01.1. SECTION I - Authentication Salutation - Rom_1:1-7

SECTION I PAUL’S PRELUDE TO THE EPISTLE - Romans 1:1-17

Paul’s introduction to his Roman Epistle has three major subdivisions:
1. Authentication and salutation - Romans 1:1-7
2. Commendation, aspiration, and obligation - Romans 1:8-16
3. Theme of the Epistle-the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel - Romans 1:17 Chapter 1 - AUTHENTICATION AND SALUTATION - Romans 1:1-7

Authentication

Paul was establishing the genuineness of his position in Christ. His authentication includes his name-Paul, his being a slave of Jesus Christ, his call by God as an apostle, and his permanent separation for the gospel which was not hidden in the Old Testament. Confirmation begins with the name, Paul. Paul’s Hebrew name was Saul; but Saul was also known by the Gentile name, Paul, which was revealed shortly after his commission to the Gentiles (Acts 13:9). Therefore, the gospel was ordained by God to go by the personal agency of a Jew to non-Jews. The term doulos (slave or servant) means Paul was a slave of Jesus Christ. Some say doulos should not be rendered “slave,” because that translation excludes the element of free will. Did Paul have any choice concerning his call to the apostleship? He had no more to do with his call to the ministry than with his regeneration. There were no volunteers among the apostles, and there is no surrendering to the ministry subsequent to the apostles because all God-called men have been drafted. Others think Paul used the noun doulos in the sense of Abraham, Moses, Joshua, etc., who are called Jehovah’s servants. There is nothing in Scripture to contradict the idea of slavery in Paul’s acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Master. Hidden in the noun doulos is a great truth concerning the nature of true liberty, and that liberty is enslavement to Jesus Christ to whom he belonged by creation and redemption. Such slavery is Christianity. The word doulos expresses the condition of one who is not absolutely free. Paul applied the term to himself (Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:10; Php 1:1; Titus 1:1). The four masters in the world are sin, self, Satan, and the Savior. In Jesus Christ, Paul was no longer a slave to the other three. He was more than a servant. He was a bondslave, bound by love, to Jesus Christ. Paul’s first relationship with God was that of son (regeneration). On the day of his conversion experience, the fruit of regeneration, he asked, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6). A son does nothing to be saved, but a bondslave must do all to please Him who saved him. While the unregenerate person is compelled to do nothing to be regenerated, after his regeneration, he is impelled to do everything to please his heavenly Father. The word bondslave involves the idea of belonging to a master and serving him as a slave. The first Christian idea of a bondslave is that the believer is a purchased possession (1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Peter 1:18-21). This is illustrated by the slave becoming the property of his creditor (Deuteronomy 15:12). However, the slavery had a termination. But if the slave, because of his love for his master, refused to go free, he remained the servant of his master forever (Deuteronomy 15:16-17). This illustrates the second Christian idea of a bondslave, which is the believer’s self-surrender. Spiritual service must always be the product of choice and never that of coercion. Hence, the believer’s surrender is not forced; it is the expression of self-surrender. The new life purchased by Jesus Christ and applied by the Holy Spirit develops in every recipient of grace the sense of eternal debt to Jesus Christ, a personal debt that can never be forgotten and an infinite debt that can never be fully discharged.

Paul was called an apostle. The adjective “called” (kletos, called or summoned) must not be translated like a verb. Since the adjective is without an article, it means a definite call at an indefinite time. Hence, Paul’s call to the apostleship originated in God’s purpose; but God’s purpose became a reality by His sending Jesus Christ to personally purchase Paul and also to summon him to the office (Acts 26:12-18). Paul’s call to apostleship, unlike that of the twelve, followed the days of Christ’s ministry. But he did not consider himself to have fallen short of the superapostles (1 Corinthians 15:8; 2 Corinthians 11:5). The apostle Paul had been permanently separated (perfect passive participle of aphoridzo, to separate or to set apart) for the gospel of God. The perfect tense denotes that God’s action was completed in past time with continuing results. Paul was not only separated to the message of the gospel itself, along with all who have been regenerated, but he was also separated for its proclamation. The following are seven things said about the gospel of God in the introduction- Romans 1:1-17. l. The gospel’s source is God (Romans 1:1).
2. The gospel was promised beforehand by the agency of the prophets (Romans 1:2).
3. The gospel concerns the Person and Work of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:3-4, Romans 1:9).
4. The gospel must be preached (Romans 1:9, Romans 1:14-15). (Also see 1 Corinthians 9:16.)
5. The gospel is the power of God which results in salvation (Romans 1:16 a).
6. The gospel is to the Jew first and then to the Gentile (Romans 1:16 b).
7. The gospel is the revelation of God’s righteousness (Romans 1:17). The gospel, by the power of the Spirit of regeneration, forcefully enters the prepared soil of the regenerated heart in a salvation experience
(1 Thessalonians 1:5-10). The gospel of God was not hidden in the Old Testament, since it was promised beforehand by the prophets in the Holy Scriptures (Romans 1:2; Romans 3:2; Exodus 12:1-51; Isaiah 53:1-12; etc.). God’s gospel has many facets, but there has not been and never will be another gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). The following are some of the major features of the gospel for consideration: l. God is the Author of the gospel.
2. Jesus Christ is the subject of the gospel.
3. Grace is the character of the gospel.
4. The elect are the recipients of the gospel.
5. The kingdom will be the consummation of the gospel.

While the gospel means “good news,” Paul emphatically declared that the term does not mean that which is “new” (Romans 1:2). Some are saying “the gospel of God” is not to be confused with Paul’s gospel-“...the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that has been kept silent in times eternal” (Romans 16:25 -translation). Did Paul preach a different gospel from the gospel that was promised by the prophets? The answer is found in the words of Paul himself in Acts 26:13-23. The “mystery” of Romans 16:25 is not a different gospel from that proclaimed before him, but it was how the Gentiles (non-Jews) could be introduced on the ground of “fellowship” with Old Testament saints (Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:1-12). The gospel of God is
(1) prophesied in the Old Testament,
(2) personified in Jesus Christ, and
(3) personalized in the saints-God’s elect. God’s gospel of Romans 1:1 was not God’s afterthought but His forethought. In fact, God cannot have an afterthought; in His infinite wisdom, He knows everything simultaneously. The “holy scriptures” of Romans 1:2 identify the gospel with the promised Son of Romans 1:3-4. Therefore, the gospel is personified in the Son of God. The promise became a Person, and the Person became the good news. This good news is described in Romans 1:3-4. The following are the major points of the good news:

1. The word “made” (genomenou, aorist middle participle of ginomai, to be born, or to come) should be compared with “declared” (horisthentos, aorist passive participle of horidzo, to declare, designate, or determine). The son who was born of the seed of David has been declared the Son of God. Although Jesus Christ was born the unique man, He was unlike the sons of men. Christ’s being the descendant of David proves He is the man approved of God. His being the only begotten Son of the Father proves He is God.

2. The “seed of David” is to be compared with “the Son of God.” The first reveals Jesus Christ as a member of the human race; the second proves He has a nature superior to the human race. Because of His human nature, He can reach the elect; and because of His Divine nature, He can save them. Thus, due to Christ’s hypostatic union, He is our Kinsman Redeemer.

3. “According to the flesh” should be compared with “according to the Spirit.” The first refers to Christ’s incarnation and humiliation; the second applies to His resurrection and exaltation. In these verses, the three Persons in the Godhead are seen within one context. The simple rule of mathematics that things equal to the same thing are equal to each other may be applied to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being one. The declaration is by the Holy Spirit, and the resurrection is the proof of the declaration.

Paul concluded the validity of his position and apostleship by saying, “through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience on behalf of His name...” (Romans 1:5 -translation). Grace and apostleship is the proper order, and this order also demonstrates the fact that blessing comes with responsibility “for obedience to the faith.” In the light of the context, the “faith” (pistis) is objective genitive, not subjective genitive.

Salutation

Following his authentication, Paul greeted the subjects of his Epistle in whom the gospel was personalized (Romans 1:6-7). “Called of Jesus Christ” denotes the source of their calling (Romans 1:6). The genitive case in the Greek is a mark of ownership; therefore, they belonged to Jesus Christ: “and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God” (1 Corinthians 3:23 NASB). “Called saints” (dative masculine plural of the adjective hagios, holy, righteous, or God’s people) refers to position because of imparted righteousness (Romans 1:7). God’s “calling” is sovereign, in Christ, according to God’s eternal purpose, irrevocable, personal, by means of the gospel, and no effort must be spared to make it sure.

Regeneration and calling differ; however, they have a vital connection. Regeneration is the work of the sovereign Godhead; God makes a person who is spiritually dead in his trespasses alive with Christ by the Spirit. (See Ephesians 2:5.) The gracious work of the Spirit in regeneration causes the recipient to respond to the gospel call. Calling, therefore, is the Divine summons which appeals to the principle of life already in the individual’s heart that causes his understanding and will to act. While regeneration takes place independent of the understanding and will, calling is made effectual by the understanding and will. Therefore, calling is the bringing forth by the call of the gospel the Divinely given life into light (2 Timothy 1:9-10). Failure to make this distinction is as foolish as a young married woman calling a baby she prenames and hopes to have when she is not even pregnant.