Romans 1:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What are you doing, Paul? You have lifted up our souls and raised them to the height. You have shown what is great and ineffable.

You have spoken of the Gospel, and of the Gospel of God. You have presented the assembly of the prophets and shown that they foretold the future many years beforehand. Why do you bring us down again to David?

Tell me, of what man are you speaking when you name the father of Jesse's son? Is this consistent with what was said before?

It is entirely consistent, Paul says, because our discourse is not about a mere man. For this reason I added "according to the flesh," giving to understand that another birth also belongs to Him, according to the Spirit.

Here he clearly shows two births. By the words "concerning His Son," that is, the Son of God, he points to the birth from above. By the expression "from the seed of David," he points to the birth below.

By adding "according to the flesh," he showed that the birth according to the Spirit also belongs to Him. Therefore the Gospel is not about a mere man, for it is about the Son of God.

Nor is it about a mere God, for it is about Him who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh. Thus one and the same is both: the Son of God and the Son of David.

Therefore let Nestorius at last be ashamed. The Apostle mentions His birth according to the flesh, as do the three Evangelists, so that from it he may lead his hearers up to the higher birth.

So too the Lord Himself was first seen as man, and then acknowledged as God.

"Concerning His Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh."

He says that the One who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh was designated, όρισθέντος.

Compare: "manifested" and "appointed." The meaning of this participle is usually chosen between two possibilities.

The first corresponds to Saint John Chrysostom's interpretation: "indicated, manifested, acknowledged." The second, "appointed" or "established," is not very successful.

It can suggest that Christ "became" the Son of God only after the Resurrection. Yet this is excluded by the general context of the Apostle Paul's epistles.

In the last times He appeared among them, the Israelites, clothed in flesh that came from the tribe of David, and He was revealed as the Son of God.

"Concerning His Son." Since God promised His Son to the world, it was fitting to promise Him through known men. Through them it would be possible to know how great He is whom they preached.

Thus His future coming would be spoken of in the holy Scriptures, and what was preached by the holy Scriptures could not seem false.

"Who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh." He who was Son of God according to the Holy Spirit, that is, from God, was born according to the flesh from the seed of David.

For God is Spirit, and without doubt He is holy. As it is said: "And the Word became flesh" (Jn 1:14).

Just as there is one Son of God and man, Jesus Christ, so He is true God and true man. He would not truly be man if He did not have flesh and soul, nor would He be perfect.

"Concerning His Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh." That is, through the mouths of all the prophets, the Father foretold the Son, who before the ages was begotten of Him by nature.

He is called Son of David because He received human nature from David's seed. Therefore, after mentioning David, the Apostle necessarily added, "according to the flesh," lest He be considered Son of David by nature and Son of God by grace.

For this addition, "according to the flesh," gives us to understand that He is truly Son of God the Father according to the Godhead.

We do not find this phrase added concerning those who are nothing more than what is visible in them. The blessed Evangelist Matthew is witness to this.

I glorify Jesus Christ, God, who has made you so wise. For I have learned that you are immovably firm in the faith, as though nailed to the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ in flesh and spirit.

You are established in love by the blood of Christ and filled with faith in our Lord. He is truly of the race of David according to the flesh, yet Son of God by the divine will and power.

He was truly born of the Virgin and baptized by John, that He might fulfill all righteousness. He was truly crucified for us in the flesh under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch.

From this fruit, that is, from His most blessed Passion in God, we have come forth. Through the Resurrection He raised a standard forever (Is 5:26) for His saints and faithful ones.

He did this both among the Jews and among the Gentiles, in the one body of His Church.

Verses 3-4. "Declared to be the Son of God," του όρισθέντος. Jesus Christ, preached by the Apostle, was according to the flesh a descendant of David.

Yet, being united with the Godhead, He was revealed and declared as the true Son of God. Even according to His humanity, "He was not simply born according to the custom of other men, but by the cooperation of the Holy Spirit" (Augustine, Contra Faustum 11.14).

As Son of God He proved His Godhead to the world. First, He did so by the power of miracles. Second, He did so by the visible influence upon the Apostles of the Spirit, who is called the Sanctifier.

Finally, He did so by His resurrection from the dead, because by His own power after death He took up His soul, which by His own will He had laid down for men (Chrysostom and others).

The inscription: "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, set apart for the gospel of God," promised beforehand in the prophetic writings, concerning the God-man, "who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh. And was declared the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." This inscription recalls the similar one in the Epistle to the Galatians: "I, Paul, chosen not by men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ."

In his preface the Apostle Paul seems to say little about Jesus Christ, but here every word has high worth and the deepest meaning.

For example, not without purpose does he speak of the origin of Jesus Christ from the seed of David according to the flesh.

He clearly shows that according to the Godhead He was the Son of God before all ages. He was revealed as such also to men, so that they saw His glory, as of the Only-begotten from the Father (Jn 1:14).

But this was revealed to them only after many signs of the power of His Godhead. It was revealed especially after they had been sanctified by the Spirit, who revealed all things to them.

Above all, He revealed what Jesus Christ is, who by His own power rose from the dead.

Here is the subject of the Gospel, both promised and fulfilled in deed: the incarnate Only-begotten Son of God. Approaching this, St. Chrysostom cries out: "What are you doing, Paul?

Where are you carrying our souls? To what height are you raising them? What lofty and ineffable things are you opening to our contemplation?"

"Concerning His Son." This word is intentionally placed first, to give the thought beforehand. When they hear, "who was born of the seed of David," they must not think that He then only began to exist.

Rather, he teaches that He existed beforehand as Son of God and God. Then He was pleased to become Son of David, concealing the light of the Godhead beneath the veil of human nature.