Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
General Christian
History and Religion
What does the Obedience of Faith mean in Romans?

What does the Obedience of Faith mean in Romans?

Last updated on: June 2, 2024 at 1:07 pm by B. J. Oropeza

What does the Obedience of Faith mean in Romans? 2024-06-02T13:07:54-07:00 B. J. Oropeza

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The obedience of faith—what does it mean? In Romans 1:5 we read that the reason Paul was specially selected by the Lord to become an apostle was for the purpose of bringing about the “obedience of faith” (ὑπακοήν πίστεως / hupakoên pisteôs) among all nations on behalf of Christ. The importance of the phrase is clearly evident. It reappears at the letter’s end in Romans 16:26, forming as it were bookends at the virtual beginning and ending of Romans—an inclusio.

The phrase also seems to be implied in the thesis of the entire letter in Romans 1:17. There we notice the similar phrase, “from faith to faith” that seems to suggest a progression of faith. Romans 15:18 clearly implies the phrase again, this time emphasizing Paul’s ministry of bringing about the obedience of the gentiles.

Despite its significance in this letter, the interpretation of this phrase is hard to pin down. What does it mean?

Obedience of Faith

We find the obedience of faith in Romans 1:5 and 16:26. “religion faith cross” via pixabay.com

Is Obedience a “Work”?

Part of the problem with the phrase is that many church-goers think that “faith” is opposed to “works.” So then, how can faith be so intricately bound together with obedience? Isn’t obedience a “work”?

In response, even if obedience is a “work,” so what? Faith is not opposed to works. Not only does James 2 affirm this but also Paul himself. He claims that we shall all appear before the judgement seat of Christ to render an account of our deeds (i.e., our works) on judgment day (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 2:6–16).

Believers are likewise to do “good”—that is, good works—to all people, especially those of household of faith (Galatians 6:10). They were created to do “good works” in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:10). We also notice Paul speaking about the “work of faith” in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 and 2 Thessalonians 2:11, and “faith working through love” in Galatians 5:6.

What Paul comes against is the idea that doing the works of the law (observance of Mosaic Law) can justify gentiles before God (Galatians 2:16; Romans 3:20), or that they can bring about their own justification and salvation by their own merits independent of faith (trusting) in the Lord.

The patristic writer Ambrosiaster said many centuries ago something that still holds true today: “It is obvious that Christ cannot be believed in if he is not obeyed” (Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Romans, at 10:14). Last century none other than Rudolph Bultmann himself wrote the heading, “Paul understands faith primarily as obedience” (The Theology of the New Testament, New York: Scribner’s, 1951: 314 [§35.1]). And now most recently, Emmanual Oumarou writes that “Pistis [faith] and obedience are like two sides of the same coin. One cannot have one without the other.”*

What type of genitive is “of faith” in the obedience of faith?

The Greek noun for faith (pistis) in Romans 1:5 is in the genitive case: pisteôs or “of faith.” Scholars have spilled much ink over what type of genitive this might be. Among the most prominent options are these:

An objective genitive (obedience to the faith, whether doctrinally or as shorthand for the gospel/message about faith)
A subjective genitive (obedience required by faith, obedience that faith produces)
A descriptive or adjectival genitive (believing obedience, faithful obedience, loyal/allegiant obedience)
An appositional or epexegetical genitive (obedience which is or consists of faith/faith which consists of obedience)
A genitive of source (obedience that comes from faith)
Some sort of combination of these options.**

Assessing the Options

The first option (objective genitive) makes sense if we understand faith here as shorthand for the gospel (notice again Romans 1:1). This is complimentary with the way Paul speaks about the “hearing of faith” in Galatians 3:2 and 5. Also, “faith” seems to be interchangeable with “gospel” (or with those who trust in the gospel) in passages such as Galatians 1:23; 3:22–23. Elsewhere, see Acts 6:7.

A number of scholars these days, however, seem to lean towards the fourth option (epexegetical genitive). This viewpoint supports that faith and obedience are virtually interchangeable here. When we read passages such as Roman 10:16; 11:23, 30–31, this appears to be the case. We should also take into consideration the parallel in Romans 1:8 with 16:19. In the former text, Paul claims that the Romans’ faith is proclaimed among the whole world; similarly, in the latter verse, Paul claims that the Romans’ obedience has reached to all.

However, I would suggest that the “obedience of faith” probably should not be boiled down to just one genitive option. It may be too complex for that. Unless we like option number four, some sort of combination may be the best choice.

In Romans 1:3–4 we learn that the gospel centers on the content of Jesus as the son of God and Davidic messiah who rose again from the dead. The gospel’s content, however, must be appropriated if it is to save Jews and gentiles. This is what Romans 1:16-17 explicates. If so, it would seem that the “obedience of faith” has to do with that appropriation. For Michael Wolter, the “obedience of faith” refers to the assent/approval/agreement to and acceptance of the gospel that God through Christ brings salvation to all humans.***

Obedience as a Responsive Faith

For Paul’s recipients in Rome, faithfulness would seem to assume obedience. The conquered nations were forced to make peace treaties with Rome. As Jason Myers puts it, “Disobedience broke the treaty with Rome and was the antecedent to war. Likewise, continued loyalty or obedience to Rome resulted in receiving the blessings that Rome could provide, whether through military protection or other incentives.” (Paul, the Apostle of Obedience: Reading Obedience in Romans, London: T&T Clark, 2023: 122).

After hearing the gospel about Christ, the listeners were expected not only to believe the message but respond in conformity to that message. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word for hearing (שמע/ shema) often included the notion of answering or adhering to something. In short, the word assumes obedience. Pauline obedience seems to be similar and is rightly discerned by James Dunn as “responsive hearing.” “‘The obedience of faith,’ then, characterizes faith as not merely receptive but also responsive.” (The Theology of Paul the Apostle, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998:635). Leander Keck views the phrase both in terms of faith being the obedient response to the gospel, and obedience as actualized faith necessary for new moral living under Jesus (Romans, ANTC, Nashville: Abingdon, 2005: 45–46).

Obedience, then, involves a favorable response to the gospel of Jesus as Messiah. At the same time, faith/trust makes a person righteous before God, and the righteous-by-faith person “lives” by continual obedience and faith (Rom 1:17). The obedience of faith, with an accent on faith*,* gets you into a relationship with God and Christ, and it also keeps you in that relationship with an accent placed on obedience.

Take Home Points

The obedience of faith may not be best captured by a mere genitive marker; it is too complex and multifaceted for that.
It may be better to interpret the obedience of faith as a response to the gospel about Christ, which then results in a transformed life that is lived out in continual faith and obedience.
The term thus does not appear to distill merely what results from the conversion experience, but it includes the ongoing responsibility of operating on the principle of faith and obedience so as to exercise love and reject deeds of the “flesh” (see Romans 8:2–14; 13:8–10). When a hearer initially responds to the gospel by faith, more faith and further responses of obedience will be expected in appreciation of the gift of salvation given to that hearer by the divine Benefactor.
The point of this rare phrase Paul will unfold throughout the letter. Participation in God’s righteousness requires faith (Romans 1–4), and that faith must express itself through ongoing obedience to Christ and the gospel (Romans 5–15).
Faith is perhaps best understood as “trust,” but that’s a different lesson! See B. J. Oropeza, “What Christians Can Learn from Philo on Faith … or Trust?“

Notes

* “Merging Believing Faith and Obedient Faith: Implications of the Semantic Scope of Pistis on the Integrative Conceptualization of the Term in the New Testament,” American Journal of Biblical Theology 5 (2023) 196–222, quote from 209.

** Don B. Garlington, Faith, Obedience and Perseverance: Aspects of Paul’s Letter to the Romans (Mohr-Siebeck, 1994), 10–31; idem, The Obedience of Faith (Mohr-Siebeck, 1991), proposes that Paul probably expresses two of these at the same time—obedience as both the product of faith and that consists of faith.

*** cp. Rom 10:14-17; 1 Cor 1:21; 2:4f; 15:11, 14; Gal 1:23; 3:2, 5: Der Brief an die Römer, EKK; Patmos: Neukirchen-Vluyn, 2014: 1.93)

Contemplative

History and Religion

Education and Religion

Paul the Apostle: Studies

About B. J. Oropeza

B. J. Oropeza, Ph.D., Durham University (England), is Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Azusa Pacific University and Seminary. Among his many publications are Perspectives on Paul: Five Views (Baker Academic), Scripture, Texts, and Tracings in Galatians and 1 Thessalonians (Fortress Academic), Exploring Intertextuality (Cascade), and commentaries on 1 Corinthians (New Covenant commentary series: Cascade), and 2 Corinthians (Rhetoric of Religious Antiquity: SBL Press). He also participated on the Bible translation teams for the NRSVue and CEB. His current specialties include Romans and Perspectives on Paul. He can be followed on X-Twitter (@bjoropeza1) and Instagram (@bjoropeza1). You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

May 5, 2024

Have You Read These Books? 10 Interviews with Bible Scholars

Next Post

May 27, 2024 Are Those Who Fall Away Really Christians? Hebrews 6:4-6

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "in Christ" 1 Corinthians 1 Enoch 1 John 2:19 1 Peter 1 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 1Peter 2 Corinthians 2 Timothy 400 years of silence A. I. A. M. Hunter Abraham Achilles Tatius Acts 13 Acts 19 Acts 22 Acts 26 Acts 9 addiction adultery Aesop's Fables Affliction afterlife allegiance allusions amanuensis Amen Ananias Ancient Biography Andrew Wilson Andronicus Angels anger Anglicanism anointing aorist tense Apep apocalypse apocalyptic Apocrypha apologetics apostasy Apostle Apostle Paul Aquinas archaeology archangel Ardel Caneday Arminianism armor of God article from journal artificial intelligence Asbury ascension atlas atonement Augustine Augustus authorship Awakening awards baptism Battle of Armageddon beasts behemoth Belial Beliar belief Benediction between Testaments Beverly Roberts Gaventa Bible Bible discrepancies Bible Gateway Bible reading Bible reading plan Bible Study Bible translations Bible version Bible versions biblical inerrancy Biblical Theology blasphemy blindness Boethius boldness Book of Acts Book Review Born Again bravery burial Caesar calling Calvinism canon canon Cassius Dio Catholics Channing Crisler charistmatic Christ Christian behavior Christian origins Christian theology Christians Christology church church fathers Church of England Chuza Cleopas Commandments Commentaries congregation conversion Corinthian letters coronavirus courage Covenant covenant theology covenantal nomism coveting COVID-19 Craig Keener Crescens crocodile Cross crucifixion curse custom Cyprian Daily Bread Dale Allison Damascus Damascus Experience Damascus road David Moffitt Day of Atonement deacon dead Dead Sea Scrolls death Deity of Christ Demas demonology demons determinism Deuteronomy Devil devotion dinosaur Dio Chrysostom divided I Divine Christology divine punishment divorce Do not fear Doxology dragon E. P. Sanders Eastern Orthodox Ebeneazer Urga echoes ekklesia election Elijah the Prophet Elymas embodiment of the gospel embodying the gospel emperor empty tomb Encouragement end times enlightement Ephesians Ephesus Epistles of Paul eschatology eternal life Ethics (Christian) euchlaion Eusebius of Caesarea evangelical evangelism evidence exile extreme unction Ezekiel faith falling away false prophet fate father Father's Day favorite Fear film Final Judgment Flood foreknowledge foreordain forgiveness fornication freewill from Saul to Paul Galatians Gary Cooper Genesis Gentile studies Gentiles geography giants gift gift giving global perspective Glossa Ordinaria God God perception good news gospel gospel 2.0 Gospel of John Gospel of Luke Gospel of Mark Gospel of Matthew Gospels grace gratitude Great Awakening Greco-Roman Greco-Roman world Greek Greek classic literature Greek lexicon Greek Orthodox Greek prepositions greetings guilt Habakkuk hair Halloween head covering head coverings healing heaven Hebrew Hebrews hermeneutics Hesed high Christology Higher Christology highlights holiness holy Holy Bible Holy Scriptures Holy Spirit Homer hospitable hospitality how to read the Bible human effort I Am sayings imperialism in Adam In Christ inspiration intercession Interpretation intertestamental period Intertextuality Interview intimidation Isaiah Israel Israel (land of) James James D. G. Dunn Jason Staples Jerome Jesus Jesus sayings Jesus traditions Jesus: Studies Jewish literature Jewish names Jewish Scripture Jewish studies Jews Joanna Job John John 3:16 John Chrysostom John Hyrcanus John Mark John of Damascus John the Baptist John Wesley Josephus joy Judaism Judgment day Julia Junia Justice justification kerygma King Kingdom kingdom of God Krister Stendahl lament Law lecture hall letter writing Letters of Paul Leucippe et Clitophon Leviathan Leviticus light Logical fallacy looting Lord Lord's Prayer lose salvation Lot Lotan love lovingkindness Lucifer Luke lust Luther LXX maenads Malachi Marcion marginalization marital affair marriage martyrdom Mary Matt Damon Medieval theologians Medieval theology memorization mercy Michael the Archangel miracles Mishnah missiology mission missionary missions monergism monogenes monster monsters Mysterious Ways mythology N. T. Wright name change names narrative Nephilim New Birth new covenant new covenant pneumaism new creation New Perspective on Paul New Testament New Testament use of Old Testament Noah Noah's ark non-Christian oath obedience Odysseus Odyssey oil Old Testament only begotten Origen Outpouring pagan pagans parable paraceratherium Parousia participation in Christ Pastoral Letters patristic theology Paul in prison Paul letter of Paul teaching Paul the Apostle: Studies Paul within Judaism Paul's calling Paul's conversion Paul's death Pauline Theology persecution perseverance perseverance of the saints Persis personal devotion pesher Peter Abelard Philo philosophy Phoebe Pink Floyd pistis Plague plutarch pneuma pneumagism popular culture sayings Porneia Post-New Perspective on Paul praise prayer preaching predestination Prisca Priscilla Prison Epistle Prophecy prophets Psalm Psalms Pseudepigrapha Q Q source quest for the historic Jesus quotations Rabbi Pinhas be Yair Rabbinic literature Rainer Riesner raised from the dead rapture reading missiologically reading plan recipients reciprocity reconciliation Red Herring red letter edition redemption Reformation Regeneration rejoicing reminder renewal repentance restoration resurrection revival righteousness riot Roman Antiquity Roman names romance Romans Romans 12-16 Romans 16 Romans 4:25 Romans 7 Rome Rufus's mother sacrificial system salvation Salvation/Soteriology sanctification Satan Satan's fall Saul the Pharisee SBL Scholars school Scripture Second coming of Christ Second Temple Judaism secretary Septuagint Sergeant York Sergius Paulus Servant in Isaiah sex and sexuality sex ethics sexual immorality sheep sick sin sinful nature single Christians and dating social justice Society of Biblical Literature sons of God soteriology spinosaurus spiritual gifts spiritual renewal spiritual warfare Stephen Wilson struggle Study Bible studying the Bible Suetonius suffering Suffering Servant suggestive commentary Survey synergism Synoptic Gospels Tacitus teacher teaching telos temptation Tertius The Chosen the flesh Theology Thomas Aquinas Thomas Robinson Thomas Schreiner Thorn Thucydides Timothy Titus tongues Top 10 top 12 Torah trust Tryphaena Tryphosa Tyrannus U2 Ugaritic Ukraine Ukrainian Uncategorized unconditional love unforgiving Union with Christ unity/solidarity unpardonable sin Valentine's Day veils vice vices victory warnings Watchers witnessing Woman ministers women women ministers women speakers women teachers word of God works works of the law worship writing YouVersion Zen Hess

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Nazareth" mean?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Star Branch Light Gift