Romans 1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: 7 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. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
The first mention of a crucial doctrine overlooked by most of Christendom is mentioned in the first verse above. This is the doctrine of the faith of Christ. This will become of utmost importance as we move along in our study. Paul first mentions for obedience to the faith among all nations. We will see that the faith of Christ is actually a body of work that we call the obedience of Christ. He came to work out righteousness and in doing so we read:
Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
For Christ obedience builds faith. Faith stems from obedience. Our obedience and faith can work in the same way. From true faith stems obedience. His obedience was to the law of God. His faith was His following of the law of God. It was His obedience unto death. Our obedience is to follow the command of God, to believe on His Son. Our obedience is to believe which is our faith. Looking to verse 8 we see faith again. Paul says the faith that is spoken of throughout the whole world. Could Paul mean the faith of an individual person. Would Paul be thankful that his faith, for example, could be spoken of far and wide? I do not think this would have excited Paul. He had given his life to the ministry of preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is the faith mentioned in verse 8. It is the gospel. Looking ahead to verse 17 this will make more sense. Paul mentions why he, and all of us, have received grace and why he has been called to his apostleship. It is to this faith. How have we received grace? It is through what Paul calls the faith. Paul also has been given the job of spreading the word of the faith. He is an apostle to the faith. So, what is the faith? The faith is not our faith, it is the faith. This is His faith. It is grace. It is all that Christ came to do. It is His birth into this world. It is His sinless walk and fulfillment of the law. It is His obedience unto death. His faith was completed when He stated in John 19 It is finished. Paul will develop this idea of the faith throughout these first few chapters in Romans. The vast majority of Christendom looks at this as the faith that they have in God. Paul did not receive apostleship to preach his own faith. He was called to that faith, the gospel message of Christ. He was called to preach and proclaim the faith of Christ. He preached the message of the righteousness that came by Christ. This was an earned righteousness. All that Christ did to earn this righteousness is this faith. It was God the Father’s purpose to glorify the Son in the process of Him saving a people. This salvation, all that this salvation entailed is the faith.
The faith is a specific work and Paul tells us for whom this work was completed. There could be no salvation without there being sinners. What would grace be without sin? This work, this faith was first and foremost to satisfy God the Father.
Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Paul here wants us to see the objects of the love of God, the ones for whom Christ came to give His life. These words are written for the called in v6, the beloved of God in v7, and those called to be saints v7. These are ones who have a faith toward God as mentioned in v5. We see faith mentioned in two capacities. This is vital to the understanding of Paul’s words here in Romans and throughout the New Testament.