Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.
The Roman Christians had a world-famous faith!
Paul complimented the church at Thessalonica in the same way. To them he wrote: “The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia - your faith in God has become known everywhere (1Thessalonians 1:8).
Almost 2000 years later, the faith of those churches is still known all over today's world!
Likewise, Jesus’ ministry has been known throughout the world for a couple of millennia now. That could also be said about the faith and ministry of Paul, Peter, and many early Christians.
Sure, the known world was smaller then than it is now, but what does it take for our faith to become world famous?
Paul certainly wasn't complimenting the Roman church for implementing effective, targeted marketing campaigns to "draw the unchurched" to "contemporary worship services."
Church Marketing is a modern-day invention, and is largely a money-suck. Churches who engage professional marketers sometimes experience new attendance, but church marketing analysis suggests that marketing-driven attendance increases often have very little correlation with spiritual growth. Congregational size is a terrible thing to focus on (though many pastors do, or are tempted to do).
Rather than numerical church growth, we need to focus exclusively upon spiritual church growth. Marketing has zero effect upon spiritual growth.
Furthermore, if marketing is the primary means of letting people know about your church or ministry - and if the attendance numbers increase as a result of marketing - Satan could use the the increase to deceive your church or ministry into thinking it is doing well.
"Big Church = Effective Church"
is a deception by the enemy.
So is "Big church = godly church."
Likewise, "Small church=unfaithful church" and all its variants is false.
It's not that being big is bad. It's just that being big doesn't matter.
The type of fame Paul speaks of at Rome requires impact. It requires Christians tirelessly and fearlessly living out the gospel. It requires getting deep into peoples' lives, helping people recognize their need for hope and transformation; Passionately refusing to conform to the patterns of the world (Romans 12:1-2); Transforming the world instead of mimicking it.
That is biblical church growth.
Look at the qualities of the Thessalonian church that Paul said made it world famous. From 1 Thessalonians 1:
- “Your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 3).
- “Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction” (v. 5)
- “You became imitators of us and of the Lord” (v. 6)
- “In spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit” (v. 6)
- “You became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” (v. 7)
- “The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia--your faith in God has become known everywhere” (v. 8)
- You “wait for his Son from heaven” (v.10)
The Thessalonian church was also exceptionally generous. They were one of the churches of Macedonia about which Paul wrote: “
Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. They gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints” (
2Cor 8:1-4; cp. Rom. 15:26).
The church at Thessalonica was a group of Christians who eagerly anticipated Christ’s return and felt compelled to transform the world around them before He came back, by applying their faith toward work, applying their love toward labor, and applying their hope toward in endurance.
That is the right way for a church or ministry to become famous. That is a stark contrast to the marketing-driven approach of today that has resulted in many corrupt "Megachurches."
Vv. 9-10 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
Paul constantly remembers these Roman Christians in his prayers. Now he prays that he can finally visit them. Note that Paul had never met this church, yet he continually prays for them!
When I read statements like that, I realize how shallow my prayer life is. There are plenty of churches I've never met. I can't say I "constantly" pray for any of them. Heck, I don't even pray constantly for the churches I've been part of. Sure, I pray for some missionary churches that my church sponsors. But Paul goes way beyond that. In doing so he convicts me.
Vv. 1:11-12 11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong-- 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.
This is sometimes misinterpreted to mean that an apostle is needed for someone to receive a Spiritual gift. But in 1 Corinthians 12 he listed lists all sorts of spiritual gifts - prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving to others, leading, mercy, etc. - that their church already possessed. Paul encouraged them to use those gifts appropriately.
They didn’t need to wait for Paul to touch them and give them gifts. The Holy Spirit had already done that Himself.
The word translated “impart” (μεταδίδωμι, metadidōmi) simply means “share with.” It’s the same Greek word used in Luke 3:11 when Jesus said “
The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." Paul is telling these Christians that he wants to share one of his gifts with them to strengthen them– so that he and they will be mutually encouraged." That is why we have spiritual gifts - to benefit others. The Corinthian church received a notorious reprimand from Paul for being selfish with their spiritual gifts (1Cor 12-14). Spiritual Gifts are for sharing.
13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.
Again, Paul had never visited the church at Rome. He had tried, but his priority was always first to those who did not know the gospel. Additionally, from A.D. 49-56, Jews were not allowed to set foot in Rome.
Why was Paul so eager to preach the gospel to the Romans? Because he was obligated (literally "indebted") to the Gentiles first, and a multinational church like this provided an opportunity to minister to his Jewish family as well. God specifically appointed Paul as an apostle to the Gentiles (
Acts 9:15, Rom 11:13, Gal 2:8, 1Ti 2:7), but his duty was to all men. Paul intently felt that God had revealed the gospel to him not so much for his own benefit as for the benefit of others.
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Paul stated it simply here, but beginning around chapter 4, Paul will really begin to unpack the fact - that the good news of God's righteousness
is itself the power through which God saves all believers. As he drills down into it later, we'll see that this fact should first make us quite uncomfortable and then bring us great joy!
"
I'm not ashamed of the gospel" seems like an odd statement. Why does Paul feel the need to mention that he is not ashamed of the gospel?
I think he's setting up his message to both Jews and Gentiles - putting everyone on equal footing (or removing their footing altogether).
Taken together,
vv. 11-16 say something like: “
I’m looking forward to coming to all of you to mutually edify all of us. I can be edified by Gentiles even though I am a Jew, and I can be edified by Jews even though I’m the apostle to the Gentiles. The gospel is the power of God to save everyone, Jew or Gentile, and I’m not "ashamed’ to preach it to anyone.”
17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
I think we have cheapened the gospel by reducing it to “Jesus died for my sins.” What is the “gospel” in the context of Romans 1? It is:
- A righteousness (v.17)
- From God (v. 17)
- Revealed... through faith from first to last (v. 17)
- The power of God for the salvation (v. 16)
- For everyone who believes (v. 16)
"Righteous" is another of those "churchy" words that aren't used much except in church. In English it was originally spelled "
rightwise,” meaning “straight.” Biblically speaking, righteous means "justified" - having a character like God’s.
Righteousness doesn't proceed from us. It is given to us. The righteousness isn't ours, it is God's. We acquire it through faith, not action; through believing, not doing.
It is so important to get this point clear! When God gives righteousness to us, it results in action (James 2). But it will always be God’s righteousness. It will never be our own. The only thing we contribute is faith. That is the power God uses to save us.
Notice how clearly Paul brings this out to the Philippians: "...not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith" (Philippians 3:9).
The point of that passage is that salvation has always been through God's righteousness rather than our own, from the Old Testament times to the present. God's righteousness has been on display from the timeless faith of the Jews to the new faith of the Gentiles. Paul is establishing that it has been the same saving faith all along.
This segues into the message of the next several chapters, which show that Christianity is not a "new religion." It is a continuation of the faith of Abraham, Moses, David, etc. Paul will drive that point home in spades in the famous "Hall of Faith" chapter, Romans 11.
Back now to 1:16, Paul's point is that the gospel makes the fact clear that salvation has always been through God's righteousness (rather than our own). That has been true from the Old Testament times (which is why he quoted OT scripture here) to the present time.
God has displayed His own righteousness through man from the timeless faith of the Jew to the new faith of the Gentiles.
It has been the same saving faith all along. The Jews had to be the first to receive the good news of God’s righteousness through faith and grace. They received it through the Jewish Messiah and His Jewish disciples. They had first dibs.
Some Jews accepted that Messiah / Liberator and the Happy News he delivered, but as a nation they rejected Him.
Later, it will be very important to understand this clearly when Paul says things like:
- “Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel” (9:6)
- “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved” (9:27)
- “What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened” (11:7), and
- “All Israel will be saved” (11:26).
I don't want to discuss those passages until we get to them, but clearly understanding our current passage will illuminate them.
Paul is also setting the readers up for a heavy statement he will make in 2:9: “There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile”, which we’ll discuss in its context.
So, the gospel was made available to the Jews first, but now it is available to the Gentiles too. Most or all of us studying this together are Gentiles, so we know this firsthand. But it’s very important to highlight it now because it forms the theme for everything that follows, at least through chapter 8.
