Day 45 – Called to Preach

Verse for today – “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things (Eph. 3:8-9).”

So exactly what did Paul do? What was the grace given to him? Paul became a preacher! The Greek word (euaggelizó), used here for “to preach,” literally means “to announce good news.” The first part of the word means “good,” and the second part means “to announce,” or “to herald.” To better understand this word, consider the following history. Back in the day, when there were no newspapers, heralds were official messengers sent by kings to deliver official proclamations. So, a herald might run from one town to the next, take his stand in the center of town, and lift his voice for all to hear. This was the work God gave Paul to do for the remainder of his life. Paul traveled from town to town, and from home to home, eventually he traveled from jail house to jail house, with GOD’S GOOD NEWS.

Paul’s message was “the riches of Christ!” His message was that God loves the world, and IN CHRIST all can be forgiven. In Christ, and because of HIS work on the cross, anyone who believes can have peace with God! His message was that IN CHRIST THERE IS EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING.

Dear Reader, we are still living during the administration of this mystery. What God would do for mankind; what God would do about the problem of sin, was hidden for years, but now it has been revealed. Paul and the other apostles, and disciples, began the work of heralding this Good News, but the work continues to this day. All Christians are invited by God to speak about these things. Consider the words written to Christians by Peter in the first century: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9).”

LET’S JOIN THE PARTY!