Slavery has many types. There is slavery by creation, of which it is said: (Psalm 118:91). There is also slavery through faith, of which it is said: "They have become obedient to the form of doctrine to which they have given themselves" (Romans 6:17). Finally, there is slavery in the way of life: in this respect Moses is called a servant of God (Joshua 1:2). Paul is a "slave" in all these forms.

Jesus Christ.

He offers the names of the Lord from the Incarnation, ascending from the bottom up: for the names Jesus and Christ, that is, the Anointed One, are the names after the Incarnation. He was anointed not with oil, but with the Holy Spirit, which, of course, is more priceless than oil. And that there is anointing without oil, listen: Do not touch My anointed (Psalm 104:15), which saying should be applied to those who were before the law, when there was not even the name of anointing by means of oil.

Conscript.

This word means humility; for the Apostle shows them that he himself did not seek and find, but was called.

Apostle.

This word was used by the Apostle in contrast to the others who were called. For all the faithful are called; but they are called only to believe, and I, he says, have also been entrusted with the apostleship, which was entrusted also to Christ when He was sent by the Father.

Chosen for the gospel of God.

That is, he was chosen to serve the gospel. In other words: chosen instead of predestined to this, as God says to Jeremiah: "Before you came out of the womb, I sanctified you" (Jeremiah 1:5). And Paul himself says in one place: "When God was pleased with me, who chose me from my mother's womb" (Galatians 1:15). Further, it is not in vain that he says: He was called and chosen to the gospel. Since he had a word for the vain, it also inspires that he is worthy of faith, as one sent from above. The gospel itself calls it so not only because of the things that have been accomplished, but also because of the good things to come, and in the name of the gospel it immediately consoles the listener, for the gospel does not contain anything sorrowful, such as the prophecies of the prophets, but treasures of innumerable blessings. And this gospel is the gospel of God, that is, of the Father, both because it was given by Him, and because it makes Him known, for although He was known in the Old Testament, yet only to the Jews, but even to them He was unknown as the Father, and later, through the gospel. He, together with the Son, revealed himself to the entire universe.

Which God promised before through His prophets.

Since that preaching was reviled as an innovation, it shows that it is older than paganism and was previously described by the prophets; even the word "good news" is found in David, who says: "The Lord will give the word: there is a great multitude of heralds" (Psalm 67:12), and in Isaiah: "How beautiful are the feet of the evangelizer of peace on the mountains" (Isaiah 52:7).

In the Holy Scriptures.

The prophets not only spoke, but also wrote and depicted by actions, for example: Abraham through Isaac, Moses through the serpent, the lifting up of hands and the slaughter of the lamb. For when God had something great in store, He foretells it long beforehand. Wherefore, when He says, that many prophets desired to see what ye see, and did not see it (Matt. 13:17); then he expresses that they did not see His very flesh, and therefore did not see the signs that were performed before their eyes.

About His Son, Who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh.