Bible Study Romans Part 17-The Called

If you’ve ever wondered whether the Gospel is to be taught to “some people” and not others, Romans 1:5 refuses to let you stay vague. We dig into Paul’s words about receiving grace and apostleship for the obedience of faith among all nations, and we ask what that means for real Christian discipleship, not just theology on paper.

We talk honestly about predestination, the elect, and the uncomfortable truth that God never gives us a list of who will respond. That tension does not cancel evangelism, it fuels it. We also trace how “all nations” echoes the Great Commission, and why the Greek idea behind “nations” is bigger than a narrow “Gentiles only” reading. From there we address replacement theology head on: God is not done with Israel, and Paul’s mission never treats Jewish people as an afterthought.

Then we bring it home. Paul is not the only one commissioned. We are “called,” invited into the work, and our obedience can look like many things: steady faith under pressure, a life that reflects grace, or simple clarity when someone needs the Gospel explained in plain words. The driving motive is not self-improvement, but living for Jesus’ name’s sake.

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Transcript

Program Vision And Scripture Supremacy

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Welcome to the program Study in the Chapel. God's Word is supreme at Chapel Ministries. We consider it absolutely essential to a proper relationship with God. We study it, we love it, we rely on it every minute of every day. 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. Our intention is to travel all the way through the Bible. It will be a challenging journey, but one that will undoubtedly bring you to a decision. Through this study, you will be faced with either believing or rejecting what God has said to us. It is our intention to provide you with enough knowledge to make an informed decision about God and his word. 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. In fact, these are matters of eternal life and eternal death. Never treat what God has said lightly. There's truly nothing more important to you. Now join us as we seek God's will through his inspired word.

Christ Across The Whole Bible

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Everything that is in Scripture is geared towards making us more like God's Son. You mean even the Old Testament, you know, the books of Moses? Absolutely. If you focus on them and you see them as they were originally written, is as a way to show us about God's plan of redemption, then we discover all the way throughout that everything that's been spoken of has been about Christ. And that's what Paul has been saying here in this letter to the Romans here in the beginning, and he will continue all the way throughout, proving to those people in Rome, especially to the Jews that were in Rome, that Christ, Jesus Christ, was the Messiah. Christ and Messiah are exactly the same word. One is in Hebrew and one is in Greek. Jesus is the Messiah. And Paul is putting forth great effort to teach all of us that he is the one worthy of our worship because he was sent to us to save us. And that's what we've been trying to tell you throughout. So we are, as I have been saying, in the letter to the. We've been saying, okay, I was looking over at Catherine. Catherine gave me a gesture, but apparently it was wasn't important. Okay, it wasn't meant for anything important. That's good. Okay, we're we're that's a it's live to tape, so these sorts of things happen. So, anyways, we are in the letter to the Romans. We have been studying this now for quite a while. We're almost through the first sentence, the first seven verses of Romans 1 is one sentence. It is a powerful sentence, it is a sentence full of good Christian doctrine. That's where we are tonight. We're

Romans 1:5 And Obedience Of Faith

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gonna start on verse five, by whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all nations for his name. Paul's commission as an apostle, our commission as disciples, serving disciples, disciples in the service of our master who is the Messiah, extends out to the whole world. We are to share the good news, the gospel, far and wide to all that will listen. My friends, the gospel isn't just reserved for a select few. Yes, I firmly believe in predestination and the elect and all of that, but God has never distributed a list of those who are included in those roles. In fact, the opposite. And this is why so many reject John Calvin's viewpoint. This is just the way God has set this up. Charles Spurgeon said it best. If God had painted a yellow stripe up the backs of the elect, I'd go through London lifting up coats and preaching only to them. As it is, he has not. So I preach the gospel to all, and God brings his sheep. Listen, there's no test we can administer. There are no signs. There isn't even some set of telling behavior. There is just no way for us to know whose name is written in the Lamb's book of life. Don't ask me why, but it is our clear instructions to preach in such a way as if everyone is elect. We don't know who is, so we have to assume it's everyone. It's not, but those are our instructions. We leave it to the sovereignty and justice of God. We are to deliver the message to the whole world, and then those that God has called will respond. And by

Preach To All Without A List

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the way, this would have seemed very unusual to those converted Jews, with some exception. Their previous religion, the Jewish religion, did not have an evangelical component to it, still doesn't. That's not to say they didn't try to convince others of the truth of their God. But to the Jew, full participation in their faith was based as much or more on their physical makeup as their spiritual one. To the Jew, a great deal of their perceived personal value to God was their physical, familial relationship to each other. In other words, God loved them because they were all descendants of Abraham. The key to full acceptance into Judaism was genetics. Only those born into the physical family of Abraham are entirely welcome in their system and places of worship. If you weren't born a Jew, there will always be an obstacle in front of you. And listen, don't judge, because as far as I can tell, there was no missionary commandment in the law of the Jews. That's incredibly difficult for the modern Christian to get their head around. But by and large, there weren't any efforts to go out and find converts. If a non-Jew wanted to participate in the Jewish religion, he had to come to Judaism because Judaism wasn't going to go to him. And even then, there were significant limitations to his participation.

From Genetics To Global Mission

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But Christianity is vastly different. We are all now sent out by God to bring the Savior to the world. Remember, the great commission from the Gospel of Matthew are our instructions. These are the words of the Lord Himself, Matthew 28, 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Down to the exact word choice, Paul echoes what his call is, by whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith, obedience of faith among all nations for his name, pas ethnos. Here in Romans 1:5 and over in Matthew 28, it's translated all nations, pas ethnos. Elsewhere, this word ethnos is translated Gentile. Some have said that's what Paul is saying here, that he is referencing all pos, that's the pos part, pas ethnos, all Gentiles, that he is sent out to all the Gentiles to preach the obedience of faith. They're saying that's what Paul is saying here. However, Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones argues that here in Romans, Paul is actually referencing far more than just the Gentiles. And I wholeheartedly agree, which I usually do with Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones. Yes, when the word ethnos is used elsewhere in Scripture, even sometimes when Paul uses it, the meaning is indeed limited to the Gentiles. When you see the word ethnos in the New Testament, it normally means Gentiles, but it's literally translated nations. To the Jew, the nations were the Gentiles. And so that's what we've been saying. Some things, some think that's what he's saying here. But this letter, and more specifically, this section of this letter, seems far more inclusive as we've been saying all along. These first few verses really seem focused on the Jewish converts, and it would seem rather odd now for Paul to exclude them in this statement. I think with the inclusion of this word all, pos in the Greek, it's much more likely that Paul means that his commission, the grace and apostleship for obedience of faith, was to be literally for all nations. Ethnos was to be translated nations, not just Gentiles. Listen,

All Nations Includes Israel

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he may have often called himself the apostle to the Gentiles and feels especially blessed to be so, as he'll tell us in this epistle later, but he never acted as if his only mission was to the Gentiles. In fact, as we've already pointed out, it was his typical practice wherever he went to first visit the Jewish synagogues in order to preach Christ to the Jews who were there in attendance. As a matter of fact, it almost cost him his life on a couple of occasions, but that never seemed to change his practices. He sought out Jewish converts as often and as vigorously and as fearlessly as he did Gentiles. And besides, listen to me, no follower of Jesus, no true evangelist, no herald of the gospel would ever overlook or leave for someone else any opportunity to add to the kingdom, regardless of that person's genetic makeup. And listen, going back to that Great Commission again, do you think that Jesus was only concerned about the Gentiles when he used the exact same words that Paul did? Technically, Paul used the same words as Jesus, but you get my point. Let's read it again. Matthew 28, 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, pos ethnos, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Can you imagine Jesus ever turning his back on his father's chosen people? Did he not once say the following to that Canaanite woman, Matthew 15, 24? I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Elsewhere as recorded in Acts 1.8, Jesus, after his ascension, gave these instructions. Acts 1.8, but ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto him, unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. That is a detailed list of all the nations, including the Jewish nations, Paul is referring to. Now, just a quick note to those who think that God is done with the Jews since their rejection of his son. Acts 1.8 is after the Jews put Jesus to death. Even after their horrific treatment of him, the Savior made sure that the nation Israel was among those given a chance to hear the saving message of the gospel. No, the Christians have not permanently replaced the Jews. We've only joined them as God's favored ones. That's why Paul said his commission was to all nations. All nations includes the Jews. Nowhere has Paul ever indicated anything less. Why do we go to so much trouble talking about this? Why do you keep hammering away at this, John? Because there are large sections of the Christian church that think that God is done with the Jews. Nothing could be further from the truth. They are his people and they will remain so for all eternity. And that's why Paul said he's preaching the gospel to all nations. But it's not just Paul's job.

Your Commission And Your Gifts

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This isn't just the other apostles' job. Paul is sharing these marching orders with the rest of us. Verses five and six of Romans 1 again, by whom we have received grace and apostleship for the obedience of faith among all nations for his name. But listen to this: among whom are he also the called of Jesus Christ. This is why Bible study is so important. You have been commissioned as a representative of Christ to go out and spread the gospel of God. It's the same commission as Paul has. Of course, the actual operation of his mission will look different than ours, as all of ours is different from each other. God took Paul's unique talents and leveraged them for this commission. He's doing the same for you, he's doing the same for me. Like Paul, God has called you from your mother's womb to reveal his son, God's Son in us, that we might preach him throughout the earth. Now that doesn't mean you have to stand on a street corner somewhere, Bible in hand, screaming the gospel loud enough for everyone to hear. I'm not disparaging that approach. It's not for me. But if God called you to do that, fine. But that's not the only way God sets us up to deliver his good news. Sometimes we're just really good at living in such a way that directly reflects the beauty of his grace in the life of a believer. Maybe we just know how to convince someone of his love by the way we react to the inevitable bad news that never seems to let up in this world. I'm just giving possible examples here. Maybe God gave you an unusual ability to explain his word in terms that those around you can understand. You can put flesh and blood on the gospel and make it real to those who just don't understand nor desire after the deep theology of it. That is a skill of immeasurable value. Now, you may still be thinking, John, I have none of that. I can barely understand what God is saying myself. How can I take this to all nations when I feel so inadequate? Well, first of all, I can tell you that all of our reaction to this should be one of inadequacy. None of us should ever feel we know this stuff so well that the world is blessed to have us around them. These are eternal things, and eternal things are going to make every mortal being feel inadequate. So don't let that stand in your way. In fact, let that encourage you. If you understand God's word so well that it makes you feel smaller than an ant, then my friend, you know everything that you need to know. You are on the right track for being someone who can truly share the gospel. And all I can say is that God never asks us to do anything that he hasn't prepared us to do long before. Not one person in the Bible went to work unqualified. The best advice I can give you is trust that your success in his work is more important to him than it is to you. And because of that, he'll make sure you're ready. Your job is to be obedient. Now, I just want to back up for one brief moment.

For The Sake Of His Name

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There's one more thing in verse five I want us to take a closer look at. It is a vital but almost completely unnoticed component of this calling that Paul and the other apostles and we have been given. Not unnoticed by Paul and the other apostles, but most of the rest of us are quick to skip over it, by whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all nations for his name. Some say this should read for his name's sake or for the sake of his name. I think any of those will do. Now, why are you doing all this, Paul? Why did you throw away all that Pharisee prestige? Why have you resigned yourself to a life of nomadic preaching? Why not avoid all that jail time you've been doing, all the beatings, all the riotous crowds screaming for your head? Why not just walk away? Because I do this for him, for his sake. That's what Paul is saying. He's saying it for himself and for the other apostles. They're suffering as much or even more than he is because of this grace and apostleship. All of the apostles had lives they gave up to. This wasn't easy for any of them. You know, you and I really have no idea what it was like to be a Christian right after the death of Jesus. Now, we're not going to get into the grisly details, but nowadays being a Christian is a cakewalk compared to it, what it was then. And I'm not complaining about that. I'm not being critical. I think the security most of us feel today as Christians is a blessing given to us directly from God. Of course, it isn't a bed of roses, but no one is risking being lion feed anymore. Things have changed for the better. We are relatively safe now, at least for the time being. Now, I know that's not a universal fact. There are lots of Christians suffering under persecution, from what, but from what I read, they endure for his name's sake, just like Paul and the other apostles. Paul is addressing those who wonder why he goes through what he goes through. He says his motivation, what gets him out of bed in the morning, is the one who called him. If he is your one goal, my friend, that is the only goal in the universe that's eternal, that never ends, that never changes. We should Be focused on him. He should be what we strive for. Jesus gave Paul a commission, and it's for him, for Jesus, that he does what he does for his name, for the sake of the name of Jesus. Now, one of the recurring themes in this ministry is service. We over and over remind you that you've been saved for a much higher purpose than simply to give you eternal life. God didn't send his son to the cross just so you can carve out a little piece of heaven for yourself. You were saved so that you can fulfill God's purpose for creating man in the first place. When God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, his aim was to spread his glory, God's glory throughout the earth. The creator's glory was the purpose the created were created. And as I always said, by the way, throughout the earth and maybe even beyond, God made all those other planets for a reason. I can't imagine he's satisfied with an empty universe. There's a whole lot of space to fill. There are whole swaths of creation that are only partially glorifying him. Let me get off this tangent before I go too far. Your purpose, my purpose, Paul's purpose is to glorify God. We all exist for his name's sake. As Paul put it to those men of Athens at Mars Hill, Acts 17, 28. For in him we live and move and have our being. Back to Romans. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which he had promised before by his prophets and holy scriptures concerning his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead, by whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all nations for his name.

Knowing God By His Names

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Once again, we can see here a reminder of how much Paul loves the Hebrew Bible, another reason why we know he was speaking to the Jews too. He frames his arguments with the Hebraic mind in many places. He's doing that here. Paul loves how God expressed himself to his people down through the millennia by the things he said in his word. In the Old Testament, the concept of name is an incredibly important one. Now, if you're a regular to this program, you know we've taught many times on the names God has given himself in order to express to us who he is. He, for instance, calls himself Elohim, by which we know him as the creator God. He calls himself El Elyon, the God most high. He is El Ra'i, the God who sees. And then at some point he started referring to himself by the exceptionally holy name of Jehovah. No time for details except to repeat that to God, his name is an expression of who he is and why he's like no other in the universe. It is through his names that we get to know him and we are to magnify him, magnify his names throughout the universe. And when we are being obedient in our faith, we're doing just that. And it's Paul's job to teach us through the, teach us these things. And once we learn them, it's ours to carry on further. You see, when we live our lives as if we know who our Savior is, who our Savior's Father is, and what our role in his plan is, then God is proven to be true and faithful. When we lean on his promises as if they're more solid than anything else in our world, we show forth that God can be trusted. If my neighbor wonders why I don't go to pieces because a big tree fell on my roof, narrowly missing Catherine and I as we slept, when my neighbor sees that despite a big hole in my house, I can praise God for his protection over me, he'll start to think that there may just be something to the things I say I live for and believe in. If I live my life as if the Lord is my shepherd, Jehovah Raah, then I am certain to heighten the sense of curiosity of those around me. Of course, I won't start out by quoting that Hebrew name. They might not appreciate it as much as I do. They might not see Jehovah Ra'ah as the type of name the normal person calls on when in trouble, but that is who he is. Someone once said that a shepherd is one who leads, feeds, and protects. That's my God to me. Jesus, in fact, is the great shepherd. And I count on him when I'm in trouble, even if I'm the one responsible for getting myself into that trouble, like the dumb sheep that I am. Again, it's it's not about me going around referring to Jesus as my great shepherd that will make an expression impression on others. Instead, it'll be about me living my life knowing, as if I know I'm well taken care of, that someone is leading me, feeding me, and protecting me. It doesn't really take much more than that. I've said to you many times recently, as a matter of fact, that you shouldn't worry if you're not a good public speaker or you have a hard time memorizing scripture, or that some of the deeper theological points escape you. Listen,

Called Saints Not Sunday Spectators

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like all history, church history seems to be replete with these mighty men of God. And it's easy to get the impression that the only way God can get anyone's attention is through these powerful preachers, brilliant theologians, or courageous martyrs. Like all building projects, the true heroes of the church are the nameless, faceless laborers who gave whatever they had for his name's sake. God doesn't ask for much, but he does expect your all. In fact, Paul makes that point right here. Paul, a servant, a slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, taken out of the normal flow of human life, taken from his mother's womb, and put him on the path of glorifying God, just like you, which he had promised before by his prophets and holy scriptures concerning his son Jesus Christ, our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, by whom we have received grace and apostleship. It's what we've received. We aren't offering God anything that he can use, he's giving it to us for obedience of faith among all nations for his name. Here's the point I want to make. Verse six among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ? The church, listen to me, was never meant to be made up of people who just drift in once a week, sit around listening to someone else praise God, talk about God, and then get up about an hour later, head to the door, and get on with their lives for the next six days, just to repeat the process the following week. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ. He uses the exact word that he used to describe himself. He's a called apostle. And then he says something almost identical about you. Verse 7 to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. In two verses, he reminds us twice of our status. We are the called, we are called. The Greek word is klatos. And the scholars say it means invited. Jesus has invited you to be a part of his work. Can you imagine if you invited your neighbor to help you move the sofa so you could vacuum behind it? And all he did was stand around and watch you do all the work? For some reason, we think that's what this invitation is all about. For centuries, people have thought that the extent of our responsibilities is to show up every Sunday, maybe say grace before dinner, maybe drop a couple of bucks in the collection plate, and that's all there is to it. According to Paul, you and I are called not to be saints, we are called saints. The King James folks made the same mistake twice. Remember, Paul wasn't called to be an apostle, he was a called apostle. Two very different things. Likewise, you and I are called saints, not called to be saints. We are called saints. That is the category we're in. We are the called of Jesus Christ. We belong to him because he's invited us, he called us. And when we accepted, we became called saints. But what does it mean to be a called saint? Well, that's what we'll talk about next time. See you then.

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