“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—

Paul begins to introduce himself as a servant or slave of Jesus Christ. He sees himself as a bond-servant of Christ. It was Jesus who met him on the road to Damascus and from that time on his life was devoted to serving Jesus. There are two parts to this coin, First how he sees himself and secondly how he sees Jesus. He sees himself as nothing more than a servant, a slave. That means Jesus is his master. Jesus is on the throne, not Paul. Many Christians have this turned around. We think God is our servant who wants to give us all we want at our faintest whim.           

Paul says, No, I am the slave, and he is my master. I am here to obey and please and live for Him. Paul knew he was persecuting Jesus. He knew he deserved to die in his sins, but Jesus gave His life for him and now he is giving his life for Him. Paul knew being a Christian was not just being religious. He was very religious. He had plenty of religion as a Pharisee. The law did not put him in touch with a living God, but when he met the Lord, he devoted his life - not to religious activity, but to a person. Paul's self-understanding is that he was bought, owned and ruled by Christ Jesus.

Second, he wanted them to know he was called to be an apostle. Apostle means one who is sent by the authority and with a commission. It is like an ambassador. Paul knew he was to share with Gentiles this wonderful story. He has a responsibility to declare the truth from God based on his call and the message given to him.           

Paul's significance is not first or primarily what he has done, but what has been done to him - he has been bought and owned; he has been called, and he has been set apart. He was called as an apostle, a leader to the Gentiles as a special anointing by the Lord Himself, so he has Christ’s authority. He did not volunteer for that office, nor was he elected by fellow Christians. He was divinely called by Jesus Christ Himself. Paul met the apostles and told how God had called him to work with the Gentiles. He told them how much love he had for his own people and prayed they would respond by placing their faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul called himself an apostle. An apostle is to be a person who has seen Jesus Christ risen from the dead so that he could give first-hand testimony; was commissioned and authorized by Christ to represent Him and to speak for Him and had the authority to provide the foundation for His church through true and authoritative teaching. He wanted to share in mutual edification and ultimately go on his way to Spain. He hoped to hold special meetings there and call unbelievers to accept and follow Jesus.

Third, he was set apart specifically to present the gospel to the Gentiles. Paul knew his calling. It was about sharing the good news. All of Paul’s previous experiences were preparation for what God was going to do in his life.           

God gives all Christians a new purpose when they are called by Him to service. It may be as a mother, father, husband, wife, single, student, professor, artisan, professional, or whatever. God calls all Christians to glorify Him in every sphere of life. Remember, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col 3:17).           

Paul knew he had been set apart for the gospel of God. Paul did not find it difficult to leave his Pharisaism because his new mission was to proclaim the good news of the gospel at home and abroad.

Dale