Audio commentary on this verse

Note 5 at Rom. 1:5: This is the first of twenty-four times the term "grace" is used in Paul's epistle to the Romans. The Greek word for grace is "charis" and is translated many different ways throughout the New Testament. It is translated: favor, thanks, gracious, thankworthy, thank, thanked, pleasure, liberality, and acceptable. The most common way it is translated is by the word "grace" which is used 129 times in the New Testament.

According to Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon, "the word 'charis' (grace) contains the idea of kindness which bestows upon one what he has not deserved. The New Testament writers used 'charis' pre-eminently of that kindness by which God bestows favors even upon the ill-deserving."

Another form of the Greek word "charis" (grace) is "charisma" and is translated "gift." Vine's Expository Dictionary defines "charisma" as "a gift of grace, a gift involving grace on the part of God as the donor." In other words, "charisma" is a specific form or manifestation of the grace of God. It is used to describe as a free gift: righteousness (Rom. 5:16-17); spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:28-31; Rom. 12:6-8); eternal life (Rom. 6:23); the five ministry gifts (Eph. 4:11); celibacy (1 Cor. 7:7); healings (1 Cor. 12:9, 28, 30); and miraculous intervention (2 Cor. 1:11).

Note 6 at Rom. 1:5: The Greek word used here for obedience is "hupakoe" and means "attentive hearkening; that is by implication compliance or submission."

Many times in the New Testament faith and obedience are linked together (Acts 6:7; Rom. 16:26; Jas. 2:14-22; 1 Pet. 1:12). This is because the origin and historical development of the words "believe" and "obey" are closely related. What you believe is what you will do.

If you really believed that the building you were in was on fire, you would do something. Different people might do different things but it is inconceivable that anyone who really believed the building was on fire would do nothing. The New Testament calls this a "work of faith" (1 Th. 1:2-3; 2 Th. 1:11) which is an action corresponding to and induced by what a person believes. This differs from a work of the law in that works of the law require no faith and are works of one's own resources without any reference, reliance, or trust in God (Gal. 2:16; 3:12; 5:4; Rom. 3:28; 4:15-16; 9:30-32).