Romans 1:5
Posted by Romans on Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Paul’s ministry from Jesus was among all the Gentiles, which included the Romans, whom Paul addressed not as a church but as individual believers. Paul was the human agent (from and for Christ he received grace and apostleship, i.e., “the grace of apostleship”; cf. 12:3; 15:15) but the calling (God’s summons to salvation; cf. 8:28, 30) came from the Lord and set his readers apart as “saints.” Obedience and faith are often linked (cf. 15:18; 16:26; also cf. 1 Peter 1:2). Just as Paul was a “called” apostle, so the believers in Rome were called to belong to Jesus Christ (lit., “called of Jesus Christ”) and called to be saints (lit., “called saints”).
Paul’s salutation like that in all his epistles, expressed the desire that they enjoy God’s grace and peace.
