Romans 1:8-17

8–17. Thanksgiving 8–10 a introduces the Occasion 10 b–15 and the Subject 16–17 of the Epistle.

He gives thanks to GOD for the wide report of their faith as heartily as (9) his prayers for them have been unceasing and (10) have embodied his eagerness to see them, (11) to help them and be helped by them, by the faith which each finds in the other; his prayers resulted in definite plans, hindered so far, to go to Rome and win fruit there also, by way of paying his debt, due to them as to others, of preaching the Gospel. He has been always ready to do this, for he has ‘no shame’ for the Gospel: it is an effective act of GOD’s power promoting salvation for all men, on the one condition of faith; because it reveals the true nature of GOD’s righteousness in men as starting from faith and leading to faith, in accordance with a fundamental declaration of the old dispensation.