Paul's Use of Personal Names in Romans for Authentication
Paul's frequent use of his own name in his epistles served as a crucial method of authentication and established his apostolic authority. Unlike other biblical authors such as Moses, Matthew, or John, Paul consistently prefaced his letters with his name [3]. This practice was not born of a desire for self-aggrandizement, but rather to assert his identity and the legitimacy of his message [3, 6].
The name "Paul" itself, meaning "small" or "little" [1], was a Greco-Roman name, a significant transition from his Hebrew name, Saul [11]. This change likely signaled his primary mission to the Gentiles [11], a mission motivated by Old Testament prophecies of praise among the nations [9]. As a Roman citizen, Paul also strategically used his status to protect the Christian message and its adherents, as seen in his interaction with city officials in Philippi [4].
In his letters, Paul's personal salutation, often written in his own hand, served as a "token" to distinguish genuine epistles from forged ones [7, 8, 10]. This was particularly important given the circulation of spurious letters in his name [7, 10]. While he often dictated the main body of his letters to an amanuensis, he would personally write the closing salutation and benediction [7, 8, 10]. This autograph signature authenticated his writings, ensuring that his audience could trust the source of the message [8].
John Chrysostom notes that Paul put his own name first in his letters, even when addressing issues of jealousy or division within the church, such as when some claimed allegiance to "Paul" or "Apollos" [2, 6]. By placing himself foremost to be "rejected" in such contexts, Paul demonstrated his humility and his commitment to correcting error, rather than seeking honor for himself [6]. This deliberate self-identification underscored his role as an apostle called and separated for the Gospel of God [3, 5].
Sources
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Paul — small; little”
- I Corinthians “I Corinthians 3:4 (LEB) — For whenever anyone says, “I am with Paul,” and another, “I am with Apollos,” are you not merely human?”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts & Romans: Homily I. Rom. I. 1, 2 “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God, (which He promised afore by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures.)” Moses having written five books, has nowhere put his own name to them, neither have they who after him put together the history of events after him, no nor yet has Matthew, nor John, nor Mark, nor Luke; but the blessed Paul everywhere in his Epistles sets 1189 1189 In every one of his Epistles prefixes (Savile). his own name. Now why was this? Because they were writing t”
- Acts (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Acts 16:37: 16:37-39 Paul and Silas were both Roman citizens, so the beating and imprisonment (16:22-24) had been illegal. After the city officials learned of this, they were justifiably alarmed because they had committed a crime against Rome. • Let them come themselves to release us: Paul made use of his rights as a Roman citizen in order to clear his name and ensure that no disrepute would attach to the Christian message or those who accepted it. Luke intended to show that Christianity should enjoy the same status as Judaism in the Roman Empire as a permitted religion—the Ch”
- Acts (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Acts 9:1: 9:1-19 The conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road is of central importance to the narrative of Acts—Luke recounts the story three times (also 22:1-21; 26:1-29). Paul (Saul) also alludes to this experience several times in his letters (1 Cor 15:8-10; Gal 1:11-17; Phil 3:4-11; see 1 Tim 1:12-17). Saul’s conversion was his prophetic call and commission as an apostle (Acts 9:15; 22:15, 21; 26:15-18). No one is beyond the power of God to reach, redeem, and use for holy purposes—nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). Paul was prepared through his training, ”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on 1 & 2 Corinthians: jealousy, to be detracting from the honor of others. Wherefore also he put his own name first. For he who puts himself foremost to be rejected, doth so not for love of honor, but for extreme contempt of this sort of reputation. He puts himself, you see, in the way of the whole attack, and then mentions Apollos, and then Cephas. Not therefore to magnify himself did he do this, but in speaking of wrong things he administers the requisite correction in his own person first. [5.] But that those who addicted themselves to this or that man were in erro”
- 2 Thessalonians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Thessalonians 3:17: The Epistle was written by an amanuensis (perhaps Silas or Timothy), and only the closing salutation written by Paul's "own hand" (compare Rom 16:22; Co1 16:21; Col 4:18). Wherever Paul does not subjoin this autograph salutation, we may presume he wrote the whole Epistle himself (Gal 6:11). which--which autograph salutation. the token--to distinguish genuine Epistles from spurious ones put forth in my name (Th2 2:2). in every epistle--Some think he signed his name to every Epistle with his own hand; but as there is no trace of this in an”
- 2 Thessalonians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 2 Thessalonians 3:17: The salutation of Paul with mine own hand - It is very likely that Paul employed an amanuensis generally, either to write what he dictated, or to make a fair copy of what he wrote. In either case the apostle always subscribed it, and wrote the salutation and benediction with his own hand; and this was what authenticated all his epistles. A measure of this kind would be very necessary if forged epistles were carried about in those times. See the note on Co1 16:21, and see Col 4:18 (note).”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 18:49: 18:49 The psalmist’s vision of praise . . . among the nations motivated Paul in his mission to the Gentiles (Rom 15:9).”
- 2 Thessalonians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Thessalonians 3:17: The salutation of Paul with mine own hand,.... In writing his epistles, the body and substance of them he used an amanuensis, but the salutation he wrote with his own hand: which is the token in every epistle; by which they might be known to be true and genuine, and be distinguished from counterfeit ones: and the rather he mentions this, that they might be troubled neither by word, nor by spirit, nor by epistle, as from them, as they had been, Th2 2:2 for it seems that this wicked practice of counterfeiting the epistles of the apostles, or carrying about sp”
- Acts (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Acts 13:9: 13:9 Luke makes the significant transition from the name Saul (a Hebrew name) to Paul (a Greco-Roman name), perhaps indicating that Paul was now on a predominantly Gentile mission. For the rest of the book of Acts, he is called Paul except when he recounts his conversion (as in 22:7, 13; 26:14).”