Whereunto I am appointed a preacher
Both from eternity, in the counsel and purpose of God, ( Acts 9:15 ) and in time, by the church at Antioch, and the prophets in it, according to the express order of the Holy Ghost, ( Acts 13:2 ) . And if ever there was a preacher of the Gospel, Paul was one; he preached purely, powerfully, publicly, constantly, boldly, and with all faithfulness and integrity:
and an apostle;
that is, of the Gentiles, as follows, and as he elsewhere styles himself, ( Romans 11:13 ) for it does not run so smooth and easy to connect this with the word Gospel. In ( 2 Timothy 1:1 ) , he is called the apostle of Jesus Christ, because he was sent by him; and here the apostle of the Gentiles, because, he was sent to them; and this by the same appointment, by which he became a preacher:
and a teacher of the Gentiles;
though all the apostles, by their commission, were sent to teach all nations, or the Gentiles in the several parts of the world, as well as Jews; yet the apostle was eminently a teacher of them; his work chiefly lay among them; the Gospel of the uncircumcision, or the ministration of the Gospel to the uncircumcised Gentiles, was committed to him; and he was a teacher of them in faith and verity, as in ( 1 Timothy 2:7 ) . The Alexandrian copy only reads, "and a teacher".