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Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

Paul — A little man, it should seem by his name (such as was James the Less, Mark 15:40 ): but as the Church of Philadelphia (discommended for nothing), though she had but a little strength, yet had a great door set open; and as Bethlehem was the least, and yet not the least among the princes of Judah; so was this apostle the last,1 Corinthians 15:8; 1 Corinthians 15:8 ; (and perhaps the least in stature), as one born out of due time. See Trapp on " Acts 13:9 " Revelation 3:9 ; Matthew 2:6 ; cf. Micah 5:2 ; 1 Corinthians 15:8 . But God (who loves to be maximus in minimis the greatest in the least) had designed him to great services, and gifted him accordingly, so that he was no whit behind the very chiefest of the apostles, 2 Corinthians 11:5 ; and for painstaking, he laboured more abundantly than they all, 1 Corinthians 15:10 . Hence Chrysostom calleth him insatiabilem Dei cultorem, an insatiable servant of Christ. And himself seems as insatiable a praiser of this apostle (the apostle he commonly nameth him "by an excellency"), for he hath written eight homilies in his commendation. And if any think he hath said too much, it is because either they have not read him, or cannot judge his worth. Qui tricubitalis caelos transcendit (as the same father saith), little though he were, yet he got above the heavens. b

A servant of Jesus Christ — This is a higher title than monarch of the world, as Numa, second king of Rome, could say. του θεου υπηρεσιαν βασιλευειν ενομιζεν . Plut. Constantinus, Valentinus, and Theodosius, three emperors, called themselves Vasallos Christi, the vassals of Christ, as Socrates reporteth.

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2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

Promised — Foreshowed and foreshadowed in the types of the ceremonial law (which was their gospel, it was Christ in figure), and in the writings of the prophets; only by degrees and piecemeal, πολυμερως . God spake of old to our fathers, by his servants the prophets, Hebrews 1:1 . All was in riddles to what it is now; and that saying took place, Et latet, et lucet. It is close, and yet clear.

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Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

Concerning his Son — Here is a lofty and lively description of Christ’s sacred person. The whole Epistle being the confession of our Churches, as Melancthon calleth it, who therefore went over it ten different times in his ordinary lectures (Scultet. Annal.): the Epistle being such, as never can any man possibly think, speak, or write sufficiently of its worth and excellency. Mr Perkins adviseth, in reading the Scripture, first to begin with the Gospel of John, and this Epistle to the Romans, as being the keys of the New Testament. And for this Epistle to the Romans, Cardinal Pole adviseth to begin at the twelfth chapter, and read to the end; and practise the precepts of repentance and mortification, and then set upon the former part of the Epistle, where justification and predestination are handled.

According to the flesh — i.e. Either his body or his human nature, called a swift cloud (as some will have it), Isaiah 19:1 ; "Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt." And the habitable part of God’s earth, Proverbs 8:31 . For the Word dwelt among us, John 1:14 . And here was habitatio Dei cum carne, God dwelling with flesh, which the magicians held impossible, Daniel 2:11 . It was much for God to "pour out his Spirit upon all flesh," the best thing upon the basest, Joel 2:28 . But it was more, for the fulness of the Godhead bodily to inhabit it, Colossians 2:9 . See Trapp on " 1 Corinthians 1:2 " St Paul seems to have learned of the holy angels, thus to salute, Luke 2:14 . See Trapp on " Luke 2:14 "

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And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Declared to be, … — Gr. ορισθεντος , defined; for definitions explain obscurities.

With power — For, Superas evadere ad auras, Hic labor, hoc opus est -a work befitting a God. See Ephesians 1:20 . See Trapp on " Ephesians 1:20 "

The Spirit of holiness — The divine essence of Christ, 2 Corinthians 13:4 , which sanctifieth the human nature assumed by him.

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By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

For obedience to the faith — That is, to the gospel (that doctrine of faith), or to Christ, who is often put for faith (whereof he is the proper object) in this Epistle. "Kiss the Son," … "Hear him," Psalms 2:12 ; Matthew 17:5 .

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Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

Ye are the called — With a high and heavenly calling,Hebrews 3:1; Hebrews 3:1 . See Trapp on " Hebrews 3:1 "

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To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Called to be saints — Those then that are called, are saints while alive, and not only those that are canonized by the pope after they are dead in numerum Deorum ab Ecclesia Romana relati, as Bembus profanely speaketh of their St Francis, a sorry man, of whom (as once of Becket 48 years after his death) it may well be disputed whether he were damned or saved. Pope Callistus III sainted some such in his time, as of whom Cardinal Bessarion, knowing them for naught, said, These new saints make me doubt much of the old.

Grace be to you, and peace — See Trapp on " 1 Corinthians 1:2 "

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First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Your faith is spoken of — See Romans 16:26 , and Juvenal, Tacitus, and other profane writers, who bitterly exagitate the doctrines and practices of those Roman Christians. Now that must needs be good that such men speak evil of: and as Jerome writeth to Austin, Quod signum maioris gloriae est, Omnes haeretici me detestantur: the heretics hate me; and that is no small grace to me.

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