Bibelkommentare

We have received (ἐλάβομεν)

Aorist tense. Rev., we received. The categorical plural, referring to Paul, and not including the other apostles, since the succeeding phrase, among all the nations, points to himself alone as the apostle to the Gentiles.

Grace and apostleship

Grace, the general gift bestowed on all believers: apostleship, the special manifestation of grace to Paul. The connecting καὶ and, has the force of and in particular. Compare Romans 15:15, Romans 15:16.

For obedience to the faith (εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως)

Rev., unto obedience of faith. Unto marks the object of the grace and apostleship: in order to bring about. Obedience of faith is the obedience which characterizes and proceeds from faith.

Nations (ἔθνεσιν)

Or Gentiles. Not geographically, contrasting the inhabitants of the world, Jew and Gentile, with the Jews strictly so called, dwelling in Palestine, but Gentiles distinctively, for whom Paul's apostleship was specially instituted. See on Luke 2:32, and compare note on 1 Peter 2:9.

Unto obedience of faith (εις υπακοην πιστεως). Subjective genitive as in Romans 16:26, the obedience which springs from faith (the act of assent or surrender).

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Romans 1:5. Through Christ Paul received χάριν κ. ἀποστολήν. The plural, ἐλάβομεν, may mean no more than the singular, or may proceed from the latent consciousness that the writer is not the only person entitled to say this; it is not expressly meant to include others. χάρις, grace, is common to all Christians; ἀποστολὴ rests upon a specialised χάρις and implies competence as well as vocation. But in the N.T. these are hardly distinguished; it is a man’s χάρισμα which constitutes his “call” to any particular service in the Church. εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως: the object of the apostleship received through Christ is obedience of faith, i.e., the obedience which consists in faith (but cf. Acts 6:7) among all the Gentiles. Cf. chap. Romans 10:16, 2 Thessalonians 1:8. The meaning of ἔθνεσιν (Gentiles, not nations) is fixed by Romans 1:13 and by Paul’s conception of his own vocation, Galatians 1:16; Galatians 2:8, Ephesians 3:1 ff. ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ: the final purpose of his vocation is that Christ’s name may be above every name.

Romans 1:5. To the general τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, which designates Christ as the Lord of Christians in general, Paul now adds the special relation in which he himself stands to this common κύριος. He entertained too lively a consciousness of the bliss and dignity of that relationship, not to set it forth once more (comp Romans 1:1) in this overflowing salutation; this time, however, with closer reference to the readers, in accordance with his definite character as Apostle of the Gentiles.

Romans 1:5-6 are not to be enclosed in a parenthesis; and only a comma should be placed after Romans 1:6.

διʼ οὗ] through whom, denotes nothing else than the medium; nowhere, not even in Galatians 1:1, the causa principalis. The view of the Apostle is, as Origen rightly perceived, that he had received grace and apostleship through the mediation of Christ, through whom God called him at Damascus. Regarding Galatians 1:1, see on that passage.

ἐλάβομεν] He means himself alone, especially since in the address he specifies no joint author of the letter; not however—as Reiche, following Estius and many others, thinks—using the plural out of modesty (in the solemnity of an official epistolary greeting?), but rather (comp Romans 3:9) in accordance with the custom, very common among Greek authors, of speaking of themselves in the plural of category (Krüger, § 61, 2; Kühner, a[322] Xen. Mem. i. 2, 46). This is, no doubt, to be traced back to the conception “I and my equals;” but this original conception was in course of use entirely lost. The opinion, therefore, that Paul here includes along with himself the other apostles (Bengel, van Hengel) is to be all the more rejected as unsuitable, since the subsequent ἘΝ ΠᾶΣΙ ΤΟῖς ἜΘΝΕΣΙΝ points to Paul himself alone as the Apostle of the Gentiles. To understand Paul’s official assistants as included (Hofmann) is forbidden by the subsequent ἀποστολήν, which does not mean mission in general, but, as invariably in the N. T., specially apostleship.

χάριν κ. ἀποστολὴν] grace (generally) and (in particular) apostleship. Χάριν is to be understood, not merely of pardoning grace (Augustine, Calvin, Calovius, Reiche, Tholuck, Olshausen, and others), or of the extraordinary apostolic gifts of grace (Theodoret, Luther, and others, including Flatt and Mehring); for such special references must be demanded by the context; but on the contrary generally of the entire divine grace, of which Paul was made partaker through Christ, when he was arrested by Him at Damascus in his career which was hateful to God (Php 3:12; 1 Corinthians 15:10), converted, enlightened (Galatians 1:16), and transferred into the communion of God’s beloved ones and saints. The special object (Galatians 1:16) and at the same time the highest evidence of this χάρις which he had received, was his reception of the ἈΠΟΣΤΟΛΉ,[323] and that for the Gentile world. Others find here a ἓν διά δυοῖν (Chrysostom, Beza, Piscator, Grotius, Glass, Rich. Simon, Wetstein, Semler, Koppe, Böhme, Fritzsche, Philippi, and others): ΧΆΡΙΝ ἈΠΟΣΤΟΛῆς. This might certainly be justified in linguistic usage by the explicative ΚΑΊ (Fritzsche, a[324] Matth. p. 856; Nägelsbach, z. Ilias, iii. 100); but it arbitrarily converts two elements, which taken separately yield a highly appropriate sense, into one, and fails to recognise—what is involved in the union of the general and the particular—the fulness and force of the discourse moving the grateful heart. This remark applies also against Hofmann, according to whom the Apostle terms one and the same vocation “a grace and a mission;” in which view ἀποστ. is erroneously rendered (see above), and in consequence thereof ΕἸς ὙΠΑΚ. Π. is then joined merely to ΧΆΡ. Κ. ἈΠ., and not also to ἘΛΆΒ.

ΕἸς ὙΠΑΚ. ΠΊΣΤ.] Object of the ἘΛΆΒ. ΧΆΡ. Κ. ἈΠΟΣΤ.: in order that obedience of faith may be produced, i.e. in order that people may subject themselves to the faith, in order that they may become believing. Comp Romans 16:26; Acts 6:7; 2 Corinthians 10:5 f.; 2 Thessalonians 1:8. To take ΠΊΣΤΙς for doctrina fidei (Beza, Toletus, Estius, Bengel, Heumann, Cramer, Rosenmüller, Matt, Fritzsche, Tholuck, and others), is altogether contrary to the linguistic usage of the N. T., in which πίστις is always subjective faith, although often, as in the present instance, conceived of objectively, as a power. Comp Romans 16:20; Galatians 1:23. The activity of faith in producing works (Reithmayr), however, is not contained in the expression. The πίστις is, according to Paul, the conviction and confidence (assensus and fiducia) regarding Jesus Christ, as the only and perfect Mediator of the divine grace, and of eternal life, through His work of atonement. Faith alone (to the exclusion of works) is the causa apprehendens of the salvation promised and obtained through Christ; but, because it transfers us into living and devoted fellowship with Him, altogether of a moral character, it becomes the subjective moral power of the new life regenerated through the power of the Holy Spirit—of the life in Christ, which, however, is the necessary consequence, and never the ground of justification. See Luther’s Preface.

The genitive πίστεως, in accordance with the analogy of the expressions kindred in meaning ὙΠΑΚΟῊ ΤΟῦ ΧΡΙΣΤΟῦ in 2 Corinthians 10:5, and ὙΠΑΚ. Τῆς ἈΛΗΘΕΊΑς in 1 Peter 1:22, necessarily presents itself (comp Acts 6:7; Romans 10:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; also 2 Corinthians 9:13) as denoting that to which the obedience is rendered; not (Grotius, following Beza) the causa efficiens: “ut Deo obediatur per fidem,” in which explanation, besides, the “Deo” is arbitrarily introduced.[328] Hofmann is also wrong in taking the genitive ΠΊΣΤΕΩς as epexegetical (an obedience consisting in faith).

ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν] is to be joined with ΕἸς ὙΠΑΚ. ΠΊΣΤΕΩς, beside which it stands; the ἔθνη, however, are not all nations generally, inclusive of the Jews (so most expositors, including Rückert, Reiche, Köllner, Fritzsche, Baur), but, in accordance with the historical destination of the Apostle (Galatians 1:16; Acts 9:15; Acts 26:17 f.), and in consequence of the repeated prominence of his calling as Gentile Apostle in our letter (Romans 1:13; Romans 11:13; Romans 15:16), all Gentile nations, to which also the Romans belonged (Beza, Tholuck, Philippi, de Wette, Baumgarten-Crusius, van Hengel, Ewald, Hofmann and others); and these regarded not from a geographical point of view (Mangold, p. 76), but from a popular one, as גוים; which precludes us from thinking—not as to a section, but at any rate as to the mass, of the Roman congregation—that it was Jewish-Christian. This his apostolic calling for the Gentiles is meant by Paul in all passages where he describes the ἜΘΝΗ as the object of his labours (Galatians 1:16; Galatians 2:2; Galatians 2:8-9; Ephesians 3:1; Ephesians 3:8; Colossians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 2:16).

ὙΠῈΡ ΤΟῦ ὈΝΌΜ. ΑὐΤΟῦ] belongs, in the most natural connection, not to ἘΛΆΒ.… ἈΠΟΣΤ. (Rückert) or to ΔΙʼ ΟὟ.… ἜΘΝΕΣΙΝ (de Wette, Mehring, Hofmann), but to ΕἸς ὙΠΑΚΟῊΝ.… ἜΘΝΕΣΙΝ; “in order to produce obedience to the faith among all Gentile nations for the sake of (for the glorifying of, comp Acts 5:41; Php 2:13) His name.” Acts 9:15; Acts 15:26; Acts 21:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:12, serve to illustrate the matter referred to. The idea of wishing to exclude the glorifying of his own name (Hofmann) is not for a moment to be imputed to the Apostle. He would have needed a very special motive for doing so.

[322] d refers to the note of the commentator or editor named on the particular passage.

[323] Augustine aptly remarks: “Gratiam cum omnibus fidelibus, apostolatum autem non cum omnibus communem habet.” Comp. Bengel: “Gratia et singularis gratiae mensura apostolis obtigit.”

[324] d refers to the note of the commentator or editor named on the particular passage.

[328] So also van Hengel, on the ground of passages like v. 19; Php 2:12, where however the sense of obedience to God results from the context; and Ernesti, Urspr. d. Sünde, II. p. 281 ff., who urges against our view that it makes ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόμ. αὐτοῦ superfluous. But the glory of Christ is precisely the lofty end of all ὑπακούειν τῇ πίστει. Where it takes place, it is acknowledged that Jesus Christ is Lord, Php 2:11.

Romans 1:5. We have received— This is a modest way of expression; the Apostle meaning himself by the word we. Grace or favour, and apostleship, some think mean the favour of being made an apostle. Hence χαρις, grace, is put for the apostolic office; ch. Rom 12:3 Rom 15:15. 1 Corinthians 3:10. Eph 3:8 and in general grace or favour may signify any benefit, office, or endowment, which is the gift or the effect of favour. But others would keep the clauses distinct, "as it is certain, say they, that Paul did receive grace to subdue his heart to the obedience of Christ, and fit him to the ministry of the Gospel, before he received his apostolical commission, whenever we suppose that commission to be dated." Wells renders the next clause, to the obedience of faith concerning his name among all the Gentiles. Dr. Heylin's translation, though rather paraphrastical, seems to express the apostle's meaning: that I may, for the glory of his name [2 Thessalonians 1:12.] reduce to the obedience of faith [or of the Gospel] some among all nations.

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By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

For obedience to the faith — That is, to the gospel (that doctrine of faith), or to Christ, who is often put for faith (whereof he is the proper object) in this Epistle. "Kiss the Son," … "Hear him," Psalms 2:12 ; Matthew 17:5 .

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Romans 1:5

Through whom we have received grace and apostleship. As it was of the utmost importance that Paul’s authority as an apostle should be acknowledged in the Church, he here repeats the assertion that he received his office immediately from Jesus Christ, whose exalted character as the Son of God and our supreme Lord he had just declared. Though δἰ οὗ properly means through whom, by whose instrumentality, the preposition must here be taken in a more general sense as indicating the source from whom. Comp. Galatians 1:1 διὰ θεοῦ πατρός. Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 1:9. The words χάριν καὶ ἀποστολήν may either be taken together and rendered the favor of the apostleship, or each word may be taken separately. Then χάρις refers to the kindness of God manifested to the apostle in his conversion and vocation. ‘Through whom we received grace, favor in general, and specially, the apostleship.’

Unto the obedience of faith. These words express the object of the apostleship; πίστεως is either the genitive of apposition, “obedience which consists in faith;” or it is the genitive of the source, “obedience which flows from faith;” or it is the genitive of the object, “obedience to faith;” i.e., to the gospel. In favor of the last interpretation reference may be made to 2 Corinthians 10:5. ης ὑπακοὴ τοῦ Χριστοῦ; 1 Peter 1:22 ης ὑπακοὴ τῆς ἀληθείας, obedience to the truth. See Galatians 1:23; Acts 6:7; Judges 1:3 for examples of the use of πίστίς in this objective sense. The subjective sense, however, of the word πίστις in the New Testament is so predominant that it is safest to retain it in this passage. The obedience of faith is that obedience which consists in faith, or of which faith is the controlling principle. The design of the apostleship was to bring all nations so to believe in Christ the Son of God that they should be entirely devoted to his service. The sense is the same if πίστις be taken objectively, understood, however, not of the gospel, but of the inward principle of faith to which the nations were to be obedient. Among all nations. The apostles were not diocesans restricted in jurisdiction to a particular territory. Their commission was general. It was to all nations. If these words are connected with we received, they express directly the extent of the apostle’s mission, ‘We have received a mission among all nations.’ If, as is much more natural, on account of their position, they are connected with the immediately preceding words, they express the same idea indirectly; his office was to promote obedience to the faith among all nations. For his name. That is for the sake of (ὑπέρ) his name or glory. These words are most naturally connected with the whole preceding verse, and express the final end of the apostleship, viz., the honor of Christ. It was to promote the knowledge and glory of Christ that Paul had received his office and labored to make the nations obedient to the gospel.

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