Rom. 1:6. Among whom you also are, called of Jesus Christ — that is, whom He also called.
Here he crushes the arrogance of the Romans. You have not received more than the other nations, over whom you consider yourselves masters; therefore, just as we preach to the other nations, so also to you: do not boast. Otherwise: you too were called, you were preceded by grace, and did not come on your own.
Rom. 1:7. To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called saints.
Not simply: "to all who are in Rome," but: "beloved of God." From what is it evident that they are beloved? From sanctification; and he calls all believers saints. He added: "called," implanting in the memory of the Romans the beneficence of God and showing that even if among them there were both consuls and prefects, God called all with the very same calling as commoners, having equally loved and sanctified you. Therefore, since you are equally both beloved, and called, and sanctified, do not exalt yourselves over those of humble birth.
Rom. 1:7. Grace to you and peace.
And the Lord commanded the apostles that when they enter houses, they should pronounce this word first. The war ended by Christ, which sin had generated for us against God, was no light matter, and that peace was acquired not by our labors, but by the grace of God: thus, first grace, then peace. The Apostle prays for the continuous and unbroken abiding of both these blessings, so that again, if we fall into sin, a new war would not be kindled.
Rom. 1:7. From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh, how all-powerful is the grace that has proceeded from the love of God! Enemies and dishonored, we came to have God Himself as Father. Therefore, from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, may grace and peace be unwavering among you. They bestowed them, and they are able also to preserve them.
Rom. 1:8. First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed in all the world.
An introduction befitting the soul of Paul! He teaches us also to thank God, and not only for our own blessings, but also for the blessings of our neighbors, for in this consists love; and to give thanks not for earthly and perishable things, but for the fact that the Romans believed. And by the words "my God" he shows the disposition of his spirit at that time, appropriating the common God to himself, as the prophets also do, and even God Himself, calling Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in order to show His love for them. One must give thanks, he says, "through Jesus Christ," for He is the mediator of our thanksgiving to the Father, not only teaching us to give thanks, but also bringing our thanksgiving to the Father. For what should one give thanks? For the fact that the "faith" of the Romans "is proclaimed throughout the whole world." He testifies before them concerning two things: both that they believed, and that they believed with full assurance, so that their faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world, and through them all receive benefit for themselves, burning with emulation and imitation of the imperial city. Peter also preached in Rome, but Paul, considering his labors as one with his own, gives thanks for the faith of those taught by Peter — so free is he from envy!
Rom. 1:9. God is my witness, Whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you,
Since Paul had not yet seen the Romans, yet wanted to say that he always remembers them, he calls as witness the One Who knows hearts. Notice the tender compassion of the apostle: he always remembers people whom he had not even seen. Where does he remember them? In his prayers, and moreover unceasingly. I "serve" God, that is, I am a slave "in my spirit," that is, not with fleshly service, but with spiritual service; for pagan worship is fleshly and false, and Jewish worship, though not false, is also fleshly, whereas Christian worship is true and spiritual, as the Lord also says to the Samaritan woman: "the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth" (Jn. 4:23). Since there are many kinds of service to God (for one serves and labors for God by managing only his own affairs, another by caring for strangers and providing for widows, as the fellow servants of Stephen did, and another by fulfilling the ministry of the word), the apostle says: "God, Whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son." Above he attributed the gospel to the Father; but this is not strange, for what belongs to the Father belongs to the Son, and what belongs to the Son belongs to the Father. He says this, demonstrating that these cares are necessary for him; because the one who has been entrusted with the ministry of the gospel must care for all who have received the word.
Rom. 1:10. Always asking in my prayers that somehow by the will of God I may at last succeed in coming to you.
Now he adds why he remembers them. "To come," he says, "to you." Pay attention: as much as he loved them, as strongly as he desired to see them, he nevertheless did not wish to see them against the will of God. But we either love no one, or if we ever love someone, we do so against the will of God. That Paul unceasingly prayed to see them — this came from his strong love for them; and that he submitted to the beckoning of God — this was a sign of his great piety. Let us not grieve either, if we ever do not receive what we ask for in our prayers. We are not better than Paul, who three times asked the Lord for deliverance from the "thorn in the flesh," and did not receive what he desired (2 Cor. 12:7–9); for this was beneficial for him.
Rom. 1:11. For I greatly desire to see you, in order to impart to you some spiritual gift for your strengthening,
Others, he says, undertake long journeys for other purposes, but "I" do so in order to impart to you some gift. He says "some" out of modesty; for he did not say: I am going to teach you, but: to pass on what I have received, and moreover something small and proportionate to my abilities. "Gift," that is, everything that teachers proclaim for the benefit of their listeners; for although teaching is a good work, yet even our good works are gifts, because even for them help from above is needed.
Rom. 1:12. that is, to be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
In a covert manner he gave them to understand that the Romans needed to be corrected in many things. But since even this was said too strongly (for the Romans could say: what are you saying? Are we really wavering, going in circles, and in need of you to become firm?), he adds: "that is, to be comforted together with you." The meaning is this: you endure many afflictions; therefore I have desired to see you, in order to comfort you somewhat, or rather, to receive comfort myself as well. The common good requires this. For the believers of that time, living as though in captivity, needed to visit one another, and thereby greatly comforted each other. Does this mean that Paul also needed their assistance? Not at all; for he is a pillar of the Church. On the contrary, so as not to speak harshly and, as we said, not to grieve them, he expressed it as though he himself needed their comfort. But if someone says that what comforted and gladdened the apostle in this case was the growth of faith among the Romans, such an interpretation will also be good: it is evident from the apostle's own words: "by the mutual faith both of you and me." In that case the thought will be as follows: I too, seeing your faith, will be comforted and will rejoice, and you will receive firmness from my faith, receiving comfort regarding that in which you may perhaps waver, out of faintheartedness. But this he does not say openly; rather, as has been said, he skillfully implies it.
Rom. 1:13. I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often intended to come to you (but was hindered until now).
He said above that he prayed to come to them, and some probably thought: if you are praying and desiring to give consolation and receive it, then what prevents you from coming? Therefore he added: "I was hindered" by God. Notice that the apostle does not inquire why he was hindered, but obeys the commands of the Master, teaching us also not to be curious about the things of God. So then, he proves that he did not fail to come to them out of negligence or contempt. I, he says, love you so greatly that although I was hindered, I by no means abandoned my intention; on the contrary, I constantly sought to come to you, because I love you exceedingly.
Rom. 1:13. To have some fruit among you also, as among the other nations.
Since Rome was a glorious city, to which all flocked as to a city rich in wonders and magnificent, lest anyone think that Paul greatly desired to see the Romans for this same reason, he says: I greatly desired to come in order to have "some fruit." At the same time he also removes another suspicion, for someone might say: you encountered obstacles because you wanted to come against the will of God. He did not say: to instruct in the faith, to teach, but expresses himself modestly: "to have some fruit," just as above: "to impart to you some gift." At the same time he also restrains them, saying: "as among the other nations." Do not think, he says, that you are better than the other nations because you hold dominion: you all stand in the same rank.
Rom. 1:14. I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise.
Rom. 1:15. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
And this is a matter of modesty. I, he says, am not bestowing some favor, but am fulfilling the command of the Master, and you should thank God, for He is the benefactor, while I am "obligated." He said the same thing to the Corinthians as well: "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel" (1 Cor. 9:16). Therefore I am ready to preach to you as well, even if dangers are before my eyes. Such was his zeal for Christ!