Romans 1:8-10 - Praying

1:8

Continuing with a Christianised version of the common letter format, Paul gives thanks for the recipients of the letter. This was the case in most of Paul’s letters, Galatians being an exception. He thanks God “through Jesus Christ”. Christ is the mediator of all prayers and communication with God the Father, there is no need for any other mediator. Paul was not the founder of the church in Rome, in the churches the other letters went to Paul had been instrumental in the establishing of that church. Why was he thankful? Because their faith was being reported all over the world. We should desire to be known for our faith in Christ. As an aside, “all over the world” clearly means all over the world known to Paul.

1:9

Again it was common in letters of the day to call upon some “god” as a witness to the prayer of thanksgiving, so Paul calls upon God Himself as his witness. Remember that Paul had never been to Rome at this point, so they did not know him and may have considered him as a remote figure. Paul is keen to stress that even though he has never been to Rome he still prays for them, they are still on his heart.

1:10

Paul remembered them in his prayers at all times. This means he made mention of them in his prayers on a consistent basis.  So he prayed for them, he also prayed that God would allow him to go and actually see them. Note that while in one sense this is the most “academic” of all Paul’s letters, the most theological, it is also written out of a personal commitment to the people he is writing to. Paul was not just looking for an excuse to write down an interesting bit of work, rather he cared about the people he was writing to. Good theology comes out of an absolute commitment to God, and a love for His people. In fact, of course, these are the two greatest commandments!