Dr. John Hartmann

• Paul’s Special Stewardship in the Gospel

The apostle Paul was given a special grace to minister the Gospel to the Gentiles and to achieve certain Divinely ordained goals among them. Romans 1:1-5; 11:13; 15:14-21; 1 Cor 9:16-17; 15:10; Gal 2:6-9; 1 Thess 2:3-4

Paul and a group of co-laborers bring the Gospel to Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia, and Asia Minor in a period of about 10 years (46-56 A.D.).

Paul and Barnabas were sent by the church in Antioch and by the Holy Spirit, Who spoke through one of the church’s prophets concerning what these men had been called to do (Acts 13:1-4).

• The God of the Open Door

God is the God Who opens doors for His servants to labor in the Gospel in accordance with His will. His Son Jesus, exalted to His right hand in the heavenlies, has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), which in turn is foundational to the work He sends us to do in the Great Commission (28:19-20). In other words, the Great Commission is based on Jesus having been given all authority in Heaven and on Earth! Cf. Eph 1:19-23; 1 Pet 3:22; Psalm 110:1, cited in Acts 2:36; 1 Cor 15:24-28; Heb 1:13.

Hence God the Father has given all authority to the Son, Who is now at His right hand as the Second Adam, the Lord of all creation. Jesus therefore has the key of David, and is the One Who opens and none shuts and gives an open door to His servants to labor in the Gospel. See Revelation 3:7-8; 1 Cor 16:8-8; 2 Cor2:12-13;

Prayer and the Open Door: Matthew 9:36-38; Col 4:2-4; 2 Thess 3:1-5

• Stewardship in the Gospel

A steward is one entrusted with responsibility and authority for a task and the achieving of certain ends foreordained by a master. Paul was not “trying to do something for Jesus”. His philosophy of ministry was quite different, for he viewed himself and wanted others to view him as a servant of God who had been entrusted with a stewardship in the mysteries of God that laid the foundation for the church. See 1 Cor 4:1-2; 9:16-17; Eph 3:1-11; Col 1:24-29; 1 Thess 2:3-4; 2 Tim 1:12-16; 2:15

• Ambassador in the Ministry of Reconciliation  2 Cor 5:12-21
• The Lord’s Prisoner (Eph 3:1; 4:1; Phil 1:12-26)

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