Paul starts by giving his name, but he then seeks to define who he understands himself to be. This self-identification is not just Paul’s introspection or self-evaluation; the Holy Spirit superintends the apostle’s writing, which is how we know that this is a true and accurate description of the author of the epistle. Paul identifies himself as a bondservant of Jesus Christ (v. 1). I have never been satisfied with that English translation of this second phrase. Some translations have,