Romans 1:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Moses, who wrote the five books, nowhere set down his own name. The same is true of those who after him described later events, even Matthew, John, Mark, and Luke.

But blessed Paul everywhere places his name in his epistles. Why is this? Because those men wrote for people near them and, being personally present, had no need to speak about themselves.

Paul, however, sent writings from afar and in the form of a letter. For this reason the addition of his name was necessary for him.

If he does not do this in the Epistle to the Hebrews, it is because of his prudence. Since the Hebrews hated him, he concealed his name.

He did this so that, hearing his name at the beginning of the epistle, they would not refuse to listen further. By this concealment, he wisely gained their attention.

"Paul." Neither Moses, nor many after him, not even the Evangelists, placed their names before their writings. But the Apostle Paul places his name before each of his Epistles. This is because they wrote for those living together with them, while he sent writings from afar. According to custom, he observed the distinctive rule proper to letters. Only in the Epistle to the Hebrews does he not do this, because they hated him. Therefore, lest they hear his name at once and cease listening, he conceals his name at the beginning. Why was he renamed Paul from Saul? So that even in this he might not be inferior to the chief of the Apostles, who was called Cephas, meaning rock, that is, Peter (Jn 1:42).

By two brief words, "called" and "chosen," Paul distinguishes between the dignity of the Church and the oldness of the synagogue. The Church is so named because it calls forth. The synagogue is so named because it gathers together. Greek ekklesia comes from ekkaleo, to call forth, summon, or call to oneself. Greek synagoge comes from synago, to gather or assemble.

Paul says that he was "called," that is, called on the road to Damascus by Jesus Christ, who appeared to him and sent him to preach His Gospel (Acts 9:1 and following). He does not say: I was called then, when I was chosen. Rather, he says that he had already been chosen, like his fellow-workers, before the world was formed, for the preaching of the Gospel of God.

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ." He changed the name Saul to "Paul" and did not change it again. Since "Saul" means disturbance or trial, when he came to faith in Christ he called himself "Paul."

Thus, as it were, from a tempter he became calm, humbled, and small, since our faith is peace. Formerly he brought temptations upon the servants of God because of his zeal for serving the law. Later he endured them himself for the hope which he had formerly rejected through love of Judaism.

By calling himself a servant of Christ Jesus, he shows that he has been freed from the law. The Apostle gives both names, "Jesus" and "Christ," signifying the person of God and man. In both He is Lord, as the Apostle Peter also bears witness: "He is Lord of all" (Acts 10:36).

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle.” The governors of provinces and military commanders place the titles of their dignities at the beginning of their writings, swelling with pride over them and exalting their proud opinion of themselves according to rank.

But the divine Paul calls himself one untimely born (1 Cor 15:8). He calls himself the first of sinners (1 Tim 1:15). He says that he is unworthy of the apostleship (1 Cor 15:9).

Nevertheless, in the epistle, for the benefit of those receiving his writing, he sets forth first the names granted to him by grace. For when they understood the dignity granted to the writer, they received these writings with greater care and zeal.

Some are perplexed in vain over whether the adjective "called" should be referred to what precedes, yielding "a called servant," or to what follows, that is, "a called apostle." In either case the meaning is correct. For all are called in common: both those called to faith and to this grace, and the elect who were raised to the apostolic rank. Therefore he is called in a twofold way, both as a servant and as an apostle. Greek: doulos kletos. Greek: apostolos kletos. That is, Christians in general.

Just as the names of other saints were changed as they advanced and increased in merit, both in the Old and in the New Testament, such as Abraham, Peter, and others (cf. Gen 17:5; Mt 16:18; Gen 17:15), so Paul, advancing in the grace of God, changed his own name.

He is a servant not because of fear, but because of love, as he himself says: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal 2:20).

He shows that he was not only called to the grace of apostleship, but also set apart for preaching among the Gentiles. He himself mentions this: "that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised" (Gal 2:9).

Thus he was called by Christ to apostleship, but set apart by the Holy Spirit for preaching among the Gentiles, so that the consubstantiality of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit might be made manifest.

The Apostle preaches the Godhead of Christ because the world did not know Him. But why does he claim for himself what belongs to all? Although many believed, both those who had seen the Lord and those who had not, the call from heaven came to Paul alone: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?" (Acts 9:4). He has something greater in comparison with the other apostles. For when the Lord Himself called Peter, James, John, and the rest, He did not at once make or name them apostles. But Paul He both called and raised to the apostolate at the same time.

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ." According to the custom of the ancients, at the beginning of the Epistle the Apostle first sets down his name and rank. "Servant of Jesus Christ," doulos, properly means every Christian. Taken in connection with what follows, however, it denotes the Apostle's special ministry, as in the Old Testament "servant of the Lord" (Deut 34:5; Jer 7:25). Therefore he adds next, "called to be an Apostle," that is, a servant because he became an Apostle. Paul calls himself called so that no one might think he had arrogated the Apostleship to himself. In general, an apostle is any messenger (Phil 2:25). In this sense Jesus Christ Himself is called the Messenger of God the Father (Heb 3:1).

The Apostle places his own name first, according to the custom of that time. Thus Lysias, writing to Felix, begins, “Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix” (cf. Acts 23:26), as Photius notes in Oecumenius.

But how did Saul become Paul? All our commentators give this change of name a heavenly origin.

Thus Saint Chrysostom supposes that God Himself changed the Apostle’s name. He only resolves the question why He did this.

“Why did God change his name and rename Saul as Paul? So that in this also he might not be inferior to the Apostles. Rather, the same advantage held by the chief of the Apostles was received by Paul, for closer union with Him.”

Blessed Theodoret writes, “He calls himself Paul, not because he first received this name from his parents, but because he was deemed worthy of it after his calling, just as Simon was named Peter, and the sons of Zebedee sons of thunder.”

Others hold the same view. Nothing substantial can be said against this.

The fact that this is mentioned neither in Acts nor in the epistles is not a ground for objection. Saint Paul himself says that he had many revelations about which he kept silence.

Others explain this by a natural path. Among eastern writers Origen does so. He writes, “Why is Saul Paul? We find in Scripture that names were changed in the Old Testament, for example, Abram and Sarai into Abraham and Sarah.

“So also in the new grace Simon was renamed Peter, and the sons of Zebedee sons of thunder. But this was done by the command of God, while concerning Saint Paul we do not see such a command.

“Therefore we must seek a simple human explanation for such a change. Some thought that the Apostle took this name from Sergius Paulus, the proconsul of Cyprus, as a sign of having subjected him to the faith.

“In the same way victorious kings sometimes took names from those whom they defeated. This thought need not be discarded. Yet since we do not find such a custom in Scripture, we must resolve the question by our own examples.

“We find in Scripture that some had two names, and others even three. Thus Solomon was Jedidiah, and Zedekiah was Jehoiachin (cf. 2 Kgs 12:25; 4 Kgs 25:27).

“In the Gospel, Matthew is Levi (cf. Mt 9:9; Lk 5:27), and Thaddaeus is Lebbaeus (cf. Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18). Matthew speaks in one way, while Mark or Luke speaks in another.

“The Evangelists were not mistaken. Since it was customary to bear different names, one used one name for certain Apostles, and another used another.

“According to this custom, Paul also had two names. While he acted among his own people, he was called Saul. When he passed among the Greeks and Romans, he began to be called Paul.

“Scripture itself, when it says ‘Saul, who is also Paul’ (cf. Acts 13:9), gives us to understand that this name was not only then given to him, but had long belonged to him.”

Yet if the Lord renamed him at the beginning of his conversion, then this too would have been long before.

“A servant of Jesus Christ.” “Instead of a great title of honor, he uses the name of servant” (Saint Chrysostom).

“Governors of provinces and military commanders put the names of their dignities at the beginning of their writings, swelling with pride over them and exalting their proud opinion of themselves according to rank.

“But the divine Paul calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ, whom all unbelievers called dead, crucified, and the carpenter’s son. Yet the Apostle loved servitude to Him more than any kingdom” (Blessed Theodoret).

Here “servant” has its ordinary humbling meaning. Since he was about to say something great about himself, he first places what is humble, so that he may show that, if he speaks greatly, he does not speak from self-exaltation.

I am Christ’s servant, he says, as though the least in His house. I am not some independent steward, but an obedient servant who fulfills commands alone.

Whatever I say or do, I say and do because it has been commanded so.

Or he confesses himself Christ’s servant with the thought that he had formerly waged war against Him. With what fervor and self-confidence he persecuted this name.

But now, he says, I am a servant. I am conquered and taken captive. I do not lament the bonds of slavery, but glory in them, counting it the highest good for myself that I am a servant of Jesus Christ.

Him whom I persecuted, I now serve with my whole soul.

“A called Apostle.” Saint Paul also calls all Christians called, as here he calls the Romans. Yet that calling is only a calling to the faith, so that the whole Church is the assembly of those called, as Saint Chrysostom says.

But concerning himself he says here that he was called not only to faith, but also to the apostleship, as Oecumenius notes.

For him both callings occurred in one moment, just as it was with the twelve Apostles. The Lord said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (cf. Mk 1:17), at the very beginning of their faith.

The same grace He also showed to Saint Paul. He himself tells of this in his speech before Agrippa and Festus.

He says that when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus, He immediately said, “For this purpose I have appeared to you, to make you a servant and witness of the things which you have seen, and of those in which I will appear to you.

“I will deliver you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the authority of Satan to God.

“Thus they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (cf. Acts 26:16-18).

But why did he add “called,” when the word “Apostle” already presupposes a calling? By this word he places himself in the rank of the Twelve, whom the Lord Himself personally called and sent to preach.

At that time many were called apostles, who preached the Gospel either from their own zeal or by commission from other Apostles and believers.

But the true Apostles, the lawgivers and founders of the faith and the Church, were only the Twelve, chosen and sent by the Lord Himself.

Since Saint Paul was chosen like them and sent like them, he says of himself, “a called Apostle.” This is the same as in the Epistle to the Galatians: “I am an Apostle, not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ” (cf. Gal 1:1).

For what purpose is this mentioned here? On the one hand, it continues the expression of the same humble feeling witnessed by the words “a servant of Jesus Christ.”

“He did not seek and find for himself, but was called and obeyed” (Saint Chrysostom and Blessed Theophylact).

Both the duty to preach and the content of the preaching depend in no way on me. In this I carry out not my own will.

Therefore, writing to the Corinthians, he said, “If I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to boast of; a stewardship has been entrusted to me” (cf. 1 Cor 9:16-17).

On the other hand, by this very thing he also hints at his great dignity. He speaks in this way, setting forth a feature worthy of praise in himself after the declaration of his humility, as Saint John of Damascus says.

For it is not all one by whom a man is called and to what he is called. Saint Paul was called, but by God and the Lord. He was called to the apostleship, a work than which nothing higher has been or will be on earth.

Saint Chrysostom says, “All the faithful are called, but they are called only to believe. To Paul was also entrusted the apostleship, a ministry containing thousands of perfections, embracing and surpassing all gifts.”

Thus Saint Paul joined humility with dignity here. By both he teaches them to attend to and obey his preaching.

I exercise the apostleship, but I am not self-appointed in this rank. I do not seize the apostleship, but received it from the Master, who said to me, “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles” (Acts 22:21), as Blessed Theodoret says.

I am called and I do the will of Him who called and sent me. Since He who called and sent me is the God of all, obey my word without contradiction.

For everywhere the common law is to receive the ambassador as the one who sent him. Who will dare to contradict God? Therefore do not dare to resist my word.

The Apostle places this exhortation first, but not in the same sense as in the Epistles to the Galatians and Corinthians.

There he explained at length the manner of his apostolic calling, because some did not acknowledge him. Here he speaks of it only to dispose to attention those who had not seen him, but had only heard of him.

This same exhortation continues in the following words: “set apart for the Gospel of God.” “Set apart,” aphorismenos, means assigned.

“As in a house each person is appointed to a special work, so in the Church the lots of service are different” (Saint Chrysostom).

Saint Paul was appointed to preach the Gospel, or to be an Apostle. Therefore the words “set apart for the Gospel” serve as an explanation of the previous words, “a called Apostle.”

By both expressions he says, as it were, “I did not lay this upon myself, but received the ministry of preaching from God Himself” (Blessed Theodoret).

He says this “at the very beginning, arousing the attention of his hearers” (Saint John of Damascus).

“Since he was writing to the vainglorious Romans, who were puffed up over everything, he everywhere teaches that he was appointed by God, that God Himself called and chose him.

“He teaches this so that his epistle might be recognized as worthy of faith and accepted” (Saint Chrysostom).

When and by whom was he assigned to preaching? At the very beginning he was appointed to this by the Lord Himself.

Then he was directly assigned by Him when He appeared to him in the temple, for the Lord said, “Go to the Gentiles and preach the Gospel” (cf. Acts 22:17-21).

For Saint Paul this was the same as for the other Apostles, “Go therefore and teach all nations” (cf. Mt 28:19). Then his assignment to preaching from Antioch, at the prompting of the Spirit of God, was only the fulfillment of the Lord’s earlier determination (cf. Acts 13:2).

Yet all this, which occurred in time, was the fulfillment of what had been predestined before time.

If Saint Paul, even once, came to the consciousness that he had been chosen before he came into the world, and he did come to this consciousness (cf. Gal 1:15), then it cannot be denied that he had this thought whenever he spoke of his election.

Therefore Saint Chrysostom says, “I think that Paul means here not only his choice for ministry, but also his predestination to it even before birth.

“So Jeremiah also testifies of himself that God said concerning him, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I sanctified you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations’ (Jer 1:5).”

“For the Gospel of God.” The holy Apostle calls his preaching the Gospel because he came not with some sorrowful message, as the Prophets came with accusations, reproaches, and threats.

He came with good tidings, with the Gospel of God, concerning unnumbered treasures and constant, unchangeable blessings, not only present but also future, as Saint Chrysostom says.

The Gospel is like news to the sick man that he will recover, to the captive that he has been redeemed, and to the prisoner in bonds that freedom has been granted.

The Apostle’s preaching, as it is portrayed in the Epistle to the Romans, was this: You are sinful, you stand under the wrath of God, and after death you must go down to Hades for eternal torments.

God had compassion on you and sent His Only-begotten Son, that by His death He might blot out your sins and open for you the entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Believe and be baptized, and you will receive forgiveness of sins. You will receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that you may live in holiness, depart this life blameless, and pass there where our Savior also is.

Those who believed received all this. They had inward assurance that all this belonged to them and was theirs eternally.

Paul was set apart and consecrated for the gospel, just as the law calls that which is separated from the sacrifices for God and for the priests an "offering set apart" and a "portion taken out" (cf. Ex. 29:24, 26, 28).