On The Sixth Day #4

Romans 1.8 – 13 Longing to see the Roman believers

First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit by preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness that I continually remember you and I always ask in my prayers, if perhaps now at last I may succeed in visiting you according to the will of God. For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, that we may be mutually comforted by one another's faith, both yours and mine. Brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware that I often intended to come to you (and was prevented until now), so that I may have some fruit even among you, just as I already have among the rest of the Gentiles.

• Paul is thankful because he sees here the fulfillment of his goal in life, which was for the good news of the kingdom of God to advance throughout the world.
  
• The faithfulness of the Roman believers is well known among other Christians
  
  • probably because of the expulsion from Rome in 49 AD
    
  • expelled Jews returned to provinces and cities of origin or birth
    
  • some are his friends & some are his relatives
    
  • their faith encourages Paul also
    
• Paul continues to remember them in his prayers
  
• Paul's desire to visit the believers in Rome is so important that he prays that God will work to make it happen to advance God's plan – Paul is ALWAYS in His service
  
• He has wished to visit them for a long time
  
  • to impart a spiritual gift – maybe helping them get along among themselves
    
  • to strengthen and encourage them
    
  • to bring the good news to maybe a few new believers in Rome
    
  • and rely on the believers in Rome to support his ministry to Spain 15:24
    
• he sees them & himself as members of one family – God's

(Source material from N T Wright, John Wesley, Martin Luther, ESV Study Bible, Orthodox Study Bible, et al)