Teachings

Teaching on Romans - Week 10

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:55:00 GMT

Week 10

Teaching By Dr. David Del Vecchio

Paul’s life takes the appropriate steps.

1^st he is a slave or servant.

2^nd he is a called one.

3^rd he becomes apostolos.

4^th he is separated and set apart. Minos means that Paul set himself apart.

[aphorizo-[af-or-id’-zo]—a-pho-riz-mino from Pharisee]

To set off by a boundary.

To separate and sever away from.

Gal 1:15

15 But when it pleased God, who separated [aphorisas] me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, (KJV)this word is past tense

The word separated used in Galatians is the same word used in Romans 1:1.

God called me an apostle from the womb and set me apart.

We are called by God to BE and to DO.

Acts 13:2

2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

(KJV)

A word of wisdom came forth and said “separate Barnabas and Saul.

“Separate them for ministry.”

This is the same word aphorizes (this is imperative—you do this).

Here in the church someone has ratified, confirmed the call on Paul’s life.

The Holy Ghost spoke through Someone in the body.

We are not even told who it came through.

Churches DO NOT CALL, God calls, but the church can ratify.

God’s call came from before the foundation of the world. (46:20)

The church can only ratify.

Paul says, “I keep on setting myself apart for this divine call.”

A three fold setting apart for the gospel-euangellleon.

Rom 1:2-4

2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (KJV)

Teaching on Romans - Week 9

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:54:00 GMT

Week 9

Teaching By Dr. David Del Vecchio

Qara is a word that means create and it is equivalent to Klaytos.

You don’t reign until you train, BUT you are what God calls you when He calls you.

Jer 1:4-5

4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (KJV)

We are called to be and we are also called to do.

Apostle does NOT just mean a SENT ONE.

Everyone in the five-fold ministry is a sent one.

That definition diminishes what God meant when He had Paul use that word.

An apostle is a sent SENDER.

Apo means from in Greek and has a Hebrew root, MIN (MEEN) which means from in Heb.

Stellos means one who is sent

Sheliach means sent and is from Minsheliach which came to be Minsheach and came to mean Messiah.

Messiah then comes from two words; one is Christos from the Greek word

Chrea, which means to smear with oil.

Christos is the anointed one and ALSO the one SENT.

Sheliach: Abraham was getting ready to send his trusted servant Eliezer and he called him and told him to put his had under his thigh.

Now I send you in my place to represent me.

When Abraham was commissioning a servant he always sat down.

When he told Abraham to put his hand beneath his thigh, there was only one thing beneath his thigh; and that was Abraham’s manhood.

He had his servant take hold of him symbolizing his authority.

Taking his very authority or strength or life flow and then sent his slave back to his home and they welcomed him as if he was the person of Abraham.

Here is a slave sitting in the seat of Abraham in the home of people of royalty in the land where they dwelt.

He is one who is sent, and here is the meaning of the word Apostle;

ONE who has the PLENURY authority of the sender.

(40:32)

Teaching on Romans - Week 8

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:54:00 GMT

Week 8

Teaching By Dr. David Del Vecchio

In march 61, Paul was brought to Rome as a prisoner and was acquitted and set free in the spring of 63.

He then went to Philemon in Collosse and also visited the Philippians, wintered in Nicopolis and in the spring of 64, he started for Spain.

On his way there, he stopped at Rome, found Peter there and conferred with him.

This explains how during Paul’s absence in Spain, Peter came to write 1^ST Peter to the churches in Paul’s Asian field.

While Paul was at work in the west Rome was burned in July 64 and in October 64 the crime was blamed on the Christians.

This explains why Peter wrote his 1^ST Letter.

Christianity had become illegal in Rome and the churches in the Asian provinces would soon feel the terrible effects of this measure.

Some time after that letter had been written, Peter was nailed to the cross.

All of this occurred while Paul was in Spain.

On his return to the east in 66 he was arrested, just where no one knows, and then beheaded in Rome at the end of 66 or early in 67.

In 66 the fatal war with the Jews began in Palestine, which ended with the destruction of Jerusalem and the nation of the Jews in 70.

The readers addressed in Hebrews are the many former Jews in Rome whom Paul converted during his 1^st imprisonment. Acts 28:17-31.

Paul was born a Roman citizen with all the rights and privileges pertaining to his civil status.

His Jewish father, a Roman citizen at Paul’s circumcision ceremony when Paul was 8 days old gave him the name of the only Jewish king that descended from the tribe of Benjamin, Saul.

Paul’s father, being of that tribe as well gave him that name and gave him the name Paul which is a Gentile, Roman name.

His Greek friends called him Paul and his Jewish friends called him Saul.

His name went predominantly to Paul from Saul because the people he was with were Greek and it was more effective and proper.

Acts 13:1

1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. (KJV)

We have just read the list of the elders of the church at Antioch.

We read in another place that the Jerusalem church sent Barnabas as its apostle, as far as Antioch; where he became the apostle of that church.

Paul’s greatest work, Romans was given place early, but for some reason the contents of this great letter were not effectively used until St. Augustine used them. A period of over 400 years.

Dr. Cottle made a statement about Paul and his name that just makes good sense.

Cottle believes that after 3 years in Antioch, Paul had changed so much that when the people spoke about him, they said Saul; that man is dead, he has ceased to exist and another man has emerged and his name is Paul.

Another man lives in that body and we no longer see the other man.

The Christians began to call him the man who ceased to exist.

Look at his ordination Text:

Rom 1:1

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (KJV)

The 1^st word---Paul

The 2^nd word---Doulos—a servant, a slave

In the Hebrew we read EVAD YAWEH---a servant of God

In the Greek we read DOULOS---- a servant of God.

1^st Paul ceases to exist and dies to the old man; how could God use someone to show us how to die to the old man, unless the person He chose KNEW how to die himself.

2^nd Paul became the bond slave to Jesus Christ.

In verse 1 we see that Jesus owned Paul---he is His property.

That is the way this verse is written; Paul belongs to his master.

Jesus was Paul’s master and owner---that is what the verse says.

The 3^rd word KLAYTOS----called an apostle. (page 13) ek-klay-see-ah’

Paulos doulos de Lesous Christou klaytos apostolos.

Paul, the servant of Jesus Christ, called an apostle.

This is more than an invitation; this is a command, this is a commission.

Teaching on Romans - Week 7

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:53:00 GMT

Week 7

Teaching by Dr. David Del Vecchio

An important thing to remember is that Paul never reverses the order of ‘grace and peace’ in his blessings.

In other words we can only know peace through God’s grace.

Rom 1:8-15

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

¹⁵So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. KJV

Please notice that in verse 8 Paul begins with the word FIRST.

This word is PROTON and means the first in a series or line of successive things, much like the prototype in an assembly plant.

Paul was about to carefully and systematically open his heart and his theology to them.

Paul wrote Romans in 58 AD at the end of his 3^rd missionary journey, toward the close of his 3 month stay in Corinth, and where he had been solving the problems in that church. (47:26)

He was just about to leave again for Jerusalem to deliver the collection of funds for the church at Jerusalem, which was a poor church.

Before Paul left Corinth on this journey, he wrote Romans.

The time and place of the writing are equally certain.

Paul was in Corinth twice; the first time on his 2^nd missionary journey for a period of 18 months when he planted the gospel in Corinth and Greece.

Acts 18:11

11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. (KJV)

And again on his 3^rd missionary journey for a period of 3 months. 1Corinthians 16:1

1 Cor 16:1

1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. (KJV)

The church in Rome had already been planted without the help of an Apostle, so there was much Paul needed to impart there.

Paul wanted to see Rome, but only for a visit for mutual benefit.

Then he wanted to go to NEW fields of harvest in Spain.

The Lord wanted Paul to testify in Rome and we know from Luke’s account in Acts 23:1 that this did take place.

Paul’s call was to start new churches and the Roman church had been planted without the help of an apostle.

Acts 23:1

1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. (KJV)

Paul’s testimony continued in Rome for no less than two years.

Acts 28:30-31

30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,

31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

(KJV)

Teachings on Romans - Week 6

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:52:00 GMT

Week 6

Teaching by Dr. David Del Vecchio

Let’s look at the salutation from Paul in verse one:

Rom 1:6-7

6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. (KJV)

Among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.

Paul has already introduced and confirmed his calling and now he acknowledges the calling of the believers at Rome.

“You are the KLETOS, the called by Jesus Christ.”

Because of this calling they are called to be saints.

Sainthood is not something these Romans are called to possess by their own efforts, BUT something they already possess because God called them saints.

Paul’s salutation is the first contact he will have with many of the believers at Rome.

The letter is to be delivered by a woman and not by one of Paul’s helpers or scribes.

In Paul’s very first sentence the Romans are made to know and feel in what capacity and in what spirit he approaches them.

The translator and commentator Lenski says that “Romans is God’s truth.”

“But the main point is that the divine truth is a stream in which a child may wade and an elephant must swim.”

Teaching on Romans - Week 5

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:51:00 GMT

Week 5

Teaching By Dr. David Del Vecchio.

The word for GOSPEL is EUAGGELION [the evangel] and came to mean “the written gospel”, but before that THERE was the vocal gospel, the gospel before it was written.

The word Gospel; 2098 euaggelion (yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on);

from the same as 2097; a good message, i.e. the gospel: KJV-- gospel.

Originally, the word meant that a reward followed those who brought good news and later it meant the good news itself, but did not exclude the reward.

It means the accurate interpretation of the facts, which is much more than we have previously said this word means.

Too many and too often the facts of salvation have been watered down so that the church looks like the world today.

But for the bringer of truth and the good news of real salvation.

There is great reward that follows the bringer of good news.

The gospel, before it was written, is called the KERYGMA and it refers to the earliest gospel, the vocal gospel.

The vocal gospel began with Jesus as we see in Heb. 2:3.

Our great salvation first began to be spoken by our Lord.

Heb 2:3

3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (KJV)

This was approximately 30 AD.

The KERYGMA continued until 66 AD when Mark wrote the first gospel, also known as ‘The Evangel’.

Life always precedes history.

The Kerygma is the gospel everyone preached before the New Testament was written.

Study of Romans - Part 4

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:42:00 GMT

Week 4

Paul was called to the position or function of Apostle.

The word for ‘called’ is KLETOS and it means ‘called one’.

It comes from the word KALLEIN which means to call.

We fail to understand the significance of this word because of our informal language.

We call each other to dinner or to the phone or some other place, but that is NOT what the word meant in Paul’s day.

In Paul’s day the word meant a great deal more than an invitation.

It can be compared to a legal summons or being called or declared not guilty by a court, or called into military service.

It is the equivalent of the Hebrew word QARA, when God called the light day and the darkness He called night.

The word church comes from the same root word; EK-LES-SIA and it means ‘called out ones’.

We were not merely invited to Jesus--- we were summoned to Him, called out of the world------ and created sons and daughters of God by His call.

Two weeks ago in my message I said that salvation is a PLACE and NOT a position.

We have been summoned or called to the PLACE of salvation.

It is to be a place of dwelling and not a place of visitation.

In Romans 1:1 the translators added the words ‘to be’ which you see in italics, they are not a part of the original text.

This translation ERROR does disservice to what Paul intended to say, when he said this.

Rom 1:1

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (KJV)

He was not called to become an apostle, he was called an apostle.

When God called him; that made him immediately what God called him.

When God calls you, He makes you whatever He calls you and this call came from his mother’s womb.

Gal 1:15

15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, (KJV)

Apostle is APOSTELOS or Apostled one.

The original meaning is important for our understanding:

APO means from and STELLOS is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word SHALACH sent, which is the original root for mashiah or Messiah.

This is why Jesus is the chief Apostle.

Heb 3:1

1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (KJV)

It means far more than the common definition for a ‘sent one’.

In other words, “He is sent in order to SEND others.”

An apostle is God’s delegated authority, His ambassador or legal representative for a city or a community.

He raises up leaders who raise up churches.

Study of Romans - Part 3

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:42:00 GMT

Week 3

Often we hear in Sunday school and church that Saul became Paul to denote his conversion.

That is of course categorically incorrect and Lenski and Barclay and Cottle all agree.

What is true is that it was common for a Jew to use a Greek name because it was better for business and relationships.

The name Saul in Hebrew is SHA’UL meaning “asked of God”.

Saul’s parents feared God and obviously they had prayed for a son and when he arrived they named him in gratitude.

The name Paul, Paulos comes from pauo and means ‘to cease’, ‘restrain’, ‘diminish’.

Our English word PAUSE comes from this root word.

Saul was a madman before his confrontation with God.

He is first called Paul in Acts 13:9, some years after his conversion.

Acts 13:9

9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, (KJV)

Acts 13:9

9 But Saul, who was also {known as} Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze upon him, (NAS)

Saul is called Paul some time after his conversion during his first missionary journey with Barnabas.

Some think that Saul came to the end of himself on the Damascus road and was transformed into Paul.

One of the greatest translators of the bible is Lenski and Lenski has the most defined answer to the name change.

Lenski says that Luke, who is the writer of the book of Acts, introduces the name Paul instead of Saul almost as a matter of fact.

From this point forward he intends to use the name Paul only, except where the apostle may speak of himself.

Up to this point it is always “Barnabas and Saul”, which implies that Barnabas was the leader of the two.

But now the Spirit descends upon Saul and from this point forward the leadership rests with him.

This is an appropriate place to indicate that Saul now used his Roman name Paul, because he worked among Greeks to whom the name SHA’ UL would sound too foreign.

Paul, however, refers to himself by a different name, the bondservant of Jesus Christ.

Doulos Iesou Christou.

Doulos [1491] means servant or slave.

It is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word EBED which referred to the Old Testament bond slave, rather than a hired slave.

Exodus 21:1-11 shows us the extreme differences between the two types of slaves allowed under the law.

The EBED served his master his entire life out of willingness; he was not forced.

Hebrew scripture refers to every major character as an EBED YAHWEH, a bond slave of Jehovah-------- Moses, Abraham, Jeremiah….

In the New Testament-------- Paul, Peter, James, John and Jude all referred to them selves as ‘bondslaves’ of Jesus Christ.

Doulos is more correctly rendered slave than bond servant.

These men were boasting that Jesus was their absolute master and Lord.

Teaching on Romans - Week 2

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:39:00 GMT

Study of Romans - Week 2

Dr. David Del Vecchio

Paul had a passion for Rome; ever since he was converted he wanted to preach the gospel in Rome.

It was the key city of the world in Paul’s day.

Acts 9:15, God dropped the seed into Paul about the Gentiles, ETHNOS, a people group, a social group.

Acts 9:15

15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: (KJV) (32:43)

The HIM here is Ananias, out of the church of Damascus.

And the HE here is Paul.

The word gentile is ETHNOI; ethnic and it is translated three ways in the New Testament.

#1. Gentiles

#2. Nations

#3. Heathen

A gentile is someone NOT of the dominate ethnic group.

A people group like Americans or Germans or Italians.

Often these people groups have their own language.

Color, class, sex, age and economy have nothing to do with it.

“He must bear my name before the people groups of the world.”

All the people groups of the world were centered before Caesar in Rome.

All of Europe was centered around the Mediterranean Sea.

The word Caesar is the same word for Zar, Nehemiah was the Zar, the governor, and Augustus was the chief Zar, called the Cae Zar or Caesar.

Caesar means king of kings or chief king and God told Paul on the Damascus road that he would preach the gospel to the world and to the king of kings.

Paul’s entire life was guided by one word of wisdom after another.

Jesus life was guided by a word of knowledge, because God only had to tell Him what----never go and do. He knew what to do.

Paul needed the knowledge explained to him and the directions expressed to him.

The seed God dropped into Paul in Acts 9:15 was growing.

Acts 19:21

21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. (KJV)

God gave Paul a vision where He spoke to him again.

Acts 23:11

11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. (KJV)

The seed was planted through Ananias and Paul repeatedly verbalized what had been said and then God worked it through Paul.

Romans 1:11+15

I long to see you.

Long is EPI PATHOS. The deep yearning to come.

This is what happened after the seed of God’s word was planted into Paul in Acts 9.

The confession became a growing reality in Paul.

Verse 15. Paul said, “As much as in me is----I am ready.”

This is the occasion for Paul’s writing, all coming out of the prophecy, the word of wisdom from Ananias.

Paul’s passion for Rome came out of that word that Ananias gave him.

An insignificant unknown man, Ananias had the key role to play in the life of the greatest minister of all time.

Ananias was in God’s mind a very significant man and important to the future of what God had in store for the rest of us.

He was used and I am sure that he never had a clue to how important he was or his words would be.

We never know how important we are in God’s plan; how strategically He has placed us.

Be careful how you deal with people, you may be dealing with an apostle Paul.

(These are my notes, NOT what I have taught from the pulpit. - Dr. David Del Vecchio)

Study of Romans - Week 1

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:39:00 GMT

This is NOT what I have said from the pulpit, these are my notes. - Dr. David Del Vecchio

A STUDY OF THE BOOK OF ROMANS - Week 1

Before I begin, I must give credit for my understanding of the book of Romans to Dr. Cottle and R.C.H.Lenski and William Barclay, without their understanding of the languages involved I would still be translating the words.

Romans teaches us that we are free from the law of sin and death.

According to Martin Luther, if he could only have one book, it would be the bible.

If he could have only one book in the bible it would be Romans.

If he could have only one chapter in the book it would be the 3^rd chapter of Romans.

He calls it the womb through the tomb.

Hebrews is more like Romans than any other book in the bible.

There is a difference in method and atmosphere of all the books Paul wrote.

The letter to the Roman church is perhaps the most discussed and loved letter, of the Pauline epistles and some would refer to it as his highest level of achievement.

All of Paul’s other letters or books were problem solving books or letters.

In Romans Paul sets down in Corinth and says this is the gospel, this is what I believe.