Romans 1:1-7 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

The Address is elaborate, for Paul is introducing himself to a strange community; and stately, as befits Christ's ambassador approaching the imperial city.

Romans 1:1 f., Romans 1:5 f. He is an apostle by (God's) calling not by his own will (1 Corinthians 9:16 f.) or human choice (Galatians 1:1)set apart to be a messenger of God's good news, which had been the burden of prophetic scriptures; his apostleship aims at bringing all the nations, amongst whom the Romans are conspicuous (cf. Romans 1:8), unto obedience of faith.

Romans 1:3 f. explains the good news: it is about Jesus Christ, who while He came of David's seed in the physical order, was first of all God's Son, marked out as such in accordance with His sinless character by the fact of His resurrection (cf. Acts 2:22; Acts 2:27).

Romans 1:6 f. Jesus Christ called the readers to salvation, making them God's beloved, and saints by the nature of their calling.Grace and apostleship (Romans 1:5) is not the grace of apostleship: all the grace Paul received looked toward his apostleship (see Galatians 1:15 f.). A small but representative group of ancient witnesses vouches for the reading: To all that are in God's love called to be saints (cf. Ephesians 1:1, mg.) a form of words differing from the TR but by a single Greek syllable beside Rome. Zahn (ZK and INT) prefers the shorter reading (cf. WH Appendix, and see Introd. § 4).

Romans 1:1-7

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

4 And declareda to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedienceb 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.