Romans 1:5
in Romans 1Through Him and on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name’s sake;
KJV
By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
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This verse in Romans 1
Commentary
13 notes on this verseHe says that through Christ he received grace and apostleship, inasmuch as Christ is the "mediator of God and men". "Grace and apostleship": grace is to be referred to endurance in labors; apostleship to the authority of preaching, since Christ himself is called an "apostle", that is, one sent by the Father, seeing that he says he was sent "to preach the gospel to the poor". Because, therefore, what is his own he gives also to his disciples. "Grace" is said to be "poured out upon his lips".
This site's exposition
grace and apostleship
on Romans 1:5-6
Grace and apostleship came to Paul through Christ. Godet reads one grace in both words, the grace that saved Paul and sent him on behalf of Christ's name. The purpose is the obedience that comes from faith among the Gentiles, and verse 6 places the Roman believers inside that call.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
After the resurrection Christ was revealed as the Son of God in power. He gave grace to make sinners righteous and appointed apostles, of whom Paul says here that he is one, so that the apostleship might be granted by the grace of God's gift …
A commentator
Augustine of HippoRUDIMENTARY EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS 6 · Written before 430.
proposed
Paul preserves the main point of his case very well, so that no one would dare say that he has been led to the gospel because of the merits of his previous life. How could one claim this, when even the apostles themselves … could not have received their own apostleship unless they had first … received grace, which cleanses and justifies sinners?
"By Whom we have received grace and Apostleship for obedience to the faith." See the candor of the servant. He wishes nothing to be his own, but all his Master's. And indeed it was the Spirit that gave this. Wherefore He saith, "I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth": and again, "Separate Me Paul and Barnabas." And in the Epistle to the Corinthians, he says, that "to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge"; and that It divideth all as It willeth. And in addressing the Milesians, he says, "Over which the Holy Ghost hath made you shepherds and overseers." You see, he calls the things of the Spirit, the Son's, and the things of the Son, the Spirit's. "Grace and Apostleship;" that is, it is not we that have achieved for ourselves, that we should become Apostles. For it was not by having toiled much and labored that we had this dignity allotted to us, but we received grace, and the successful result is a part of the heavenly gift. "For obedience to the faith." So it was not the Apostles that achieved it, but grace that paved the way before them. For it was their part to go about and preach, but to persuade was of God, Who wrought in them. As also Luke saith, that "He opened their heart"; and again, To whom it was given to hear the word of God. "To obedience;" he says not, to questioning and parade of argument but "to obedience." For we were not sent, he means, to argue, but to give those things which we had trusted to our hands. […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
After commending Christ in his origin and power, he now commends him in his liberality, which is shown by the gifts he conferred on believers. And he sets out two gifts. One is common to all believers, namely grace, by which we are restored. We …
Note the gratitude. Nothing, he says, is ours, but everything has been received by us through the Son. I received the apostleship and grace through the Spirit. "He," says the Lord, "will guide you" (John 16:13). And the Spirit says: "Set apart for Me Saul …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
By whom we have received - I and the other apostles. Grace and apostleship - The favour to be an apostle, and qualifications for it. For obedience to the faith in all nations - That is, that all nations may embrace the faith of Christ.
By whom we have received grace and apostleship,.... That is, either by the Holy Spirit, from whom all grace and gifts come, qualifying for the discharge of any office; or by the Lord Jesus Christ, who is full of grace and truth, has received gifts for, and gives them to men to fit them for whatsoever service he is pleased to call them to. By "grace and apostleship" may be meant, either one and the same thing, the favour and honour of being the apostles of Christ; or different things, and the one in order to the other.
This apostleship was received for obedience to the faith, that is, to bring people to that obedience; as Christ, so his ministers, received that they might give. Paul's was for this obedience among all nations, for he was the apostle of the Gentiles, ch. xi. Observe the description here given of the Christian profession: it is obedience to the faith.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
By whom - The apostle here returns to the subject of the salutation of the Romans, and states to them his authority to address them. That authority he had derived from the Lord Jesus, and not from man. On this fact, that he had received his apostolic commission, not from man, but by the direct authority of Jesus Christ, Paul not infrequently insisted. Gal 1:12, “for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by revelation of Jesus Christ;” 1Co 15:1-8; Eph 3:1-
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
(We prefer thus taking them as two distinct things, and not, with some good interpreters, as one--"the grace of apostleship"). for obedience to the faith--rather, "for the obedience of faith"--that is, in order to men's yielding themselves to the belief of God's saving message, which is the highest of all obedience. for his name--that He might be glorified.
Grace and apostleship - The peculiar influence and the essential qualifications which such an office requires. Without the Grace, favor, and peculiar help of God, he could not have been an apostle: he had an extraordinary conversion, and an extraordinary call to preach the Gospel. Probably χαριν και αποστολην, grace and apostleship, mean the same as χαριν της αποστολης, the apostolical office; for so the word χαρις means in Rom 12:3; Rom 15:15; 1Co 3:10; Eph 3:8. See the various acceptations of the word grace, Rom 1:7. For obedience to the faith - That by this office, which I have received from God, and the power by which it is accompanied, I might proclaim the faith, the Gospel of Jesus; and show all nations the necessity of believing in it, in order to their salvation. Here is: 1. The Gospel of the Son of God. 2. An apostle divinely commissioned and empowered to preach it. 3. The necessity of faith in the name of Jesus, as the only Savior of the world. 4. Of obedience, as the necessary consequence of genuine faith. And, 5. This is to be proclaimed among all nations; that all might have the opportunity of believing and being saved.
The words behind it
17 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| δι᾽ | di᾽ | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| οὗ | hou | whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐλάβομεν | elabomen | we have received | G2983 → | 257 times |
| χάριν | charin | grace | G5485 → | 153 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀποστολὴν | apostolen | apostleship | G651 → | |
| εἰς | eis | unto | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| ὑπακοὴν | hupakoen | obedience | G5218 → | 14 times |
| πίστεως | pisteos | of faith | G4102 → | 242 times |
| ἐν | en | among | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| πᾶσιν | pasin | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| τοῖς | tois | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔθνεσιν | ethnesin | Gentiles | G1484 → | 161 times |
| ὑπὲρ | huper | on behalf of | G5228 → | 155 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀνόματος | onomatos | name | G3686 → | 227 times |
| αὐτοῦ, | autou | of Him, | G846 → | 5565 times |
δι᾽through
di᾽G1223 →664 times
οὗwhom
houG3739 →1405 times
ἐλάβομενwe have received
elabomenG2983 →257 times
χάρινgrace
charinG5485 →153 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀποστολὴνapostleship
apostolenG651 →
εἰςunto
eisG1519 →1755 times
ὑπακοὴνobedience
hupakoenG5218 →14 times
πίστεωςof faith
pisteosG4102 →242 times
ἐνamong
enG1722 →2738 times
πᾶσινall
pasinG3956 →1235 times
τοῖςthe
toisG3588 →19766 times
ἔθνεσινGentiles
ethnesinG1484 →161 times
ὑπὲρon behalf of
huperG5228 →155 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
ὀνόματοςname
onomatosG3686 →227 times
αὐτοῦ,of Him,
autouG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of…
it leads to
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- Ephesians 3:7–8
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
- Ephesians 2:7–8
in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:13
Through
Acts 9:15“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.
it leads to
- Galatians 1:15–16
But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased
- Galatians 1:15–16
Through
Acts 6:7So the word of God continued to spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem grew rapidly, and a great number of priests became obedient to the faith.
it leads to
- Acts 19:20
So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail.
- Acts 12:24
But the word of God continued to spread and multiply.
- Acts 19:20
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Obedience35 verses
On this page
About Romans
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Augustine of Hippo, RUDIMENTARY EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS 6; Frederic Godet, Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 1; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Robert Haldane, Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.