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Date:February 20, 1950Place:Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong Speakers:Watchman Nee, Witness Lee Scripture Reading:Rom. 1:1
Romans 1:1 says, "Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, separated unto the gospel of God." In ancient custom and law, a slave was a person owned by his master. The master had absolute right over his slave. He could even dictate whether the slave should live or die. Paul was such a slave of Christ. He was bought by Christ, not merely hired by Him as a servant. Paul was also a called apostle. This is like a doctor, who is called to heal. Paul was "separated" specially for the gospel of God. The expression unto the gospel of God implies propagation and defense. Paul not only preached the gospel with his mouth; his entire being was separated unto the gospel. Even his tent making was for the gospel. Whether or not he preached with his mouth was a separate issue; the main thing was that his entire being was for the gospel.
Henry Alford maintained the King James translation of servant instead of slave. He said that slave implies someone without any freedom of his own. But an apostle is one who is called by God in a particular way; he possesses the highest office. The word apostle, or "sent one," is not used in a general sense; it carries a higher and more special meaning. The twelve apostles, plus James the brother of the Lord, as well as Paul, had received such a title. Only those who are specially called by God can be called an "apostle."
Paul said that he was the least of the apostles, one chosen by the grace of God (1 Cor. 15:9-10). He was separated by God in a special way, even from his mother's womb (Gal. 1:15). Paul was separated unto the gospel of God. The expression the gospel of God tells us that this gospel is of God. The word God is a possessive noun qualifying the gospel; it is not in apposition to the gospel. This gospel comes from God. This means that salvation comes absolutely from grace.
Simply speaking, Paul, as a slave, had no liberty of his own. Like it or not, he belonged to God. This calling was not a common calling. If it were, everyone would have had such a calling. As soon as a person believes in the Lord, he is a called saint (Rom. 1:7). This is the common calling, but Paul's calling was special. We can see how special his calling was from Acts 9 (vv. 3-19). Finally, this gospel is the gospel of God. This means that the very nature of this gospel is of God.
H. C. G. Moule said that Paul took Jesus Christ as his absolute master. This is the reason he adopted the title "a slave of Jesus Christ." He said that the word slave denotes two things: one who is bought with a price, and one who surrenders himself. The gospel of God in a particular sense is the gospel of Christ, for only in Christ is God truly revealed (John 17:3).
The expression Jesus Christ is used only eight times in this book. In Acts it is used over ten times, and in the Gospels it is used five times. In the Epistles, most of the time the expression used is Christ Jesus. Jesus and Christ are two different names of the Lord during two different periods of His life. Jesus is the name the Lord took as a man on earth. Christ is the name the Lord took in resurrection when He was exalted and confirmed by God. Jesus Christ refers to the fact that Jesus, the One who once lived on earth, is now exalted and confirmed by God (Acts 2:36). This speaks of His living on earth and His glorification on the throne. The expression Christ Jesus emphasizes Christ, the One who has received the glory. This Christ has the name Jesus appended to it, showing us that the glorified Christ is the very Jesus who was once a man. In the entire New Testament, we only see the expression in Christ Jesus, never in Jesus Christ. We can only be in Christ, not in Jesus. Even if we were able to live at the time that the Lord Jesus lived on earth and even if we were able to live like Jesus, we could never have gone to the cross and borne man's sins. If we were in Him while He was on earth, we would have partaken of the redemptive work of the cross. This is contrary to the truth. Everything was done by Him alone on our behalf. We have not done anything for Him. God has put us in Christ. We are in Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit. When the Bible speaks of the Lord Himself, it uses the expression Jesus Christ, and when it speaks of our position in Christ, it uses the expression Christ Jesus.
There are two schools of thought regarding the translation of Romans 1:1. One renders Jesus Christ, while the other renders Christ Jesus. Those who translate Christ Jesus think that Paul first saw the glory of Christ and then willingly became a slave of Christ to "preach...Christ Jesus as Lord" (2 Cor. 4:5a). But those who translate Jesus Christ say that Paul was emphasizing his being a slave of Jesus, not a slave of Christ. Men despise Jesus Christ, but Paul was willing to be His slave. He considered himself a slave of Jesus Christ, bought by Him through His redemption, death, and shedding of blood. Paul's declaration was his honoring and exaltation of this Jesus Christ. As far as Paul was concerned, he knew the excellency of Christ already. He was clear about His excellency and His glory, but now he wanted others to know the excellency of the man Jesus. His preaching was not only to make known "Christ Jesus as Lord," but himself "as your slaves for Jesus' sake" (2 Cor. 4:5b).
Moule argued against Alford, saying that the word servant should be slave, meaning someone bought and someone who submits willingly. On the one hand, Christ bought Paul with His own blood unto Himself. On the other hand, Paul willingly submitted and offered himself to be a slave of Christ. We are slaves of Christ in both of the above senses.
F. W. Grant said that the book of Romans is a complete and accurate thesis on the gospel. Everything spoken of in this book is an argument and counterpoint against any possible objection. The more precious and fundamental a truth is, the more men will summon their wisdom to overthrow it. Paul uses this Epistle to defend the gospel. The subject of Romans is the pure gospel. First, it points out that both the Gentiles and the Jews are under sin and cannot stand before the judgment seat of God. Next, Paul points out God's righteousness. This is the very thing that a condemned sinner is afraid of, but it becomes the very shelter and protection to an enlightened sinner when Christ's sacrificial work is revealed. By faith we are justified, and God's righteousness become ours. This gospel not only forgives the sinner of his sins, but secures a new position for the believer. The first part of Romans reveals the power of the blood which Christ shed for the sinner. When we believe in Him, our sins are forgiven. When Christ resurrected, the believers were justified by God. We stand on new ground in Christ and experience God's grace. Once a man receives this precious gospel, he can do nothing but preach it.
Grant is one of the most famous Bible expositors. Darby is also an able expositor. The former is short in stature while the latter is tall. There is another one, Frederick Louis Godet, who was an orthodox theologian. He represented the continental European school of theology. He was also a very spiritual man.
One brother said that the King James Version does not pay much attention to the difference between Jesus Christ and Christ Jesus. The same is true with Darby's translation.
Brother Yu: The Greeks spoke of peace in their salutation. But Paul spoke of blessing. He spoke about his ministry and calling first because he did not know the Christians in Rome that well, and he had to recommend himself and declare his status. The word slave is used also in Galatians 3:28 and 1 Timothy 6:1.
Watchman Nee: Martin Luther said that the word slave denotes modesty and majesty. In Revelation 22 John wanted to worship the angel, but the angel said that he was a fellow slave (vv. 8-9). It is a glory to be a slave of Jesus Christ! The word serve in Greek denotes a respectful and willing service. This word is used to describe the service of the prophets and kings. The service of a slave is the lowliest and meanest work; it is a work that unties others' sandals. When Paul said that he was a slave of Jesus Christ, he had the same spirit as that of John the Baptist.
The expression the gospel of God does not merely mean that the gospel speaks of God or that it is about God. Rather, it means that the gospel is established by God and initiated by Him (cf. Rom. 15:16; 1 Thes. 2:2, 8-9).
Paul was a slave of Christ. Paul testified that he was happy to render his service to the Lord as a slave bought by the blood of Christ. At the same time, he was an apostle appointed by God and called by Him unto the service of the gospel. Like it or not, he was separated unto the gospel. He was not solicited by God; he was drafted by Him into the army. He was drafted and enrolled to meet God's need. This is the reason Paul was called to be an apostle. Being separated means being set apart from all men, things, and events, and being made different. This separation happens in three stages. First, in Galatians 1:15 we are told that Paul was separated by God from his mother's womb. This is like the firstborn of Israel being separated unto God in the Old Testament (Exo. 13:12; 22:29-30). Second, in Acts 26:16-18 Paul was separated by the Lord to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. This proves Romans 1:1 which speaks of being separated unto the gospel of God. Third, in Acts 13:2, he and Barnabas were separated by the Holy Spirit unto the work that He had prepared. In these three separations, Paul was called by the Father, the Son, and the Spirit respectively, and all the separations were for the gospel.
The word gospel means the glad tidings. This is the sum total of the divine economy. The first eight chapters of Romans deal with the matter of salvation. Chapters one through five cover the gospel of grace. Chapters nine through eleven cover God's selection, which relates to His sovereignty in His divine economy. From chapter twelve onward, the book covers the fellowship of the church and various guidelines related to it. Paul was called unto this gospel. This does not mean that he was called to speak at the podium, but that he was called to be the steward of the entire gospel of God. He labored and endeavored for the entire gospel.
Next time, before we come together again, we have to digest all the reference materials at home first. We cannot wait until we are here to digest the material.
Witness Lee: The first verse gives us the noun-subject. Paul began with the word Paulos, his own name. Following this, he spoke of his three qualifications. These three qualifications qualify the noun-subject (Paulos). This is like a business card in which the name of a person appears first, followed by his titles.
Paul spoke in a defensive tone in his letter to the Roman Christians. This is because men at that time could not easily accept the gospel. Paul did not use his own name when he wrote the book of Hebrews. But in Romans 1:1 he put down his own name and showed his qualifications. This is the authority by which he was commissioned for the preaching of the gospel. In this declaration he said that he was not only called but also separated unto the gospel of God. The gospel of God is the gospel that Paul preached.
Verses 2 through 6 give an overall explanation of this gospel, because the predicate does not appear until verse 7. Verse 7 is a new beginning. The words in verses 2 through 6 are parenthetical words. In the New Testament, we find at least fifty to sixty such parenthetical passages.
William Kelly was a great Bible expositor of the last century. He was a doctor in theology but later gave up his theological degree. Over seventy years ago when he wrote about the word servant in Romans 1:1, he pointed out that a servant is a slave. In man's eyes such a person is lowly, but it was different for Paul. He was a slave of Christ Jesus. Paul seemed to be boasting about this. Outsiders probably cannot understand what he was saying. Only those who know the liberty and sanctification of grace can boast of such a title — "a slave of Christ Jesus." No one else is taught this way, and no one else can enjoy this privilege. We are called saints, but Paul was a called apostle. Apostleship is not hereditary or self-appointed, but commissioned and separated by God. Paul was an apostle for the gospel of God. Why did he not say the gospel of Christ? Although the gospel was accomplished by Christ, the source of this gospel is God. No doubt, the gospel can only be found in Christ and through Christ. But "the gospel of God" points us to God as the ultimate source of the gospel.
William R. Newell is an American Bible expositor. He told us that in the beginning of the book of Romans we only find the name of Paul, not Silas, Timothy, or other brothers. Only he was called by Christ to be an apostle to the Gentiles (Gal. 2:8-9) and a herald of the gospel in that age. The book of Ephesians also bears only the name of Paul. This is because he was the only one who saw the great revelation of Ephesians. At the beginning of Romans, he calls himself a slave, one bought with a price. This expression speaks of his most noble aspiration. The word called is used three times from verse 1 through verse 7. Calling is God's act of designation and separation. In verse 6 the saints are "the called ones of Jesus Christ." The believers are given to Christ by the Father (John 17). They were joined to Him before there was even the history of the world: "Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4). Romans 1:7 speaks of the called saints (not called to be saints). This does not mean that we are asked to become saints — a teaching of the Catholic Church. We are called under God's sovereignty as saints. We are the holy ones, those who are washed by Christ's blood and who are created in Christ. This is what we are. Even the angels did not become angels through a process of sanctification; they were created angels. This is what Paul means when he says that he was called.
Paul was called and summoned for the gospel of God. The gospel is God's glad tidings. It is God who loves the world. It is God who sent His Son to us. Hence, the gospel is the message that tells us about God's love. This was Paul's commission.
Watchman Nee: Ephesians 4:8 says that the Lord gave apostles to His church after His ascension. However, we know that the twelve apostles were appointed before His ascension. Hence, the apostles appointed after His ascension were different from the twelve apostles. Even in the kingdom age, their position will be different. The twelve apostles will not only reign and rule with the Lord, but will sit on the twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28).
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul talked about his experience of being called to be an apostle. He said that the Lord appeared directly to him and called him. In verse 5 he said that Christ appeared to "the twelve." In verse 7 he said that the Lord appeared to James, the brother of the Lord. The same verse also says that the Lord appeared also "to all the apostles." These apostles certainly were not the twelve apostles. Perhaps they refer to an ordinary group of apostles who were appointed by the Holy Spirit to continue the work of the first apostles.
Acts 13 speaks of Paul and Barnabas being called by the Holy Spirit to be apostles to the Gentiles. Of the original twelve apostles, Judas died on account of his evil. Some people do not consider Matthias to be one of the twelve and artificially put Paul as one of the twelve apostles. But Acts 1 says that Matthias was "counted with the eleven apostles" (vv. 24-26). In chapter two it says, "Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke forth" (v. 14). This shows us that the Holy Spirit recognized Matthias as being one of the twelve apostles. Paul was an apostle; so was Barnabas. Even Silas and Timothy were called apostles. Romans 16:7 shows us clearly that Andronicus and Junia were apostles also.
Revelation 2:2 speaks of false apostles. This book was written between the end of A.D. 95 and the beginning of A.D. 96. At that time John was old, and most of the apostles of that age were dead. John was the only one left. It was difficult to know who were real apostles and who were false. Therefore, the Lord Jesus said that apostles must be tested.
Apostles are those who are sent out by God's grace. The death of the twelve apostles did not terminate the lineage of apostleship. In Roman Catholicism, the pope at the Vatican appoints himself as an apostle. The term apostle carries a special significance and status because of this. This is wrong. One item to be recovered in the Bible is the producing of apostles. Neither Paul nor I can be counted as one of the twelve. Yet we can still be apostles. The proof of apostleship is first in God's sending and then in the church's confirmation.
