Since we just finished a year-long study of Acts, I thought I’d just keep on by going through Romans.

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,”

Paul had been converted along the road to Damascus 11 years ago and had been preaching the gospel ever since. By this time (@AD 57) he’d completed his first two missionary journeys and had helped to establish churches throughout the Mediterranean. 

The church in Rome had been established by others, but he was going to be passing through on a trip to Spain and hoped to meet his brothers in Christ there.  He wrote his letter as a way of introducing himself and letting the believers in Rome know he was coming.

Even though they have probably heard of Paul, he names himself as a servant of Christ, commissioned by Jesus Himself to spend his days preaching the gospel (good news) which had been promised throughout the scriptures.

Paul knew the price of enslavement, as he had already endured much rejection, beatings and prison as a result of preaching the gospel.  And yet, he had been convicted of his sin by the Lord Himself, so “At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.”

Those who heard Paul became aware of his servanthood to God as well. “Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” Acts 16:17

I pray that I could also be a slave to Christ for the gospel:

Ephesians 6 “19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”