This greeting/opening to Paul's letter is rather standard. He identifies himself, immediately points to God and then prayerfully greets the one to whom the letter is addressed. Nothing out of the ordinary that demands particular attention. But when I read this greeting several weeks ago, I wondered what it means for Paul to be what he was "by command of God."
God has complete sovereignty over all aspects of our lives—what we do, what we think, how we interact with people, and how we approach Him. Most people (even some Christians) would view such a relationship as oppressive. And if a human had that kind of influence on another human, it would be oppressive—even abusive. But God is God. He is not like us. He wields this authority in a way that none of us could, even if we had the best of intentions.
Paul accepted God's command on his life. He embraced it because God's will is what was best for him. The same is true for me and all of God's creation. God, in His infinite wisdom, knows what is best for us. If we follow Him, we will find the greatest satisfaction possible.
I don't believe that that truth is necessarily the point of these two verses. But it is an underlying reality that makes the first a little clearer.
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