The Obedience of Faith

The words, "obedience of faith" are found twice in the New Testament:

Romans 1: 5, "through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,"

Romans 16: 26, "but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith."

But what is the obedience of faith?

When we speak of obedience, we often mean a command or an order. Someone in authority commands you to do something.  When you do it, that is obedience.  Or someone in authority orders you not to do something.  When you do not do it, that is obedience.

Obedience is bound to the command you receive.  If an authority figure commands you by ordering you to stand up, you obey by standing up.  If instead of standing up you lie down or run away, that is disobedience, not obedience.

Faith is a noun, not a verb.  People do not "faith" something.  The verb form of faith is either "believe" or "have faith."  People do believe.  They do have faith.  Just as obeying the command to run means running, so obeying the command of faith is believing, having faith.

Paul was only writing about people believing.  The obedience of faith is having faith.  

More needs to be said here.

Obedience and faith are linked together in some way.  Was the Apostle Paul writing about obedience that causes faith or obedience that is caused by faith?

A cause must be true before its result can be true.  Water (rain, melting snow, leaky water mains, etc.) must first be on the street before the street is wet.  In the same way, "And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him," (Hebrews 11: 6).  Faith must be true before God is pleased.

Obedience apart from faith cannot please God because it is impossible to please God without faith.

Paul was not writing about obedience that leads to faith.  Such a thing is impossible.  He was writing about faith that causes obedience.  That is the obedience of faith.