Romans 1:5 - …through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among the nations,
Welcome back dear readers! We are examining the wealth of information contained in the salutation of Paul’s letter to the Roman church. In our last post, we learned that the same Jesus who is 
both the Son of David and Son of God, the Messiah of the world, is the one who appointed Paul to preach/expound the gospel message to the church, including the fellowship in Rome.
This means that Paul writes to them under the direct authority of Christ; the doctrines he is about to give them should be regarded as coming from God. And indeed, they were. Scripture tells us that Paul did not receive these truths from any earthly teachers. He received them by direct revelation from Jesus himself (I Corinthians 15:1-8, Ephesians 3:1-3).
Paul goes on to say that he (and the other apostles) had received two vital things from God – grace (the favor of God upon his life) and apostleship (the mantle or office of an apostle). The apostolic office gave him the authority to preach the word while grace gave him the ability to carry/deliver the message despite the obstacles he faced.
The purpose of these favors was to bring about obedience of faith. In other words, God freely gave the apostles all the tools they needed to spread the gospel throughout the world, just as he commanded them:
Mark 16:15 – And he [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
Through the preaching of the gospel, sinners received forgiveness in Christ. Through the continued teaching of sound doctrine, they grew in faith and became disciples. As disciples, they became obedient to the commands of God.
The end result of this obedience is that the name of Jesus is honored among all the nations. This, in turn, results in more and more sinners finding salvation, becoming disciples of Christ and spreading the good news to others.
But everything wasn’t a bed of roses for the apostles. They worked relentlessly, endured hardship and lack, faced persecution and opposition, traveled constantly and eventually laid down their very lives to continue the spread of the gospel, so the name of the Lord would be honored. Nevertheless, I am sure that when we meet them in heaven, they will say it was well worth it!
In summary, we see that Paul is giving the church his credentials – his commission and authority to deliver the gospel message came from the Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, he was specifically chosen to be the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). Therefore, Paul had every right to minister to the church in Rome, even though he was not its founder and even though he had (as yet) never visited them.
Romans 1:6 - …including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
The believers in Rome are called to the same salvation/obedience of faith as all other true Christians (including us). This call is not a mere outward or external invitation to join a church fellowship.
It is an internal, spiritual, life-changing call from Holy Spirit which transfers men and women out of darkness and into the marvelous light of salvation. It is a call that breaks the bondage of sin and leads to freedom in Christ. It is a call that removes men and women from the brotherhood of the wicked and ushers them into the fellowship of the saints. It is a call that strips us of the filthy rags of our own righteousness and clothes us in the pure and holy righteousness of Christ. It is an irresistible, divine, holy call that delivers us from death and gives us eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Though the saints in Rome were formerly pagans and idolaters, they were now Christians and members of the world-wide church/kingdom of God. Because they now belong to Christ, they are entitled to all the benefits God has provided for them under the covenant of grace.
Romans 1:7 - …to all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul addresses his letter to all the saints at Rome, whether rich or poor, bond or free, male or female, Jew or Gentile. All were sinners saved by Christ and all are loved by God.
By virtue of their faith in Christ, they are saints. Saints are people who are devoted or consecrated to God; they are separated from the world and set apart for his service just as the Jews had been separated from other nations and devoted to the service of God under the law. 
Paul pronounces blessings of grace and peace on the saints.
Grace refers to the favor of God. It includes all the blessings that are conferred upon Christians both temporal and spiritual. These include blessings for right now (our life on earth) and blessings for our future life in eternity. The implication is that all blessings proceed from God and we should not look for them in any other place.
Peace is commonly defined as freedom from disturbance or agitation. It is the opposite of war. While war entails calamity, danger, lack and hopelessness, peace includes success, safety, hope and prosperity.
‘Peace to you’ was a common blessing among the Hebrew people and it was meant to confer earthly safety and prosperity upon the recipient (Genesis 43:23).
But peace is also spiritual. The bible describes sinners as being troubled/agitated like the sea, which can never rest:
Isaiah 57:20 - But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
As you and I can confirm, this is a terrible way to live! But of course, there is hope. Jesus is the source of all peace for mankind (John 14:27 & 16:33, Acts 10:36, Ephesians 2:17).
When the sinner surrenders to Christ, his inner spiritual conflict is resolved, and he experiences peace in his heart and mind. This peace abides with every Christian, regardless of his or her circumstances.
Romans 5:1 – Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through or Lord Jesus Christ.
So we see that the salutation of peace in this epistle is something more than just a greeting or an earthly blessing. It has a special reference to the spiritual blessings that result from reconciliation with God through Jesus the Messiah.
On a side note, it is worth mentioning that by linking the phrases ‘God our Father’ and ‘Lord Jesus Christ’ together in this verse, Paul affirms that both are divine and both are equal.
Romans 1:8 – First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.
Having introduced himself and greeted the church, Paul now begins his epistle with a word of thanksgiving for the good that is being exhibited in the lives of the Roman Christians.
Specifically, he is thankful for their faith. In this case, Paul uses the word ‘faith’ to refer to their Christian walk. The Roman believers not only embraced the gospel, they firmly and faithfully adhered to its commands even in the midst of intense persecution and ridicule. Their faith was so remarkable, it was known and celebrated throughout the empire, which Paul refers to as ‘all the world’.
Paul’s thankfulness glorifies God and affirms his love and respect for the believers. It also predisposes the Roman Christians to listen to his message with an open mind or teachable spirit.
Notice that Paul specifically states that his thanksgiving is directed towards God, through Jesus Christ. This is in perfect keeping with Jesus’ role as the mediator between God and man.
I Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
We were completely cut off from the presence of God due to sin. We can approach his throne only by way of Jesus Christ and the blood he shed for us (John 14:6). No sacrifice of prayer or praise is acceptable to God without him. For this reason, all communication between God and man is represented as passing through Christ.
Romans 1:9 – For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers,
Paul had a very deep concern for the spiritual welfare of the Roman church. This concern manifested itself in two ways: consistent prayer for them and an ardent desire/longing to see them. 
It’s important to remember that Paul has not yet met any of the believers in the Roman church. Therefore, it was impossible for them to understand the depth of his concern and love for them. Since Paul wanted the Romans to be fully persuaded of the sincerity of his claims, he calls upon God to act as a witness to the truth of his statements. His words carry all the force of an oath.
The God he calls upon to bear witness is the same God he (and the Roman believers) served. In this case, the word ‘serve’ generally denotes worship. More specifically, it refers to the priestly services of the temple (Hebrews 9:9 & 8:5). Thus, worship is not just acknowledging God with words – it is also obedience to his commands.
However, Paul’s service was not just an external service of works (as was sometimes the case with the Jewish rites). Paul served God in his spirit/heart because he was thoroughly convinced of the absolute truth of the gospel he preached. He voluntarily served God with his whole body, soul and spirit.
When making this statement, Paul may have been differentiating himself from the unrepentant Jews who continued to serve God with outward rites and ceremonies, while their hearts were far from him.
Paul mentioned the Romans in his prayers ‘without ceasing’. In other words, he prayed for them constantly and repeatedly; every time he entered the throne room of God, he mentioned them. Paul’s faithfulness in prayer is something we should all strive to emulate.
Romans 1:10 - asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
Paul’s desire to visit the Roman church was not a spur of the moment decision. The phrase ‘now at last’ shows that he had planned to visit them numerous times (probably for years), but he had been hindered every time he tried. Each failed attempt to connect with them only made his desire grow; he never gave up the hope of going to Rome and ministering to them in person.
In fact, Paul had made his proposed visit to Rome a subject of much prayer before God.
His prayer request was two-fold: One, he was asking God to open a door for him, so he could physically visit Rome and minister to the saints in person.
Two, he wanted God’s favor and blessing to rest upon his journey so it would be safe, prosperous and successful.
God answered his prayer, but not in the way he imagined. The full details of his journey to Rome are found in Acts 21-28. If you have the time, these chapters are well worth reading!
Just in case you don’t have the time, let’s take an abbreviated look at what happened.
- Shortly after arriving in Jerusalem, Paul was falsely accused by the Jews of defiling the temple (Acts 21:17-29). A riot ensues, Paul is dragged from the temple and was about to be killed when the Roman soldiers intervened (Acts 21:30-36).
- Paul addresses the mob, who were happy to listen about his background and his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. But when he claims that God sent him to preach to the Gentiles, the riot starts up again (Acts 21:37-22:21). The Romans ‘stretch’ Paul out, in preparation for flogging him, but when they discovered he was a Roman citizen, they immediately stopped (Acts 22:22-29).
- The next morning, a hearing was held with the Jewish leaders, but it too turned violent, and the Roman soldiers once again had to rescue Paul (Acts 23:1-10). That night, the Lord spoke to Paul:
Acts 23:11 – The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
At this point, Paul knows the first part of his request is finally being answered - he is going to Rome. Perhaps he thought that from this point it would be a simple, direct journey. But as he soon found out, that was not going to be the case.
- The next day the Jews tried to assassinate Paul (Acts 23:12-22). The Romans respond by sending him to Caesarea. Paul eventually spent two full years there (57-59 AD) under the authority of Felix and then Festus, the Roman governors (Acts 23:23-24:27).
During this imprisonment, Paul preached the gospel to large numbers of Jews, high Roman officials and even to royalty (King Agrippa and his wife Bernice; Acts 25:13-26:32). Eventually, Paul appeals to Caesar (Acts 25:1-12).
- Then, in the beginning of winter when sailing was known to be dangerous, Paul is placed on a cargo ship bound for Rome. Eventually, there is a massive storm and ship is destroyed, though God spares the life of Paul and all those with him (Acts 27:1-44).
- The sailors, soldiers and prisoners are stranded on the island of Malta, where Paul is bitten by a viper (Acts 28:1-6). Through him, God heals the sick, and the gospel is preached to all of the natives (Acts 28:7-10).
- Only then does Paul finally make it to Rome (Acts 28:11-30)!
Of course, Paul wrote his letter to the Romans before any of these events occurred. But when he eventually looked back on his journey, what do you think he discovered? Well, let’s take a look:
Did God open a way for him to get to Rome? Yes, he did. In fact, Paul went to Rome with the government paying his entire way!
Paul wanted God’s favor and blessing to rest upon him so that the trip would be safe.
Was Paul safe? Yes. Despite angry mobs, an assassination attempt, imprisonment, an ill-fated sea voyage, a shipwreck, a snake bite, and being stranded on an island, God kept Paul safe every step of the way.
Was Paul’s journey prosperous and successful? YES! Paul’s only thought was to get to Rome as quickly as possible so he could minister to the saints in that city. But on the way God opened opportunities for Paul to share the gospel with the Jews, with Roman soldiers, with Greek sailors, with government dignitaries, with royalty and with native islanders. It is impossible to say just how many people received salvation while Paul traveled to Rome.
Conclusion: God is amazing!! He does abundantly above all that we can ask, think or imagine! But remember – he rarely does things the way we anticipate!
So, what are you asking God to do in your life or the life of your loved ones? Are you willing to go on an unexpected journey to reach that goal or get that answer?
Romans 1:11 – For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you –
Paul confirmed that he had a passionate desire to visit the church in Rome, and that he frequently prayed for an opportunity minister to them. He now gives the Romans the reasons why he wanted to fellowship with them. First of all, Paul desired to impart a spiritual gift to them. 
Bible scholars disagree on what Paul meant by that phrase.
One view says that Paul was referring to establishing or maturing the faith of the Roman Christians through exhortation and the preaching of sound doctrine. In so doing, Paul wanted them to receive spiritual understanding/knowledge, peace, strength and comfort.
Specifically, the Jews may have been trying to burden the Gentile believers by telling them they had to obey the law and the Mosaic rites (like circumcision). Through preaching and teaching, Paul would free the Roman believers of these false ideas.
A second view claims that Paul desired to lay hands on the Christians and impart to them the power to perform miracles.
A third view maintains that Paul was referring to the gifts of the Spirit which are enumerated in I Corinthians 12:7-11. These include word of wisdom, word of knowledge, gifts of healing, gift of tongues, gift of interpretation of tongues, discernment of spirits, and gift of faith.
Finally, some scholars believe that Paul was speaking in a general sense; he was referring to any/all gifts of grace. His overall point was that he desired to labor for their spiritual good and to strengthen their faith.
Regardless of which theory is correct, the bottom line is that Paul wanted them to be ‘established’ or strengthened in their walk with Christ. He wanted them to grow in grace and faith.
Let me offer you some encouragement:
In today’s post, we noted that Paul received two things from God – grace (the favor of God on his life) and a specific call (to the office of an apostle).
God does the exact same thing for each and every one of his children. His grace and favor rest upon us; all we need to do is step out in faith and serve him in whatever area of life he has called us into. Paul was called into full time religious ministry, but you may be called into business, politics, farming, skilled trades, medicine, manufacturing, sports, technology, full time motherhood, or even art & entertainment.
As we serve him in faith, he will open doors of opportunity for us to advance the kingdom of heaven on earth, just as he did for Paul.
Let me offer you some relief:
Paul’s desire to visit the Roman church went unfulfilled for a very, very long time. I’m sure that from time to time, Paul wondered why his request wasn’t being granted.
But in retrospect, we can see that God kept Paul waiting because his plans were far, far greater than anything Paul imagined.
What requests or opportunities have you been asking the Lord to give you? If you’ve been waiting for that chance for a long time, I urge you not to give up! God’s timing is always perfect; he will open that door when you can be the most successful and touch the most lives.
Let me offer you some strength:
God answered Paul’s prayer for an opportunity to travel to Rome, but he didn’t answer it in the way Paul thought he would. The same thing happens to Christians in every generation.
Why don’t you take a moment right now to remember a time when God answered a prayer for you in an unexpected way? If you can’t think of one, then consider Paul’s journey to Rome.
As you meditate on that request and answer, remind yourself God’s ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts – his plans are always much, much greater and more amazing than ours (Isaiah 55:8-11)!
With this in mind, I encourage you to let go of your preconceived ideas and plans. Strengthen your faith and be open to having God move in unexpected ways in your situation.
Remember, in the end his word will not return void; his plans and purposes will come to pass and you will wind up shouting for joy and living in peace (Isaiah 55:12).