of Jesus Christ does not mean called hy Jesus Christ ,- but the genitive ex- presses the idea of possession, ' the called ones who belong to Christ,' ' Christ's called, or chosen ones.'
(7) To all that be in Borne, beloved of God, called to be saints. As this verse contains the salutation, it is, in sense, immediately connected with the first. * Paul an apostle to all that be at Rome.' All that intervenes is not properly a parenthesis, but an accumulation of clauses, one grow- ing out of the other, and preventing the apostle finishing the sentence with which he commenced. This is very characteristic of Paul's man- ner, and is peculiarly obvious in his two epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians. His teeming mind protruded its rich thoughts and glowing sentiments so rapidly, that his course was often impeded, and the original object for a time entirely lost sight of. See Ephesians 3:1, where the sentence, with which the first verse begins, is interrupted, and is not resumed until v. 14, or perhaps, the beginning of the next chapter.
The salutation of Paul is addressed to all the Christians who were at Rome, whom he calls beloved of God, and called to be saints. The people of God are often, both in the Old and New Testament, distinguished by the honourable appellation, beloved of God, Deut. 33 : 12. Col. 3 : 12. Called to be saints, means chosen or made saints ,• as in v. 1, called to be an apostle, means chosen or appointed an apostle, see 1 Cor. 1 : 2. The fact that they were saints, was to be attributed to the gracious choice or call of God. The word translated saints properly means separated, and is applied in a multitude of cases in the Old Testament, both to persons and things consecrated to God. In this sense all the Hebrews were a holy people. But in the New Testament when used in reference to persons, it expresses their moral relation to God, in the great majority of cases. This is its meaning here. The Roman Christians were called to be not merely a people consecrated externally to God, as were the Jews, but to be morally holy, see the remarks on ch. 11 : 16. Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, This is the common form of salutation. Grace is the divine favour ; and peace is the con- sequence of it, and includes, as does the corresponding Hebrew word, all blessings. Compare the phrases " way of peace," " God of peace," "gospel of peace," and the like. Hence it is used constantly in saluta- tions, " Peace be with you," i. e. may all good rest upon you. The Greek term has this extent of meaning from being used with the same latitude as the Hebrew word, which signifies, as an adjective, complete (^integer), and as a svibstzntiYe, completeness (integritas), well-being ; and, therefore, includes all that is necessary to make one what he would wish to^be. When the favour of God is secured, all other blessings follow in its train.
These blessings are sought from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is equally with the Father the source of these blessings, and therefore the object of prayer ; which, under such circumstances, and for such blessings, is one of the highest acts of worship. God is