Commentarii in epistulam ad Romanos (e cod. Vindob. gr. 166) 1 1, 1. He calls himself a servant either because of his praiseworthy humility, not from having the spirit that leads to the fear of slavery but the spirit that leads to adoption, or also according to the logic of his ministry. For this reason he also said "a servant of Jesus Christ" or also as being formed according to God; similarly to that one, he takes on the form of a servant, and he becomes to the Jews as a Jew, that he might win the Jews, and he makes himself a servant to all, being free from all, according to the highest slavery toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and insofar as he is unmarried, as not being a slave to his wife but free, in this he is a servant of Christ, as not being divided there but only concerned with the things of the Lord, and not being distracted from slavery to the Word, and insofar as he serves the one who bought him with his own blood, he is his servant. And to say "a servant of Jesus Christ" is the same as to say a servant of the Word and of truth and of righteousness and of wisdom and of peace, and whatever other name has been written of the son of God. 2 1, 1. One might be called "called" generally, who has received a gift, but specifically also the one who has received something exceptional beyond others, such as a ministry or prophecy or teaching or something of that sort. As, therefore, in a general sense "many are called, but few are chosen," as Judas was called but not chosen, therefore Paul, having been called, also became "called" in the general sense, and immediately obtained the specific sense, that is, of the apostolate. It is fitting to say it in common: Paul became a servant of Jesus Christ and a called apostle of Jesus Christ. Although he was accustomed for the most part to connect "apostle" immediately to his own name, now he has placed "a servant of Jesus Christ" before it; for what reason? It seems to me that he wanted to lead the Romans into great reverence, so that they would consider it of utmost importance to be called a servant of Christ at all, and not be puffed up with other things from seeming to rule over all; for at that time they were lifted to such a degree of pride from this, that the story is that they, being accustomed by a vote of the senate to proclaim as gods whomever they wished, did the opposite in the case of our Savior; for the one ruling Judea at that time made known to them through those men, that those here who preach that a certain man, Jesus, who became a wonder-worker, has been raised after death, declare that he is a god, but they, being displeased, voted against this in a common council because it had been dared contrary to their opinion. And this too, it seems, was a work of divine grace, managing what was necessary for the future, so that this too might not seem to have been established by human effort, as many things often are. For this reason, then, he has placed "a servant of Christ" before "apostle" and at the same time because the dignity of the apostolate, to whomever it may be added, is added for the sake of the needs of others, but for someone to be a servant of Christ, this is the possessor's own gain. 3 1, 1. He is set apart, however, even from his mother's womb for the gospel of God, not because of a nature having something exceptional beyond other men, but because of the actions foreknown beforehand by God, but happening later from the preparation and the choice of the apostolic one. 4 1, 1. Therefore, the gospel for which Paul was set apart is of God, but Mark calls it the gospel of Jesus Christ, and Paul himself does in the one to the Galatians. 5 1, 4. But some connect "in power" with "to the Holy Spirit" and read thus: "in power according to the Spirit," as in "Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power," that is, with the powerful Spirit, and in the one to the Thessalonians "our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit." He says, therefore, that he was set apart by God to evangelize all concerning his son Jesus Christ who was born from the seed of David according to the flesh, but was declared to be the Son of God, that is, he was confirmed as being this, and was especially and more so revealed by the power of the

Commentarii in epistulam ad Romanos (e cod. Vindob. gr. 166) 1 1, 1. ∆οῦλον δὲ ἑαυτὸν λέγει ἢ διὰ τὴν ἐπαινετὴν ταπεινο φροσύνην οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ ἔχειν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ εἰς φόβον τὸν τῆς δουλείας ἄγον ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ εἰς υἱοθεσίαν ἀνάγον, ἢ καὶ κατὰ τὸν τῆς διακονίας λόγον. διὸ καὶ ἔφασκε δοῦλος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἢ καὶ ὡς μορφούμενος κατὰ θεόν· παραπλησίως ἐκείνῳ ἀναλαμβάνει τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφήν, καὶ γίνεται τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὡς Ἰουδαῖος, ἵνα τοὺς Ἰουδαίους κερδήσῃ,καὶ πᾶσιν ἑαυτὸν ποιεῖ δοῦλον ἐλεύθερος ὢν ἐκ πάντων κατὰ τὴν ὑψηλοτάτην δουλείαν τὴν πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, καὶ καθὸ ἄγαμος ὡς μὴ δοῦλος ὢν τῆς γυναικὸς ἀλλ' ἐλεύθερος, ἐν τούτῳ δοῦλός ἐστι Χριστοῦ ὡς μὴ μεριζόμενος τῇ κἀκεῖσε ἀλλὰ μόνα μεριμνῶν τὰ τοῦ κυρίου, καὶ οὐ περισπώμενος ἀπὸ τῆς πρὸς τὸν λόγον δουλείας, καὶ καθὸ δουλεύει τῷ ὠνησαμένῳ αὐτὸν ἰδίῳ αἵματι, δοῦλός ἐστι αὐτοῦ. ταὐτὸν δὲ εἰπεῖν δοῦλος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ δοῦλος λόγου καὶ ἀληθείας καὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ σοφίας καὶ εἰρήνης καὶ ἤ τι ἄλλο ὄνομα ἀνα γέγραπται τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. 2 1, 1. Κληθείη δ' ἂν κλητός γενικῶς μὲν <ὁ> παραλαβὼν χάρισμα, ἰδικῶς δὲ καὶ ὁ λαβών τι ἐξαίρετον παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους οἷον δια κονίαν ἢ προφητείαν ἢ διδασκαλίαν ἤ τι τοιοῦτον. ὡς οὖν ἐν γενικῷ λόγῳ πολλοὶ κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί, ὡς Ἰούδας γέγονε κλητὸς ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκλεκτός, ὁ οὖν Παῦλος κληθεὶς καὶ κλητὸς γέγονε κατὰ τὸ γενικόν, ἔτυχεν εὐθὺς καὶ τοῦ ἰδικοῦ τουτέστι τῆς ἀποστολῆς. ἀπὸ κοινοῦ δὲ ἁρμόζει εἰπεῖν· Παῦλος δοῦλος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ κλητὸς ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ γέγονεν. εἰωθὼς μὲν ὡς τὰ πολλὰ τὸ ἀπόστολος συνάπτειν εὐθὺς τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ ἰδίῳ, νῦν προστέταχε τὸ δοῦλος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· τίνος ἕνεκεν; ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν βουλόμενος εἰς πολλὴν εὐ λάβειαν Ῥωμαίους ἐναγαγεῖν, ὥστε περὶ παντὸς ποιεῖσθαι τῷ δοῦλος ὅλως ὀνομάζεσθαι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ μὴ πεφυσῆσθαι τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐκ τοῦ δοκεῖν πάντων κατακρατεῖν· εἰς τοσοῦτον γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν τότε φρονήματος ἤρθησαν, ὥστε λόγος αὐτοὺς εἰωθότας κατὰ ψῆφον τῆς συγκλήτου θεοὺς ἀναγορεύειν οὓς ἂν βουληθεῖεν, ἐπὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τοὐναντίον ποιῆσαι· γνωρίσαι μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῖς τὸν [τὸ] τηνικαῦτα τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἄρχοντα δι' ἐκείνων, ὅτι περ Ἰησοῦν ἄνθρωπόν τινα θαυματοποιητὴν γενόμενον οἱ τῇδε μετὰ θάνατον ἐγηγέρθαι κηρύττοντες θεὸν εἶναι παραδιδόασιν, τούσδε δυσχεράναντας ἀποψηφίσασθαι τοῦτο κοινῷ συνεδρίῳ διὰ τὸ παρὰ γνώμην αὐτῶν τετολμῆσθαι. ἦν δ' ἄρα καὶ τοῦτο τῆς θείας χάριτος ἔργον πρὸς τὸ μέλλον οἰκονομησάσης τὸ δέον, ἵνα μὴ κατὰ σπουδὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ὡς πολλὰ πολλάκις καὶ τοῦτο κεκρατηκέναι δοκῇ. διὰ τοῦτό τε οὖν τὸ δοῦλος Χριστοῦ πρὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου τέθεικε καὶ ἅμα διότι τὸ τῆς ἀποστολῆς οἷς ἂν προσείη ἀξίωμα, χρείας ἄλλων ἕνεκα πρόσεστι, τὸ δὲ Χριστοῦ δοῦλον εἶναί τινα, τοῦτο ἴδιον τοῦ κεκτημένου κέρδος ἐστίν. 3 1, 1. Ἀφορίζεται μέντοι καὶ ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ, οὐ διὰ τὴν φύσιν ἔχουσαν τὸ ἐξαίρετον ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀνθρώπους, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰς προεγνωσμένας μὲν τῷ θεῷ πρότερον πράξεις ὕστερον δὲ γενομένας ἐκ τῆς παρασκευῆς καὶ <τῆς> προαιρέσεως τῆς ἀποστολικῆς. 4 1, 1. Οὐκοῦν θεοῦ ἐστι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον εἰς ὃ ἀφωρίσθη Παῦλος, ὁ δὲ Μάρκος τὸ εὐαγγέλιον Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγει καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς Παῦλος ἐν τῇ πρὸς Γαλάτας. 5 1, 4. Τινὲς δὲ τὸ δυνάμει τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι ἐπισυνάπτουσι καὶ οὕτως ἀναγινώσκουσιν· ἐν δυνάμει κατὰ πνεῦμα ὡς ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέθ, ὡς ἔχρισεν αὐτὸν ὁ θεὸς πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ δυνάμει τουτέστι τῷ δυνατῷ πνεύματι, καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Θεσσαλονικεῖς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐγενήθη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν λόγῳ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν δυνάμει καὶ ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ. φησὶ τοίνυν ὅτι ἀφωρίσθη ἀπὸ θεοῦ εἰς τὸ εὐαγγελίζεσθαι πάντας περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ὃς ἐκ σπέρματος μὲν ∆αυὶδ γέγονε κατὰ σάρκα, υἱὸς δὲ ὡρίσθη εἶναι θεοῦ τουτέστιν ἐκυρώθη τοῦτο ὤν, μάλιστα καὶ πλέον ἐφανερώθη τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ