The Gospel of God Previously Promised

PREACHING  POINTS  FROM  ROMANS #1

The Gospel of God Previously Promised
By Dr. Ronnie Wolfe - Romans 1:1-4

Rom 1:1-2  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,   2  (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

I.  THE POSSESSION OF THE GOSPEL

Three times in the New Testament Paul called the Gospel “my gospel” (Rom. 2:16; 16;25; and 2 Tim. 2:8).  However, we know that it is not his in the sense that he originated it or even updated it or introduced it newly in his generation but was preached before him and was revealed in the Scriptures (Old Testament) though through a glass darkly, though very apparent to the first-century Jews and to all the readers of the Scriptures in Paul’s day. So, Paul could not own the gospel.

The gospel was Paul’s in the sense that he was entrusted with it to be its courier and its clarion sound as a worldwide missionary of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and of the doctrines of the kingdom of God. A dispensation of the gospel was committed to him (1 Cor. 9:17) to hold true to it, to dispense it clearly and boldly and to entrust it to others through teaching and ordination of some to take onto themselves the same profession as Paul’s as ambassadors of Christ.

II.  THE PROMISE OF THE PROPHETS

The gospel was not some new doctrine as some of the Jews thought. Paul had not invented a new way into the kingdom of God. He had not rearranged an old doctrine with new ideas. Paul actually preached the same gospel that was preached by the Old Testament prophets only with new and exciting revelations of the actual fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.

Gal. 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ was well known by many of the Old Testament saints, especially the prophets, and was promised to New Testament believers and preachers.

III.  THE PORTRAIT OF CHRIST

The Seed Of  David

The holy Scriptures (Old Testament)  also witnessed of this same gospel concerning Jesus Christ, who was made of the seed of David, an Old Testament saint and king. Old Testament saints could see Jesus Christ prophetically as they understood, according to this scripture, that the Messiah would be the seed of David (See Acts 13:22-23; Isaiah 11:1; Micah 5:2).

The Son of God

Yes, the Old Testament scriptures do declare that the Messiah is the Son of God. It is done in three ways: (1) with power, the power of the creation of the world and the power to do great miracles in delivering Israel out of Egypt and bringing them into the land of promise. (2) the spirit of holiness, which is evidenced in his bringing spiritual understand to saints, prophets, and kings and opening understanding to people like Daniel and others. And (3) by the resurrection from the dead. The Old Testament alludes many times to the resurrection from the dead, including especially the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:10-11; Psalm 16:10).