposal of, his master; a slave.” Often translated, bondservant, servant or slave. The Hebrew word for “bondservant,” ebed, had a similar connotation.

HEBREW “SERVANTS” Ex. 21:“ 2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing.

ENDING SERVICE 3 If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

SERVE FOREVER 5 But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

NO ONE LIKE JESUS John 6:67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

PERMANENT SERVITUDE The term bondservant or slave could refer to someone who voluntarily served others, but usually referred to one who was held in a permanent position of servitude. Under Roman law, a bondservant was considered the owner’s personal property. Slaves essentially had no rights and could even be killed with impunity by their owners.

SLAVES OF GOD NOT SIN Romans 6:22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God,

AN APOSTLE Romans 1:1…called to be an apostle, 1 Cor. 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, 2 Cor. 1: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, Gal. 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),

GREEK MEANING Apóstolos: "one who is sent away", is a messenger and ambassador. The purpose of such "sending away" is to convey messages, and thus "messenger" is a common alternative translation. [ [

QUALIFICATION OF APOSTLES (1) to have been an witness of the resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 9:1), (2) to have been explicitly chosen by the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:15), and (3) to have the ability to perform signs and wonders (Acts 2:43; 2 Corinthians 12:12). The role of the apostles, laying the foundation of the church, would also argue for their uniqueness.

LEAST OF THE APOSTLES 1 Cor. 15: 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS Acts 9:3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

JESUS REVEALS HIMSELF TO SAUL Acts 9:5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

SAUL RESPONDS 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

SAUL WAITS 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

LORD SENDS ANANIAS Acts 9:11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”

ANANIAS FEARFUL Acts 9:13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”

PAUL’S CALLING Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

ANANIAS GOES TO SAUL Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

SAUL IS CONVERTED 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized… 20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

SET APART FOR THE GOSPEL Romans 1:1…separated to the gospel of God

THE MESSAGE Romans 10: 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the L ORD shall be saved.” 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

PREACHING THE GOSPEL 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!

SAVING GOSPEL 1 Cor. 15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

GOSPEL RECEIVED 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.

PAUL’S EXAMPLE A Bondservant: We Love Him Because He First Loved Us Called by God to Be: an Ambassador, Emissary, Messenger Set Apart For the Gospel: to Share the Good News