Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God–
Chuck Smith: "Servant" means "bondslave." The slave was completely at his master's disposal. His one goal in life was to serve. "Apostle" means "one who is sent." Paul was called to be an apostle and sent by the Holy Spirit to witness to the Gentiles. "Gospel" means "good news."
Matthew Henry: "Separated to the gospel of God. "The Pharisees had their name from separation, because they separated themselves to the study of the law, and might be called aphoµrismenoi eis ton nomon; such a one Paul had formerly been; but now he had changed his studies, was aphoµrismenos eis to Euangelion, a gospel Pharisee, separated by the counsel of God (Gal. 1:15)...
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown: the prophets and kings of Israel were officially "the servants of the Lord" ( Jos 1:1 Psa 18:1 , title), the apostles call themselves, in the same official sense, "the servants of Christ" (as here, and Phl 1:1 Jam 1:1 2Pe 1:1 Jud 1:1 ), expressing such absolute subjection and devotion to the Lord Jesus as they would never have yielded to a mere creature.
(Note: the picture on the above right is of part of the Via Doloroda, the path said to be the route that Jesus took on his way to Calvary. The last section of the pathway has been retained by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.)
