I actually started to wonder what does “obedience of faith” (as found in Romans 1:5 ESV) means. I mean last time, I was taught by my Christian Fellowship during my college time that obedience is a consequence of our faith in Christ, but I still don’t know what it means. Because my view of obedience is a form of filial piety like how we as Chinese emphasize on obeying our parents. But that kind of obedience we obtained was through our parents who discipline us constantly in our childhood so I don’t know what kind of obedience is this from just our faith in God.
Let me first respond to your understanding of obedience. I think the context in which you understand obedience is good: children being obedient to their parents; Christians being obedient to God. Both are right and natural. Children obey parents because it is the right thing to do. Christians obey God because it is the right thing to do. It has to do with who parents are and who God is. Both deserve our obedience.
However, your view of how obedience is produced is a little troublesome. In one sense you are right because as sinful people we are not naturally obedient and so we need to be taught and to be trained in obedience. BUT the obedience that is the highest quality is obedience that is voluntarily given (like love that is freely given is so much better than love that is coerced). So when the bible speaks of obedience, that is the quality it infers.
Now to Romans 1:5. If you compare the text from ESV with that of NIV, you will see a slight difference: “we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith” (ESV) and “Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.” (NIV) The difference is the difference in interpreting the Greek text, because it can be understood both ways: Obeying God by putting our faith in him, and expressing our faith in God by obeying him.
To me, both are equally valid and equally relevant to the context of what Paul is writing: the apostolic ministry of the Gospel to which he is called, which is, firstly, to bring non-Christians to the take the first step of obedience by surrendering in faith, and, secondly, to nurture the people of faith to be obedient.
I hope this helps.
(Response from the one who asked: Oh I see. Because I have always separate the concept of faith and obedience but turns out Paul is saying they are both related.)