Romans 1:8-12: a reflection

8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you. 11For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established; 12that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.

As Paul writes to the believers in Rome, whom he has not yet met, he tells them how he prays for them constantly and longs to see them; and the reason he gives for wanting to come is striking. He wants to impart some spiritual gift to strengthen them, yes; but he immediately adds a mutual note: that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine. Paul, the great apostle, does not come only to give; he expects to be encouraged by their faith as they are by his, a mutual encouragement in which each strengthens the other.

Notice the mutuality Paul expects: not only to encourage them, but to be encouraged by them. He might have thought of himself only as the one with something to give, the apostle imparting to lesser believers; but he corrects himself to name a mutual encouragement, each of us by the other's faith. Paul expected to receive encouragement from their faith as truly as they would from his; the strengthening would go both ways. In the fellowship of faith, encouragement is mutual: even the apostle is encouraged by the faith of ordinary believers, and gives as well as receives.

That mutuality is worth taking to heart, for in the fellowship of faith we both give and receive encouragement. We can think of encouragement as flowing only one way, from the stronger to the weaker, the mature to the young; but Paul, the apostle, expected to be encouraged by the faith of the Roman believers as they by his. In the fellowship of faith, encouragement is mutual; we both give and receive it, each strengthened by the other's faith. Do not think of yourself as only a giver or only a receiver of encouragement; in the fellowship of faith, we strengthen one another, each by the other's faith. Give and receive encouragement in the fellowship of faith, expecting to be strengthened by others' faith as you strengthen them, as Paul longed to be encouraged by the Romans' faith as they by his; for in the fellowship of faith encouragement is mutual, and even the strongest are encouraged by the faith of others, each strengthening and strengthened by the rest.

Lord, as Paul writes to the believers in Rome, whom he has not yet met, he tells them how he prays for them constantly and longs to see them; and the reason he gives for wanting to come is striking. He wants to impart some spiritual gift to strengthen them, yes; but he immediately adds a mutual note: that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine. Paul, the great apostle, does not come only to give; he expects to be encouraged by their faith as they are by his. Show me the mutuality Paul expects: not only to encourage them, but to be encouraged by them. He might have thought of himself only as the one with something to give; but he corrects himself to name a mutual encouragement, each of us by the other's faith. Paul expected to receive encouragement from their faith as truly as they would from his; the strengthening would go both ways. In the fellowship of faith, encouragement is mutual: even the apostle is encouraged by the faith of ordinary believers. Take that to my heart, for in the fellowship of faith I both give and receive encouragement. I can think of encouragement as flowing only one way, from the stronger to the weaker; but Paul, the apostle, expected to be encouraged by the faith of the Roman believers. In the fellowship of faith, encouragement is mutual. Keep me from thinking of myself as only a giver or only a receiver of encouragement; in the fellowship of faith, we strengthen one another, Lord. Help me give and receive encouragement in the fellowship of faith, expecting to be strengthened by others' faith as I strengthen them, as Paul longed to be encouraged by the Romans' faith as they by his.