230 - Les Feldick Bible Study Lesson 1 - Part 2 - Book 20 - Introducing Romans Chapter 1:1-5

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 1 * PART 2 * BOOK 20 INTRODUCING ROMANS CHAPTER 1:1-5 Never treat the Word carelessly. As you know, I take teaching The Word of God as an awesome responsibility. Now as an introduction to Paul's letters, I don't have to repeat, as you have heard me say over and over, that I think the Apostle Paul was the greatest human being that ever lived, other than Christ Himself. Go if you will to Matthew Chapter 11. I compare Bible study, or understanding the Scriptures, to the way I experience mathematics. Here we have Jesus speaking: Matthew 11:11 Let's compare Scripture with Scripture, turn to I Corinthians Chapter 15. So always remember that every word that this Apostle writes is Holy Spirit inspired. Now in this Scripture in I Corinthians Paul has made mention of the fact that Christ had been raised from the dead. I Corinthians 15:6-8 What did Paul mean by the statement that he was like one born out of the due time? Remember, who could be least in the Kingdom of Heaven? Now look what the Scripture says: I Corinthians 15:9 "For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God (those Jewish believers back there in the early chapter of Acts)."Now for another verse in the Book of Ephesians, Chapter 3. This man right here. According to the Holy Spirit we have seen Paul called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. As we study the writings of Paul which are the most neglected in Scripture today, I give that as the reason for the demise of the power of the Church. How many times my class people have said all they hear from their pulpit is Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And I know that's also Scripture, but yet you see they are not in the portion of Scripture that the Church needs today, and the Lord knew this Laodicean Church age would be that way. Now granted, even Paul said that there would be other apostles that would follow him, and I'm sure he considered Barnabas and Silas apostles. And some of the other men that follow right up in that period of time between Paul and the end of that first century, were reckoned as apostles. But so far as the writing of this Book is concerned, there is only one apostle of the Gentiles, and that is the Apostle Paul. This man always addresses the believers of Grace by faith alone. Romans 1:1 PAUL, a servant (the word servant in the Greek is a lot stronger than our word `servant.' I'm going to be making mention of all these things that point up the differences between Paul's Epistles, and much of the rest of Scripture. Paul refers to them in Galatians Chapter 1, how that by revelation, God made known unto this man all these things that are now going to come from his pen that you won't find anywhere else in this whole Bible. Paul's pen also says that all Scripture is inspired of God. It behooves us to spend the best part of our time then in Paul's Epistles, and from them funnel back and forth throughout all the rest of the Scriptures. I'm not intending to make our study of Paul's letters anything near a commentary. For the most part, the average church-goer gets very little of what Paul is trying to teach. And, of course, all Paul knows is the work of the Cross. Galatians 1:1 "PAUL an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead);" No man or group of men commissioned this apostle. See how Paul is constantly bringing in the fact that Christ died and rose from the dead? Galatians 1:4 Galatians 1:6 "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Galatians 1:7 Now verse 8: Galatians 1:8 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:9,10 "As we said before, so say I now again, `If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received (from Paul. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.'" You see when you preach or teach The Word of God, you're not going to make everyone your best buddy. Now verse 11: Galatians 1:11,12 "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. Galatians 1:15 "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace," Oh, the Grace of God which is past our understanding, and it was past Paul's understanding. Well, Paul will be the first to tell us: "The Grace of God." Now verse 16: Galatians 1:16,17 Well, I've said this before and I'll say it again: God wanted to distance Paul from the Twelve. #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible