Romans 1:8-12

Romans 1:8-12 “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.”

First

Romans 1:8 “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.”

"First" speaks if importance . The most important part of Paul’s prayer for the Roman Christians was to thank God. How often do we put an emphases on thanking God in our prayers? Paul puts a premium of thanking God through his prayer in Romans 1. Paul thanking God is not an exception in Romans 1 but the rule. “Thanksgiving is a fundamental component of the mental framework that largely controls Paul’s intercession” (D. A. Carson p.23).

Some time back, I read a book on suggestions to help keep a focused prayer life. The author said that we could learn much about how to pray by listening to other men praying (D. A. Carson p.7). I believe there is much truth in his statement. There is not a person in the New Testament other than Jesus that we can examine their prayer life like Paul. Life struggles can make seeing the goodness of God through various aspects of life difficult. Paul understood hardships of life. 2 Corinthians 11:22-25 “Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;” Adding to his difficulties, Paul wrote, 1 Corinthians 15:31 “I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” By connecting this statement with Romans 8:36 “As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” We can see the main emphasis is not spiritual but physical. What Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 15:31 was “I die daily in this sense: I live through my death every day, because I realize every day could be my death.” https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/47-79/the-hardships-of-paul

Paul’s Apostolic calling ensured travails in life. Matthew 10:16-19 “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.” Even though this statement refers to all Christians, the first group would be Apostles.

Through the agonies and distresses of life, Paul had the spiritual sight to see the bounty of God’s goodness. Regardless of where our anguish comes from, we learn from Paul the various reasons to thank God.

We can thank God for His saving grace: 1 Corinthians 1:4 “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;”

We can thank God for putting people in our lives: Philippians 1:3 “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,”

We can thank God for enabling us to accomplish ministry: 1 Timothy 1:12 “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;”

We can thank God for steering us away from unnecessary controversy: 1 Corinthians 1:14 “I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;”

We can thank God for the gifts He has given us: 1 Corinthians 14:18 “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:”

We can thank God when people receive our testimony of grace as if it came from God: 1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

We can thank God when people grow in the Lord: 2 Thessalonians 1:3 “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;”

We can thank God Christians love for one another abounds: 2 Thessalonians 1:3 “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;”

We can thank God when He reminds us to pray for others: 2 Timothy 1:3 “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;”

Within the framework of thanking God there are a number of points to make.

The personal relationship that Paul had with God - "I" and "My"

Who is superior? God is - He is the supreme Deity.

humbleness

He thanks God - "Thanks is an expression of gratitutde."

God is the reason for all "thanks" He provides opportuniteis for us to thank Him.

The reason he is able to pray is Jesus Christ

"Through" - Mediator or medium A. T. Robertson Romans 1:8

Romans 7:25

We cannot come to God on our own. We need Jesus.

He is gthe vehicle that takes us to the Throne of Heaven.

He Thanks God for the Roman Christians

"For" - Concerning

"You all" - Roman Christians

That your faith is spoken throughout the world

"Faith" Strong G4102

Creed

Conviction

Persuasion

"For" - Because of what I just said

God is my witness

Witness - to put your life on the line

Whome he serves with his spirit in the Gospel of His Son.

"Serve" - Menial task G3000

Where does he serve? In the Gospel of His Son.

Without ceasing, I pray for you always.

"pray" - should be a wroshipful experience

His request

If by any means I may have a prosperous journey to come to you - By God's will

Propserous - the succeed in arriving G2137

He does not want to come if God is not willing

He longs to see them

Long - yearning

Impart a spiritual gift

What is this gift? To be comforted together

Which will allow for further establishment