The first question which occurs to us concerns the name Paul itself. Why is he, who in Acts^[1] was called Saul, now called Paul? In Holy Scripture we find that among the ancients, many names were altered, e.g., Abram was renamed Abraham,^[2] Sarai became Sarah,^[3] and Jacob became Israel.^[4] In the Gospels too, Simon was changed to Peter,^[5] and the sons of Zebedee became known as sons of thunder.^[6] But these things occurred by divine command, and we read nothing of the sort in the case of Paul. Because of this, some people have imagined that the apostle took the name of Paul, the proconsul of Cyprus, whom he converted to the Christian faith,^[7] in the same way that rulers are in the habit of adding the names of conquered peoples to their titles, e.g., Parthicus would indicate someone who conquered the Parthians, Gothicus a victor over the Goths, and so on. In the same way the apostle would have called himself Paul to indicate that he had conquered the proconsul Paul.

We cannot exclude this reason completely, but given that no such custom can be found in Holy Scripture, we ought rather to seek a solution from the examples which we do have. And indeed we find in the Scriptures that some people have two or even three different names, e.g., Solomon is also called Jedidiah,^[8] Zedekiah is also called Mattaniah,^[9] Uzziah is also called Azariah,^[10] and there are many others in the books of Judges, Samuel and Kings who have double names. But even the Gospels do not abandon this custom, e.g., Matthew was called Levi^[11] . . . and Thaddeus sometimes appears as Lebbaeus.^[12] Obviously the Gospel writers did not get the names of the apostles wrong, but given that it was the custom of the Hebrews to have two or three names, they gave different names to one and the same man. It seems to us that it is in accordance with this custom that Paul appears to have a second name, and that as long as he was ministering to his own people he was called Saul, which was probably the name his parents gave him, but that when he was writing laws and commandments for the Greeks and other Gentiles, he was called Paul. Scripture makes it clear when it says: Saul, who is also called Paul,^[13] that the name Paul was not then being given to him for the first time but was already habitual.

But why does Paul call himself a slave, when elsewhere he says: For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of sonship, by which we cry Abba! Father!^[14] . . . We may understand this as an expression of humility . . . and that would not be wrong. Nor is the reality of Paul’s freedom compromised by this in any way. As he himself says: Though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all.^[15]. . . For he serves Christ not in the spirit of slavery but in the spirit of adoption, for Christ’s service is more noble than any freedom.

Called is the name given to everyone who believes in Christ and is therefore a general term, although it is applied to each one according to what God has foreseen and chosen in him. He may be called to be an apostle or a prophet or a teacher; as free from a wife or as bound in marriage, and this is determined by the diversity of grace given to everyone, as it is written: Many are called but few are chosen.^[16]

In Paul’s case, he was not called to be an apostle in the general sense, but he was also chosen according to the foreknowledge of God to be set apart for the gospel of God, as he says elsewhere: God set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace.^[17] Heretics wrongly claim that he was set apart from his mother’s womb on account of the goodness of his nature, just as from the opposite side of the fence we read in the Psalms of those sinners who were separated from the womb^[18] because of their evil nature.

But we say that Paul was chosen neither by accident nor because of some natural difference, but he himself attributed the causes of his election to him who knows everything before it happens. . . . For God foresaw that Paul would labor more abundantly than anyone else in the gospel . . . and for that reason Jesus set him apart in his mother’s womb for the gospel. Had he been chosen by fate, as the heretics maintain, or by some inherently better nature, he would not have been afraid of being condemned if he failed to preach the gospel.^[19]

God’s foreknowledge, by which those who will labor and succeed are known, comes first, and his predestination follows afterwards, so that foreknowledge cannot be regarded as the cause of predestination. With men, merits are weighed according to past actions, but with God they are weighed according to future behavior, and anyone who thinks that God cannot see our future just as easily as he can see our past is an unbeliever.

Some people argue quite pointlessly as to whether the participle called is meant to modify servant or apostle. It applies to both, since everyone is called, and called equally, both to faith and grace and to election and the apostolic order.

Saul changed his name to Paul, and the change was permanent. Because Saul means restlessness or trial, when he came to faith in Christ he called himself Paul, i.e., rest, because our faith is peace. For whereas previously he had inflicted trials on the servants of God because of his desire to fulfill the law, later he himself endured trials on account of the hope which before he had denied because of his love of Judaism.

In calling himself a servant of Jesus Christ, Paul shows that he has been delivered from the law, and he puts both names, Jesus and Christ, in order to signify the person of God and man, for in both he is Lord, as Peter the apostle testifies, saying: He is the Lord of all.^[1] And because he is Lord, he is also God, as David says: For the Lord himself is God.^[2] The heretics deny this. Marcion, it seems, denied Christ and his body out of hatred for the law, although he confessed Jesus. The Jews and Photinus denied that Jesus was God out of their zeal for the law. For whenever Scripture says either Jesus or Christ, it sometimes means the person of God and sometimes the person of the man, e.g.: there is one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things.^[3]

Called to be an apostle. Because Paul acknowledged the Lord and confessed him he became the perfect servant and shows that he was promoted, saying that he was called to be an apostle, i.e., a messenger sent by the Lord to do his work. By this he shows that he had merit with God because he served Christ and not the law.

Set apart for the gospel of God. The gospel of God is good news, by which sinners are called to forgiveness. For since as a Pharisee the apostle held a teaching post among the Jews, he now says that he has been set apart from the preaching of Judaism for the gospel of God, so that abandoning the law, he might preach Christ who justifies those who believe in him, which the law could not do. This does not go against the law but affirms it, since the law itself says that this will happen in the future, in the words of Isaiah the prophet: There will come from Zion one who will break and remove the captivity of Jacob, and this will be a testimony of me, when I shall take away their sins.^[4] COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.^[5] SET APART. Paul was set apart and dedicated to evangelism, like the offerings which the law says were set apart for God and for the priests.^{[1] [2]}

Paul here preaches the divinity of Christ to a world which was ignorant of it. Many people saw the Lord, and others believed in him without seeing, but Paul was called from heaven: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?^[1] He was more highly favored than the other apostles, for the Lord called Peter and James and John and made them his disciples; he did not immediately make or call them apostles. But he made Paul an apostle as soon as he called him. Thus the gospel is preached according to the plan of God.

Moses wrote five books, but nowhere did he put his own name to them . . . nor did Matthew, John, Mark or Luke. But St. Paul everywhere in his epistles puts his own name.^[1] Why? Because the others were writing to people who were present, and it would have been superfluous for them to have announced themselves when they were present. But Paul sent his writings from a distance and in the form of a letter, and so he had to add his name.

Why did God change his name and call him Paul instead of Saul? It was so that even in this respect he might not come short of the apostles but that he might also have the same preeminence that the chief of the disciples had^[2] and on that basis be more closely united with them. Paul also calls himself the servant of Christ, and there are many kinds of servitude. One is related to creation, for all things are thy servants.^[3] Another comes from faith^[4] and a third is civil subjection, as it says: Moses my servant is dead.^[5] Indeed, all the Jews were servants, but Moses in a special way, since his light has shone most brightly in the community. Paul was a servant in all of these senses, and therefore he puts this term first, in the place of greatest dignity.

He says of himself, in all of his epistles, that he is called, thereby demonstrating his own candor in admitting that it was not because he sought that he found but that when he was called, he came near and obeyed.^[6] HOMILIES ON ROMANS 1.^[7] A SERVANT FIRST. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: All things are servants of Christ, and he is Lord of all. Therefore Paul calls himself a servant first of all, thereby encouraging the rest to do likewise. He also recalls the unique lordship of the Son but not in such a way as to deny the lordship of the Father, which is confessed by everybody. In saying that he was set apart, he showed that he was not only called but also chosen from among many as useful for the preaching of the gospel. ^[1] CALLED AND SET APART. [PSEUDO-]CONSTANTIUS: Just as the names of other saints both in the Old and in the New Testament, e. g., Abraham and Peter and the rest, were changed in accordance with the advance and increase of their merits, so also Paul, as he grew in the grace of God, changed his name. He was a servant not out of fear but out of love, as he himself says: It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.^[1] He reveals that he was not only called to the grace of apostleship but set apart for preaching to the Gentiles, as he himself records: We to the Gentiles and they to the circumcision.^[2] Called therefore by Christ to the apostleship, he was set apart for preaching to the Gentiles by the Holy Spirit, so that it might be revealed that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all of one substance. ^[3]

By these two words, called and set apart, Paul distinguishes between the church, which is acceptable to God, and the synagogue, whose glory has faded away. The church (i.e., ecclesia) is so called because it calls forth: the synagogue, because it gathers together. ^[1] PAUL’S NEW NAME. PELAGIUS^[1]: Do we wonder why he writes Paul, given that he was called Saul before? Doubtless he did this following the habit of the saints. When they advanced in virtue they were addressed with a different name, so that they might be new people even in name, e.g., Abraham, Sarah and Cephas.^[2] . . . Paul earned the office of an apostle by faithful and matchless service. He was set apart in Acts 13:2. Gospel . . . means good news, i.e., of Christ’s birth, suffering, resurrection and ascension into heaven. ^[3]

Civil governors and military commanders put their titles at the beginning of their letters in order to boast and show off. But St. Paul says that he was born out of due time, that he is the chief of sinners and that he is unworthy of his apostleship. Nevertheless, when writing his letters, he starts with the words imposed on him by grace, for the benefit of those who receive them. For when the recipients realized the importance of the person who was writing to them, they would read the letter with greater earnestness and attention.

You the reader must decide whether this is to be understood simply of the gospel which was promised by God through the prophetic Scriptures or whether this is said in order to distinguish it from another gospel, which John calls eternal in the book of Revelation.^[1] This gospel will be revealed when the shadow passes and the truth comes, when death will be swallowed up and eternity restored. It seems that those eternal years of which the prophet spoke also belong to this eternal gospel: I had the eternal years in mind.^[2]

It must be understood that what was predicted by the prophets concerning Christ was also predicted concerning the gospel, although the Evangelist Mark seems to make a distinction between Christ and the gospel when he says: Whoever has left father or mother . . . for my sake or for the gospel.^[3] But if promises referring specifically to the gospel are what is required, you will find an abundance of them in the prophets, to wit: The Lord will give his word with great power to those who preach the good news,^[4] and: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.^[5] COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.^[6] PROMISED BEFOREHAND. AMBROSIASTER: Which he had promised. In order to prove that the hope of faith was fulfilled and completed in Christ, Paul says that Christ’s gospel was already promised by God beforehand, so that on the basis of the promise Paul could teach that Christ was the perfect author of [eternal] life.

Through his prophets. In order to show even more clearly that the coming of Christ was a saving event, Paul also indicated the people through whom God gave his promise, so that it might be seen from them just how true and magnificent the promise is. For nobody uses great forerunners to announce some minor thing.

In the holy scriptures. Paul added this on top of his argument in order to give greater confidence to believers and show his approval of the law. The Scriptures are holy because they condemn sins and because in them is contained the covenant of the one God and the incarnation of the Son of God for the salvation of mankind, by the evidence of numerous signs. ^[1]

Paul says his prophets because there are also prophets of idols, and by the word his he distinguishes one type of prophet from another and one gospel from another. For there are many gospels, but they are moral and temporary, whereas that of Christ proclaims in the holy Scriptures the enjoyment of eternal blessedness. These prophets are his because they are not of another god but of the Father of Christ.

When God is about to do some great thing, he announces it a long time before in order to accustom men’s ears to it, so that when it comes they will accept it. The prophets not only spoke, but they wrote what they spoke; nor did they merely write, but by their very actions they represented what would come, e.g., Abraham when he offered up Isaac;^[1] and Moses when he lifted up the serpent,^[2] and when he spread out his hands against Amalek,^[3] and when he offered the paschal Lamb.^[4]

The prophets arose from the Jewish people, and Paul testifies that the gospel, in which believers are justified by faith, had been promised earlier through them. . . . For there are Gentile prophets as well, in whom also are found some things which they heard of Christ and prophesied. This sort of thing is even said about the Sibyl [Virgil, Eclogues 4.4] . . . but the writings of the Gentiles, so very full of superstitious idolatry, ought not to be considered holy just because they say something about Christ.

Paul preaches no other Christ than the Christ whose gospel the prophets promised would go forth from Jerusalem.^[1] He declares that they are prophets of God and that the Scriptures which prophesied about Christ are holy. This entire passage contradicts the Manichaeans,^[2] for it says that the gospel was promised beforehand through God’s prophets and in the Holy Scriptures and that according to the flesh Christ came from the lineage of David, i.e., from the Virgin Mary, just as Isaiah had foretold.^[3]

The Old Testament is full of predictions of Christ’s coming. Paul did not call them holy by accident but, first of all, in order to teach that he recognized that the Old Testament was divinely inspired, and secondly, in order to exclude all other writings. For only the divinely inspired Scriptures are of any use. Indeed, Paul says that they are the image of the promise which was to come.

I glorify God . . . that you are fully persuaded that our Lord was truly of the seed of David according to the flesh and the Son of God according to the will and power of God.

Without any doubt, he was made that which he had not previously been according to the flesh. But according to the Spirit he existed beforehand, and there was never a time when he did not exist.

Concerning his Son. It was fitting, since God promised his own Son to the world, that he should promise him through great men, so that from them it might be known how very powerful the one who was being preached was and so that he might include his future coming in the Holy Scriptures. And what is preached by the Holy Scriptures cannot be shown to be false.

Who was descended from the seed of David according to the flesh. He who was the Son of God according to the Holy Spirit (that is, according to God, because God is Spirit and without any doubt he is holy), is said to have been made the Son of God according to the flesh by Mary, as it is written: The Word became flesh.^[1] Christ Jesus is both Son of God and Son of Man. As he is truly God, so also he is truly man. For he would not be truly man if he were not of flesh and soul. Otherwise he would be incomplete. For although he was the Son of God in eternity, he was not known by the creation until, when God wanted him to be revealed for the salvation of mankind, he made him visible and corporeal, because God wanted him to be known through his power to cleanse humans from their sins by overcoming death in the flesh. Therefore he was made of the seed of David. As he was born a king from God before the beginning of time, so also he would acquire birth from a king according to the flesh, being made from a virgin by the work of the Holy Spirit,^[2] i.e., born. Thus by the reverence reserved for him because of this fact, he who by his birth was distinguished from the law of nature would be recognized as being more than a man. This had been predicted by Isaiah the prophet: Behold a virgin will conceive in her womb.^[3] Hence when the newborn child appeared to be worthy of honor, a certain providence of God was discerned concerning a future visitation of the human race.

Paul is here hinting that there is also a generation of Christ according to the Spirit. Why then did he begin from the flesh, and not from the higher principle? First, it was because that was where Matthew, Luke and Mark started from too. Anyone who wants to lead men by hand to heaven must lead them upward from below. This was the way the actual dispensation [of grace] was ordered. First, they saw Christ as a man on earth, and then later they understood that he is God. His disciple therefore followed the same order in which Christ himself had framed his teaching. Thus the generation according to the flesh comes first, not because it was first in actual fact but because he was leading his hearers upward from one thing to the other.

Many are sons by grace, but Christ is a son by nature. . . . By adding according to the flesh Paul has countered both Photinus and Arius. For if it is true that Christ was made according to the flesh, he most certainly was not made according to the substance of the Word.

Let no one think that we are reading more into this text than the meaning itself permits. For although in Latin translations one normally finds the word predestined here, the true reading is designated and not predestined. For designated applies to someone who already exists, whereas predestined is only applicable to someone who does not yet exist, like those of whom the apostle said: For those whom he foreknew he also predestined.^[1] . . . Those who do not yet exist may be foreknown and predestined, but he who is and who always exists is not predestined but designated. These things are said by us concerning those who speak blasphemously about the only begotten Son of God and ignoring the difference between designated and predestined think that Christ is to be numbered among those who were predestined before they existed. But he was never predestined to be the Son, because he always was and is the Son, just as the Father has always been the Father. . . . The apostle makes an essential distinction when he says that from the seed of David according to the flesh Christ was made, but as the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness he is designated.

And when he says Son of God it is not without reason that he adds in power, indicating by this that in substance he is the Son according to the Spirit of holiness. For Christ is called the power of God and the wisdom of God.^[2] . . . But we want to know what to make of the soul of Jesus, if what is born of the seed of David is according to the flesh and what is designated in power is according to the Spirit of holiness the Son of God and in the substance of God. The soul, however, is not mentioned either with the flesh, with the Spirit of holiness or with the substance of God’s power, although the Savior himself speaks of it elsewhere: My soul is very sorrowful, even unto death^[3] and: Now is my soul troubled.^[4] Here he means the soul which he laid aside of his own free will, which went down to hell and of which it is said: Thou dost not leave my soul in hell.^[5] It is certain that this soul was not born of the seed of David, for he says that what was born of the seed of David was according to the flesh.

The soul cannot be included with the things which are according to the flesh, nor in that which is designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness. I think that the apostle is here following his usual custom, knowing that the soul is always midway between the spirit and the flesh. Either it joins itself to the flesh and is made one with the flesh or it associates itself with the spirit and is made one with the spirit. From this it may be concluded that when the soul is united with the flesh, men become carnal, and that when it is united with the spirit, men become spiritual. For this reason, Paul does not mention the soul independently but only as flesh or spirit. For he knows that the soul must necessarily attach itself to one or other of these, as it does in those to whom he says: But you are in the flesh and not in the spirit,^[6] and: Whoever joins himself to a harlot is one body with her, calling the harlot here flesh or body, but whoever joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with him.^[7]

Some people come to us raising the most serious problems as to how Christ can be descended from the seed of David when it is clear that he was not born from Joseph, in whom the line of David descends from one generation to the other. Unpleasant as it is to have to argue according to the literal sense of the text, some of our people answer by saying that Mary was already engaged to Joseph and that before they came together, she was found with child by the Holy Spirit. According to the law, she was therefore already united to Joseph’s tribe and family.^[8] . . . Whether you think this line of argument is valid is up to you, dear reader, to decide!

In our opinion, these things must be understood according to the spiritual or allegorical sense, according to which there is no reason why Joseph should not be called the father of Christ, even though he was not his father. For in the generations recorded by Matthew it is stated that Jehoshaphat begat Joram and Joram begat Uzziah,^[9] but in 2 Kings it is said that Jehoshaphat begat Ahaziah and Ahaziah begat Joash and Joash begat Amaziah, and Amaziah begat Azariah, who was also called Uzziah.^[10] . . . Matthew therefore left three generations out! The explanation for this is surely not to be sought on the historical level but in conjunction with the spiritual understanding. . . . It is therefore enough for us to say, in answer to our opponents, that just as Jesus is called the son of Joseph even though he did not descend from him, and Uzziah is called the son of Joram even though Joram was not his father, so can we also reckon that Christ was born of the seed of David according to the flesh. What we accept as reason and proof in the case of Joram and Joseph must, we think, be allowed to stand in the case of David as well.

How it is that he who is said to have been made from the seed of David according to the flesh should be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead is not hard to understand for anyone who has read that it is written: For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering.^[11] Now the end of Christ’s sufferings is the resurrection, and after the resurrection he will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.^[12] And again: Even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer.^[13] Thus everything which is in Christ is now the Son of God.

How this all relates to him who is designated Son of God in power is hard for us to understand unless we accept that, because of the indissoluble union of the Word and the flesh, everything which pertains to the flesh may be attributed to the Word also, and everything which pertains to the Word may be attributed to the flesh also. For we often find Jesus referred to in either nature as both Christ and Lord.

When Paul speaks about the Son of God he is pointing out that God is Father, and by adding the Spirit of holiness he indicates the mystery of the Trinity. For he who was incarnate, who obscured what he really was, was then predestined according to the Spirit of holiness to be manifested in power as the Son of God by rising from the dead, as it is written in Psalm 84: Truth is risen from the earth.^[1] For every ambiguity and hesitation was made firm and sure by his resurrection, just as the centurion, when he saw the wonders, confessed that the man placed on the cross was the Son of God.^[2] . . . Note that Paul did not say because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ but because of his resurrection from the dead, because the resurrection of Christ led to the general resurrection. For this power and victory in Christ appears to be all the greater, in that a dead man could do the same things as he did when he was alive. By this fact he appeared to dissolve death, in order to redeem us. Thus Paul calls him our Lord.

What is being said here has been made obscure by the complex syntax, and so it is necessary to expound it. What is he actually saying? We preach, says Paul, him who was made of David. But this is obvious. How then is it obvious that this incarnate person was also the Son of God? First of all, it is obvious from the prophets [cf. v. 2], and this source of evidence is no weak one. And then there is the way in which he was born [cf. v. 3], which overruled the rules of nature. Third, there are the miracles which he did, which were a demonstration of much power, for the words in power mean this. Fourth, there is the Spirit which he gave to those who believe in him, through whom he made them all holy, which is why he adds: according to the Spirit of holiness. For only God could grant such gifts. Fifth, there was the resurrection, for he first and he only raised himself, and he also said that this was a miracle which would stop the mouths even of those who believed arrogantly, for he said: Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.^{[1] [2]} IN ^[1]

Paul had to oppose the unbelief of those who accept our Lord Jesus Christ only according to the man whom he put on but do not understand his divinity, which sets him apart from every other creature.

Christ is the son of David in weakness according to the flesh but Son of God in power according to the Spirit of sanctification. . . . Weakness relates to David but life eternal to the power of God.

Jesus was predestined, so that he who was to be the Son of David according to the flesh should nonetheless be in power the Son of God, according to the Spirit of sanctification, for he was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. This is that unique act, performed in an ineffable manner, the assumption of a man by the Word of God, so that he might truly and properly be called at once the Son of God and the Son of Man—the Son of Man because of the man who was assumed, the Son of God because of the only begotten God who assumed him.

With respect to this predestination Christ was glorified before the foundation of the world, so that as a result of his resurrection from the dead he might have glory at the Father’s right hand, where he now sits. Thus, when he saw that his predestined glorification had come, in order that what had already been done by predestination might now also take place in fact, he prayed: Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.^[1]

Christ was predestined as to the spirit of sanctification, so that because of his incorruptibility he might rise again before anyone else and open the way of resurrection for the children of God. . . . The nature of the resurrection (not of all who rise from the dead but of those who belong to Christ) is prefigured by Christ.

As Christ was predestined to be the Son of God in power, so we too have been predestined to be sons of God, not however in power but by grace, having been made worthy of such a calling and having received it only by the will of God the Father. There is a big difference here between Emmanuel and us. For even if he was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and so we can say that the Son of God was one of us in his humanity, still, in power and in truth he is the natural Son, and it is through him that we are made sons as well. . . . We stand in the same relation to him as images do to their original.

Before his crucifixion and death the Lord Jesus Christ did not appear to be God either to the Jews or even to the disciples. For they were offended by human things, as when they saw him eating and drinking and sleeping and urinating, and not even his miracles made them change their minds. So, for instance, when they saw the miracle which he performed with the sea, they said: Who is this, that even the sea and the winds obey him?^[1] . . . But after he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, and the Holy Spirit came, and after miracles of every kind which they performed by calling on his adorable name, all those who believed recognized that he was God and the only begotten Son of God.

By his miracles and resurrection and by the descent of the Holy Spirit, it was made plain and certain to the world that Christ was the Son of God.^[1]

Paul says that he has received grace and apostleship through Christ, the mediator between God and men^[1]—grace with respect to his patience in many labors and apostleship with respect to his preaching authority. For Christ was himself called an apostle, i.e., one who was sent by the Father, because he said that he had been sent to preach the gospel to the poor.^[2] And everything which is his, he gives to his disciples also. Grace is said to be spread on his lips. For he gives grace to his apostles, by which those who are struggling may say: I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I but the grace of God which is with me.^[3] . . . It was only through the grace which had been given to the apostles that the Gentiles, who were strangers from the covenant of God and from the life of Israel,^[4] could believe in the gospel. Through this grace it is said that they came to faith because of the preaching of the apostles, and it is recorded that by the grace given to them the sound of the name of Christ went out into all the world, reaching even those who were at Rome.

After the resurrection Christ was revealed as the Son of God in power. He gave grace to make sinners righteous and appointed apostles, of whom Paul says here that he is one, so that the apostleship might be granted by the grace of God’s gift and not because the apostles were Jews. They received this authority from God the Father through Christ the Lord, so that as representatives of the Lord they might make his teaching acceptable by signs of power. Unbelieving Jews, who had been jealous of this power when they saw it in the Savior, were all the more tormented at seeing it admired by the masses in his servants. For power bears witness to the teaching, so that although what is preached is incredible to the world, it might be made credible by deeds. He says that the apostles have been sent to preach the faith to all nations, that they might obey and be saved, that the gift of God may appear to have been granted not only to the Jews but to all the nations, and that this is the will of God, to have pity on all in Christ and through Christ, by the preaching of his ambassadors.

See the candor of the servant. He wants nothing to be his own but everything to be his master’s. And indeed it was the Spirit who gave him this freedom. . . . Paul says: We have not achieved the apostleship by ourselves. It was not by much labor and toil that we were given this dignity, but we received grace, and the successful result is a part of the heavenly gift. . . . It was the apostles’ duty to go about and preach, but conviction belonged to God, who worked in them.

Paul preserves the main point of his case very well, so that no one would dare say that he has been led to the gospel because of the merits of his previous life. How could one claim this, when even the apostles themselves . . . could not have received their own apostleship unless they had first . . . received grace, which cleanses and justifies sinners?

Paul received grace in baptism and apostleship when he was sent by the Holy Spirit,^[1] for apostle means sent in Greek. The purpose of this was that the Gentiles might submit not to the law but to faith.

Paul is said to be called to be an apostle, and the Romans are also called, though not to be apostles. Rather they are called to be holy in the obedience of faith. We have already spoken above about the different callings.^[1]

This is by the mission of us who are preaching the name of Christ to all the nations, among whom you too have been called, because the gift of God has been sent to all, so that when they hear that they have been called along with others, they will know that they must not act as if they are under the law, since the other nations accepted the faith of Christ without the law of Moses.

Paul says this in order to show that the Romans too, made up as they were of all the nations inhabiting the world, rightly accepted the preaching of his message.

Paul does not say that God called the others along with the Romans but the Romans along with the others.

Paul teaches here that this salvation had come not only to the Jews, as some Jewish Christians thought.

Paul tells them here that he is not doing anything improper, nor invading fields assigned to others, for God had appointed him to preach to the Gentiles.

The blessing of peace and grace, which the apostle Paul gives to all God’s beloved to whom he is writing, is, I think, analogous to the blessing of Noah on Shem and Japheth,^[1] which was fulfilled in the Spirit toward all those who were blessed in the same way. It is comparable to the blessing with which Abraham was blessed by Melchizedek^[2] and Jacob by his father Isaac,^[3] and the twelve patriarchs who were blessed by their father Israel;^[4] or the blessing of Moses, with which he blessed the twelve tribes of Israel.^[5] I do not think that the blessing of the apostle’s, by which he blessed the churches of Christ, is inferior to any of these. . . . The apostle writes in the Spirit of God and blesses in the Spirit. Therefore it is through the same Spirit that those who are blessed by the apostle receive their blessings, as long as those on whom the blessing comes are found to be worthy of it. Otherwise it will happen as it is written: And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you.^[6] What is written about peace will also be the case with grace, because Paul aligns grace with peace.

I will not speak of gods at all, nor of lords, but I shall follow the apostle, so that if the Father and the Son are both to be invoked, I shall call the Father God and invoke Jesus Christ as Lord.

To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints. Although Paul is writing to the Romans, nevertheless he indicates that he is writing to those who are in the love of God. Who are these, if not those who believe rightly concerning the Son of God? These are the ones who are holy and who are said to have been called. For someone who understands incorrectly is not said to have been called, just as those who act according to the law have not rightly understood Christ and have done injury to God the Father, by doubting whether there is full salvation in Christ. Therefore they are not holy, nor are they said to have been called.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says that grace and peace are with those who believe rightly. It is grace by which sinners have been cleansed and peace by which former enemies have been reconciled to the Creator, as the Lord says: Whatever house you enter and they receive you, say: Peace be to this house.^[1] And so as to teach that without Christ there is no peace or hope, Paul added that grace and peace are not only from God the Father but also from the Lord Jesus Christ. He says that God is our Father because of our origin, since all things are from him, and that Christ is Lord, because we have been redeemed by his blood and made children of God.

There is one grace on the part of the Father and the Son, and there is one peace on the part of the Father and the Son, but this grace and peace is the fruit of the Spirit.

Paul does not say to the saints lightly—for many are called but few are chosen^[1] and not all have remained in their calling—but so that he would not be throwing holy things to dogs.^[2] . . . According to the heretics, if Christ is the Lord and God is our Father, then the Father will be a servant of Christ, for as the son is, so is the father. But it is not like that at all. Paul said that God is our Father, in order to show his grace, and that Christ is Lord, in order that the Romans should not become proud and think that because they too were sons of God they could despise the glory of the Son or raise themselves up beyond what was natural. Paul called God the Father because he judges no one, but the Son he called Lord, because he is the judge.^[3] He calls God the Father so as to point out his guardianship over us. He calls the Son Lord so that we might understand that we are called sons by the goodness of God but that Jesus is the true God by nature and our Lord.

See how often Paul uses the word called! . . . And he does so not out of longwindedness but out of a desire to remind them of the benefit which calling brings. For since it was likely that among those who believed there would be some consuls and rulers as well as poor and common men, Paul casts aside inequality of rank and writes to them all under one common heading. But if in the most important and spiritual things everything is laid out as common to both slaves and free men, e.g., the love of God, the calling, the gospel, the adoption, the grace, the peace, the sanctification, etc., how could it be other than the utmost folly to divide those whom God had joined together and made to be of equal honor in the higher things, for the sake of things on earth? For this reason, I presume, from the very start this blessed apostle casts out this mischievous disease and then leads them to the mother of blessings—humility.

Grace and peace! Christ told his apostles to make peace their first word when entering into houses.^[1] So it is from this that Paul always starts also, for it was no small war which Christ put an end to, but a many-sided and enduring conflict. And it was not because of anything we had done, but by his grace. Since then love presented us with grace and grace with peace . . . he prays over them that they may abide constant and unmoved, so that no other war may ever break out, and he beseeches the God who gave this peace to keep it firmly settled.

Paul says to all because with Christ everyone is equal. When he says: to those beloved of God, called to be holy, he cuts out unbelievers. The forgiveness of sins and the gift of sonship may be what he means by grace, and the defeat of the invisible enemies, from whom Christ has delivered us, may be what he means by peace, as well as the refusal of the body to rebel against the reasonings of the soul and godly agreement with one another. ^[1] THE ^[1]

Here again Paul has emphasized God’s grace rather than the saints’ merit, for he does not say to those loving God but rather to God’s beloved.

Instead of saying greetings, Paul says Grace to you and peace. Grace then is from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, by which our sins, which had turned us from God, are forgiven; and from them also is this peace, whereby we are reconciled to God. Since through grace hostilities dissolve once sins are remitted, now we may cling in peace to him from whom our sins alone had torn us. . . . But when these sins have been forgiven through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall have peace with no separation between us and God.

Paul is called to be an apostle to all believers, whom God loves impartially, without showing any preference for Jew or Greek. They are saints because of God’s calling, not because of their own holiness. Paul’s greeting is designed to recall God’s benefits and to pray that they may remain perfect in us, because our sins have been freely forgiven. . . . Paul also insists that Jews and Gentiles live in peace, since both of them have received the same grace.

First Paul prays that the Romans might receive the grace of God, by which all believers enjoy salvation. Then he asks for peace, by which God gives to all the restoration of virtue. For the one who accepts the gospel way of life has peace with God. The one who serves him is amenable to everyone.

Sometimes the apostle writes in the way he does to the Romans, giving thanks for everyone, but sometimes he just gives thanks without adding for all of you. If you notice this you will realize that in the places where he gives thanks for everyone, he does not draw attention to any grave faults or sins in them. But where he criticizes people or reproves them, he does not add to his thanksgiving that he gives thanks for them all—see, e.g., 1 Corinthians or Colossians.^[1] In Galatians he does not even give thanks at all, because he is surprised that they have so quickly abandoned the gospel that called them and chosen another one instead.^[2]

Paul thus begins his letter with thanksgiving. To give thanks to God is to offer him a sacrifice of praise, and therefore he adds through Jesus Christ, as through a high priest. Anyone who wants to offer a sacrifice to God ought to know that he should offer it through the hands of a priest. But note also this important addition: (to) my God. This can only be the voice of the saints, whose God he is, as he is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. No one can say that the Lord God is his if his god is his stomach, or if his god is greed, or if his god is the glory of this life and the pomp of this world or the power of things which are perishing. For whatever anyone worships more than other things, that is his god.

But let us see what it is that the apostle gives thanks for. Because, he says, your faith is proclaimed in all the world. In all the world, simply understood, means that in many parts of the world, that is of this earth, the faith and religion of those at Rome is preached. But if, as in some passages, the universe is meant here, consisting of heaven and earth and everything in them, it may be understood to mean that the powers, of whom it is said that they rejoice over one sinner who repents,^[3] rejoice much more over the conversion and the faith of the Romans when the angels who ascend and descend to the Son of Man^[4] proclaim it to them. For these powers are amazed at the conversion of the Gentiles and that the sound of the apostles of Christ Jesus has gone out into all the world. Finally, they rejoice even at the sufferings of those in this world, as the apostle says: We have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men.^[5]

The verse may also be understood as meaning that this faith which the Romans have is the same faith as, and none other than, that which is proclaimed and believed in all the world and which is preached not only on earth but in heaven as well. For by his blood Jesus reconciled not only those things which are on earth but also those things which are in heaven, and in his name not only earthly powers but also heavenly and infernal ones bow the knee. This is what is meant by preaching the faith in the whole world, through which the entire earth may be subjected to God.

It may be noticed that there is no second which corresponds to first, but we have already explained that Paul’s phrases are not always complete. On the other hand, it may be that first is picked up by I want you to know brethren [in verse 13].

We have not just recently adopted this particular course of action, nor have these measures against the ungodly suddenly crossed our mind. For with us, the strictness is ancient, the faith is ancient. The apostle would not have praised us so highly by stating: Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world, if this strictness of ours had not already been rooted in the faith of those times.

This counsel was not recently planned by us, nor have these unexpected protections against the wicked lately surprised us. But this is read of among us as the ancient severity, the ancient faith, the ancient discipline, since the apostle would not have revealed so great praise of us when he said: because your faith is proclaimed all over the world, if already this vigor had not borrowed the roots of faith from those times; it is a very great crime to have been unworthy of these praises and of glory.

After finishing his introduction, before all else Paul bears witness to his joy, as the apostle to the Gentiles, that although the Romans ruled the world, they had submitted to the Christian faith, which seemed lowly and stupid to the wise of this world. There were many things about the Romans which he could rejoice in. They were mindful of discipline and eager to do good works, more interested in doing right than in talking about it, which is not far from God’s religion. Nevertheless, he says that most of all he rejoices in this, that word of their faith was circulating everywhere. For it seemed to be a wonderful thing, that the lords of the Gentiles should bow before a promise made to the Jews. Even if they did not believe correctly, nevertheless he was pleased that they had begun to worship one God in the name of Christ, and knew that they could advance further. For this reason he reveals his love for them, when he rejoices at their good start and encourages them to go on. He therefore says that he is giving thanks to God, even though they have not yet received everything, because God is the source of all things. The entire dispensation of our salvation is from God, indeed, but through Christ, not through the law or any prophet. Hence he says that he is giving thanks to God but through Christ, because the report of their faith was an encouragement to many to attribute this very thing to the providence of God through Christ. For either the others who believed rejoiced, having been strengthened by seeing their rulers and brothers established in the faith, or at least those who did not believe could easily have believed by following their example. For the lesser quickly does what he sees being done by the greater.

It seems that Paul begins by giving thanks in his other epistles too, thereby teaching by word and deed those to whom the letter is written that one ought to begin by thanking God, not only for one’s own but also for others. But here this salutation has a special importance, because after the teaching of Peter, anyonewho wanted to teach them the doctrines of godliness had to show that he accepted Peter’s teaching and was not trying to introduce them to anything which went against that. Therefore his praise of the Romans was no accident. Often in his letters he used the salutation as a way of preparing those who would be better disposed toward him as a result of such praise, for the reading of what had been written.

Through Jesus Christ had to be added here, not to qualify Christ’s ministry, as it seemed to some of the heretics, but because he is the cause of our thanks. Hence the apostle says that he thanks God for them all and that Christ is the cause of his thanksgiving.

Paul bears witness to two excellencies in the Romans—one, that they believed, and two, that they believed with boldness, and with boldness so great that their reputation spread throughout the world. It was their faith, not their verbal disputations, nor their questionings, nor their syllogisms which he remarked upon. And yet there were many hindrances to their teaching. For having recently acquired a worldwide empire the Romans were elated, and they lived in riches and luxury, and then fishermen brought the preaching there, Jewish fishermen moreover, who belonged to a nation which was hated and despised by everyone. And these Romans were asked to worship the crucified one who was brought up in Judea. Moreover, along with this doctrine, the teachers proclaimed an ascetic life to men who were used to luxury and concerned with material comforts. Those who proclaimed the gospel were poor and common men of no notable family, and born to those of no family. But none of these things hindered the progress of the Word, so great was the power of the crucified to carry the Word everywhere. ^[1] THE ^[1]

God is the God of all by nature but of some only by their own choice and response. . . . Paul calls God his in this second sense. He thanks God for them all, not just for the Jews, and praises them prudently, in order to encourage them to improve. Perhaps he did this because the whole world stood amazed that the idolatrous Romans had been converted . . . but probably he was just praising a faith which was now evident.

Paul was not saying this in order to flatter them; he was simply telling the truth. For it could not be that what was happening at Rome should not be known all over the world. After all, it was the capital of the empire.

Paul does not say through Jesus Christ as if he were some kind of intermediary, but in the context of giving thanks to God, says that we do this because of the Lord Christ. This amazing dispensation which has saved our race through him has taken us captive, along with the rest, by the faith we have in him.

Paul does his utmost to win the Romans over, in case they may be thinking that he has something against them, or that following the tradition of Peter he might be coming to order them about, and if indeed they are vexed for this sort of reason, they might refuse to read his letter and miss out on the blessing it would bring. Therefore, starting with thanksgiving and faith, he praised them for keeping it pure and firm, as they all did together, and then with the word proclaimed spoke more personally in praise of the city, and by adding in all the world he praised them greatly and exalted them before going on to talk about meeting them in person.

God is witness for his saints, because they also are witnesses for God according to the word of the prophet Isaiah: You will be my witnesses and I am a witness, says the Lord.^[1] The Savior also says to his disciples: You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Samaria and even to the ends of the earth,^[2] according to what is written: Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father.^[3]

Let us consider what Paul means when he says: Whom I serve with my spirit. It seems to me that to serve in spirit is both similar to but also much more than worshiping in spirit, as the Lord said to the Samaritan woman.^[4] Paul does not merely worship in spirit—he serves in spirit as well. For it is possible to worship without commitment, but to serve requires personal involvement. Therefore the apostle serves, not in body nor in soul but in the best part of him, i.e., in spirit. . . . The apostle always prefers the spirit and rejects the flesh and the things of the flesh. Similarly he praises the spirit of the law itself and rejects the letter as if it were flesh: The letter kills, but the spirit gives life.^[5]

When Paul says that he prays without ceasing for those to whom he is writing, he is recalling his own instruction and practicing what he has preached.^[6]

In order to encourage brotherly love, Paul gives God, whom he serves, as a witness, to whom he prays on their behalf, not in keeping the law but in the gospel of his Son, i.e., not in that which Moses the servant handed down but in that which the most beloved Son taught. For the servant is as far from his Lord as the gospel is from the law, not because the law is wrong but because the gospel is better. Therefore Paul serves God in the gospel of his Son in order to show that it is God’s will that men should believe in Christ.

Whom I serve. How? In my spirit, says Paul, not in the circumcision made with hands, nor in new moons, nor in the sabbath or the choice of foods, but in the spirit, that is, in the mind. Because God is a spirit, it is right that he should be served in spirit or in the mind, for whoever serves him in his mind serves him in faith. This is what the Lord said to the Samaritan woman in John.^[1] . . . He prays without ceasing for them, remembering them in his prayers in order to sow brotherly love among them; indeed, he makes this his desire for them. For who would not love someone when he hears that that person remembers him? For if they had willingly listened to the teaching brought to them in the name of Christ by those who were not sent, how much more would they want to listen to him who they knew was an apostle and whose words were accompanied by power!

Paul rightly says with my spirit, contrasting this with the carnal worship of the Jews in circumcision and sabbatarianism and other such sacrifices, none of which is either spiritual or true. Some have pointed out that the phrase is a simpler way of saying with my mind and with my will.

Why does Paul call God as his witness? He had to declare to the Romans all his feelings toward them, but he had not yet seen any of them. So he called no human witness but God who enters the heart. For he was saying I love you, and as evidence of that he mentioned that he was constantly praying for them. This was not self-evident either, so he had recourse to the most trustworthy testimony. Can any of you boast that, when praying at home, he remembers the entire body of the church? I doubt it. But Paul drew near to God on behalf not of one city only but of the whole world, and this not once, twice or three times but continually.

When Paul says whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son, he shows us both the grace of God and his own humility, the grace of God because he entrusted such a great task to Paul, and his own humility because Paul imputes it all not to his own zeal but to the help of the Spirit. The addition of the gospel shows what kind of ministry Paul had. For there are many different kinds of ministry . . . one man serves God and labors by believing and ordering his own life in the right way, another undertakes the care of strangers, and another takes care of those who are in need. Even in the apostle’s own time, Stephen’s colleagues served God by looking after widows, while others (including Paul) taught the Word and served in the preaching of the gospel.^[1] This was the kind of ministry to which he was appointed.

Having spoken above about the gospel of the Father, Paul here says that it is the gospel of the Son. It makes no difference to call it the gospel of the Father or of the Son! Paul had learned from that blessed voice that the things of the Father are the Son’s, and the things of the Son are the Father’s. For: all mine are yours and yours are mine.^[2]

Praying for them without ceasing is the role of genuine love. Although Paul here seems to be saying only one thing, in fact he is saying four different things. First, he is saying that he remembers; second, that he does so continually; third, that he remembers in his prayers; and fourth, that he remembers to ask great things for them.

Paul serves God with his whole heart and with a ready zeal. . . . He also presents a model of unceasing prayer.^[1]

When Paul mentioned his spirit, he was not speaking about the person of the Spirit but about the grace of the Spirit which had been given to him to preach the gospel and by which, once he had been made worthy to be a coworker with God, he was enabled to carry out his work of mission.

When Paul says that he is praying that somehow and at some point he may have a successful journey, so that in the will of God he might come to Rome, it must be remembered that since the apostle of God is dedicated to a holy work, that is, to the work of the gospel, he is waiting until by his prayers not only may he have a journey which is successful but also that it might be successful according to the will of God. How much more therefore ought we, whose work and worth are so much less important, to ask God for success on our journey when we have some business to attend to!

Nevertheless, I think that the apostle also wants us to understand that the success of a journey does not always mean that the journey is according to God’s will. For Balaam had a successful journey when he went to Balak in order to curse the people of Israel, but this success was not due to God’s will.^[1] And many people have great success in worldly affairs and rejoice in their prosperity, but such prosperity is not of God’s will unless the purpose of our journey is to do his will, as the apostle says here.

Paul here indicates the point of his prayer for the Romans. He says that he asks God that he might come to Rome in order to encourage them with the will of God, whose gift he preaches. Then when he arrives and is present among them, if something has to be done, it may be done with the will of God. Therefore he prays that for whatever reason an opportunity may be given to him to come to the city, since he was already busy preaching to others, reckoning it a successful journey if he might come by God’s will, because the will of God has prepared the way. A successful journey is not to endure the labor of traveling in vain. He asks that God will fill them by calling them to his grace. He speaks with eagerness of mind, for he desires their response, knowing that it will be to their mutual advantage. . . . For the apostle’s fruit is richer if it wins many. For since the joy is greater if the powerful people of this world are converted to Christ, because they are so much more serious enemies, even more are converted thereby, and the fruit of the apostle is richer if he can win many. Thus by God’s will the opportunity was given that Paul was arrested and appealed to Caesar, and was sent for a different reason to the city of Rome, by the will of God and in fulfillment of the desire of his will. For when Paul was shipwrecked, God appeared to him and said: Do not be afraid, Paul. For as you have borne witness to me at Jerusalem, so also will you do at Rome.^[1]

You see how much Paul longed to see the Romans, but he did not want to see them if it was not God’s will, for his longing was tempered by the fear of God. . . . This is true love, not as our love, which tends to err in one direction or the other. Either we love no one, or if we do love, we love contrary to what seems good to God, and in both cases we go against the divine law. . . . For Paul to pray continually and not to give up even when he did not get what he prayed for shows very great love. But to love and yet at the same time to yield to the will of God shows deep reverence. . . . In this case Paul eventually got what he asked for but not when he asked for it, but this did not upset him. I mention all this so that we might not be upset at not being heard or at being heard only after some delay. For we are not better than Paul, who for good reason confesses that he is thankful in both circumstances. For once he had surrendered to the all-governing hand and submitted to it as far as he was able, like clay in the hand of the potter, he followed wherever God led. ^[1] EVERYTHING ^[1]

Paul does not find the way propitious unless the will of God, who knows all things, has directed him to a place where he might reap some fruit. For example, we read in Acts that, although he wanted to go to one place, he was directed to another.^[1]

Paul does not simply say that he wants to come to Rome but adds that he wants to come in God’s will. For when the salvation of so many people was at stake, St. Paul left nothing unclear but acknowledged God’s will in his prayer, for it is only by God’s permission that we are worthy to deal with material things and to make choices. Do we not commit everything we have to the divine will on which we depend?

First of all we must learn that it is an apostolic duty to seek fellowship with our brothers for no reason other than to share some spiritual gift with them if we can, or if we cannot, to receive some spiritual gift from them. Otherwise a desire to visit the beloved is hardly commendable. When Paul says that I might impart to you some spiritual gift he seems to imply that there is something which may be called a gift but which is not spiritual. For the gift of faith is undoubtedly spiritual, as is the gift of wisdom, of knowledge, of virginity. But when he speaks of marriage and of virginity, saying: But each one has his own gift from God, some this one, some that,^[1] he says that marriage is a gift, since it is written: The woman was given to the man by God,^[2] but this gift is not, strictly speaking, a spiritual gift. Many other things may also be called gifts of God, e.g., riches and bodily strength, physical beauty and earthly power. These things are also given by God, as Daniel says: He removes kings and sets up kings,^[3] but they are not spiritual gifts.

This confirmation requires three persons: God, as helper; the apostle as minister and the people as receiver. Thus he now shows the will of his desire and what his wish for them is. For when he says: that I might impart some spiritual gift to you, he means that the Romans have followed carnal ideas, because in the name of Christ they have not followed what Christ taught but those things which had been handed down to them by the Jews. But he wants to come to them as quickly as possible in order to take them beyond that tradition and bestow on them a spiritual gift, that he might win them for God, making them partakers of spiritual grace, that they might be perfect in faith and behavior. From this we learn that he had not praised the content of their faith in the preceding verses but their readiness and devotion to Christ. For calling themselves Christians, they acted just as if they were under the law, as that had been handed down to them. For the mercy of God had been given for this reason, that they should cease from the works of the law, as I have often said, because God, taking pity on our weakness, decreed that the human race would be saved by faith alone, along with the natural law.

When he admonishes them in writing and draws them away from carnal thoughts, when he says that his presence is necessary in order to impart a spiritual grace to them, what does this mean? Isn’t what he writes also spiritual? He does not want his teaching to be applied in a way he does not intend, for that is what happens with heretics. So he desires to be present with them and pass on to them the gospel teaching in the precise sense in which he writes it, lest by the authority of his letter their error should be confirmed and not removed. If he were with them he would be able to convince them by power, if words failed to persuade them.

Paul showed by his longing to see them that his desire was genuine, and by his eagerness to share, that the Romans’ spiritual gift was not something private but that he himself would be the one who would impart it.

Paul did not travel for no reason, as so many do nowadays, but for a specific and very urgent purpose. And he does not tell them his meaning openly but rather hints at it, for he does not say: that I may teach you, that I may instruct you, that I may fill up that which is wanting, but: that I may impart this spiritual gift, showing that it was not his own things which he was giving them but what he had himself received. ^[1] CONFIRMING ^[1]

These words are full of humility. . . . Paul only wants to share what he has himself received. And because the great Peter was the first to have taught them, Paul adds that he merely wants to confirm them in the teaching which has already been given to them and to water the trees which have already been planted. Once again, his speech is full of modesty.

Those on whom the apostle wishes to bestow spiritual grace for the encouragement of their faith, so that they will no longer be children, nor tossed about by every wind of doctrine^[1]—they are the truly blessed. Paul himself received comfort from seeing his work firm and stable, and they are comforted because they share in the apostolic grace.

Paul says that he will be comforted with them insofar as they come to understand spiritual things. Even while he may rejoice in their faith, he nevertheless grieves insofar as they have not received the faith rightly. The apostle was the type to grieve for the faults of others as if they were his own. And we are comforted by this, he says, by one and the same faith. In this way the act of comforting is seamless. For it is by the unity of faith that they are brought to maturity in Christ. By this means the ministry of spiritual grace is given through the apostle’s preaching of the gospel and produces its own fruit.

Even Paul was not above the need of comfort. For right speech comforts the speaker as well. By this means Paul is teaching his followers not to be proud if they are called to teach. They are not giving what merely belongs to them when they teach. They come to realize that they not only minister to others’ needs but that they have needs themselves. For this is the fruit of the gospel. It is a blessing to those who preach it.

The Romans were undergoing many tribulations. Paul wanted to see them in order to comfort them and also to be comforted by them. . . . What humility he had! He showed them that he needed them as much as they needed him. By doing this, he put learners in the position of teachers, not claiming any superiority for himself but pointing out that they were fully equal to him.

Now if anyone should say that Paul’s comfort was his gladness at the increase of the Romans’ faith and that Paul needed this, he would not be mistaken.

Paul wanted to receive as well as to give. The eagerness was on both sides.

Paul says this for fear of tripping up his hearers, who might not have known what to say to the prospect of sharing in some spiritual gift. For what could have been lacking in the teaching of Peter? Paul might be accused of criticizing Peter’s teaching . . . of thinking that he was a greater apostle than Peter, of claiming to be on closer terms with Christ and more beloved by Christ than Peter was. Fearing attacks of this kind, Paul first of all sets out the purpose of his coming, thereby sufficiently refuting the charge of presumption. Then he goes on to say not that he is giving them something but that he is going to share something with them, which is quite different. . . . Paul reassures them that he has no intention of preaching anything new to them but that he intends to confirm them in what they have already received from Peter.

This sentence contains a rhetorical aside (hyperbaton), and the construction is defective. . . . It ought to be joined to the next verse by the words to whom, so that the phrase reads: the rest of the Gentiles, Greeks and barbarians, to whom I am under obligation. . . .The whole thing would then read as follows: Just as I have fruit among the other Gentiles, Greeks and barbarians, wise and foolish, to whom I am under obligation, so also, as much as in me lies, am I eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome, for I am not ashamed to preach the gospel among any people, for the power of God is in it for salvation to all who believe, for the Jew first and for the Greek, for in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, which was previously covered by a veil in the law. Now it is revealed in those who come from the faith of the Old Testament to the faith of the new gospel.

So much for the order of the words; now we must examine the apostle’s meaning. When Paul says: I have often intended to come to you, he demonstrates the love which he had for the Romans. But when he adds: but thus far have been prevented, though indeed it may be thought that he was prevented by God, it is shown by this that it is God’s business where each of the apostles ought or ought not to go. It is by a particular dispensation that he appoints some to preach the Word of God and others not, as Paul himself says elsewhere: When we tried to go into Bithynia, the Spirit of Christ prevented us.^[1] . . . But if this phrase refers to the passage where he says that: Satan hindered us,^[2] he shows clearly that he is constantly struggling in prayer, so that by overcoming the hindrances of Satan he may be given a successful journey in the will of God, to see those who are at Rome.

For he desires and does not cease to pray that he may obtain some fruit from them as he has from the other Gentiles. Thus like one who is acquisitive for many riches, Paul wants to amass some return from his many spiritual investments. He gathers fruit from the Greeks, fruit from the barbarians, fruit from the wise, fruit even from the foolish. For while to some he speaks wisdom as to those who are perfect, to others he says, as if speaking to foolish people, that he wants to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and him crucified.^[3] Some he teaches from the law and the prophets; others he persuades with signs and wonders.

Paul here indicates his plan and intention, which he does not doubt that they already know from those brothers who had come to Rome from Jerusalem or the neighboring cities for some reason, perhaps because of their religion, or from Aquila and Priscilla, who would have told the Romans of Paul’s intention.^[1] As he had often wanted to come but had been prevented, it came about that he wrote them a letter, lest they continue in their unwholesome habits for too long to be easily corrected. He calls them brothers not only because they had been born again but also because there were among them some who believed rightly, however few they may have been. Incidentally, this is why he says that they are called to be saints.^[2] What does it mean to be called to be saints? If they are already saints, how can they be called to be sanctified? This belongs to the foreknowledge of God, because God knows those who will be saints, for those who are already with him are saints and remain called forever. Yet Paul says that he has been prevented up to the time the epistle was written. He was being prevented by God, who could foresee that the Romans were still unprepared. So God sent the apostle to other cities more prepared to receive the truth.

While acting in the name of the Savior, they were still prevented by their negligence from being as yet worthy to learn spiritual things.

Paul did not say that he was prevented for no reason. He wanted them to know why he was delayed. He urged them to get ready, so that when they heard that a spiritual grace was to be given to them they would make themselves ready to receive it.

Paul declares that he wants to come to them for their common good, so that they might receive the saving grace of the Spirit, having a reasoned profession of their faith, and that he might have some fruit of his ministry from God, having provoked them to the right faith by the example of the other Gentiles. For one who sees others responding in faith will be more eager to receive it.

For the fruit of those who have believed the Word is the benefit to those who hear it. And the Lord says that he has sent the apostles in order to bear much fruit.^[1] Indeed, a few gleaners have harvested the entire church.

Paul here shows quite clearly that he wanted to go to Rome but that he had often been prevented. At the same time he wants to put them in fear, lest perhaps it was because of their unworthiness that he had been prevented from going to them.

There were many who sped to Rome for human reasons. Paul reveals his own chaste desire to go there and that his motive was a godly one. It appears that he longed after the Romans, perhaps because their faith had become an encouragement to all their subject peoples.

Here is an obedience as great as that of slaves and a clear demonstration of Paul’s excellent temper. He says he was prevented from coming to them but does not explain why. For he does not pry into the command of his master but simply obeys. And yet one might expect someone to wonder why God prevented a city as conspicuous and great as Rome . . . from enjoying such a teacher, and for such a long time as well. . . . But Paul does not concern himself with such things, yielding instead to the incomprehensible nature of providence. By doing this he shows the right tone of his soul and also teaches us never to call God to account for what happens, even though what is done seems to trouble the minds of many. For it is the master’s place to command and the servant’s to obey. This is why he says that he was prevented without giving the reason, because he did not know it himself. . . . So if you do not know why something has happened, do not be discouraged, for this is a main feature of faith, to receive what is told to us of God’s providence even when we are ignorant of the way in which it is being dispensed.

The Romans would have learned of Paul’s plans through the brothers who were constantly coming and going. Prevented here means busy, because he was preaching in other provinces.

Paul declares both his own plan and God’s overruling. For God’s grace was fully in control of his life.

Paul tells the Romans that it will benefit him to come to them, saying that the nations which received the gospel through him had clearly added to his own riches.

Since the East, shattered as it is by the longstanding feuds, subsisting between its peoples, is bit by bit tearing into shreds the seamless vest of the Lord. . . . I think it my duty to consult the chair of Peter, and to turn to a Church [Rome] whose faith has been praised by Paul [Rom 1:8]. I appeal for spiritual food to the Church whence I have received the garb of Christ. . . . Evil children have squandered their patrimony; you alone keep your heritage intact.

We must now ask in what sense the apostle is under obligation to Greeks and barbarians, to the wise and to the foolish. What has he received from them that he should be indebted to them? I infer that he is a debtor to the different nations because by the grace of the Holy Spirit he has received the gift of being able to speak in the tongues of all nations, as he himself says: I speak in tongues more than you all.^[1] Given that a man receives the gift of tongues not for himself but for the benefit of those to whom he is called to preach, Paul incurs an obligation to all those whose language he has received as a gift from God. He has incurred an obligation to the wise in that he has received the wisdom hidden in the mystery, which he is to speak to the perfect and to the wise. But how is he indebted to the foolish? In that he has received the grace of patience and longsuffering, for it is the height of patience to be able to endure the furor of the foolish.

We can see how in a short time this religion has grown up, making progress through the persecution and death of its adherents and through their endurance of the confiscation of their property and every kind of torture. And this is particularly miraculous, since its teachers are themselves neither very skillful nor very numerous. But in spite of everything, the Word is now preached in all the world, so that Greeks and barbarians, wise and foolish now adopt the Christian faith.

Paul says that he is under obligation to those whom he names, because he was sent for the purpose of preaching to everyone. For this reason he states that they are all under obligation to believe in God the Creator, from whom and through whom are all things, for obligation and honor form part of the salvation of the believer. He wrote Greeks instead of Gentiles, but this includes those who are called Romans, whether by birth or by adoption, and barbarians, who are those who are not Romans, whose race is inimical, and who are not Gentiles. He speaks of those who are wise, because they are learned in worldly sciences and are called wise in the world whether they are stargazers, geometers, mathematicians, grammarians, orators or musicians. Paul shows that none of these things is of any advantage, nor are these people truly wise, unless they believe in Christ. He calls them fools, because in their simplicity they lack knowledge of spiritual things. He testifies that he has been sent to preach to them all. But he says nothing about the Jews, because he is the teacher of the Gentiles.^[1] And this is why he says that he is under obligation, because he has accepted this teaching in order to pass it on, and in passing it on, to acquire it himself.

Paul also said this when he was writing to the Corinthians,^[1] in order to ascribe everything to God.

Paul understood himself to be sent to preach to all nations. Yet he was especially eager to impart the gospel of the grace of God to the Romans, the capital and seat of the empire. For it would be to the benefit and peace of the members if the head were not uncertain. Therefore he opts for the peace of the Romans, that Satan might not get too involved with them, and that he might have even richer fruits of his labor.

What a noble soul was Paul! Having taken on himself a task full of such great danger, a voyage across the sea, temptations, plottings, risings—for it was likely that one who was going to address so great a city, which was under the tyranny of ungodliness, should undergo temptations thick as snowflakes. He lost his life in this way, cut down by a tyrant. Yet still he was ready to undergo great troubles. In fact he was enthusiastic even in travail, even as one in haste. He was in a constant state of preparation.

Many attacks were made on the gospel when it was first preached, but Paul learned patience from the prophets who said: Fear not the reproach of men, and be not dismayed at their revilings.^[1] He knew that he should preach the gospel, not in plausible words of human wisdom but in the power of the Spirit.^[2] Therefore, defining what the gospel is, he proclaims: It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. When he says the power of God for salvation he implies that there is another power of God which is not for salvation but for damnation. It may be that it is because of these different powers that right and left are distinguished in God, so that the power for salvation would be identified with the right, and the power by which he condemns would be identified with the left.^[3]

For power backed up the teaching of the apostles, so that if what they preached seemed incredible, signs and wonders performed by the apostles were a testimony that they should not be ashamed of what was said to them, because there was so much power in it. For there is no doubt that words must give way before power. Insofar as the Romans’ preaching was not backed up by signs, it was without the power of God. Paul is not ashamed of the gospel of God, but the implication is that some whom he is addressing may be ashamed of it. Perhaps what had been handed on to them had come into disrepute, because it had never been confirmed by any testimony and hence had become loosened from apostolic teaching. It is the power of God which calls persons to faith and which gives salvation to all who believe, because it remits sins and justifies, so that one who has been marked with the mystery of the cross cannot be bound by the second death. For the preaching of the cross of Christ is a sign that death has been expelled, as the apostle John says: The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.^[1] Thus no believer is bound by death, since he has a sign that death has been conquered.

To the Jew first and also to the Greek. This means to him who is of the race of Abraham and to him who is from the Gentiles. By Greek Paul means Gentile, and by Jew he means a descendant of Abraham. For these began to be called Jews only in the time of Judas Maccabaeus, who in a time of destruction resisted the sacrileges of the Gentiles and by trusting in God rallied the nation and defended his people. He was of the sons of Aaron. Therefore, although Paul puts the Jews first because of their ancestors, nevertheless he says that they must also accept the gift of the gospel in the same way as the Gentiles.

Paul says that even if, in the very largest of cities, the preacher of the cross of Christ will be mocked by the ignorant, he is not to be ashamed. For if the Son of God bore the shame of the cross on our behalf, how could it not be out of place for us to be ashamed at the Lord’s suffering for us?

Paul says that he is not ashamed, which is not what we usually say of things as glorious as the gospel. Why does he speak like this, when he exults over the gospel even more than he does over heaven? In writing to the Galatians he said: God forbid that I should glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.^[1] How is it then that in this instance he does not even get as far as glory but says only that he is not ashamed? The Romans were most anxious about the things of the world, because of their riches, their empire, their victories, and they thought that their emperors were equal to the gods. . . . While they were so puffed up, Paul was going to preach Jesus, the carpenter’s son who was brought up in Judea, in the house of a lower-class woman, who had no bodyguards, who was not surrounded by wealth, but who died as a criminal among thieves and endured many other inglorious afflictions. Since it was likely that the Romans were pretending that they did not know any of these unspeakable things, Paul understates that he is not ashamed, in order to teach them not to be ashamed of Christ either.

This is subtly intended to censure the pagans who, although they do not hesitate to believe that their god Jupiter turned himself into irrational animals and inanimate gold all for the sake of his monstrous lust, think that we Christians should be ashamed to believe that our Lord was crucified in the flesh he assumed, in order to save his image. . . . At the same time Paul is also bearing in mind those heretics who think that the crucifixion is something unworthy of God, not realizing that nothing is more fitting for the Creator than to care for the salvation of his creatures, particularly as he could not suffer any loss to his own nature, which is not subject to corruption. There is no power greater than the one which overcame death and restored to man the life he had lost,^[1] even if this seems like weakness to an unbeliever.

Those who objected to the Christian gospel ridiculed it, mocking it because of its absurdity. For there is nothing more ridiculous than the word of someone who preaches that the Son of God was born and brought up by Jews, who rejects neither the cross nor death, who says moreover not only that Christ rose from the dead but that he ascended to heaven as Lord of all, that he will raise everyone else from the dead, and other things the apostles preached. The pagans mocked these things and ridiculed them, thinking that they would make the apostles shut up. Therefore St. Paul, feeling obliged to reply to this opinion of the apostles, began his teaching thus: I am not ashamed of the gospel.

Where three people are gathered together, there is a church, even if all three are laypersons.^[1] For each individual lives by his own faith.

The righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel in that no one is excluded from salvation, whether he be a Jew, a Greek or a barbarian. For the Savior says to everyone equally: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden.^[1] Concerning through faith for faith, we have already said that the first people were in the faith, because they believed God and Moses his servant, from which faith they have now gone over to the faith of the gospel. The quotation from Habakkuk^[2] means either that the one who lives in the law will also believe the gospel or that the one who believes the gospel will also believe the law and the prophets. For one of these does not have the fullness of life without the other.

If you are a just man and live by faith, if you truly believe in God, why do you, who are destined to be with Christ and secure in the promise of the Lord, not rejoice that you are called to Christ and be glad that you are free from the devil?

Paul says this because the righteousness of God is revealed in the one who believes, whether Jew or Greek. He calls it the righteousness of God because God freely justifies the ungodly by faith, without the works of the law, just as he says elsewhere: That I may be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.^[1] He says that this same righteousness is revealed in the gospel when God grants faith to man, through which he may be justified.

The truth and righteousness of God are revealed in this, when a man believes and confesses. The righteousness is of God because what he promised, he gave. Therefore, whoever believes that he has received what God promised through his prophets proves that God is just and is a witness of his righteousness.

Through faith for faith. What does this mean, except that the faith of God is in him because he promised, and the faith of man is in him because he believes the one who promises, so that through the faith of the God who promises the righteousness of God might be revealed in the faith of the man who believes? For to the believer God appears to be just, but to the unbeliever he appears to be unjust. Anyone who does not believe that God has given what he promised denies that God is truthful. This is said against the Jews, who deny that Christ is the one whom God promised.

As it is written: ‘He who through faith is righteous shall live.’ Paul now moves over to the example of the prophet Habakkuk^[2] in order to declare that in the past it was revealed that a just man lives by faith and not by the law, i.e., that a man is not justified before God by the law but by faith.

The righteousness of God is revealed in . . . the believer. Paul says that the revelation of righteousness is the approbation of those who do right. Thus he is able to say likewise that wrath is revealed toward those who do the opposite. The Jew has been brought from the faith of the appointed law to the faith which is through Christ and the Gentile from the faith of nature to the same faith in Jesus Christ.

In place of righteousness by works, which is neither sincere nor life-giving, Paul praised life through faith. The prophet said: through faith for faith.^[1] If you had believed in Moses, said Jesus, you would have believed in me also.^[2]

Whoever has become righteous through faith will live, not just in this life but in the one to come as well. Paul does not merely hint at this but adds something else along with it, viz., that such a life will be bright and glorious. For since it is possible to be saved yet still be ashamed (as, for example, criminals whose crimes have been remitted by imperial clemency), Paul adds righteousness here so that no one may think like this about salvation. This righteousness is not ours but belongs to God, and in saying this Paul hints to us that it is abundantly available and easy to obtain. For we do not get it by toil and labor but by believing. Then, since his statement does not seem credible, if the adulterer and homosexual, the graverobber and the magician are not only to be suddenly set free from punishment but to be made righteous, and righteous with the righteousness of God, Paul backs up his assertion from the Old Testament.^[1] . . . He sends the hearer back to the dispensations of God which took place in the Old Testament . . . showing that both the righteous and the sinners were justified by faith even then.

For since what God gives transcends reason, it is only reasonable that we need faith to understand it. ^[2] COMING ^[1]

It is right for you, my son, to have begun with the law and to have been confirmed in the gospel, from faith to faith, as it is written: The just shall live by faith.

What is now the church, prior to the appearance of what will be, lives in toils and afflictions, and in her the just live by faith.

He who claims to be just without faith is a liar.

This righteousness is the grace of the New Testament, by which the faithful are just as long as they live by faith, until by the perfection of righteousness they are brought to the face-to-face vision, as they are also brought to the immortality of the body itself, by the perfection of salvation.

The righteousness of God is not revealed to everyone but only to those with the eyes of faith. For the holy apostle teaches us that God foresaw this for us from the beginning and predicted it through the prophets, and even before the prophets, had it hidden in his secret will.

Paul quoted Habakkuk for the benefit of the Jews, because he wanted to teach them not to cling to the provisions of the law but to follow the prophets. For many centuries before they had predicted that one day there would be salvation by faith alone.

Then departing from his admonition to the Jews, he accuses everyone else of having brazenly departed from the natural law which the Creator had placed in them.^[1] For when God made them, he did not allow them to live like beasts but honored them with reason and gave them the ability to know the difference between good and evil. Those who lived righteous lives before the time of Moses confirm this by their witness.

What is the overall meaning of the above? It is that our gospel is very great and truly marvelous if you pay careful attention to its power. For through faith in Christ all are saved, those whom the natural law has enlightened and those who follow the written law which was added to it. For when someone is informed about the resurrection from the dead, he learns that he too may share in this by obeying the gospel according to the design of the Savior. And this, says Paul, God had in ancient times announced through Habakkuk the prophet when he said: The righteous shall live through faith.^[1]