Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ
The name of the author of this epistle is Paul, who formerly was
called Saul. Some think his name was changed upon his own
conversion; others, upon the conversion of the Roman deputy
Sergius Paulus, ( Acts 13:7 Acts 13:9 ) ; others,
that he was so called from the littleness of his stature; but
rather it should seem that he had two names, which was usual with
the Jews; one by which they went among the Gentiles, and another
by they were called in their own land; (See Gill on Acts
13:9). "A servant of Jesus Christ"; not a servant of sin,
nor of Satan, nor of man, nor of Moses and his law, nor of the
traditions of the elders, but of Jesus Christ; and not by
creation only, but by redemption, and by powerful efficacious
grace in conversion; which is no ways contrary to true liberty;
nor a disgraceful, but a most honourable character; and which
chiefly regards him as a minister of the Gospel:
called to be an apostle:
an apostle was one that was immediately sent by Christ, and had
his authority and doctrine directly from him, and had a power of
working miracles from him, in confirmation of the truth of his
mission, authority, and doctrine; all which were to be found in
the author of this epistle, who did not thrust himself into this
office, or take this honour to himself, of which he always judged
himself unworthy, but was "called" to it according to the will,
and by the grace of God:
separated unto the Gospel of God.
This may regard either God's eternal purpose concerning him, his
preordination of him from eternity to be a preacher of the
Gospel, to which he was separated from his mother's womb, (
Galatians 1:15 ) ; or
the separation of him to that work made by the order of the
Spirit of God, ( Acts 13:2 ) . The phrase
used is either in allusion to the priests and Levites, who were
separated from their brethren the children of Israel, to their
sacred employments; or rather to the apostle's having been
(vwrp) , "a Pharisee",
which signifies "one separated", as he was now; only with this
difference, before he was separated to the law, but now "to the
Gospel", to preach and defend it, which he did with all
faithfulness and integrity; the excellency of which Gospel is
signified by its being called "the Gospel of God": he is the
author of it; his grace is the subject of it; and he it is who
commits it to men, qualifies them for the preaching of it, and
succeeds them in it.