Author: Calleen Hough

Self defense

Paul’s attempt to fit in with the Jews in Jerusalem resulted in him being arrested in the temple where he was trying to fulfill a purification vow. It says in Acts 21:27-28, “And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.” The false accusations that were made against Paul were probably meant to deter him from speaking publicly in Jerusalem. Instead, Paul was given the opportunity to defend himself and capitalized on the opportunity to share his testimony in front of a large crowd of people.

Paul began his defense by stating, “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous towards God, as ye all are this day” (Acts 22:3). Paul identified himself with the Jews and let them know that he had always been a faithful supporter of the Mosaic Law. He went on to say, “And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women” (Acts 22:4). The way Paul was talking about was Christianity and his mention of his role in persecuting the early church was probably intended to gain the confidence of the Jews who thought he was involved in Jesus’ ministry from the beginning. Paul’s reputation as a persecutor of Christians had most likely been forgotten since he had been involved in preaching the gospel for almost 20 years.

Paul’s detailed account of his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus was the centerpiece of his self-defense. Paul wanted the Jews in Jerusalem to understand that he had been appointed to preach the gospel by Jesus of Nazareth, a man that he had been fervently persecuting up to that point. Paul told them:

“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ “And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’” (Acts 22:6-10, NKJV)

Paul argued that he had been ordained by God to do a specific work and he could not avoid his responsibilities. Paul added that he had even tried to relinquish his commission because of his previous involvement in persecuting Christians (Acts 22:19-20), but the Lord told him, “Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles” (Acts 22:21, NKJV). In spite of his fervent explanation of how he had been involuntary recruited into Jesus’ ministry, Paul’s audience was enraged by his admission that Jesus expected him to preach to the Gentiles and so they condemned him to death (Acts 22:22).

Saying goodbye

Paul’s third missionary journey concluded with a series of sad goodbyes that escalated into a gut wrenching, heart breaking standoff between Paul and a prophet named Agubus who foretold of his arrest in Jerusalem. It says in Acts 21:13, “Then Paul answered, ‘What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus'” (NKJV). Paul’s determination to fulfill his ministry’s objective of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world caused him to ignore the counsel of his own elders and to separate himself from the people he dearly loved. The only explanation for his irrational behavior was that Paul was convinced that God expected him to eventually end up in Rome.

The final weeks, days, and even hours of Paul’s last missionary journey were choreographed around the collection and delivery of an offering to the Christians in Jerusalem that were suffering financial hardship as a result of their faith in Christ. After a riot in Ephesus, Paul went to Macedonia and Greece, then to Philippi and Troas. “Although Paul was in a hurry to arrive at Jerusalem by Pentecost, he remained seven days at Troas. This might have been because of a ship schedule, but more than likely the delay was in order to meet with the believers on the first day of the week to break bread” (Note on Acts 20:6).

And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. (Acts 21:7-11)

The miracle Paul performed of raising Eutychus from the dead, not only confirmed his apostleship, but also seemed to testify to the fact that Paul was at the height of his ministerial career when he was arrested in Jerusalem. Like Jesus, who suffered the greatest persecution during the final days of his ministry, Paul was considered an extreme threat and hated by the Jews in Jerusalem. It was his staunch commitment to preaching the gospel that put Paul in danger of losing his life when he returned to the city where Jesus was crucified.

Paul told the Ephesians, “And now behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of grace of God. And now behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more” (Acts 21:22-24).

A network of believers

Paul’s ministry of preaching the gospel resulted in a vast network of believers that supported one another in an effort to go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone (Mark 16:15). Paul took time at the end of his letter to the Romans to acknowledge some of the faithful saints that had been by his side throughout his work in Asia. Paul started by mentioning a woman that lived in Cenchrea, a port located about six miles east of Corinth on the Saronic Gulf. Paul said, “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. ” (Romans 16:1-2, NKJV).

Phoebe’s prominent role in the church in Cenchrea and Paul’s mention of her first in his acknowledgment of people that had helped him suggests that Phoebe was a key member of Paul’s ministry team. It seems likely that men and women served side by side in their positions of serving Christ. The Greek word Paul used that is translated servant in Romans 16:1, diakonos (dee-ak’-on-os) specifically refers to a Christian teacher or pastor (G1249). Diakonos is also translated as minister. Phoebe was most likely a deaconness in the church at Cenchrea and held the highest position a woman could be appointed to in the first century churches.

Next on Paul’s list of acknowledgments was a couple, Priscilla and Aquila. It was likely an intentional effort on Paul’s part to mention the wife first in order to display his respect and admiration for her work and to show that she was at least an equal if not superior contributor in his ministry. Paul obviously wanted people to know that women were just as important to his ministry’s success as were their male counterparts. One of the things that Paul said about Priscilla and Aquila was that they risked their lives for him (Romans 16:4). This may have been why Paul gave Priscilla first place in his mention of the couple. She may have taken the lead role in getting Paul safely out of Corinth (Acts 18:6). Priscilla and Aquila traveled with Paul at the end of his second missionary journey and most likely played an important role in continuing his work after he was imprisoned in Rome.

Paul concluded his salutation to his fellow believers with a benediction that may have been the inspiration that kept his network of believers going long after his death. Paul declared, “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandments of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen” (Romans 16:25-27). Paul made it clear that it was God’s power and his intentional effort to spread the gospel that made it possible for his network of believers to accomplish their work. That is why Paul’s death didn’t put an end to his ministry.

Likeminded

Paul’s understanding of the mind of Christ was that it operated like the central processing unit of a computer that executed a program he referred to as the perfect will of God. Paul told the Roman believers, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). Paul considered Jesus’ life to be the only example that believers needed to follow. He instructed the Philippians to , “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).

The Greek word translated fashion in Philippians 2:8, schema (skhay’-mah) means a figure as a mode or circumstance. “Men saw in Christ a human form, bearing, language, action, mode of life…in general the state and relations of a human being, so that in the entire mode of His appearance He made Himself known and was recognized as a man” (G4976). Paul identified the primary objective of a life that is conformed to the will of God as edification (Romans 15:2). The Greek word translated edification in Romans 15:2, oikodome (oy-kod-om-ay’) is a compound of the words oikos (oy’-kos), which means a dwelling and by implication a family or household (G3624), and doma (do’-mah) which means an edifice or rooftop (G1430). Together these two words convey the idea of architecture or a structure that meets the needs of its household members. Within the concept of edification lies the hidden meaning of connectedness, a characteristic that should permeate the lives of believers.

Paul said, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not please ourselves” (Romans 15:1). What Paul was intending was that the mature Christians would support those who were new in their faith so that they could be integrated into the church without fear of condemnation because they might still be involved in a sinful lifestyle. Paul told the Romans, “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5-6). Paul’s description of God as patient and merciful was probably intended to reframe the Roman believers attitudes around appropriate Christian behavior. Paul concluded by stating, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13).

The key point Paul was trying to make was that likemindedness should result in a positive attitude. Paul’s use of the title, “the God of hope” (Romans 15:13) was most likely his way of saying that God is known for his optimism or you might say that he has a can do attitude. In order to remind the Roman believers that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and equally able to discern the will of God, Paul told them, “And I am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another” (Romans 15:14). The words Paul used that are translated full and filled suggest that he was talking about the living water that Jesus referred to in his conversation with a woman he met at a Samaritan well (John 4:14). Eluding to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Jesus told the woman, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth ” (John 4:14, NKJV).

Lord of all

Jesus’ death and resurrection completed the necessary requirements for him to be appointed judge of all mankind. Paul stated in his letter to the Romans, “For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living” (Romans 14:9). Another way of stating “the dead and the living” would be the unsaved and the saved. Paul was referring to people that have not accepted Jesus as their savior as well those that have. The reason why Paul made this distinction was so that the Romans would understand that everyone falls under the same criteria of judgment. Jesus as the executor of God’s plan of salvation has been given the authority to determine what the will of God is when it comes to acts of faith. Paul emphasized this point when he declared, “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).

In addition to the free gift of salvation, there are additional benefits that believers may receive as a result of their acts of faith. Speaking of the foundation he had laid by preaching the gospel, Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians, “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). Paul basically told the Romans believers to mind their own business when he stated, “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10, NKJV).

Unbelievers that think they can escape God’s judgment by denying Jesus’ lordship over their lives might be surprised to find out that they will be held accountable for their acts of unbelief. Paul told the Romans, “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:11-12). The Greek word Paul used that is translated confess, exomologeo (ex-om-ol-og-eh’-o) has to do with the public acknowledgment or confession of sins (G1843). When Paul stated that every one shall give an account of himself, he was talking about a verbal assent to the lordship of Jesus Christ, an acknowledgment that he died for everyone’s sins and his substitutionary death on the cross was rejected by unbelievers. In other words, unbelievers will eventually have to admit that they were wrong, lacking in faith by not acknowledging Jesus as their savior.

Love your neighbor

Christian living goes against the grain of our natural human tendencies. Jesus taught his disciples to love their enemies and said, “bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:44-45, NKJV). Paul expanded on this teaching by instructing Christians to “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17, NKJV). By this Paul meant that “Christian conduct should never betray the high moral standards of the gospel, or it will provoke the disdain of unbelievers and bring the gospel into disrepute” (note on Romans 12:17). Paul concluded his argument by stating, “Therefore ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head” (Romans 12:20, NKJV).

Paul made it clear that the goal of Christian living is to conquer evil by doing good to those that don’t deserve it (Romans 12:21). One of the ways that Paul suggested we can do this is by submitting to the authorities that exist because they are ordained by God (Romans 13:1). This was particularly relevant to the first century Roman Christians because they were constantly being harassed because of their faith in Christ. The Roman emperors used their power to unjustly punish Christians and are known for burning them alive and letting wild animals tear them to pieces. “Even the possibility of a persecuting state did not shake Paul’ conviction that civil government is ordained by God (note on Romans 13:1). Paul stated, For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil” (Romans 13:3).

Paul summarized his argument in favor of submission to authority by stating that we should, “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8, NKJV). Paul compared the Christian’s responsibility to love others to a debt that can never be repaid. “No matter how much one has loved, he is under obligation to keep on loving” (note on Romans 13:8). Paul went on to say, “For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself'” (Romans 13:9, NKJV). The point Paul was trying to make was that loving our neighbor encompasses all of our Christian social responsibilities” (note on Romans 13:9) and therefore makes it impossible for Satan to condemn us.

Paul seemed to anticipate that things would get worse for Christians as the return of Christ got closer. He stated, ” The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12, NKJV). The Greek word translated armor, hoplon was used by Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians where he stated, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). The weapons or armor that Paul was referring to was most likely submission to the will of God. Even though Christians may be mistreated because of their meekness and gentleness towards others, Satan cannot do any spiritual damage to our lives if we submit ourselves to the will of God (Ephesians 6:10),

A new mind

It could be said that the human mind is a culmination of all the experiences we have had in our lives. The Greek word phroneo (fron-eh’-o) means “to be minded in a certain way” (G 5426). Phroneo implies “moral interest or reflection, not mere unreasoning opinion.” Paul used the word phroneo when he said, “Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits” (Romans 12:16). Paul’s instruction to be of the same mind one toward another could only be accomplished through the transformation of one’s thinking processes. Paul was essentially saying that believers should try and understand the world from other people’s perspective. We need to walk in each others shoes so to speak.

In order to accomplish the task of thinking like others, Paul admonished believers to renew their minds, similar to the way you would renovate an old home. He stated, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2, NKJV). The word Paul used that is translated mind in Romans 12:2 is nous (nooce). Nous refers to the intellect and denotes, “speaking generally, the seat of reflective consciousness, comprising the faculties of perception and understanding, and those of feeling, judging and determining” (G3563).

The Greek word translated renewing in Romans 12:2, anakainosis (an-ak-ah’-ee-no-sis means “the adjustment of the moral and spiritual vision and thinking to the mind of God, which is designed to have a transforming effect upon the life; and stresses the willing response on the part of the believer” (G342). God initiates the process of transformation in our lives by prompting us to think differently. We can cooperate with the Holy Spirit and yield ourselves to his work in our hearts or resist change and live our lives as we always have. Paul said that we should not be conformed to this world. What he meant by that was not acting like everyone else. The Greek word suschematizo (soos-khay-mat-id’-zo) “stresses outward conformity and means to shape one thing like another and describes what is transitory, changeable, and unstable” (G4964). In other words, following the latest fad.

Paul indicated that God gives each of us a measure of faith which we as believers are expected to use to develop our spiritual gifts. Paul said the gifts we receive differ according to the grace that is given to us (Romans 12:6), “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members of another” (Romans 12:4-5). The Greek word translated office, praxis means practice and by extension a function (G4234). God’s kingdom is operating in the world today in a somewhat invisible fashion. Even though we don’t see everything that is going on, there is constant activity that believers are expected to participate in. It is through the renewing of our minds that we begin to detect these activities and are able to contribute to the establishment of God’s kingdom on Earth.

Cast aways

God’s purpose in establishing a new covenant was not to get rid of his chosen people, but to make room for everyone to enter into his kingdom. Paul told the Romans, ” Because the Jews have been put aside, many other people in the world have been saved from the punishment of sin. Think what it will be like when they are also gathered in. It will be like the dead coming back to life!” (Romans 11:15, NLV). Paul explained that the Israelite’s spiritual blindness was the result of an intentional effort on God’s part to integrate the Jewish and Gentile populations. Paul described it as a grafting, the technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. He stated, “But some of the branches (who are the Jews) were broken off. You who are not Jews were put in the place where the branches had been broken off. Now you are sharing the rich root of the olive tree” (Romans 11:17, NLV).

Paul used the illustration of petrified rock to convey the Jews spiritual condition. Even though God claimed responsibility for hardening the Jews’ hearts, Paul made it clear that it was their unbelief that caused God distance himself from the his chosen people. Paul told the Romans, “It is true. They were broken off because they did not put their trust in Christ. And you are there only because of your faith. Do not be proud. Instead, be afraid. God did not keep the first branches (who are the Jews) on the tree. Then watch, or He will not keep you on the tree” (Romans 11:20-21, NLV). Paul went on to say, “God has said that all men have broken His Law. But He will show loving-kindness on all of them” (Romans 11:32, NLV). The end goal of God’s plan of salvation was to show mercy on everyone. That’s why he let the Jews go their own way for a period of time, so that we can benefit from what is now referred to as the age of grace.

Paul concluded his explanation of God’s casting away of the Jews with a doxology, a natural outpouring of his praise to God. Paul rejoiced by stating:

“God’s riches are so great! The things He knows and His wisdom are so deep! No one can understand His thoughts. No one can understand His ways.” The Holy Writings say, “Who knows the mind of the Lord? Who is able to tell Him what to do? Who has given first to God, that God should pay him back?” Everything comes from Him. His power keeps all things together. All things are made for Him. May He be honored forever. Let it be so. (Romans 11:33-36, NLV)

Paul was truly amazed by God’s ability to figure out a way to save both Jews and Gentiles with a single sacrifice, the death of Jesus on the cross. Paul referred to God’s grace as great riches. The combination of God’s wisdom, his practical skill and his knowledge or complete and absolute understanding of how the world works made it possible for him to devise a plan of salvation that was perfect in every way. Therefore, it is inevitable that the Jews will one day return to God’s favor as predicted by many of the Old Testament prophets (Romans 11:24-25).



Confession of faith

Paul identified the two-step process by which salvation can be obtained. He said, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, ESV). The Greek word translated confess, homologeo means “to confess by way of admitting oneself guilty of what one is accused of, the result of inward conviction” (G3670). Another way of looking at a confession of faith is to see it as a means of identifying oneself with the death of Jesus on the cross. You are confessing that Christ died for or because of your sins. He is your personal savior by way of accepting his death as punishment for your sins.

Placing ones faith in Jesus Christ is a transaction that takes place in the heart, but Paul emphasized that a confession of faith was necessary for the transaction to be complete. He stated, “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:10, ESV). Verbal acknowledgement of having placed one’s faith in Christ can be as simple as telling someone, I believe in Jesus. Paul didn’t stipulate that any kind of formal confession had to occur. It was merely the outward confession of the inward faith that needed to take place.

Paul acknowledged the simplicity of receiving salvation by stating that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). The intent behind calling on the name of the Lord is to express interest in being saved. Basically, what Paul was saying was that anyone that wants to be saved can be. There is not a limit to God’s grace. It’s not as if God could say, I’m sorry, heaven is full and I’m not going to let anyone else in. Paul said that God is “rich unto all that call upon him” meaning he can make more room if necessary. The only limit to God’s grace is our willingness to receive it.

Paul emphasized the importance of preaching the gospel in his explanation of how people get saved. He said, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The kind of hearing Paul was talking about was not just listening to a message. The Greek word he used, akoe (ak-o-ay’) means a decision is made in the sense of a courtroom hearing where a verdict is given by a judge or jury after hearing testimony. In essence, what Paul was saying was that you have to decide if what you’ve heard is true or false. I believe this or I don’t believe it. The key to salvation being that your faith is activated when you hear the gospel and you are able to discern the truth because your spirit has been quickened or reanimated by God (Ephesians 2:5).

Chosen

Many different descriptors have been used in personal testimonies about how Christians got saved. Some have said, I decided to follow Jesus or I found God. Another way of describing it might be, I accepted the Lord or I gave my life to Christ. What really happens when a person enters the kingdom of God is he responds to God’s calling, he submits himself to the will of God. Paul used the example of the Israelites’ rejection of God to show that God is the initiator in the process of salvation. Paul explained, “Not as thought the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children, but in Isaac shall they seed be called” (Romans 9:6-7). In other words, God wasn’t trying to save everyone that was identified as an Israelite, only those that were designated by his calling or those whom he commanded to enter his kingdom.

Paul differentiated Isaac’s twin sons Jacob and Esau by their election, a divine selection between them by God. Paul noted, “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) it was said to her, The elder shall serve the younger” (Romans 9:11). Paul went on to say, “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Romans 9:15-16). God’s mercy and compassion can be thought of as counter measures to the sinfulness of mankind. If it weren’t for God’s mercy and compassion, Earth would be an unbearable place to live. It’s only because God intervenes and transforms individuals into the image of his son that love and kindness exist in the world.

For those that might object to God’s favoritism, Paul referred back to the prophet Jeremiah’s parable of the potter and clay and stated:

But you will ask me, “Why does God blame men for what they do? Who can go against what God wants?” Who are you to talk back to God? A pot being made from clay does not talk to the man making it and say, “Why did you make me like this?” The man making the pots has the right to use the clay as he wants to. He can make two pots from the same piece of clay. One can have an important use. The other one can be of little use. It may be that God wants to show His power and His anger against sin. He waits a long time on some men who are ready to be destroyed. God also wanted to show His shining-greatness to those He has given His loving-kindness. He made them ready for His shining-greatness from the beginning. (Romans 9:19-23, NLV)

Paul validated God’s system of election by showing that God had not excluded anyone from his plan of salvation because he made it possible for both Jews and Gentiles to be saved (Romans 9:24). The primary reason the doors of heaven were opened to everyone was so that God’s compassionate nature could be displayed to the world. Referring to Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, Paul stated, “For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth” (Romans 9:28). The short work that Paul was talking about was most likely the grafting in of the Gentiles into God’s covenant relationship with Israel. Even though Jesus came to Earth as Israel’s Messiah, he said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)