Romans 5:1

δικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως sums up the position gained. Notice that in these Chapter s (5–7) the word πίστις occurs only in these first two verses: πιστεύω occurs once only (Romans 6:8), and then in the simple sense of believe. The fact is that the first fundamental act of trust, when it has once brought man under the justifying love of GOD and the power of Christ’s life, becomes a permanent though progressive act of submission to and reliance upon that power, a continued act of will realising that power in itself, which is, on man’s side, the determining characteristic of the Christian life and is not by S. Paul described exclusively by any one name, but is involved in all the exhortations, and summed up in the phrases τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ζωῆς ἐν Χρ. Ἰ. (Romans 8:1) and πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας (Romans 8:15).

εἰρήνην. Cf. Acts 10:36; John 16:33. With χάρις, it is the unfailing element in S. Paul’s salutations, and gives him his characteristic phrase ὁ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης (Romans 15:33; Romans 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 4:9 (cf. 7); 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (ὁ κύριος τ. ε.); cf. Colossians 3:15; Hebrews 13:20). The cardinal passage is Ephesians 2:14-17. Like χάρις, it has special reference to the call of the Gentiles, but as involved in the wider conception of the establishment of man as man in a state of peace with GOD by the removal of sin. The first step is the justification of man upon faith: then that state has to be maintained.

ἔχωμεν, alibi ἔχομεν. A.V. ‘we have,’ R.V. ‘let us have.’ The mood of exhortation is clearly required by the context (against Field, ad loc[127]); S. Paul is passing from the description of the fundamental initial act of GOD in bringing man into this state, to the character and duties of the state so given. The verb ἔχειν is durative = to maintain hold on, and here it has its strict sense—let us maintain (better than the ambiguous ‘have’) peace; this requires further activities in man, and the continual help of the Lord; cf. Moulton, p. 110.

[127] ad loc. ad locum

διὰ τ. κ. ἡ Ἰ. Χρ. The fuller name is given because each element in it is an assurance that the help will be given and will be effective, and ought to be claimed.