‘Through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name's sake, among whom are you also called to be Jesus Christ's.'
And, says Paul, it is through ‘Jesus Christ our LORD' that ‘we' (the Apostles) received ‘grace and Apostleship' with the aim in view of ‘obedience springing from faith' occurring among all the Gentiles. Having been raised in power Jesus had commissioned His Apostles, and sent on them the promised Holy Spirit, so as to prepare them for the task ahead, the bringing of men to the obedience which springs from faith ‘in Jerusalem, and in Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth' (Acts 1:8).
‘We received grace and Apostleship'. The word ‘grace' (charis) here signifies the undeserved gift arising from God's favour which was bestowed on them, in other words the gift of the Holy Spirit. They experienced God acting in ‘grace' (unmerited favour). It was through His enlightening that they were being led into all truth (John 14:26; John 16:13). It was through His power that the Apostles were empowered and given the ability to proclaim His word effectively (Acts 1:8). Again we remember that Paul received this power later than the rest of the Apostles (Acts 9:17). But as Paul would say of his opponents later, ‘we will know not the word of those who are puffed up but the power, for the Kingly Rule of God is not in word but in power' (1 Corinthians 4:19-20). To him the gift of God's grace, the Holy Spirit, was the One Who gave him power. The word ‘Apostleship' indicates the unique authority that the Apostles were given to act and make decisions in Jesus' Name (John 1:22-23; Matthew 18:18), and to oversee the establishment of the new ‘assemblies' that were being set up (see e.g. Acts 8:14-15).
‘Unto obedience of faith.' Christ's purpose in giving this grace and Apostleship was so that by them ‘obedience of faith --- for His Name's sake' should be aroused in men and women as they responded to Christ. Through the preaching of the Apostles men would come to faith in Jesus Christ with the consequence being that they would begin to obey Him because He had become their LORD (‘for His Name's sake'). They would come under ‘the Kingly Rule of God'. Note how even so early in the letter Paul establishes the fact that obedience must spring from faith. A faith which did not produce obedience was to be seen as a useless and ineffective faith. And this in preparation for teaching ‘justification by faith', a phrase which indicates that getting right with God results wholly from faith, and is apart from works.
Finally this was to be ‘among all nations'. The aim was a worldwide spread of the Gospel. No limit was put on what the Apostles would achieve. And all this was ‘for His Name's sake'. It was in order that men might honour His Name and demonstrate it by their submissive response, so that His Lordship was revealed openly. Representing the true Israel the Apostles were being called on to fulfil the task that had once been Israel's, to so walk and teach among men that men would truly respond to God. The light was going out to the Gentiles from Israel (Isaiah 42:4; Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:6).
‘Among whom are you also called Jesus Christ's.' Prominent among those of the nations who would come to Jesus Christ are the Roman believers to whom he is writing. They, along with all who believe in Christ, are ‘called Jesus Christ's', because He has put His hand and seal upon them.