![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.ministryofgrace.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/Banner-MOG-701.gif\" "\\"Ministry")
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For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Service to God is a great privilege and an honor, which should humble us now and forever.<\/p>\n This verse starts off with the word \u201cFor<\/span>\u201d which is translated from the Greek word gar<\/em><\/span>. However, there is significant evidence in favor of the Greek word de<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cand\u201d or \u201cbut\u201d rather than gar<\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n The word translated \u201cmagnify<\/span>\u201d is the Greek word doxadz\u014d<\/em><\/span>, (from which we get our word doxology) which means, \u201cto consider glorious or full of honor.\u201d<\/p>\n In the previous two verses Paul said that the gospel message has gone out to the Gentiles because of the stumbling of the Jews. He has been speaking about the Jews and he knows that those who hear his message will become more focused on the problems of the Jews than on their own relationship with God and responsibility to serve Him.<\/p>\n So, he is about to tell the Gentiles that he is sharing this with them for a couple of purposes. The first is to provoke his fellow Jews to jealousy as he will point out in the next verse. The other purpose is to warn the Gentile Christians not to be too complacent and proud, because their salvation is a gift just as the salvation of the Jews is a gift, as he will point out later in this chapter.<\/p>\n But he now explains why he is making such statements directly to the Gentile believers. It is because Paul was called specifically to be an Apostle to the Gentiles. This is evident by what God said to Ananias in Acts 9:15<\/strong><\/span> when God sent him to place his hands on Paul (then called Saul) to restore his sight. When Ananias resisted God\u2019s call, claiming Saul to be a persecutor of the church, God said:<\/p>\n Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n In the current verse Paul then says, \u201cI magnify my ministry.<\/span>\u201d This is a much misunderstood statement. Paul is not bragging about his ministry, but is saying that he considers his calling as the Apostle of the Gentiles both a great honor and a great responsibility. He says that he believes that the calling which he has received is one of great importance and as such he will not rest until he has fulfilled it completely. Paul is not claiming to be proud of his ministry. He is humbled by the high calling to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!<\/p>\n Is that how you feel about the ministry that God has called you to? Do you know what ministry God has called you to? As part of the body of Christ, we each have a responsibility (a calling). You have not been saved just to spend eternity in Heaven. You have been saved to serve, and you should be serving in the responsibility to which you have been called. If you are serving in the body of Christ simply because you have been asked to do something, perhaps you should pray and ask God if you are serving where He wants you to serve.<\/p>\n When we are serving where God wants us, as Paul did, we will see our service as a great honor and we will glorify God in it!<\/p>\n In God\u2019s service, for His glory,<\/strong><\/p>\nTruth to Learn<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Behind the Words<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Meaning Explained<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Application<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.ministryofgrace.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/Signature1.gif\" "\\"Will\\"")
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