Grace and Apostleship

By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:5-7)

Grace and Apostleship

Here, Paul is speaking more about the Lord Jesus Christ. The “whom” in Romans 1:5 refers to the same subject as before, the same Lord, made of the seed of David, and the same Son of God with power. Now the subject “we” is interesting here. I feel that this “we” is exclusive from the Roman recipients, because in Romans 1:6 we see the phrase “ye also.” The “we” must refer to Paul and any of the other apostles who had seen the risen Lord. They alone have received “grace and apostleship.”

Obedience to the Faith

Now we all have received grace in Jesus Christ, but not all apostleship. The apostles received special grace to serve in the office of an apostle. But here, Paul and certain others received this grace and apostleship “for obedience to the faith among all nations” and “for his name.” The apostles brought the Gospel of Jesus Christ to much of the known world, which we know to be faith in the risen Lord for the remission of sins. But “obedience to the faith” is not just mere justification, it is the living by and a continuation in faith (“from faith to faith” in Romans 1:17). The apostles’ ministry is still with us today embodied in the New Testament. Our job is to continue preaching obedience to the faith today, so that people may be saved and empowered to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

Called and Beloved

After this, Paul then adds in the Roman recipients, referring to them as the “called of Jesus Christ.” By the hearing of the word of God, they were saved, and ever since they have been called. In verse 7, he then continues his address to them that they were “beloved of God.” God loved us while we were still His enemies, so how much more are we “beloved of God” now that we are in Christ! They are also “called to be saints.” We are called to be holy ones, set apart for His purposes. As we trust in Jesus Christ, our positional holiness becomes experiential holiness, and we too stand out from the world. We may not all be called to the type of ministry that Paul had, but we are separated unto the gospel much in every way, to share with others the good news of Jesus Christ.

The addressee is now identified in Romans 1:7, the saints in Rome. Rome was the capital of the world at that time, which means a lot of wickedness abounded there. It is like addressing saints in Washington, D.C., today, yet more extreme. They may have been surrounded by wickedness, but were still “beloved of God” and “called to be saints” amid grave wickedness.

Grace and Peace

And lastly, Paul says in Romans 1:7, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” As Christian people, we have been partakers of grace: that unmerited, non-elicited favor that God bestows upon us. We also have peace with God (Romans 5:1), which no one else can have apart from Jesus Christ. These are significant because these are fundamental marks of the believer: recipients of grace and peace from God. No wonder these are used in the salutations of every Pauline epistle (except Hebrews) and the epistles of Peter!