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.

Here he clearly shows two births; for by the words of His Son, that is, of God, He points to the higher birth, and by the expression of the seed of David, to the lower birth. And by the addition, "According to the flesh, He showed that even the birth according to the Spirit belongs to Him." Therefore the gospel is not about the mere man, for it is about the Son of God, and not about the simple God, for it is about Him who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, so that one and the same is both, that is, both the Son of God and the Son of David. Wherefore let Nestorius be ashamed at last. The Apostle also mentions His birth according to the flesh, as well as the three Evangelists, in order to lead His listeners from Him to the higher birth. In the same way, the Lord Himself was first seen as a man, and then recognized by God.

He was revealed to be the Son of God in power, according to the spirit of holiness, through the resurrection from the dead, in Jesus Christ our Lord.

He said above, "His Son," and now he proves how He is known to be the Son of God, and says that He is named, that is, He is shown, confirmed, recognized; for naming is the very recognition, sentence and decision. For everyone recognized and decided that He was the Son of God. How so? In power, that is, through the power of the signs that He did. Moreover, according to the spirit of holiness, through which He sanctified the faithful; for it is proper for God to grant this. Also through the resurrection from the dead, for He is the first, and moreover He is one. He resurrected Himself. Thus He is known and revealed to be the Son of God through the resurrection; for this is also a great deed, as He Himself says: "When ye shall exalt the Son of Man, then ye shall know that it is I" (John 8:28).

Through Whom we have received grace and apostleship, that in His name we may submit to the faith.

Notice the gratitude. Nothing, he says, is ours, but everything is received by us through the Son. I have received apostleship and grace through the Spirit. He, says the Lord, will guide you (John 16:13). And the Spirit says, "Separate for me Paul and Barnabas" (Acts 13:2), and "The word of wisdom is given by the Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:8). What does that mean? That which belongs to the Spirit belongs to the Son and vice versa. Grace, he says, and apostleship have also been received, that is, we have not become apostles according to our merits, but from grace from above. But persuasion is also a work of grace; for it was the work of the apostles to go and preach, and to persuade those who heard it belonged entirely to God. To conquer the faith. We are sent, he says, not to argue with words, nor to investigate or prove, but to submit to the faith, so that those who are taught may hear, believing without any contradiction.

All peoples.

We have received grace to subdue all nations to the faith, not I alone, but also the other apostles: for Paul did not pass over all nations; Will anyone say that if not in life, then in death, He goes to all nations through an epistle? And they would believe if they heard of the name of Christ, and not of His essence; for the name of Christ performed miracles, and it itself requires faith, because it cannot be comprehended by reason. See what the gift of the gospel is: it is communicated not to one people, like the Old Testament, but to all nations.