Paul: His Life and His Teachings Greetings of Grace and Peace
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No.4 Paul: His Life and Teachings – Greetings of Grace and Peace (Part 1)
No.5 Paul: His Life and Teachings – Greetings of Grace and Peace (Part 2)
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We finished discussing the turnaround in the life of Paul. Some who experienced this kind of divine intervention will use this as a platform to do whatever they want in the Name of Jesus. However, Paul is different. He knew that accountability, especially in the area of revelation is a must to maintain sound doctrine. He understands that one cannot just introduce a teaching without checking its consistency with the Scriptures and the apostles’ doctrine - things need to be verified and confirmed. We can see the same principle when he wrote about how noble-minded are the Bereans compared to those in Thessalonica as they receive the word with great eagerness, and examine the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so (Acts 17:10). So Paul took his rejections as an opportunity to study and to confirm the revelation that was given to him – three years in Arabia and Damascus, then some time with the other apostles – especially Peter, and James (Gal. 1:16-19). Only after then that Paul began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues that He is the Son of God. Just as he had his commission from Jesus earlier; he waited for no further instructions from the Lord, and sets out to obey.
Now, the believers who first heard about Paul didn’t know much about his conversion. So, the way he greets them is very important. This tells us how important Paul’s greeting of grace and peace. This means that Paul was not coming to them from the Romans or the Sanhedrin to bring unrest. Instead, he is coming to them from Christ bringing grace and peace. The other thing that changed in Paul is his compassion. He was no longer a man driven by anger. He is now driven by love manifested through his compassion to those he ministers to. In this lesson, we will look into the subject of grace and peace in the ministry of Paul. The contents of the initial words in Paul’s letter to the Romans is similar to the opening words he used in most of his epistles. This includes 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. It is safe to say then that the greetings of grace and peace are universal in Pauline vocabulary. His understanding of this concept is so pervasive in his letters that we need to get a grasp of what he meant whenever he mentioned grace and peace.
Paul wrote the letter to the Romans on his 3rd Missionary Journey. Meaning, that he is already well established in his theology. He had grown and progressed a lot in his faith. How was at the best of his theological learning. The letter was written around 57 AD. Being an apostle to the Gentiles, he wanted to visit Rome on the way to Spain. The Church in Rome was not founded by an apostle. The Christians in Rome grew in faith so much so that their faith became known to all the world (Rom. 1:8). The greetings come from a man who is called by God (v.1). Interestingly, Paul referred to himself as a bond-servant or a δοῦλος (doulos) of Jesus Christ. The term means a love-slave – servanthood or subjection without the idea of bondage. This concept was taken from the old testament about someone who is eligible to be set free but refuses to. Instead, he is marked permanently as a slave to his or her master. This is a depiction of one’s voluntary submission to God’s will. God will never force His will on anyone. Rather, we delight to do His will (cf. Psa.40:5-8; Isa. 40:5,6).
Paul also refers to himself as ἀπόστολος (apostle) or a sent one. Because he is a slave, then he can be sent. God cannot send us unless we volunteer to be His servant. As a slave sent by God, 30 years later after Calvary, there was a church for Christian worship in every major city of the Western Roman Empire. This was largely through the ministry of Paul. He made a full proof of his apostleship. His concept of a slave is what kept him grounded. He did not have a swollen head because of his success. At the end, he was just another servant (cf. Rom.15:19). Those who profess to be called a servant of Jesus and are sent to do something, need to examine what they have accomplished regarding being sent as a servant of God. Paul is also set apart, ἀφορίζω for the gospel. This is being separated for the gospel from everything else. The man who would be most effective in the service of God must burn all the bridges. Paul must cut himself adrift from all possibility of compromise so far as Christ and the gospel were concerned. Herein lies one of the reasons why there is lack or absent of commitment in the Body of Christ. Believers do not fully separate themselves from everything to be committed only to Christ.
Paul’s call to apostleship is purely based on the grace of Jesus Christ. He did not earn, merit, nor deserve it. Grace comes before apostleship, or before any call. It is always salvation before service. This is why we need to be wary about churches who don’t care if one is born again or not. They will just put anyone into service to hook them in. It is always salvation (grace) before service (call). Likewise, commitment to the truth comes before commitment to the task. This must not be reversed. Like Paul, our attitude must be “obedience to the faith.” Our call is to bring about obedience to the faith among those whom we minister to. Our assignment is “all nations” or “all the Gentiles.” Nations or gentiles is ἔθνος, which means “ethnics or ethnicities.” Finally, there is grace and peace in our call (cf. Rom.1:5-7). We are called of Jesus Christ – called of God and loved by Him. We are called to be saints and are lifted by Him. Salvation is an uplift, setting us into a much better state. It is through Jesus Christ, who is victorious over sin and death, that we received grace and apostleship. This is how grace and peace come to us from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The subject of grace and peace is a dominant theme in Paul’s epistles. In almost all of his letters, he starts with an introduction to his call, and apostleship, and then greets other believers with grace and peace. The concept of grace and peace is so prevalent in Paul’s writings that it is imperative for us to have a good grasp of the subject to better understand what Paul means whenever he mentions grace and peace. Previously, we learned about how the grace and peace of God were very much manifested in Paul’s conversion. This tells us that Paul is a grateful recipient of God’s grace and peace, so grateful that he wants others to experience and be blessed with God’s grace and peace also. In this lesson, we will look into the grace and peace of the Gospel that Paul preaches. Three things about the Gospel that makes it very gracious is that, (a) it is from God, (b) it is promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, and that (c) it is centered in Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the heart of the Gospel. As Paul described it, Jesus was the Promised One, the one Promised beforehand to be exact. He was the One who will reign, that is, sit on the throne of David – He was David’s descendant according to the flesh. He is the Resurrected One – declared the Son of God through the resurrection from the dead. What these suggest is Jesus lived a life of complete victory over sin and the power of sin. He lived on earth around 12,000 days, and each of these days was a marvel of holiness (cf.Heb.7:26). In spite that He lived as a man, still, He is overflowing with grace, mercy, and truth. His resurrection from the dead indicates victory over the penalty of sin. It is through Jesus Christ that we received grace and apostleship. In Romans 1, Paul wrote that it is through Christ that we received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake (v.5). In the same manner, Paul recognizes that his call to apostleship is purely based on the grace of Jesus Christ. He did not earn, merit, nor deserve it. God’s grace in our call demands our obedience to faith, and the command to bring about obedience to the faith among those whom we minister to.
Hence, the call of the people of God as called by Jesus Christ is to bring the world – that is, all nations or ethnicities – to the obedience of the faith. This means to submit to the Lordship of Christ and to abstain from wickedness (cf. 2Tim.2:19). All who are called of God and loved by Him. They are called to be saints and are lifted by Him. A common narrative of being lifted by God is being taken out of a miry clay. He took us out from darkness to light; from the slavery of sin to the freedom of living in the Spirit. The grace and peace of God come to us, gives us eternal life, reconciles us with God, blesses us, and places us in the position of being what God wants us to be. God desires what is best for us. His will is good, pleasing, and perfect. We just have to submit to the Lordship of Christ, obey His Word, and allow Him to fulfill His will for us.
If we celebrate Christmas season apart from r the Lordship of Christ over our lives, what we have is just a holiday. To truly live out a merry Christmas, we need to recognize Christ as our Lord and Savior. As we start the New Year, may the grace and peace of Christ be upon us in abundance. Praise be to God!