20250902 [새벽묵상] 복음을 받은 자들이 행해야 할 의무 | The Debtor's Duty: What We Owe to the Gospel (롬/Rom 1:8~17)

1:8 먼저 내가 예수 그리스도로 말미암아 너희 모든 사람에 관하여 내 하나님께 감사함은 너희 믿음이 온 세상에 전파됨이로다

1:9 내가 그의 아들의 복음 안에서 내 심령으로 섬기는 하나님이 나의 증인이 되시거니와 항상 내 기도에 쉬지 않고 너희를 말하며

1:10 어떻게 하든지 이제 하나님의 뜻 안에서 너희에게로 나아갈 좋은 길 얻기를 구하노라

Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

1:11 내가 너희 보기를 간절히 원하는 것은 어떤 신령한 은사를 너희에게 나누어 주어 너희를 견고하게 하려 함이니

1:12 이는 곧 내가 너희 가운데서 너희와 나의 믿음으로 말미암아 피차 안위함을 얻으려 함이라

1:13 형제들아 내가 여러 번 너희에게 가고자 한 것을 너희가 모르기를 원하지 아니하노니 이는 너희 중에서도 다른 이방인 중에서와 같이 열매를 맺게 하려 함이로되 지금까지 길이 막혔도다

11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

1:14 헬라인이나 야만인이나 지혜 있는 자나 어리석은 자에게 다 내가 빚진 자라

1:15 그러므로 나는 할 수 있는 대로 로마에 있는 너희에게도 복음 전하기를 원하노라

14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

1:16 내가 복음을 부끄러워하지 아니하노니 이 복음은 모든 믿는 자에게 구원을 주시는 하나님의 능력이 됨이라 먼저는 유대인에게요 그리고 헬라인에게로다

1:17 복음에는 하나님의 의가 나타나서 믿음으로 믿음에 이르게 하나니 기록된 바 오직 의인은 믿음으로 말미암아 살리라 함과 같으니라

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

                  우리는 어제 새벽기도 말씀을 통해 우리가 예수 그리스도의 것으로 부름을 받았다는 사실을 들었습니다. 하나님의 복음을 위하여 선택 받은 것이지요. 그렇다면 복음은 무엇입니까? 바로 성경에 미리 약속하신 하나님의 아들이시며 진정한 왕이신 예수그리스도에 대한 좋은 소식이 바로 복음이지요. 우리는 그 복음을 듣고 예수 그리스도께서 우리의 죄를 대신 지셨으며 십자가에서 돌아가시고 부활하셨다는 것을 믿게 되었습니다. 그 복음을 듣고 믿음으로 우리는 성도로 부름심을 받고 예수 그리스도의 것으로 부르심을 받았습니다. 그렇다면 그 복음을 받은 자들은 어떻게 살아야 할까요? 오늘은 우리보다 먼저 복음을 받았던 사도바울의 모습을 통해 복음을 받은 자들이 행해야할 의무라는 제목으로 말씀을 나누기 원합니다.

Yesterday, in our early morning prayer service, we heard that we have been called to be a people of Jesus Christ. We have been chosen for God's Gospel. So what is the Gospel? It is the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the true King, whom God promised beforehand in the Scriptures. Hearing that Gospel, we came to believe that Jesus Christ bore our sins, died on the cross, and was resurrected. Hearing and believing that Gospel, we have been called as saints and have been called to be a people of Jesus Christ. So, how should those who have received the Gospel live? Today, I want to share a message titled "The Duty of Those Who Have Received the Gospel," by looking at the example of the Apostle Paul, who received the Gospel before us.

                  첫째로 복음을 받은 자들은 서로를 격려하여 그 믿음을 견고하게 합니다. 그렇게 하기 위해서는 서로 자주 만나야 겠지요. 오늘 말씀 8-15절은 사도 바울이 로마 교회를 방문하기를 원한다는 의사를 절절하게 표현하고 있습니다. 10절, “어떻게 하든지 이제 하나님의 뜻 안에서 너희에게로 나아갈 좋은 길 얻기를 구하노라” 사도 바울은 왜 이렇게 까지 로마교회를 방문하기 원했을까요? 11절과 12절을 함께 같이 읽어보겠습니다. “내가 너희 보기를 간절히 원하는 것은 어떤 신령한 은사를 너희에게 나누어 주어 너희를 견고하게 하려함이니 이는 곧 내가 너희 가운데서 너희와 나의 믿음으로 말미암아 피차 안위함을 얻으려 함이라.” 사도 바울은 로마 교회를 견고하게 하려고 그들을 만나기 원한다고 합니다. 또 그들 가운데 함께 거함으로 서로의 믿음이 서로를 격려하게 될 것을 기대하고 있습니다. 사도 바울이 신령한 은사를 나누어 주고 싶다고 말하는데 바로 그것은 서로를 만나 함께 거하며 서로의 믿음을 통해 서로를 격려하는 것입니다. 우리는 이렇게 서로를 격려함으로서 서로의 믿음을 더욱 견고하게 할 수 있습니다. 이것이 바로 복음을 받은 자들이 행해야할 의무 중에 하나인 것이지요. 그래서 우리는 교회에서 서로를 자주 만나고 서로의 믿음을 감사하게 생각하고 서로를 위하여 기도를 쉬지않고 해야하는 것입니다. 그것이 바로 오늘 말씀에8-9절까지 사도 바울이 행했던 것이지요. 8절, “너희 모든 사람에 관하여 내 하나님께 감사함은” 9절, “항상 내 기도에 쉬지 않고 너희를 말하며.” 그런데 이렇게 말씀드리면 목사님, 그런데 믿음이 약한 지체를 만나면 저는 그렇게 격려가 안되던데요? 라고 물으실 수 있어요. 여러분 사도 바울을 한 번 생각해보십시요. 고명한 가말리엘의 제자였고 예수님으로부터 직접 선택받은 사도 바울이 아직 믿음이 연약한 로마 교회를 만났을 때에 그에게 유익이 얼마나 있었겠습니까? 그러나 그도 복음에 빚진 자였습니다. 그의 이름도 원래는 사울이었지요. 우리도 마찬가지 입니다. 우리가 그렇게 믿음이 연약하였을 때에 누군가 우리를 격려하고 우리의 믿음을 견고하게 하였기 때문에 우리 또한 복음을 받은 것이 아니겠습니까? 그래서 이것이 복음을 받은 자들이 행해야할 의무라는 것입니다. 우리에게는 다른 성도들을 위하여 기도하고 그들과 교제하며 격려함으로 그 믿음을 견고하게 해야하는 것입니다.

First, those who have received the Gospel encourage one another to strengthen their faith. To do so, they need to meet with each other often. Today’s passage, verses 8-15, shows the Apostle Paul expressing his sincere desire to visit the church in Rome. In verse 10, he says, "I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you." Why was the Apostle Paul so eager to visit the Roman church? Let's read verses 11 and 12 together: "I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith." The Apostle Paul longs to meet them to make the church in Rome strong. He also expects that by being with them, their mutual faith will be an encouragement to one another. Paul says he wants to impart a spiritual gift, which is to encourage one another through mutual faith by meeting and being together. In this way, we can strengthen our faith by encouraging each other. This is one of the duties of those who have received the Gospel. That's why we should meet often at church, be thankful for each other's faith, and never stop praying for one another. That is what the Apostle Paul did in today's passage, verses 8-9. Verse 8 says, "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you," and verse 9, "constantly mentioning you in my prayers." But if I say this, you might ask, "Pastor, when I meet a brother or sister with weak faith, I don't feel encouraged." Please think about the Apostle Paul. He was a distinguished student of Gamaliel and was personally chosen by Jesus. How much benefit could he have gained from meeting the still-weak Roman church? However, he, too, was a debtor to the Gospel. His name was originally Saul. The same is true for us. When our faith was so weak, someone encouraged us and strengthened our faith. Isn't that how we, too, received the Gospel? This is why it is the duty of those who have received the Gospel. We have a duty to pray for other saints, fellowship with them, and encourage them to strengthen their faith.

                  두번째, 복음을 받은 자들은 누구에게든 복음을 전할 의무가 있습니다. 13절에서 바울은 로마 교회에 여러번 가고자 했다고 하면서 그 이유를 이렇게 설명합니다. “이는 너희 중에서도 다른 이방인 중에서와 같이 열매를 맺게 하려 함이로되” 이 말씀을 영어 성경으로 보면 열매를 맺게 하려 함이로되라는 말이 내가 추수를 얻을까 했다는 말이 됩니다. 제가 예전에 인상 깊게 읽었던 신앙 서적중에 고구마 전도왕이라는 책이 있었습니다. 당시에는 집사님이셨던 김기동 목사님의 유명한 전도법이지요. 굉장히 간단합니다. 군고구마가 다 익으면 젓가락으로 찌르면 푹 들어가지 않습니까? 그런데 다 안익었으면 젓가락이 들어가다가 말지요. 마찬가지입니다. 김기동 목사님은 생고구마를 익히는 것이 전도가 아니라 하나님이 이미 준비해 두신 사람인 ‘익은 고구마’를 찾는 것이 전도라고 합니다. 익은 고구마를 찾으려면 젓가락으로 찔러봐야 하는데 전도도 마찬가지라는 것이지요. “예수 믿으십니까?” 라고 물어보고 아직 안 익었으면 그때는 우리는 기다리면 됩니다. 언제까지? 하나님께서 익혀주실 때까지. 이렇게 열매가 맺혀서 추수를 기다리는 사람들이 로마 교회에, 또 우리 주변에 있는 것입니다. 그 대상에 대해서 오늘 말씀은 이렇게 말하고 있습니다. 14-15절 한 번 같이 읽겠습니다. “헬라인이나 야만인이나 지혜 있는 자나 어리석은 자에게 다 내가 빚진 자라 그러므로 나는 할 수 있는 대로 로마에 있는 너희에게도 복음 전하기를 원하노라” 여러분 우리는 어제 로마 교회가 유대인과 헬라인들 사이의 여러 갈등으로 어려움을 겪고 있다는 말을 들었습니다. 그렇다면 유대인이나 헬라인이나 다 내가 빚진 자라 라고 고백해야 정상일 것입니다. 그런데 이 말씀에는 오직 헬라인과 야만인에 대해서만 말하고 있습니다. 이는 왜 그런 것입니까? 그것은 바로 하나님의 백성으로 선택을 받은 유대인이 아니더라도 누구든지 복음을 들어야 하기 때문입니다. 이 누구든지라는 말이 중요합니다. 그리스 로마 사회 아래에서 살고 있던 유대인들에게 복음이 그리스 로마 사람들이었던 헬라인들에게 전해진 다는 것은 어느정도 납득 할 수 있었던 일일지도 모릅니다. 그러나 바울은 헬라인들조차 어리석다고 생각하는 야만인들에게도 자신은 복음의 빚을 지고 있다고 고백하고 있습니다. 이것은 유대인들에게는 어쩌면 상상조차 하기 힘든 일일지도 모릅니다. 그러나 그는 15절에 어떻게 말하고 있습니까? 나는 할 수 있는대로, 나는 할 수 있는 대로 복음을 전하기 원하노라 라고 말하고 있습니다. 그리고 그는 자신이 이렇게 누구에게든 복음을 전할 의무가 있다는 것을 16절에서 이렇게 뒷받침 하고 있습니다. “이 복음은 모든 믿는 자에게 구원을 주시는 하나님의 능력이 됨이라.” 유대인에게만? 아닙니다. 헬라인에게만? 아닙니다. 모든 믿는 자에게 구원을 주시는 하나님의 능력이 바로 이 복음입니다. 우리는 복음을 받은 자들로서 누구에게든지 복음을 전할 의무가 있는 것입니다.

Second, those who have received the Gospel have a duty to preach it to everyone. In verse 13, Paul explains why he had wanted to visit the Roman church many times. He says, "in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles." The word "harvest" here means to reap a crop. I once read a memorable Christian book titled The Sweet Potato Evangelist. It described the famous evangelism method of Pastor Kim Ki-dong, who was then a deacon. It's very simple. When a roasted sweet potato is fully cooked, you can poke it with a chopstick and it will go in easily, right? But if it's not fully cooked, the chopstick will stop. It's the same with people. Pastor Kim Ki-dong says that evangelism is not about cooking a raw sweet potato; it's about finding the 'cooked sweet potatoes'—people whom God has already prepared. To find a cooked sweet potato, you have to poke it with a chopstick. Evangelism is the same. You ask, "Do you believe in Jesus?" If they are not yet cooked, we just wait. Until when? Until God cooks them. People who are ready for harvest like this are in the church in Rome, and they are also around us. Today's passage speaks about the targets of this evangelism in verses 14-15. Let's read them together: "I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and to the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome." We heard yesterday that the Roman church was experiencing difficulties due to conflicts between Jews and Greeks. Therefore, it would be normal for Paul to confess, "I am a debtor both to Jews and Greeks." But this verse only mentions Greeks and non-Greeks (barbarians). Why is that? It is because anyone, even those who are not Jews chosen as God's people, must hear the Gospel. The phrase "anyone" is important. To the Jews living under Greco-Roman society, it might have been somewhat acceptable for the Gospel to be preached to the Greeks, who were also Greco-Roman people. However, Paul confesses that he is a debtor to the Gospel even to the barbarians, whom the Greeks considered foolish. This might have been something that Jews could not even imagine. But what does he say in verse 15? "I am so eager to preach the gospel." He supports his duty to preach the Gospel to anyone in verse 16: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes." Is it only for Jews? No. Only for Greeks? No. This Gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. As those who have received the Gospel, we have a duty to preach it to anyone.

                  말씀을 맺습니다. 우리는 예수그리스도의 복음을 듣고 믿음으로 성도로 부르심을 받았습니다. 하나님의 구원의 능력이 되는 복음을 거저 받은 자들로서 우리는 행해야 할 의무가 있습니다. 그것은 첫째로 서로를 격려하며 그 믿음을 견고하게 해야 합니다. 믿는 서로를 인해 감사하고 서로를 위하여 기도하며 만나서 교제해야합니다. 두번째, 우리는 복음에 빚진자들로서 누구에게든지 복음을 전해야 합니다. 열매를 거두려 로마 교회를 방문하려 했던 바울처럼 우리 주변에도 추수만을 기다리고 있는 사람이 있을지 모릅니다. 우리가 해야 할 일은 그들이 익은 고구마인지 확인만 해보면 됩니다. 복음을 부끄러워하지 않았던 바울처럼 우리도 복음에 빚진자들로서 해야할 의무를 잊지 않는 여러분 되시기를 주님의 이름으로 축원합니다.

Let us conclude. We have been called as saints by hearing and believing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As people who have freely received the Gospel, which is the power of God for salvation, we have a duty to fulfill. First, we must encourage one another and strengthen our faith. We should be thankful for one another's faith, pray for each other, and meet to fellowship. Second, as debtors to the Gospel, we must preach it to everyone. Like Paul, who wanted to visit the Roman church to gather a harvest, there may be people around us who are just waiting for a harvest. Our job is simply to check if they are cooked sweet potatoes. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will not forget your duty as debtors to the Gospel, just as Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel.