DM#4: The grace gospel, to all nations

Doctrine of the Mysteries #4

Rom 1:14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. (15) So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. (16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

The grace gospel, to all nations

When the Lord chose Paul to be the apostle and minister of the Mysteries, He indicated to Paul that this message was for everyone, saying,

Act 9:15 … bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

Similarly, Paul confirms this condition in our key verse saying that he was a debtor to the Greeks and the Barbarians. The term, Greeks, could denote “those who dwelt in Greece”, but it can also be synonymous with those who are civilized, or refined, or the wise. As for Barbarians, the term itself, properly denotes one who speaks a foreign language, or a foreigner, and the Greeks applied it to all who did not use their tongue. See the following verse for example,

The Power of God unto Salvation

Rom.1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

Disregarding all the petty religious squabbles, all the theories and interpretations, all the denominational traditions and observances. Disregarding all the feeble wisdom that we think we have, all the pious egos, self-righteousness, esteem and exaltations that we paste onto our fleeting earthly lives, it really comes down to ONE thing, and one thing ALONE; the fact that we as humanity are utterly lost and utterly powerless to save ourselves, to the point that all we can do, .....literally, the only viable thing left, outside our bag of tried and useless tricks, is acknowledge that only one hope remains, —to believe in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.