Romans 1:2 : Which he promised afore through his prophets in the holy scriptures. Why was Paul so particular to affirm that the gospel to which he had been separated and which he preached had been prom-ised in the Old Testament Scriptures? He would have the Jews know that the very scriptures on which they relied promised the gospel which he preached. In this letter, as well as in much of his other writings, Paul combated the professed Christians among the Jews who taught that the Gentile converts had to be circum-cised and had to keep the law of Moses, else they could not be saved. They were willing enough for Paul to make converts among the Gentiles, if he would have them circumcised and require them to keep the law; but because he would not do so, these Judaizing teach-ers opposed him with all their might. They had drawn the idea that Gentiles could be saved only in subser-vience to all things Jewish. But Paul taught that Jew and Gentile stood on an equal footing before God, and that the prophets had so foretold. Concerning his. Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, who was de-clared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord. This connects back with the end of Rom 1:1. It was the gospel of God, but it was concerning his Son. It is the gospel of God, because it originated with him and it is also the gospel of Christ, because it centers in him. Without Christ, there would be no gospel. It is this gospel to which Paul had been separated and which had been promised through the prophets in the holy Scriptures. Yet some tell us that the prophets said nothing of the gospel as we have it revealed through the apostles. Such teachers occupy a position similar to that occupied by the Judaizing teachers who so zealously opposed Paul.