“From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1 NET).
We should note the sequence here in Paul the Apostle’s introductory message to the church at Rome. Notice that Paul first identified himself as a slave of Christ, and then as an apostle. So even though Paul was called to an apostolic leadership position, that call was rooted in his servant relationship to Christ.
We can clarify this idea of a “calling” with a look at the following excerpt from the Gospel of Mark…
“And [Jesus] went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach” (Mark 3:13-14).
This initial reference to Jesus’ “calling” involved a summons or invitation. (1) That was followed by an appointment, or the act of making or doing something. (2) While there is some overlap in these definitions, they convey the general idea of a “call to the performance of a thing.” (3)
So Paul clearly viewed his ministry as a divine invitation or appointment. (4) In a similar manner, we can often discern God’s call on our lives by conducting a prayerful assessment of the gifts, talents, skills, abilities, interests, desires, blessings, and opportunities He has given us. One commentator offers several insights from this passage as we consider God’s call to our own life’s work…
“Paul never thought of himself as a man who had aspired to an honour; he thought of himself as a man who had been given a task. Jesus said to his men, ‘You did not choose me, but I chose you’ (Joh_15:16). Paul did not think of life in terms of what he wanted to do, but in terms of what God meant him to do… Paul knew himself to be chosen not for special honour, but for special responsibility.” (4)
That brings us to Paul’s self-identification as an apostle. In a Biblical context, the word “apostle” identifies someone who fulfills the role of a commissioned representative. much like an ambassador or spokesperson. Thus, we can say that an apostle is someone who has been entrusted with the power and authority to act as a representative of Christ.
However, the Biblical apostles (like Paul) held several important qualifications that set them apart from anyone who claims the role of a modern-day apostle. For example…
- They were first-century eyewitnesses of Jesus following His resurrection (John 20:26-28, 1 Corinthians 9:1).
- They were personally selected by Jesus to serve as apostles (Matthew 10:1-4, Acts 9:10-16).
- They possessed the God-given ability to perform miracles (Acts 2:43, Acts 19:11-12).
While the ministry of an apostle no longer exists in a Biblical sense, we can still fulfill this important role as “ambassadors for Christ” as we represent Him to others.
(1) G4341 proskaleo. (n.d.). billmounce.com. https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/proskaleo
(2) G4160 – poieo – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4160/kjv/tr/0-1/
(3) G2822 – kletos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2822/kjv/tr/0-1/
(4) Barclay, William. “Commentary on Romans 1”. “William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb/romans-1.html. 1956-1959.