Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (from the Codex Vindobonensis Greek 166), Translated by ChatGPT from Greek
1 1, 1. But he calls himself a servant either because of praiseworthy humility not from having the spirit leading to the fear of servitude but the spirit leading to adoption, or also according to the word of service. Therefore, he also asserted to be a servant of Jesus Christ, or also as being molded according to God. Similarly, he assumes the form of a servant like Him, and becomes like a Jew to the Jews, that he might gain the Jews, and makes himself a servant to all, being free from all according to the highest servitude towards our Lord Jesus Christ, and as unmarried, not being a servant of a woman but free, in this he is Christ’s servant as being undivided there, but only caring about the things of the Lord, and not distracted from the service to the word, and as serving Him who bought him with His own blood, he is His servant. To say the same thing, a servant of Jesus Christ and a servant of the word and of truth and of righteousness and of wisdom and of peace and of any other name attributed to the Son of God.
2 1, 1. One might be called called in general as someone who received a gift, specifically even someone who took something exceptional compared to others, such as a ministry or prophecy or teaching or something like that. Hence in a general sense many are called, but few are chosen, as Judas became called but not chosen, therefore Paul called and became called in the general sense, and he immediately obtained also the specific, that is, of the apostleship. Thus it is fitting to say generally: Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, and called an apostle of Jesus Christ he became.
Being accustomed as a rule to immediately join the title of Apostle to his own name, now he has prefixed the title "servant of Jesus Christ." Why is this? It seems to me that he wanted to bring the Romans to great piety, so that they would make it their priority to be wholly called servants of Christ and not be puffed up by their domination of others; for at that time they had risen to such a degree of arrogance that they were in the habit of deifying as gods by the decree of the Senate whichever ones they wished, yet our Savior made them do the opposite; for he made known to them the one who at that time ruled Judea through them, that certain people here proclaimed after death that Jesus, who performed miraculous acts, had risen and was a god. This caused them to be offended and to reject this in the common counsel because it seemed to have been done contrary to their opinion. And this too was indeed the work of divine grace, managing what was necessary for the future, so that it would not seem that this had prevailed through human zeal as often happens. Therefore, he puts "servant of Christ" before "Apostle" for this reason and also because the honor of the Apostolate, when it applies, is added for the sake of others, but being a servant of Christ is a personal gain for the one who possesses it.
Consequently, he is separated by God from his mother's womb for the gospel, not because his nature was superior to other people, but because of the deeds known beforehand to God, which would happen later from his preparation and apostolic intention.
Therefore, it is God's gospel to which Paul was set apart, and Mark speaks of the gospel of Jesus Christ along with the same Paul in his letter to the Galatians. Some read it as being connected with the power of the Holy Spirit and thus read: With power according to the spirit as in Jesus of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, meaning with mighty spirit, and in the letter to the Thessalonians, our gospel came to you not only in word but also in power and in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, he says that he was set apart by God to preach to everyone about His Son, Jesus Christ, who was born of David's seed according to the flesh, and was designated to be the Son of God—this indeed being confirmed—especially revealed more by the power of the Holy Spirit after rising from the dead to immortality; for he says, 'He was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,' and 'He was crucified through weakness, but lives by the power of God.' The Spirit indeed of holiness is the sanctifying spirit as God of consolation is the comforting God. Since the true worshipers worship God in spirit and not in body, in truth and not in form, since God is spirit and bodiless by contrast to the body according to the custom of Scripture, those worshiping Him in spirit worship Him as they should in truth and not in forms. To serve truly is to serve and do everything from disposition.
So then he said, "if I may be successful by God's will to come to you," indicating that it is possible to come to someone without the will of God, just as Balaam went to Balaak to curse Israel for a reward. I think that every gentile or anyone foreign to piety, not ministering to saints of beneficial things to them, does not succeed in going to whomever they go without God's will, even if they succeed at times; for Scripture says, "There is prosperity among the wicked."
As there is such grace not spiritual, necessarily the spiritual is added; for there are some graces not spiritual, like wealth, human glory, and marriage; for the spiritual would never hinder prayer, but the union of man and woman does obstruct. Regarding marriage as a grace, the apostle makes it clear by saying, "I wish all men were as I am, but each has his own gift from God, one in this manner, another in that manner."
Nevertheless, Paul wants to impart to them some spiritual gift to establish and secure them, so that they are no longer infants tossed about by every wind. Either because Providence had anticipated his apostolic journeys, wherefore he also prayed to be prospered, as if the hindrance might be removed, or because he was hindered by Satan, so that he might not bear any fruit, or it was not God's will, since he knew it was not the right time to persuade. When the time to persuade came, he then made him depart. Through what he said, "I was hindered" and such things, he is apologizing for himself and attracting the love of the Roman church towards him.
That I might have some fruit among you also should be understood as a hyperbaton; if it is not observed, it conflicts with the sequence. For who would say that Paul was hindered from coming to the Romans for this reason, so that he might have some fruit? On the contrary, if he was not hindered, he bore fruit, and being hindered, he was deprived of fruit. Therefore, it should be read thus: Many times I planned to come to you in order that I might have some fruit among you, just as among the other Gentiles, Greeks and barbarians, wise and foolish, I am a debtor, and I was hindered until now. Why then was he compelled to make the hyperbaton? Because to the phrase, "that I might have some fruit," he was intending to add many things, as "among you just as among the other Gentiles, Greeks and barbarians, wise and foolish, I am a debtor," and the following.
In order that he might not break the continuity, he inserted the phrase “I have been hindered until now,” joining it to the earlier statement “I purposed to come to you” so that he may have some fruit, thus restoring order to the sequence of the account. Saying meanwhile “that I might have some fruit” indicates that the fruit lies not in intention alone but also requires works in due season, and the one obtaining such fruits becomes rich in good works and more blessed. He had fruits not only among the foolish of the world, whom he now calls ignorant, but also among the wise, speaking wisdom among the perfect, the wisdom hidden in mystery. Just as being a debtor to the wise, he sought teachings leading them to Christianity, so too was he a debtor to barbarians, to converse with them in their own dialect. Therefore, wisdom is needed by the teacher towards the wise, but patience, economy, and the praised humility towards the ignorant. Thus, a debtor who repays is not condemned, but one who withholds what he owes would justly be blamed. God’s righteousness is revealed to those coming from older faith to new; for always to believe in Moses that one might also believe in Christ, and he who believes in Christ but does not believe in the prophets does not rightly believe, nor is he said to truly believe. “The just shall live by faith” teaches that if one is just but does not have faith, or believes but is not just, he would not be saved. It seems that wrath is also called the minister of the labors for sins and those under it serving the same role, as when “the wrath of God was kindled against Israel,” when David, moved by it, ordered Joab to number the people.
The second is evident from "He sent against them wrath and anger and trouble, a mission through evil angels." When they themselves endure sufferings for sin; for thus I hear, "according to your hardness, you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath," and "the wrath has come upon them to the end." Consider then whether what happens to the righteous, when they are tempted by the evil one, is wrath; neither is it from God nor from heaven, but from somewhere below, either from the devil or one of his angels. To this, someone might not unreasonably oppose that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against the principalities, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly realms." For these also seem to be angry with the saints and to bring upon them wrath from heaven. Perhaps there is some wrath from heaven and another below, as we have conceded, so it is for us; there is wrath of God from heaven, and another from heaven, yet not of God. When, therefore, piety, which is the chief virtue, departs from the soul, temperance also leaves with it, and impiety enters into it, and intemperance follows it; for it was not fitting that, once piety had been expelled, God would still guard the impious soul, but it should be handed over to uncleanness, so that their bodies, having become temples of idols, should be dishonored and deserving of all dishonor. For if some impious idolaters practice temperance, even so, temperance is a virtue chosen for praiseworthy intent, but they are of wicked intent; therefore, those supposed virgins of idols change the natural use into that which is against nature. And wrath is the toil that follows those sinning for punishment, and they define "anger" as wrath being inflamed and greatly swelling. But this anger has the function of exposing when someone suffers something due to sins, either by his conscience striking him or by some painful consequences following the sin. But also, tribulation follows such ones—not producing endurance, nor in which one might boast, but in which is coupled distress. No one would be distressed if he had width of heart from wisdom and had heard the Apostle saying, "Be enlarged, you also;" for evils are accustomed to narrow and confine the soul, as the devil hides in a hole or like the serpent encircling.