A walk through Romans

For a few months, I've been dabbling through the first chapter of the book of Romans.  Yes, I just said FIRST chapter.  Actually, I think I'm about 6-10 verses into Chapter 2 as of today!  What a MEATY book...slightly intimidating to be honest.  But I think it's the power in the words that entice me to dive in!  So, instead of traversing alone, I thought I'd jot a few thoughts down here as I go and maybe you can join me...it's always more rich when we study together :)

I like to read out of the ESV (English Standard Version) but will sometimes refer to the NLT (New Living Translation) for slightly different verbiage.

Paul is the author of the book of Romans.  We discover who he is and see his encounters and missionary activities throughout the book of Acts, just before Romans.  I highly recommend doing your homework on Paul...he's a beautiful example of God's incredible grace and mercy...and desire to use our weaknesses for His good!

Ok, ready to get going??

In my rush to get to the 'good parts' of the story, I've always overlooked the first few verses of Romans-- Paul's introduction or greeting.  What a big mistake!  There is so much richness in how Paul describes himself to his audience in these first 7 verses.  Note to self-not ONE ounce of God's Word is useless!  Savor.every.bit!

Romans, Chapter 1: 1-7
"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."

Besides being possibly the longest run-on sentence known in history, it's easy to get lost in these words.  Let's disect it a piece at a time.

Vs1: "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus"
Servant isn't exactly a politically correct term in 2012...hasn't been for decades, thankfully.  But the greek word here 'doulos' translates better as bondservant or slave.  Slave most closely identifies with Paul's intention here.  While we consider ownership of another human being to be horrific (and it is, when the ownership is forced) Paul is letting us know that he no longer belongs to himself.  He has handed over to Jesus, his entire self...rights, possessions, desires...everything.  He wants to convey to his readers in Rome that following Christ isn't just an acknowledgement of Jesus as the Messiah but a complete transfer of one's ownership.

I wonder what owned Paul when he was Saul...before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus? What owns you?  I'm asking myself the same question.  Even as a Christ-follower...have I made the transition (only with the power and help of the Holy Spirit) from being a slave to sin & rebellion--ie: my own way to being like Paul...a slave of Christ Jesus?  He won't take it from me, I have to hand it over to Him...willingly, with gratitude.  Are we there yet?