The beginning of the letter

Sender and recipient are mentioned together at the beginning in biblical times. Thus, the first few verses in Romans explain who wrote the letter and who was to receive the letter. Similar to emails today, the sender and address used to be at the top. Because if the writing should be written as a roll, you only have to roll up the beginning to find out the address. The Letter to the Romans begins with these words:

“Paul, slave of Christ Jesus, called apostle, set apart for the gospel of God …”
Rom 1:1 (KNT)

Paul is the sender. The church in Rome is the recipient (Rom 1:7). Paul wrote several letters to churches. In most church letters, the apostle mentions other co-workers traveling with him right at the beginning. Only in the Epistle to the Romans and the Epistle to the Ephesians is this not the case. In these two letters it seems to be of special importance that Paul makes the beginning alone.

Next, he explains something about himself and also about his function. This should be helpful for the Romans, as they do not know him yet. Paul has never been to Rome. However, there was already a community in the capital of the Roman Empire. He now writes to this church as a “slave of Christ Jesus”.

Paul imitates Christ, as does the church in Rome. That connects. The apostle refers to “Christ Jesus,” this expression that Paul uses a lot. He does not speak of “Jesus Christ”, but of “Christ Jesus”. The title comes first, then the name. This has meaning. With the title comes the position of the resurrected one. Paul addresses Jesus in the task that was assigned to Jesus by God.

Paul also calls himself a “slave” of Christ Jesus. This also refers to a position. Paul was a free man in this world, not a slave. However, he saw himself as a slave of Christ Jesus. Thus Paul did not belong to himself, but he came on behalf of his Lord. We’ll get to that in a moment.

In relation to the community, he comes to them with a special mission. That is why he also names his function. Paul is a “called apostle.” Together, these statements form something like an introduction to his person.

A positive start

A few verses further on he writes:

“First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed in the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, as I continually mention you in my prayers, pleading if I may at last be so fortunate as to come to you by the will of God. For I long to see you, that I may give you some spiritual gift of grace to strengthen you…”
Rom 1:8-11

It is important for the apostle to introduce himself, because he has an important message. This is to be taken seriously by virtue of its mission. He still has a lot to tell.

The church was in Rome. Rome was a cosmopolitan city. It had come to Paul’s ears that the church there cultivated a living faith, so that their faith was called throughout the world. Likewise, Paul is already looking forward to the day that he can visit the Roman believers himself. It is a positive and benevolent start. Paul is already looking for unifying elements in this introduction. He not only wants to communicate something to the readers in Rome, but also to enter into a relationship.

Paul a slave?

Paul sees himself as a “slave of Christ Jesus”. Many translations weaken this to a “servant” or “servant”. However, the basic text speaks of a slave. It is remarkable how Paul positions himself in this way. It is the position of complete dependence. A slave does not belong to himself, but to his master. In his place, wouldn’t we have preferred to write that we are a “child of God” or “child of the king”? As if we are always looking for confirmation that we are also valued and loved, and guarded and protected by God at every turn? How different is the self-assessment of the apostle!

As a “slave” Paul places himself in a different location. There it is not about himself, but it is about his Lord. He uses a visual language from everyday life. Everyone knew what a slave was. We don’t have to gloss over that today, but it helps with understanding if we empathize with the situation at the time. This is what distinguishes a slave from a worker: a slave no longer belongs to himself, but is the property of his master – he has been bought (1 Cor. 7:22-23).

While a servant “sells” part of his time, a slave owes obedience 24 hours a day without pay. It is in this attitude that Paul comes to the Romans. He belongs to Christ and he obeys Him. When he comes, he comes on behalf of his Lord. When he speaks, it is the words of his Lord. Or, to put it another way, Paul is not concerned with self-promotion. Paul shows how he belongs to Christ, and how he writes only in His name.

It is about the cost of living

These are not pious words, but it is a realization and attitude towards life. This has an effect: You cannot be a slave in the study room, but only in practice, in everyday life. Heinz Schuhmacher writes:

“… Only people with such a basic attitude of life can then also be commissioned and authorized by God to serve His church. Where this most important of all prerequisites is missing – the obedience of a slave – and self-will and self-pride interfere, God can give no commission, no authority. Whoever then nevertheless tries to serve the church only causes harm: Because self-will is not broken, “own” teachings, “own” factions and splinterings from the whole, “own” zeal and “own” struggles occur. But he who obeys becomes able to lead others to obedience as well (Rom 1:5).”
Heinz Schuhmacher, The Epistle to the Romans, page 12.

The image of a slave sounds negative to our ears and is quickly understood in the sense of “enslave”, namely “involuntarily oppress”. In the context of the biblical stories, however, this is more differentiated. Thus, in the provisions for the people of Israel, there is the possibility of a slave becoming free, but that slave choosing to remain with his master:

“But if the slave says, I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go out as a freeman! his master shall bring him before God, and set him at the door or at the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; then he shall serve him for ever.”
Ex 21:5-6

So here a (again) free man becomes a slave again out of love for his master and for his family. Paul uses the term in a similarly differentiated way in the Letter to the Romans. He sees himself as a slave of Christ Jesus, and in Romans 12 instructs believers to see themselves that way as well:

“Let love be unfeigned! Be those who abhor evil and cling to good! In brotherly friendship be warmly attached to one another, in reverence esteeming one another more highly, in diligence not hesitating, in spirit fervent, serving the Lord as slaves, in expectation joyful, in tribulation enduring, in prayer persevering, contributing to the needs of the saints, pursuing hospitality!”
Rom 12:9-13

“The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost: for whosoever serveth in these things as a slave unto Christ is acceptable unto God, and approved with men.”
Rom 14:17-18

Attentive reading

Paul uses figurative language to describe himself as a slave. He does this because he wants to express something with it. If we go through the Letter to the Romans attentively and with small steps, we will notice other things. For example, Paul does not speak of Christ as the Messiah of Israel, and his message is not about the messianic kingdom. Thus he deviates from the reports in the gospels and also from the other apostles.

When Paul speaks of Christ Jesus, he has in mind the risen and exalted Lord who called him for a special task: to call out the church from all nations, which included the believers in Rome. The outline of this task and the gospel that goes with it are broadly measured out in the Letter to the Romans. It’s worth listening carefully here.