The Political Gospel

The Political Gospel

Romans 1:1-5

I. THE GOSPEL IS FOR THE NATIONS

A. The preaching of Jesus: “gospel of the kingdom” (Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 10:7; 24:14). Throughout His public ministry Jesus exercised His authority over “all”:

1. Jesus cast out demons.

2. Jesus stilled the wind and the waves.

3. Jesus forgave sins.

4. Jesus testified to His authority with respect to the Judgment of Jerusalem

5. Jesus testified to His kingship even before Pilate, the Roman governor.

6. Jesus testified to His divine authority before the High Priest and Sanhedrin – and was crucified for it.

“Individualism is a relatively recent and peculiar social development, distinctive to modern Western societies, and especially strong in the United States. Again projecting a modern Western assumption onto ancient society, we think of Jesus as an individual figure independent of the social relations in which he was embedded. And we think of Jesus as having dealt mainly with other individuals, not with social groups and political institutions…The net effect…is to reduce Jesus to a religious teacher who uttered isolated saying and parables relevant only to individual persons” (Richard Horsley, Jesus and Empire, 7).

B. When Paul was called by Jesus on the Road to Damascus it was made clear that he was a chosen instrument of Jesus, to bear His name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel (Acts 9:15).

1. Paul preached the gospel before the Jewish Sanhedrin and high priest (Acts 23)

2. Paul preached before governor Felix (Acts 24).

3. Paul preached before governor Festus (Acts 25:1-22)

4. Paul preached before Agrippa who was in charge of the Jewish Temple and had the right to appoint the high priest from AD 48-66.

5. Paul appealed to the Emperor/Caesar (Acts 25:21; cf. Acts 19:21)

6. The last verse of the book of Acts ends with Paul in Rome “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.”

7. “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household” (Philippians 4:22).

C. When the Bible asserts that Jesus is “Lord” it means not only of our lives, but of our nation and all the nations of the earth (Philippians 2:9-11).

D. The word “gospel” has political overtones. The Gospel was a message, sometimes of a ruler’s birth, his enthronement, his speeches or decrees.

1. The word “gospel” had political overtones and ramifications in the book of Isaiah.

2. “Gospel” had political overtones in the Roman world.

E. The Gospel and Romans:

1. Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire.

“I begin with the word "gospel" itself. I have argued at length elsewhere that the word "gospel" carries two sets of resonances for Paul. On the one hand, the gospel Paul preached was the fulfilment of the message of Isaiah 40 and 52, the message of comfort for Israel and of hope for the whole world, because YHWH, the god of Israel, was returning to Zion to judge and redeem. On the other hand, in the context into which Paul was speaking, "gospel" would mean the celebration of the accession, or birth, of a king or emperor. Though no doubt petty kingdoms might use the word for themselves, in Paul's world the main "gospel" was the news of, or the celebration of, Caesar.” (NT Wright, “Paul’s Gospel and Caesar’s Empire”)

2. Paul’s calling was that of an ambassador. Paul wrote to Rome and he travelled to Rome as an ambassador representing another Kingdom.

3. Paul’s Gospel meant that Caesar owed allegiance to Jesus Who is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

4. Rome prided herself on bringing peace to the world (pax Romana). Paul was also an ambassador of world peace – a peace which Jesus accomplished at the cross.

5. Rome prided herself on being the capital of justice. Paul was an ambassador proclaiming the justice of God in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Rome was guilty of one of the greatest injustices of the world – it was the injustice of Pontius Pilate putting Jesus Christ to death!

Again Isaiah says, “There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope.” (Romans 15:12 with Isaiah 11:10)

II. ROMANS 1:3-4 IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE GOSPEL PAUL PREACHED

A. Romans 1:3-4 is a political proclamation

1. “gospel of God”

2. “descendant of David”

3. “”Son of God with power”

4. “Jesus Christ our Lord”

“But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”” (Acts 17:5-7)

B. “Son of God” is a reference to Psalm 2 (also 2 Samuel 7).

C. The political proclamation of the Gospel has been lost in a similar way that the Gospel to individuals was lost in Martin Luther’s time.

QUESTIONS FOR SABBATH DISCUSSION & MEDITATION

Take what you have learned this morning and make it into a prayer. Pray that God’s Kingdom would come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

The Gospel has ramifications for the entire world. How was this demonstrated in the ministry of Jesus?

Was Paul’s ministry limited to the salvation of individual souls? Explain.

Explain how the word “gospel” has political overtones.

Can you name some nations today that understand that the preaching of the Gospel has political ramifications? How do many of these nations generally treat Christians?