Romans 1:1

1. The writer 1:1

As in all his epistles, Paul used his Roman rather than his Jewish name, Saul, perhaps because he was the apostle to the Gentiles. Even though he had not yet visited Rome his readers knew Paul’s reputation well. He just needed to give his name to identify himself.

In his relationship to Jesus Christ, Paul was a bond-servant (Greek doulos). Some translators have rendered this word "slave," but Paul was a willing servant of Christ (cf. Philippians 2:7). This term is the equivalent of the Old Testament "servant of the Lord" (e.g., Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Nehemiah, and especially David). Paul shared this status with his readers.

"He regarded himself as the purchased possession of his Lord and Master. The two ideas of property and service are suggested. There was no serfdom or servility, and yet there was an absolute loyalty in the consciousness of absolute possession. The bond-servant owned nothing, and was nothing, apart from his master. His time, his strength, everything belonged altogether to another. There was nothing nobler to St. Paul than to be a slave of the Lord Jesus. He desired to be nothing, to do nothing, to own nothing apart from Him." [Note: Thomas, pp. 38-39.]

The title "apostle" gives Paul’s gift and office in the church. He was Jesus Christ’s special appointee. This status gave him the right not only to preach the gospel but to found, to supervise, and even to discipline churches if necessary. The basis of his authority, the right to his office, was God’s calling (cf. Romans 1:6-7). [Note: See R. D. Culver, "Apostles and the Apostolate in the New Testament," Bibliotheca Sacra 134:534 (April-June 1977):131-43.]

"’Called’ means designated and set apart by an action of God to some special sphere and manner of being and of consequent activity." [Note: William R. Newell, Romans Verse by Verse, p. 3. Italics removed.]

"Paul never thought of himself as a man who had aspired to an honour; he thought of himself as a man who had been given a task." [Note: Barclay, p. 2.]

The particular extent of his work, the scope of his calling, was quite narrow, namely, to proclaim the gospel (good news) of God. As a Pharisee, Paul had lived a life set apart to observing the Mosaic Law and Jewish customs strictly. Now his calling was to proclaim the gospel (Acts 9:15; Galatians 1:12).

"Concentration thus follows consecration and commission." [Note: Thomas, p. 39.]