Lessons #15 and 16
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New American Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
+ 4. Text is based on 1984 edition of the NIV +
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings (Rom 1:7)
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our last study was concerned with the third paragraph of the salutation of Apostle Paul that covers verses 1 to 7 of the first chapter of Romans. This paragraph, as we stated in our last study, that is given in verse 7, is concerned with the introduction of the recipients of the epistle as believers who resided in Rome as in the phrase To all in Rome. By the way, I should mention that in our previous study, I failed to comment on the manuscript problem associated with the phrase because it is generally accepted to be in the original, but you should be aware that the phrase is omitted in verse 7 and in Romans 1:15 in some later Greek manuscripts, especially those of the ninth century. This omission is explained by scholars either as “accidentally omitted by a copyist” or “intentionally omitted” to convey that the epistle is not meant to be local to a church but for the universal church of Christ. These explanations notwithstanding, the phrase is taken to be in the original since the earliest known Greek manuscripts contain it. That aside, we stated that there were two things the apostle wished to the recipients of the epistle that are grace and peace. Because of these two elements, we derived a message that I believe the Holy Spirit wants you to hear. This message is: Grace and peace are essential elements in the well-being of believers. We noted that the first description of Apostle Paul of the recipients of this epistle to Romans is as those who are dear and cherished by God as in the clause of Romans 1:7 who are loved by God. This brings us to the second description which is where we begin our study this morning.
The second description of the recipients of this epistle by Apostle Paul is that they were elect people of God. It is this description that is given in the verbal phrase of Romans 1:7 called to be saints. The Greek does not really say that the believers in Rome were called to be saints as reflected in nearly all of our English versions since literally the Greek reads called (ones), saints.
The translation that we find in the NIV called to be saints could be interpreted to mean that the believers in Rome are expected to function as saints or those who have been set apart for God, something that no doubt is true, but that does not seem to be what the apostle intended in this description of the believers in Rome. Instead, the apostle intended to describe them as those elected or chosen as God’s people. We base this interpretation on the word “called” in the NIV and majority of our English versions.
You see, the word “called” is translated from a Greek adjective (klētos) that pertains to being invited to some event, so means “called, invited.” It is an adjective used predominantly by Apostle Paul in the NT in that of the ten occurrences of the word in the Greek NT, it is used seven times in his epistles to the Romans (four times) and to Corinthians (three times). The word is used once in the gospel of Matthew in such a way that the context indicates that it means “invited” because the word is put in contrast to “chosen” as we read in Matthew 22:14:
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
This declaration of our Lord Jesus implies that not everyone is an elect of God. The gospel message is to be given to everyone but only the elect will respond as they are those described as “chosen.” Outside this passage in Matthew’s gospel, our word is used with the meaning “called” that implies one is an elect of God or that one is saved. This conclusion is supported by the use of the Greek word by Apostle Paul in several passages. He used it to describe himself as a believer who is an apostle of Jesus Christ. Thus, he used the word in his epistle to the Romans as we have already noted in Romans 1:1:
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—
The same word is used by the apostle to describe himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ in his epistle to the Corinthians as stated in 1 Corinthians 1:1:
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
In the other five usages of the Greek word in Apostle Paul’s epistles, he used it to describe those who are certainly believers. Let me cite two examples. In this epistle to Romans, the apostle used it to describe believers in Rome as the elect of God as implied in Romans 8:28:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
He used it to describe the elect of God as implied in 1 Corinthians 1:24:
but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
The clause whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks of the NIV is literally those who are called, both Jews and Greeks. Jude used it to describe the elect of God in Jude 1:
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:
Thus, the Greek word is used predominantly as an adjective to describe believers or the elect of God. That the word is an adjective is evident in its use in the description of those associated with the Lamb as He defeats the “beast” and the “ten kings” who will attack Him as recorded for us in Revelation 17:14:
They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
Here the words “called,” “chosen”, “faithful” are adjectives, so it is clear that our word is an adjective. This usage in Revelation shows that our Greek word is used to describe the elect of God. In our passage of Romans 1:7, the word means “called” as a word that describes an elect of God as the individual that must respond to the gospel message and so be saved. Hence, Apostle Paul applied the word to believers in Rome in the sense of telling them they are elect of God.
The fact that Apostle Paul described the Roman believers as the elect of God is further evident in the word saints of Romans 1:7. The word “saints” is translated from a Greek word (hagios) that pertains to being dedicated or consecrated to the service of God and so means “dedicated to God, holy, sacred.” The word may pertain to being holy in the sense of superior, moral qualities, and possessing certain essential divine qualities in contrast with what is human so means “holy, pure, divine.” It is in this sense that the word is used to describe God whose holiness believers are to imitate, as commanded in 1 Peter 1:15–16:
15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
When the adjective is used with a definite article in the singular, it refers to “the holy” whether of a thing or a person. Thus, it can be used to refer to that which is holy as it was used in Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:6:
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
The description what is sacred may alternatively be translated what is holy. In this meaning of “the holy,” the Greek word is used in the NT for Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit but never of an individual believer. It is used to describe Jesus Christ several times in the Gospels and in Acts as the Holy One. Demons addressed Jesus as the Holy One in Mark 1:24:
“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Peter used our word with the definite article to describe Jesus as recorded in John 6:69:
We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Again, when Peter addressed those who witnessed the healing of a crippled beggar, he described Jesus as “the Holy One” as stated in Acts 3:14:
You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
Our Greek adjective is used in the singular with the definite article for the Holy Spirit in John 14:26:
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
The examples we cited indicate that when our Greek adjective is used with a definite article in the singular, it means “the holy” but only in reference to deity. There is no single passage in the NT where the Greek adjective is used to describe a human being or any single individual.
The situation is different when the Greek adjective is in the plural and used with the definite article. When the Greek adjective is used with the definite article in the plural, the meaning is “the holy ones.” The phrase “the holy ones” most often rendered with the word “saints” in our English versions is one that is used in the Scripture to describe God’s people, that is, those in a covenant relationship with Him. In the OT, the psalmist used it to describe God’s people in Psalm 16:3:
As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.
Daniel used the word “saints” for God’s people as objects of oppression in Daniel 7:25:
He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.
In both passages of Psalm and Daniel, the word “saints” from the Septuagint literally reads “the holy ones” because the plural of the definite article and plural of our Greek adjective are used. In the NT, the combination of the plural of the definite article and our Greek adjective is used primarily to describe believers in the Lord Jesus Christ where, the Greek phrase is commonly translated “saints” in our English versions.
The very first use of the Greek phrase translated “saints” to describe believers in Christ is given in Acts 9:32:
As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.
Apostle Paul used the phrase the saints to describe believers in Jerusalem who were to be the recipients of the collection made by Gentile churches as he stated in his encouragement to the Corinthians to finish their contributions as we read in 1 Corinthians 16:1:
You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers,
The phrase God’s people is literally the saints. In our passage of Romans 1:7, this Greek word is used to describe God’s people or loyal followers of Christ as those dedicated to God. This is probably the reason the 2011 edition of the NIV used the phrase holy people, referring to those who are followers of Jesus Christ who were in Rome. In any event, the word “saints” used in our verse is to indicate that the recipients of this epistle to the Romans are God’s people because they are chosen by Him.
Apostle Paul, having described the recipients of his epistle proceeds with the greeting element of his epistle. The greeting is indeed a prayer wish that contains two important words “grace” and “peace” as in the phrase of Romans 1:7 Grace and peace to you.
What is this grace the apostle wishes on the recipients of this epistle? This question is important first because the word “grace,” like love, is one of the most difficult terms to define in a concrete fashion since our Scripture nowhere gives us its definition in simple way. Moreover, it is because the word “grace” is a word with different meanings depending on the object and context. Of course, we have considered this word in Romans 1:5 but we review it here with some additional comments. To substantiate the assertion that the meaning of the word “grace” depends on the object and context, let us consider the range of meanings of the Greek word (charis) rendered “grace” in our English versions. In effect, we should consider the various meanings assigned to the Greek word translated “grace” in the NT so you can see that it is not a simple word to define but that its meaning is affected by its context. It is true that the Greek word (charis) translated “grace” refers to God’s unmerited favor in some contexts but that is not a blanket meaning. For example, the Greek word is used in description of Jesus Christ in His early human development in Luke 2:40:
And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
Clearly, since the recipient of God’s grace is the Lord Jesus Christ, grace could not possibly mean God’s undeserved favor to sinners. Here grace means “blessing” or God’s favor in a general sense of His beneficent disposition toward someone. It can also mean favored status indicating that Jesus enjoyed favored status with God. Thus, it should not be difficult to accept that it is the context that helps in understanding the Greek word translated “grace.”
Grace in the NT as a word used in relationship with a person may refer to that which is attractive or appealing in someone that draws favorable reaction from others. It is this meaning that is used to indicate how appealing the teaching of our Lord Jesus was to the audience that heard His teaching, so our Greek word is translated “gracious” in Luke 4:22:
All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
It is with this same meaning of grace that Apostle Paul used our Greek word in his instruction regarding what is expected of believer’s speech or communication as recorded in Colossians 4:6:
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
The instruction let your conversation be always full of grace means that believer’s conversation should always be pleasant. Thus, the word “grace” here means “charming, pleasant, attractive.”
Another meaning of the Greek word translated “grace” is that beneficent disposition toward someone, that is, favor, help or care, goodwill shown or received by another. Grace as a favor that one grants to another without any obligation on the part of the one who grants the favor is reflected in 2 Timothy 1:9:
who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
Grace in this verse is that special favor that God granted us in Christ Jesus.
Another meaning of the Greek word translated “grace” is exceptional effect produced by generosity. Thus, when God enabled the Macedonian believers to be generous towards their fellow believers, especially, those in Jerusalem, that enablement or action of God on them is described by Apostle Paul as His grace in 2 Corinthians 8:1:
And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
The same enablement or action of God that caused the Corinthians to be generous towards others is described as grace in 2 Corinthians 9:14:
And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.
So, in both passages grace refers to enablement or God’s action on believers that causes them to be generous towards others. Of course, it is in this sense of enablement that results in power that the word “grace” is used by the apostle in 2 Corinthians 12:9:
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
The enablement that God gives that is also described as grace may in fact be understood as “gift.” It is in this sense of “gift” that the word grace is used in 1 Peter 4:10:
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
The phrase God’s grace in its various forms may be read God’s gift in its various forms. Still another meaning of the Greek word translated “grace” is “thankfulness, gratitude” as a response to generosity or benevolence, as the word is used in describing what is expected of believers who are filled of the Spirit and the word of God in Colossians 3:16:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
The phrase with gratitude is literally in grace.
Our considerations of the various meanings assigned to the Greek word rendered “grace” indicates that when the word is used in connection with God, the primary meaning of the word refers to His undeserved love and limitless kindness toward people. However, as we have stated, it is the context that determines the specific meaning that is applicable. There is no doubt that the apostle had in mind various ranges of the meaning of the Greek word translated “grace” in this epistle. For example, we have already noted that in the first usage of the Greek word translated “grace” in Romans 1:5, the sense of the word is that of “privilege” that is due to God’s “favor.” In the second usage of the Greek word in Romans 1:7 in greeting to the Romans, the primary meaning in the apostle’s mind was probably God’s enabling gracious care or help to the believer. This meaning is supported by the word “peace” that we will get to in a moment. But before we do, we should ask the question: Why did the apostle use the word “grace” in his prayer-wish or greetings to the Romans?
A surface answer for the use of the word “grace” in the greeting part of the epistle is that it has probably become a pattern at the time of the writing of this epistle among believers to join grace and peace as part of greeting formula. We say this because the word “grace” and “peace” are joined in the apostle’s greetings in his epistles. In writing to the Corinthians, the apostle used this formula in his first epistle to them as we read in 1 Corinthians 1:3:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This formula is repeated in his epistles to the local churches he wrote such as the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Thessalonians, and also in his pastoral epistles, as in Titus 1:4:
To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Apostle Paul is not alone in enjoining grace and peace in his greetings, so did Apostles Peter and John, as indicated in the following passages:
1 Peter 1:2:
who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Revelation 1:4:
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,
Thus, it appears that joining of the words “grace” and “peace” had become a standard practice among believers in the time Apostle Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans. Thus, we are on a sound ground when we assert that his surface reason for using the word “grace” in his greeting is that it had become a formula of greeting to join the words “grace” and “peace” in formal greeting among believers at the time of the writing of this epistle.
There is perhaps a deeper reason for the use of the word “grace” in the greeting or prayer-wish of Romans 1:7. It is because the apostle wanted the recipients to begin to think more broadly about the concept of grace since in this epistle the apostle described how God’s righteousness is appropriated by faith. Since such appropriation of righteousness does not involve work so it must be that those who appropriate God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ do so because of gracious care and help of God. The believers in Rome like the people of Israel are recipients of God’s election that is an act of care on His part. Everything God does for us arises from His goodness and kindness towards us, the undeserving, and so the word “grace” should help us to begin to think of God’s goodness in all that He has done for us and is still doing for us. Therefore, it is important we recognize that there is nothing in us that would have led God to do the great things He did for us in Christ, such as, being included among His people or the elect. Hence, you should orient your thinking to God’s grace in terms of His undeserving love and unlimited kindness to you as we study through this epistle.
Be that as it may, we insist that grace as used in Romans 1:7 is concerned primarily with God’s enabling gracious care or help to the believer. We say this because of the association of the word “grace” with “peace” in the expression of Romans 1:7 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Peace is a word that brings to our mind the thought of the state of concord, tranquility, or harmony among people. The word peace also refers to that condition in which there is no trouble, or in which one is free from worries. However, because of the influence of the Hebrew word (šālôm) that means “peace” that is used in greetings among the Jews, the Greek word (eirēnē) translated “peace” also means a state of well-being and so means “welfare, health.” It is in this sense of well-being that the word is used in James 2:16:
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
The expression Go, I wish you well of the NIV is literally Go in peace, so it is evident that the translators of the NIV used the meaning of “well-being” in their translation of the Greek word that literally means “peace.” When the apostle used the Greek word translated “peace” in Romans 1:7, it is the well-being of the Romans that is a result of God’s grace he had primarily in mind.
Peace as a concept is elusive in that many people do not have it, and everyone wants to have it although people quite often look for it in wrong ways or places. The primary reason for lack of peace is ignorance. People generally do not know that sin brings about lack of peace. It is this fact that is conveyed through Prophet Isaiah as he described the lack of peace among the wicked as recorded in Isaiah 57:21:
“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Sin in terms of worrying robs people of peace. It is for this reason that the Lord Jesus prohibited believers from worrying since that would rob us of our peace as implied in Luke 12:29–30:
29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.
Another aspect of ignorance that leads to lack of peace is that many people do not recognize that peace can only be had through obedience to the word of God. Thus, it is not surprising that we are informed that if someone submits to God, the individual will have peace as stated in Job 22:21:
“Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.
The psalmist makes this point by indicating that if a person lives according to God’s law, the individual will have peace as we read in Psalm 119:165:
Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
Prophet Isaiah made similar point when he informed Israel that they will have God’s peace if they obey His commands as we read in Isaiah 48:18:
If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
It is because peace comes from obedience to God’s word that the Lord Jesus informed His disciples that it is as they obey what He taught them that they will find peace in Him while outside Him is lack of peace as implied in John 16:33:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Anyway, people are ignorant that God is the One that grants peace to individuals and so unless one seeks Him that individual would not find peace. A person who seeks God will find peace. It is because God is the source of peace that even when people are at odds with you, God could make those who hate you to live in peace with you according to the promise stated in Proverbs 16:7:
When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
It is because God is the source of peace that it is said that Jesus preached peace to people according to Ephesians 2:17:
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
Peace with God, of course, is through the work of Jesus Christ. Later Apostle Paul conveyed to the Roman believers that they have peace with God since they have been justified, as the Holy Spirit states through Apostle Paul in Romans 5:1:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
It is because God grants peace that if we stop worrying and commit our problems to Him, we are promised His peace as we read in Philippians 4:7:
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
In any case, Apostle Paul did not want the original recipients of this epistle and so all of us to think of grace and peace as if these are concepts that are associated with humanity or concepts that humans produce. Therefore, he tells us of the source of grace and peace in the phrase from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This phrase is concerned with two members of the Godhead, the Father, and the Son as the source of grace and peace. In all his greetings, the apostle generally indicates that the Father and the Son are the source of grace and peace without any reference to the Spirit. We do not have any definite reason for this practice except perhaps that the Holy Spirit is the means of administering peace since peace is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit as stated in Galatians 5:22:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
The fact that the apostle never included the Holy Spirit as source of grace and peace does not mean that the Holy Spirit is not also the source of grace and peace, for He is, being a member of the Triune God. That all three members of the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are the source of grace and peace is evident in the greetings in the book of revelation that we previously cited, but we cite it again this time to include verse 5, that is, Revelation 1:4–5:
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
This passage indicates that grace and peace are from the Triune God. It is true that the word “Father” does not appear, but He is the One described in the clause him who is, and who was, and who is to come. This is because the phrase seven spirits before his throne refers to the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ is clearly identified as the source of grace and peace, so the only member of the Godhead not mentioned is the Father. He is the one described in the clause him who is, and who was, and who is to come.
We have indicated that grace and peace come from the Triune God, but we need to emphasize that when the apostle used the phrase of Romans 1:7 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ that he wanted us to recognize that it is one of the ways he recognized the deity of Jesus Christ. To begin with, the phrase is intended to convey that there is a difference in describing God as Father as it pertains to us and to the Lord Jesus. For after all, the apostle later described God as the Father of our Lord Jesus as recorded in Romans 15:6:
so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
However, it is important to recognize that the relationship we have with God described as Father is not the same that Jesus Christ has with the person described as God the Father. That we do not have the same relationship with God the Father as the Lord Jesus Christ is communicated in the distinction the Lord Jesus made after His resurrection according to John 20:17:
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
God is our Father by adoption, but God is Father of the Lord Jesus Christ by the fact that both have the same nature although different persons that belong to the special class of supreme deity called God. The point is that the phrase our Father of Romans 1:7 points to the fact that Jesus Christ is not in the same relationship with God the Father as we are since He is Himself God. You see, if Jesus Christ is not God, it will be strange for the apostle to described Him as the source of grace and peace. Grace is that which is from God as Apostle Paul indicated in 1 Corinthians 15:10:
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
The grace associated with God is also associated with the Lord Jesus Christ in apostle’s final greeting to the Corinthians as stated in 1 Corinthians 16:23:
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
Thus, it is difficult to imagine that the apostle would ascribe grace to Jesus Christ as He ascribed to God if He were not God. Likewise, the apostle ascribed peace to God as we read, for example, in Romans 16:20:
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Because peace is ascribed to God in Romans 16:20, it is difficult to imagine how the apostle would ascribe peace as coming from Jesus Christ if he did not consider Him God. That aside, the fact that the apostle intended for us to recognize that Jesus Christ is God in the formula Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ may be seen in an extended translation of the Greek phrase used. The Greek construction used allows us to expand the Greek phrase as Grace and peace to you from God, namely, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In this way, we can understand that the apostle mentioned God as a general category of the Supreme being the creator but here he went on to explain that he had in mind two members of the Supreme being called God, that is, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. There is more to support the deity of Christ in the phrase we are considering. It is the use of the word Lord that is translated from a Greek word (kyrios) that we considered in great detail in Romans 1:4 where we indicated that the word is used to convey the deity of Jesus Christ. The point is that the phrase we are considering is intended to communicate that Jesus Christ is God.
We have considered the greeting section of this epistle, but as we leave it, you should be aware that you are included among the saints and so you are expected to live a lifestyle that is befitting those who are considered God’s special people, those in a unique relationship with Christ Jesus. You should also remain mindful of God’s grace in the sense of undeserved love and limitless kindness toward you. This means that you should be appreciative of such grace by again living in a way that proves you understand what God did for you in Christ Jesus. You should experience the peace that comes to those whose sins have been forgiven. You should enjoy personal peace in that you live a life that is worry free because you have faith in God’s ability to take care of you in every way. You will have peace as you follow the instructions given by the apostle in his letter. Peace, we know, is one aspect of the filling of the Holy Spirit; therefore, if you want peace you must be filled of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, since peace means the normal state of the soul in relation to God, then the issue is that you should maintain a complete focus on God so that you can have peace. It is as you focus on Him that your soul will be functioning the way it was intended to be and that is when you can experience His peace. This is what Prophet Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 26:3:
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.
You cannot put your trust in any human or material thing and expect peace. Therefore, if you want peace, your focus and trust must be in the Lord. Furthermore, you should aspire to live righteously since that will lead to peace, according to Isaiah 32:17:
The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
With these words we proceed to consider the next element of the introductory portion of this epistle that is concerned with Apostle Paul’s desire to visit Rome. This we will do in our next study. However, let me end by reminding you of the message of Romans 1:7 which is Grace and peace are essential elements in the well-being of believers.
05/24/24