Romans 1:9

f. μάρτυς γάρ μού ἐστιν ὁ θεός (Philippians 1:8): at a distance the Apostle cannot directly prove his love, but he appeals to God, who hears his ceaseless prayers for the Romans, as a witness of it. λατρεύω in the LXX is always used of religious service worship, whether of the true God or of idols. ἐν τῷ πνεύματί μου : Paul's ministry is spiritual and rendered with his spirit not like that of the ministers in the ἅγιον κοσμικὸν at Jerusalem. ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ : in preaching the glad tidings of His Son. ὡς ἀδιαλείπτως : the ὡς may either be “how” or “that”: looking to 1 Thessalonians 2:10, “how” seems more probable. μνείαν ὑμῶν ποιοῦμαι : I remember you. Cf. Job 14:13 (O that Thou wouldst appoint me χρόνον ἐν ᾧ μνείαν μου ποιήσῃ). ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου : at my prayers. (Winer, p. 470.) For εἴ πως, see Acts 27:12 and Burton, Moods and Tenses, § 276. ἤδη is “now at length,” “now, after all this waiting”. (S. and H.) The ποτὲ, which can hardly be conveyed in English, marks the indefiniteness which even yet attaches in the writer's mind to the fulfilment of this hope. εὐοδωθήσομαι : the R.V. gives “I may be prospered”; the A.V. “I might have a prosperous journey”. The latter brings in the idea of the ὁδὸς, which was no doubt present to consciousness when the word εὐοδοῦσθαι was first used; but it is questionable whether any feeling for the etymology remained in the current employment of the word. The other N.T. examples (1 Corinthians 16:2; 1 Corinthians 16:3 John Romans 1:2), as well as the LXX, suggest the contrary. Hence the R.V. is probably right. ἐν τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ : his long cherished and often disappointed hope had taught Paul to say, “if the Lord will” (James 4:15).