WEBVTT 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:04.160 Welcome to the program Study in the Chapel. 00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:07.599 God's Word is supreme at Chapel Ministries. 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:12.400 We consider it absolutely essential to a proper relationship with God. 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:17.760 We study it, we love it, we rely on it every minute of every day. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:33.679 The following program is an edited recording of the regular Bible studies we hold, and we decided to share these with you in the hope that you too will be able to find inspiration, encouragement, and ultimately salvation through discovering Christ in Scripture. 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:37.600 Our intention is to travel all the way through the Bible. 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:42.719 It will be a challenging journey, but one that will undoubtedly bring you to a decision. 00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:48.240 Through this study, you will be faced with either believing or rejecting what God has said to us. 00:00:48.479 --> 00:00:54.320 It is our intention to provide you with enough knowledge to make an informed decision about God and his word. 00:00:54.960 --> 00:01:04.879 We strongly encourage you to listen intently and diligently, because though at the moment you may not realize it, these things are truly a matter of life and death. 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:09.359 In fact, these are matters of eternal life and eternal death. 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:11.599 Never treat what God has said lightly. 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:14.400 There's truly nothing more important to you. 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:19.200 Now join us as we seek God's will through his inspired word. 00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:26.560 So we are continuing our way through the letter to the Romans, Paul's letter to the Romans. 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:33.519 We've been working hard at it so far for the first few weeks, for the last few weeks. 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:41.920 We are in the first chapter, we are in the first verse, and believe it or not, we're going to be here for a while, but it's packed with information. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:43.280 I I what can I say? 00:01:43.359 --> 00:01:45.760 We've got a lot of things to talk about. 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:55.439 There are a lot of things that Paul has been saying to us in this first few verses of this letter, and there's a lot more to go all the way through. 00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:59.599 So it's going to take us some time, which is fine because we love God's word. 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:04.640 It's like sitting down with a close friend and hearing them speak to us. 00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:05.439 We love Paul. 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:07.840 We love that he shares God's gospel with us. 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:22.879 We love the fact that we have the opportunity to do this because really only in about the last four or five hundred years of the 2000-year history of the church has there been this opportunity to start study God's Word. 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:24.479 So it is a blessing to us. 00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:28.879 We will continue to do it as long as Jesus allows us to do so. 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:33.280 As I said, we are in the first chapter of Romans. 00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:35.599 We are in the first verse of Romans. 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:37.919 So how about we get started? 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:49.759 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, as we've been saying, and we will continue to say, this is a remarkable statement. 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:51.840 Hey, it's just a greeting. 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:57.759 I know, but it has so much to tell us, and all of it is important. 00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:05.759 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:09.120 Paul is wasting no time here. 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:18.800 Though he's known to drift on occasion, here he is laser focused on making an immediate impact. 00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:26.479 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:40.560 The Christians in that Roman church, and really all Christians at that time, knew this word apostle very well, and they would have attached to it a very special meaning. 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:45.599 The English word comes from the Greek word apostolos. 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:49.680 Apostolos is the word Paul actually used. 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:54.879 And it is a Greek word that has meaning outside the Bible. 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:59.439 By that I mean it's not an exclusively biblical word. 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:10.639 It was a word used by everyday Greeks to describe one who was sent out, but not just sent out by anyone. 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:15.439 One who was sent out by someone in authority. 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:22.800 Now, this isn't a word that had been used very commonly before the time of Christ. 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:27.839 I said everyday Greeks use it, but they didn't use it every day. 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:35.600 As I said, it was in their lexicon, but not often employed in everyday speech. 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:43.360 But with the coming of Christianity, the coming of Christianity that changed drastically. 00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:09.680 And we owe that to Jesus himself. 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:16.319 He's the one that started using it to designate those that he had chosen. 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:29.360 He sent out these sent out ones to be the authoritative commission members of the foundation of the church in its efforts to spread the gospel. 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:38.480 The spreading of the gospel was the mission on which these sent ones were sent to the church. 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:50.160 The important element of being an apostle, a sent one, is the one who sent them and the reason the one who sent them sent them. 00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:55.439 The sender and the message are what made these men special. 00:05:55.920 --> 00:06:06.079 Yes, they were special in other ways, including performing miracles and prophesying, but those things didn't make them apostles. 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:09.680 Those things they did because they were apostles. 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:15.360 Apostles were special because Jesus had chosen them. 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:18.639 And the whole church knew that. 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:42.800 When Paul said he was an apostle, well, let's just say he had better be one, if he dared use that term, because the use of it was at that time very meaningful and very exclusive, and frankly, should be still to this day because of the context in which Paul used it. 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:54.480 If Paul said he was an apostle, sent on a mess mission, I don't know, by the mayor of Jerusalem to get money to improve the sidewalks, that's okay. 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:55.759 He can do that. 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:58.480 It would be weird, but fine. 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:02.720 No one would probably ask to see any credentials. 00:07:02.959 --> 00:07:05.120 But that's not what Paul said. 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:22.240 Paul said he was an apostle in a very special context to a crowd that had expectations with respect to that word, and he wouldn't have gotten away with it if he said it flippantly. 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:28.720 To the church at Rome, this title carried weight and meaning. 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:33.759 Now, let me just say this quickly and then move on. 00:07:34.319 --> 00:07:40.959 Because of all of that, all of what we just said, there are no more apostles. 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:44.000 Well, let me be more specific. 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:55.040 There are no longer apostles in the church, and there hasn't been since the last one died sometime at the beginning of the second century. 00:07:55.279 --> 00:08:01.600 Listen, you can call yourself whatever you want, but that doesn't change anything. 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:13.040 An apostle in the New Testament meaning of the word cannot exist in the 21st century nor any of the previous 20. 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:19.040 Now, I want to make an important correction in the King James translation. 00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:21.199 There they have it. 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:27.360 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle. 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:41.360 Now, if you have a King James Bible like I do, which I doubt, but if you do, you'll notice that the word to and the word be are in italics. 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:48.000 Anyone remember what it means when we see those words in italics in the King James? 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:55.600 Well, it means those italicized words were added by the translators. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:05.840 Throughout the entire book, you're going to see several other instances of these italics if you have a King James Bible. 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:20.960 You see, the King James translators were good and godly men, and they genuinely wanted to produce a translation that would be useful to English speaking people. 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:39.200 If they just wanted to go from Greek or Hebrew directly to the English, well then I suppose you could say they've done what they were asked to by King James I, who was also King James VI of Scotland. 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:49.679 If they just went word for word from one language to another, then, well, fine, you've discharged your duty. 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:55.200 But it's apparent that's not what they wanted to do. 00:09:55.519 --> 00:10:04.080 They truly set out to educate the English-speaking Christian on the contents of God's word. 00:10:04.720 --> 00:10:20.399 So they did more than just translate, since very often the way something is put in one language to make a point only confuses if put directly that way in another. 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:25.039 Though I'm not describing it well, I'm sure you know what I mean. 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:42.720 For example, if you're in Germany and someone does you a favor or provides good service or otherwise does something helpful, you say dunkashin, which literally means beautiful thanks. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:50.960 Now that's an odd way to translate it, since that's not really what you meant when you said dunk a shin. 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:54.240 You actually meant thank you very much. 00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:58.879 As I said, this sort of thing is very common. 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:08.399 One language puts things in a way that's slightly and often not so slightly different semantically. 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:17.200 It's something translators must figure out if they want to communicate the spirit and not just the words. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:36.159 When such a thing came up while translating the Bible, the scholars, intending to make sure the message got across, would add a word or two here and there to help with the comprehension of what was meant in the original. 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:48.960 And they were honest enough and respected God's word enough to devise a way of communicating to the reader that they had done such a thing. 00:11:49.279 --> 00:11:58.799 It's beautiful and it works the vast majority of the time, but it didn't work here in Romans 1:1. 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:03.600 Paul wasn't called to be an apostle. 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:10.080 Paul was a called apostle, and there is a world of difference between the two. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:21.759 At least there was to Paul, and there was it was also a difference to those Romans, and frankly, to all of the first and second century church. 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:27.120 A called apostle was a very special kind of apostle. 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:33.440 He's not just some guy that someone called out to and said, Hey, come be an apostle. 00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:38.879 He was an apostle whose defining, did you hear me? 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:43.679 Whose defining characteristic was calledness. 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:48.159 Apostles did lots of things by definition. 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:58.480 They taught, they provided leadership, they prophesied, they performed miracles, they even imparted spiritual gifts. 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:04.879 But what made them apostles was the fact that they were called. 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:09.120 That is a very special status for an apostle. 00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:11.840 At least that's what is meant. 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:31.919 In fact, over in his letter to the Galatians, Paul lays out specifically why this called apostle business is so important and why it makes him and those few others that have that same status so unique. 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:45.440 The introduction to his correspondence to the church at Galatia starts out very similar, very similarly to the one he wrote to the Romans. 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:48.879 He begins by introducing himself. 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:58.399 He starts out not with the contents of his thoughts and the purpose for writing the letter as we do today. 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:05.919 Instead, he starts out by telling the Galatians who it is that's writing to them. 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:13.679 Now, we've gone over this before, but this is a very vital thing Paul needs to do. 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:24.080 He needs to establish before he even gets started his authority to pass on what's contained in the letter. 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:32.080 This isn't just some Joe Schmoe sending a postcard from his vacation in Venice. 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:44.080 This is someone who is of some weight in the church community who's sending very important instructions on living the Christian life. 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:49.919 At the time, there was very little formal guidance on what that should look like. 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:57.759 And the voice of an expert, such as an apostle, was of immeasurable value. 00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:06.159 Paul had to make sure that what he had to say would be taken seriously. 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:28.159 I remember as a kid, every once in a while, when the Pope wanted to address the worldwide church, we'd spend some time during the Sunday service, usually at the beginning, listening to this message read out by the presiding priest. 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:37.360 At other times, it wasn't so unusual to have a little bit of news or information shared with the congregation. 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:55.039 Maybe the head of the building fund would get up and give us an update concerning the work going on over at the fellowship hall or the head of the soup kitchen downtown would speak to us about volunteering or donating. 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:59.840 That kind of stuff happened from time to time as well. 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:07.759 But it usually wasn't very interesting, and not many people paid all that much attention. 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:10.559 People would get up and go to the bathroom. 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:28.559 Moms would take the opportunity to get the mints ready to rein in fidgety kids or over-eager parishioners would look ahead in the missalette to see what's on the liturgical agenda for that Sunday. 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:35.519 But when the Pope had a message for us, we all sat up and listened. 00:16:35.919 --> 00:16:41.360 This was someone of note, and we didn't want to miss what he had to say. 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:55.519 When we were told that the message was coming from the head of the Roman Catholic faith, well, it didn't matter if he was talking about his favorite needlepoint stitches. 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:57.600 The place was all ears. 00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:08.799 There's just something about getting the perspective of the bigwigs that makes us all pay closer attention. 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:17.839 And I think that's why Paul so often took the time to establish his authority before he spoke. 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:20.799 It wasn't an ego thing, not at all. 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:25.839 To be honest, I think Paul was well aware of his brilliance. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:29.359 He wasn't even falsely modest about it. 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:36.160 After all, he knew who brought him along that path to such high intelligence. 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:43.119 He knew God was the one responsible for everything he was and everything he possessed. 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:50.799 I mean, this is the same guy who said in 1 Corinthians, for who maketh thee to differ from another? 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:54.240 And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? 00:17:54.559 --> 00:18:00.720 Now, if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:16.720 In other words, and Paul was speaking to himself, nothing any of us possesses is something to brag about, again, including Paul, because God gave everything that we have to us. 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:25.599 Paul therefore wasn't trying to boast or bluster when he insisted that he was an apostle. 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:30.559 He did so for a very practical reason. 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:39.920 He wants everyone to know that he was set apart, not of his own free will, for this apostleship. 00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:58.079 Apostleship wasn't a reward for some exceptional feat or a promotion for possessing some exceptional ability. 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:06.720 This wasn't something one could gloat about since the one who was a called apostle had nothing to do with it. 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:08.559 You didn't earn it. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:11.119 You had to be appointed. 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:14.000 You had to be called. 00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:25.599 And Paul knew he was a called apostle, and that part of his status was important, and those people at Rome needed to know that. 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:28.880 I never read out of Galatians, did I? 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:39.039 I'm trying to make a point about Paul's called apostleship, and the letter to the church at Galatia spells it out in detail. 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:44.319 Now, why he didn't put it this way to the Romans, I have no idea. 00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:49.839 Maybe he figured they knew what he meant when he said he was a called apostle. 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:56.319 Not saying the Galatians did it, but this is how he introduces himself to them. 00:19:56.559 --> 00:20:01.680 And there's hardly a more powerful statement anywhere in the New Testament. 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:14.160 Galatians 1:1, Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him from the dead. 00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:25.759 He's not just called, but called by Jesus Christ and God the Father, you know, the one who raised Jesus from the dead. 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:33.119 Hey, Galatians, if you got a problem with my coldness, take it up with the ones who are responsible for it. 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:36.160 Now, of course, I'm being a little silly. 00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:42.240 There's no reason to believe that the Galatians doubted his apostleship. 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:53.680 It's just that Paul is here giving them the full explanation as to why he is called a called apostle. 00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:56.880 And he's doing so for a reason. 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:03.519 Once again, John, we can see that you have no self-control, that you just can't help yourself. 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:06.880 You have to beat every topic to death. 00:21:08.160 --> 00:21:16.400 Well, yes, I do spend time on certain things, but every time I do, it's because those things are important. 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:24.960 And because in the typical life of the Christian, these things are rarely discussed. 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:34.319 Listen, Paul had no choice but to make sure his correspondence was treated with the utmost attentiveness. 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:43.359 You see, apostasy and heresy were already rampant in the world around the just now growing church. 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:54.799 Lots and lots of people were claiming to have some level of authority to dictate doctrine or ritual or church membership. 00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:59.759 I'm sure it was getting to the point that the people were becoming connected. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:06.559 Confused as to who to believe, confused about who they should follow. 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:19.200 So the true church, the true apostles, had to distinguish themselves if they wanted to be effective in a world confounded by heretics. 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:32.400 If Paul allowed people to think he was anything other than a called apostle, his letters may never have survived to this day. 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:36.000 And just the thought of that almost makes me shudder. 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:41.519 Can you imagine Christianity without the letters from Paul? 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:43.359 It's unthinkable. 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:53.680 But thank God we don't have to imagine that because Paul's teaching has been with us since literally the beginning of the church. 00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:59.759 And only the words of a called apostle would hold up this long. 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:06.480 And this is a point Paul was very keen to communicate. 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:26.799 Now we're taking our time here because as we said when we started this study in Romans, that determining the credibility of the author of any book is key to establishing the reliability of the contents contained therein. 00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:33.680 Paul appears to know this, and he doesn't mind going through this exercise. 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:50.799 He doesn't see it as demeaning or insulting because he's not trying to enhance his own reputation, but rather he's trying to get buy-in, if you will, from his audience. 00:23:51.039 --> 00:24:00.559 Paul wants us to trust what he has to say, because nothing is more important than the message he is about to deliver. 00:24:01.920 --> 00:24:04.799 Now there's one more thing I want to say about this. 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:11.680 This is how the church has always treated the things that were written to us. 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:25.839 That is why, listen to me, if anyone ever tells you that in the 300s, when the church got together and started putting the Bible together, especially the New Testament, this is how they approached it. 00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:41.519 They knew and they only accepted the writings of those who were known apostles, people who had a known connection to Christ, people they knew who were connected directly with our Lord. 00:24:41.680 --> 00:24:44.960 And that's why they put those books in the Bible. 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:50.319 Don't let anyone fool you into thinking it was just a random picking from here and there. 00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:55.759 This was a precedent that was set for hundreds of years, hundreds of years. 00:24:55.920 --> 00:25:00.880 That's why the Bible is what it is, and you can rely on it. 00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:05.279 If it was written by an apostle, then it meant something. 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:08.720 And the church always saw it that way. 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:10.079 All right. 00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:17.200 There's still a lot more to say about this, but let's stop here for now and we'll pick it up right there next time. 00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:18.319 See you then. 00:25:21.200 --> 00:25:23.440 We hope this study has blessed you. 00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:33.599 God's word is a great treasure, and it's our belief that a thorough, purposeful study of it will bring all of God's children to an understanding of his eternal plan of redemption. 00:25:34.160 --> 00:25:37.359 It is our prayer that this will be so for all of our listeners. 00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:39.440 Please join us again soon. 00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:44.160 New content is being added all the time, so make sure you check back often. 00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:55.359 For more information on Chapel Ministries, including our YouTube channel and podcasts, please visit www.chapelontheweb.com. 00:25:55.920 --> 00:26:03.119 And if God has laid it upon your heart to share 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