A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Pastor Tyson Bloor

Romans / Romans 1:8–15

Thanksgiving

Romans 1:8–10 NASB95

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.

For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you,

always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.

The Longing

Romans 1:11–15 NASB95

For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established;

that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.

I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Obligation - ὀφειλέτης (opheiletēs), ου (ou), ὁ (ho): n.masc.; ≡ Str 3781; TDNT 5.565—1. LN 57.222 debtor (Mt 18:24+); 2. LN 71.27 one who must, one obligated (Ro 1:14; 8:12; 15:27; Gal 5:3+); 3. LN 88.300 sinner, one who incurs moral debt (Mt 6:12; Lk 13:4)

Eager - πρόθυμος (prothymos), ον (on): adj.; ≡ Str 4289; TDNT 6.694—LN 25.69 eager, willing (Mt 26:41; Mk 14:38; Ro 1:15)

Greek -Ἕλλην (Hellēn), ηνος (ēnos), ὁ (ho): n.pr.masc.; ≡ DBLHebr 3430; Str 1672; TDNT 2.504—1. LN 11.90 Greek person, one who participates in Greek culture, but not necessarily an ethnic Greek (Ro 1:14; Ac 9:29 v.r.); 2. LN 11.40 Gentile person, a non-Jewish person, a pagan, a heathen, (Mt 5:47; Ac 11:20)

Barbarian - βάρβαρος (barbaros), ον (on): adj.; ≡ Str 915; TDNT 1.546—1. LN 11.95 non-Greek, one not in the Greek culture (Ro 1:14; 1Co 14:11(2×)+), for another interp in 1Co see next; 2. LN 11.94 native people, which do not speak Greek or Latin (Ac 28:2, 4; 1Co 14:11(2×)+), for another interp of 1Co see prior; 3. LN 41.31 uncivilized, barbarian; behaviors associated with low culture (Col 3:11)

Wise - σοφός (sophos), οῦ (ou), ὁ (ho): n.masc. [BAGD adj.] [served by 5055]; ≡ DBLHebr 2682; Str 4680—LN 32.35 wise man, an expert, skilled person, often of a class or kind (Mt 11:25; 23:34; Lk 10:21; Ro 1:14; 1Co 1:19, 20, 27; 3:19, 20)

Foolish - ἀνόητος (anoētos), ον (on): adj.; ≡ Str 453; TDNT 4.961—LN 32.50 without understanding, foolish, senseless (Lk 24:25; Ro 1:14; Gal 3:1, 3; 1Ti 6:9; Tit 3:3)

Greek’s - this would mean those of the Greek nation and also those who were Gentiles. These would be the people of culture and affluence.

Barbarian - this designation came from one who did not speak the local language, but it also meant one who lacked culture.

Wise - this group would have been the philosophers and great thinkers of the time, those who were educated and trained in logic and reasoning.

Foolish - this group is simply those without understanding, and this final group could encompass the other three groups.