Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God. – Romans 1:1

Today's Scripture Reading (March 3, 2021): Romans 1

Christian author and pastor, Aiden Wilson (A. W.) Tozer said, "I am Thy servant to do Thy will, and that will is sweeter to me than position or riches or fame, and I choose it above all things on Earth or in Heaven." I am not sure that it is an assertion that many of us would understand. We don't want to be servants; we want to be rulers; we want to be recognized as the ones in charge. We are surrounded by people who believe that they should make all the big decisions in our nation or the companies that shape our country. Workers often feel that their company would be in much better shape if we were the ones in control. The words that we do understand were written by John Milton in "Paradise Lost." We really believe that it is "better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven." We don't want to serve. We want to be kings and queens, even if it is just over our small domains.

Paul opens up his letter to the Romans by telling the Roman Church three things about himself. First, he was a servant of Christ Jesus. Second, God had called him to be an apostle. And third, that he had been set apart for the gospel of God. And the order, as well as what is missing, is essential.

Maybe we should first address what is missing. Paul was a Roman citizen, which might be something important to remind the citizens of the Capital city. Repeatedly throughout Paul's life, the fact that he was a Roman citizen had saved his life. But that Paul was a Roman citizen was not something that Paul felt was important enough to write down in his letter's introduction.

Paul was well-educated. He had been taught by the great Rabbi Gamaliel the Elder, who had died just before Paul wrote his letter to the Romans. Educational achievements might be important to us, but apparently not to Paul. All Paul wanted the Romans to know was that he was a servant of Christ, called to be an apostle by God, and set apart for the Gospel of God.

And of those three things, he was most proud that he was a servant of Jesus. I might have changed the order. But for Paul, being a servant trumped being called to be an Apostle. Australian New Testament scholar Leon Morris breaks down the word that Paul uses here, which is translated as "servant" (doulos). "Doulos" indicated a "complete and utter devotion, not the abjectness which was the normal condition of the slave" (Leon Morris). Nothing was degrading about being identified as a servant of God. Being recognized as a Servant of Christ Jesus was the highest honor Paul could imagine, higher than even the title of "Apostle." And it was how Paul wanted the Romans to think of him. He wanted to be remembered as a servant.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Romans 2