Paul’s View of Jesus
Paul’s View of Jesus
In Romans 1:4, Paul represents Jesus Christ our Lord as a man above all. He has been granted the highest mark, the mightiest power, and the greatest miracle (his resurrection).
“Jesus Christ our Lord,
marked out to be the Son of God,
in power through the Spirit of Holiness,
having risen from the dead”
(Rom 1:4)
“marked out to be the Son of God”
This mark or designation is the status and authority of Jesus Christ. Christ stands far higher than Caesar on earth, and far higher than Michael the archangel in heaven (Eph 1:20-21). The status of Jesus Christ is expressed by Paul again, in his declaration that Christ Jesus was given "the name which is above every name" (Php 2:9). Paul stitches this up tight by saying that at Jesus's high name everyone in heaven and earth shall kneel (Php 2:10). Isaiah gives the royal titles to which Jesus has right: "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace" (Isa 9:6-7). We recognize these as titles of the Father which Jesus has been granted to share with him as his unique Son (Jhn 1:1,14).
“in power through the Spirit of Holiness”
The power in which Jesus does all his deeds, is "the power of the Spirit" (Lke 4:14-21). It is no less than "God’s eternal power and divinity" (Rom 1:20). This is the power that created the cosmos, and Paul attributes this power to Jesus Christ saying that "by him all things were created both invisible in the heavens and visible on earth... all things were created through him and for him" (Col 1:16). Jesus demonstrated his power through the Holy Spirit by many miracles. The greatest of these we think about next...
“having risen from the dead”
Arguably the resurrection of Jesus was the greatest miracle of all by which he demonstrated his power. He is the risen Christ. Jesus said to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life" (Jhn 11:25) and Paul acknowledges "if there is no resurrection of the dead, we are of all men most miserable" (1Co 15:12-19). Paul of course did not, in his own mind, question the resurrection. He believed "Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who sleep [in death]" (1Co 15:20). The resurrection of Christ, however, is not a miracle merely to wonder at. It is the basis of our hope of a resurrection to eternal life. "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you" (Rom 8:11).