Dr. Paul’s Worldviews

As Paul begins to close his letter to the Romans, he takes timeout to greet his many friends and fellow co-workers in the Lord. Paul lists 26 individuals by name, along with several others not named specifically. It is further evidence that even though Paul had not founded the church in Rome, his personal influence was acknowledged over the course of the years, as well as the thousands of miles he traveled sharing the "good news" o...

As the Apostle Paul approaches the end of his letter to the Roman Christians, he reiterates his plans to visit them prior to journeying further to Spain. There was no more work for him to do, and finally the opportunity had arisen whereby he could now take the gospel to "the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Dr. Paul, though, points out that the Apostle's Paul journey was filled with difficulty and intrigue that he probably did not ful...

In Romans 15:8-13, the Apostle Paul stresses the fact of Jesus' servitude to the Jews, as well as the Gentiles. The purpose was to not only reveal the truth of God in a real, tangible way, but to, as Paul wrote, "confirm the promises given to the patriarchs" and "that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy." Paul then resorts to showing from the Law, Writings, and the Prophets how the Gentiles were now a part of God's chosen ...

All kinds of groups these days are clamoring for unity, whether in sports, politics, or even moral standards. The problem with their pleas is that none of them have an objective standard by which to validate the unity effort. In Romans 15:-7, the Apostle Paul addresses the subject of unity within the Christian faith. There were apparently some within the Church at Rome who were mature, except in the area of recognizing their obliga...

Fresh off instructing the Roman Christians to cease judging one another, the Apostle Paul drives home his instruction by telling them to refrain from placing any stumbling blocks before each other as well. Instead, they were to focus on what matters in the Christian faith, which is to live by faith and build one another up in the faith. Why? Because not all Christians are equally mature, and some take more time and nurture than oth...

In Romans 14:1-12, the Apostle Paul warns the Roman Christians about condemning fellow Christians regarding the eating of certain foods or worshiping on certain days. In one instance, the condemnation is legalistic, while in the other it is libertarian; both of which are self-indictments when considering the maturity of the Christian who engages in them. Let God do the judging and let the Christian focus on the main things involvin...

In Romans 13:8-14, the Apostle Paul stresses what Jesus had talked about when asked about the greatest commandment. The exception is Paul addresses human relationships, specifically within the church. Christians are to love one another, and then by way of extension, love others. They were not to be like the world, whereby illicit sex and drunkenness were the order of the day. But they were to exemplify Jesus Christ, refrain from lu...

Romans 13:1-7 is probably one of the more controversial passages of Scripture when it comes to Christian conduct. In it the Apostle Paul instructs that all Christians should be in total submission to civil, government authorities. Why? Because Almighty God is the one who has ordained civil government to keep orderliness in society and evil at bay. What God has also done by issuing such an ordination is erase the idea that Christian...

In Romans 12:14-21, the Apostle Paul continues his practical instruction on the Christian life, and especially that of avoiding hypocrisy, by taking a somewhere different course of action when it comes to dealing with evil. Rather than curse the persecutor, bless him. Rather than act arrogant toward the lowly, commune with them. Rather than taking out one's own vengeance upon evil people, if they happen to be hungry, feed them; if ...

In Romans 12:9-13, the apostle Paul emphatically stresses the need for all the Christians to exercise their gifts (previously mentioned in Romans 12:6-8) in a non-hypocritical manner. Their love for each other, as well as the Lord, was to be done without compromise or in a two-faced way. Their walk, as Christians, was to be done with zeal, not in laziness and apathy. They were to rejoice in hope, stay patient during times of troubl...

In Romans 12:3-8 the apostle Paul stresses the need for Christian unity amid the diversity of all the members in the body of Christ. This is achieved through humility, rather than haughtiness, and exercising the individuals gifts that have been graced to the individuals, as they serve one another. It is a practical teaching that is an extension of the transformation of the Christian mind, which differentiates his worldview from tha...

The Apostle Paul transitions from his discussion about the Jews being placed on the back burner in God's salvific plan to practical discussions in the rest of the Book of Romans about how Christians are to think and live. He begins by looking at the sacrificial lives of the Christians versus the schematized world of unbelief. Too many Christians have yielded to the nonsense of the secular world that Christianity is not something to...

In Romans 11:25-36, the apostle Paul reveals that something mysterious has happened to the Jews that has led to the salvation of the Gentiles. The Jews have been "hardened" or made unreceptive of God's "good news." This came about through their rejection of their Messiah, and now God has turned to the "other sheep" that Jesus spoke about just before his crucifixion. Those "other sheep" are now those to whom the apostle Paul has bee...

Although the Apostle Paul had commended the Christians at Rome for their faith (Rom. 1:8), there was a problem that needed to be addressed. Pride had crept in and caused some to look down on their Jewish counterparts. Such pride was not indicative of a true Christian faith and Paul had to issue a warning to remind those at Rome that it is only because of what God had done, by grace, that they were now a part of what was, at one tim...

In Romans 11:1-12, the Apostle Paul explains what has happened to the Nation of Israel when God turned from them to the Gentiles. Is Israel finished, now, as God's covenant people? God has not rejected the Jews, has he? Of course not! So, what happened? They're currently occupying the land called Israel, but they're having so many problems. And what about the Gentiles? They were not God's people before. Why are they now? In this po...

Too many in contemporary Christianity have a warped view of evangelism. To them, they are the means that the Holy Spirit uses to reach the lost through the latest technological wizardry or emotively driven hoopla, oftentimes leaving out the gospel altogether. The apostle Paul makes it perfectly clear that saving faith comes through hearing the proclamation of the gospel, which entails telling the "dead" the truth about his/her dead...

In Romans 10:1-13, the apostle Paul continues his discussion and concern for his Jewish brethren, expressing how they managed to miss what God's righteousness is all about, even though they were quite religious otherwise. Jesus Christ is the goal of that righteousness, and the law is what drives a person to it. Those who try to circumvent that reality with their own brand of "ignorant" or "idiotic" righteousness will only leave the...

As is the apostle Paul's writing style, he repeated interacts with objections and arguments that he had experienced in the immediate context or from those throughout his ministry. Romans 9:19-33 is another classic example of Paul dealing with those who would object to God's absolute sovereignty in matters pertaining to the election of God's children. In fact, Paul broaches the subject of double predestination, whereby a remnant are...