(1) Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, (2) which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, (3) concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh (4) and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. (5) through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, (6) including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, (7) To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul begins writing his letter to the church in Rome, a church he has not been to, by identifying himself as owned, a servant of Jesus Christ (1:1). As God’s servant, his position was to represent Jesus Christ (Apostle) and to proclaim his good news (1:1). To Paul, the good news of Jesus Christ was not something completely new, but a promise, a part of God’s story of redemption (salvation) which began in the Old Testament (1:2). As the promised king who was from the line of King David, he died but rose again by the Spirit’s power, declaring that He was truly the Son of God, Lord of everything (1:3-4).

Through the Son of God, Paul was given the opportunity to serve God by telling non-Jews, including these Romans, about the gospel (1:5-6). However, according to Paul, the opportunity to serve God was not an entitlement but a gift which he did not deserve (1:5). In addition, Paul was not serving for his fame or popularity, but to only bring praise to Jesus’ name (1:5). In closing this section, Paul greets the Christians in Rome, who were also loved and set apart by God in order to serve him (1:7).

As Christians, we are servants of God, set apart to serve him and tell others about Jesus Christ. But the gifts and talents in which he has given us to use is a gift from God, an act of kindness toward us from God himself. As people loved and set apart, God has a purpose for our lives. God gifted you for a reason: to tell others about Jesus through your actions and speech. I know that many of you are involved in athletics, school activities, and other competitions. Some of you are gifted in different academic subjects like math, science, history, or English. Some of you are so creative, being able to put together games and other inventions. God’s has given these gifts and abilities to us for a reason. I desire for us to use them for Jesus’ name, God’s purposes, and not to further our name and fame.

Aaron J. Edwards