ROMANS UNWRAPPED 3

We consider today the man who wrote the Roman epistle.   He introduces himself as Paul, but this was not his birth name.   This was his name in new birth.   In the bible there are many people whose names were changed because God had come into their lives.   For example - Abram became Abraham  (Genesis Ch 17 v 5) ; Sarai became Sarah (Genesis Ch 17 v 15).   What was added to these two names were the letters "ah", which is part of the title of God (Jehovah).   The change of name signifies the presence of God in their lives .   Another name which was changed was Jacob, the identity thief, and deceiver became known as Israel "a prince of God";  again a name of God was given to him "el" the name of God meaning the supreme One who is to be worshipped.   When we come into the New Testament we find Simon became Peter (the rock) and Saul became Paul.   These new names represented a conversion experience in all these cases when God  came into their lives.
Has God come into my life, have I been born again?   Jesus said to the religious ruler in Israel, Nicodemus by name " ye must be born again"  (John Ch 3 v 7) indeed He said more "except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John Ch 3 v 3).

The only people who will be in heaven are those who have been "born again", those who have had a conversion experience like Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Peter, Paul & many, many more.

Paul opens his letter to the Romans with this clear assertion that he has become a changed man because of what God has done in his life, through the work of Jesus Christ, and this epistle is a comprehensive exposition of what has happened to him in conversion.

This change was very, very real in Paul's life and the story is told in three passages of the book of the Acts

• Acts |Ch 9 verses 1 - 8
• Acts Ch 22 verses 1 - 16
• Acts Ch 26 verses 1 - 20

In Acts Ch 13 v 9 his change of name from Saul to Paul is mentioned.   The name Saul was much sought after in Jewish elite circles.   Saul was the first king of Israel, in 1st Samuel Ch 9 he is described as a choice young man and a goodly young man who was head and shoulders above his peers.   His father was a mighty man of power and as providence had it God gave him a son who would be the envy of them all.   The name Saul came to represent all that is desirable in a man and this was the name given by the parents of Paul (Saul of Tarsus).   Physically, Paul was not a Saul- like specimen but intellectually he was, and he became head and shoulders above his fellows in the realm of  intellect and religion.   The details of this are given in Philippians Ch 3 verses 4 - 6.   However, in the blazing heat of the noonday sun on the road to Damascus one day, the glory of Jesus Christ apprehended him and Paul's life changed forever.   He was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians.   His intellectual and spiritual superiority was being used to harm other people.   A modern day equivalent would be if the head of IS were to become converted, or something similar to that.

Before the glory of the risen exalted Lord Jesus Christ, Paul heard the voice "Why are you persecuting me".   He learned that day, that to touch believers in Christ was to touch Christ Himself.   He also learned that in the sight of this glorious One he was very small indeed, and was changed forever.   He called himself Paul which means "little".   The force of this burned into his soul and never left him all the days of his life.

In 1st Timothy Ch 1 v 15 he described himself as the "chief of sinners".

In 1st Corinthians Ch 15 verses 8 - 9 he described himself as the "last and least of the apostles".

In Ephesians Ch 3 verse 8 he says of himself  "I am less than the least of all saints"

This is the man who is writing this epistle, the proud Jew humbled in the dust before the blazing glory of the exalted Jesus Christ, his name changed from Saul to Paul, the proud man changed to the humble man, the hateful man changed to the loving man, the persecutor changed to the preacher.

We do well to read this epistle and to take in the depth of meaning for us today.

Tomorrow we will look at - his commitment, his calling & his consecration to the gospel of God.