Good News

Greetings everyone.

Today we start a journey through Paul's letter to the Romans.  I have heard it said many times that, "If you get Romans, then God gets you."  Well, let's get Romans.  Today we will look at the forst three verses:  Here is my translation: 

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus, the Messiah, called as an apostle, and set apart to proclaim the good news of God. 2 This good news was promised long ago by his prophets, in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His son, who became flesh, a descendant of David. 

In verses 1-7, we see what is something of a standard greeting, in that time, for a letter.  The sender identifies himself, then identifies the addressee, and offers them a greeting.  Paul certainly identifies himself by name, but then quickly declares himself to be a servant of Jesus and His gospel.  Most of the first 6 verses, in which Paul identifies himself, are really about Jesus, where Paul finds his identity. 

Paul says three things about himself: 

1. He is a servant (or slave) of Jesus.  According to the Lexicon, the Greek word δοῦλος (doulos) means slave (involuntary servitude), but it also states “or those to whom total allegiance is pledged.”  Paul has not been enslaved by Jesus.  His service to Jesus is completely voluntary, and it comes with total allegiance to Jesus.
2. He was called to be an apostle.  As in Galatians, Paul establishes his apostolic credentials.  Paul has been given some authority as an apostle. He was κλητὸς (klētos) - “called” to his apostolic position by Jesus.  We know from what The Lord said to Ananias in Acts 9:15 that Saul (Paul) was called specifically to be sent to the Gentiles. Paul was to be the Lord’s “chosen instrument,” as an apostle to the Gentiles. John R. W. Stott points out an interesting dichotomy that Paul shows us here.  He is a slave, or servant, a position of great humility, and at the same time, an Apostle, a position of great authority in the church.  (Stott, 31.)
3. He was set apart to proclaim the good news of God. - εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion) is a noun meaning ‘good news’ or ‘gospel.’ The word εὐαγγέλιον in its verb form, it means 'to announce or proclaim the good news.'  We know that Paul was set aside specifically for this reason, to proclaim the gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles.  Paul has told us in other places, like Gal 1:1,11, that Jesus called him, specifically and gave him authority and the gospel of grace that was to preach among the Gentiles. 

In verse 1, Paul has already told us something about this ‘good news’ or gospel.  It is of God. Thomas Schreiner points out that this means that the gospel is from God, but also about God.  (Schreiner, 41.)  

Stott says this about the good news of God, “ This is still the first and most basic conviction that underlies all authentic evangelism. What we have to share with others is neither a collection of human speculations, nor one more religion to add to the rest, not religion at all.  It is rather the gospel of God, God’s own good news for the lost world.  Without this conviction, evangelism is emptied of its content purpose and drive.”  (Stott,  32-33.)

So far, Paul has this gospel, or good news, that is from God and is about God, and with it comes an obligation to share this good news.  

Continuing on, in verses 2 and 3, Paul begins telling us more about the gospel, or good news.  He says two more things about the good news: 

1. The prophets promised this 'good news' in the Scriptures, long ago. The idea that the gospel of Jesus was promised in the Old Testament, affirms that the gospel that he is preaching is not something of his own creation. (If you read Galatians, Paul spent considerable time in Galatians establishing that the gospel he was teaching had come directly from Jesus, not from himself.) 
2. The promise concerns God’s son, (whom he identifies as Jesus in verse 4). This son became flesh, which certainly implies that the son did not start out as flesh, but rather as something else. The son is also identified as a descendant of David.  

So what do we make of this good news:  So far, we can see that God had planned long before to send His Son to the earth in the flesh, and had made promises about this through His prophets in the Old Testament.  It is not the whole picture yet, but it is good news.