Wednesday after the Fourth Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Scripture: Romans 1:1-15 (NKJV)

1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

Devotion

St. Paul says at the end of today’s reading that he is “ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.” Tomorrow he will complete that thought with the words, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” In his introduction to his epistle to the Church at Rome St. Paul establishes why he desires to preach the Gospel to the Romans.

He has been called as an apostle. It is the call of the apostle, as St. Paul writes, to proclaim the Gospel. This Gospel reaches back into the Old Testament. As he writes, the Christ was promised before through the Prophets. In other words, this is not a new-fangled religion, as some were accusing Christianity to be at that time. It is an ancient religion. It is the religion of the Holy Scriptures as proclaimed through the Prophets. This religion has always preached the coming of the Christ, the Messiah.

This Messiah is revealed in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the man who was born according to the flesh of the seed of King David. In stating this St. Paul confirms the manhood of our Lord. But our Lord Jesus is also true God, as is testified by His resurrection from the dead. He is “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness.” The Holy Ghost declares our Lord Jesus the man to be true God. It is this Lord Jesus that St. Paul desires to preach at Rome; of whom he is not ashamed.

Prayer: Grant, O Lord, we beseech Thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by Thy governance that Thy Church may joyfully serve Thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.