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Typical of all his letters except for the one to the Galatians, Paul begins by offering a prayer of thanksgiving. First, he thanks God through Jesus Christ, a classic way to pray. But what does that mean? some spiritual gift” he felt would strengthen them. Then as if catching himself in what might appear as a selfish goal, he added that both he and they might “be encouraged by each other’s faith.” Above all else, it follows the Jewish way of praying: directly to God as if God is always listening to the prayers we offer minute by minute. This is our very human, metaphorical way of acknowledging that God’s love for us is infinite, eternal and always seeking to bring about God’s will for us individually, communally and for the whole of creation. Jesus prayed that way too. That is why Paul could write “through Jesus Christ.” Perhaps a little embarrassed by his self-orientation, he went on to say that he had long wished to visit them, but had been unable to do so. Now he was determined to achieve this goal. He wanted to “reap some harvest among them” as he had among other Gentiles - hence his “eagerness to proclaim the gospel” to the Romans. Paul thanks God for the Romans, not just for being Christians, but for their faithfulness being proclaimed throughout the then-known world. Behind that observation there were historical facts of which Paul was very much aware. In 48 CE Claudius (Emperor 41-54 CE) had banished all Jews from Rome. His successor, Nero, had permitted them to return. Among those banished who had returned to Rome were Priscilla and Aquila (Rom. 16:3; Acts 18:3) in whose home a congregation of believers may well have gathered. Others among those Paul named in 16:3-16 may also have been from Rome. During his travels in the eastern provinces of the empire Paul had learned of the Roman Christian community from these exiles. Paul next turned to the main thrust of his letter: faith springs from the good news that Paul had proclaimed since his commitment to be the apostle to the Gentiles. He wasn’t ashamed of his all-consuming message. Indeed, he had great confidence in it. The power of the gospel to change lives and to make a difference in ordinary life situations was the heart of Paul’s message to Jew and Gentile alike. That’s what Paul meant by the word salvation. He did not mean getting a free pass to heaven. He meant dealing with the actual day to day experiences and relationships of those Christians in Rome. He meant right living then and there, something that happened when people lived by faith that Jesus had revealed for all to see what living God’s way involved. Paul was addressing a community of believers that included both Jews and Gentiles. There may have been some non-Christian Jews too. That meant an inevitable tension within the community, though Paul appears to have been writing to Gentiles in particular. Paul used the familiar phrase “the righteousness of God” in a special way. As a Jew, he knew what righteous living meant. As a converted Jew, he also knew that it was in Jesus – his life, his death, his resurrection and his continuing presence - that God had fully revealed and fulfilled this righteousness. This is what humanity is meant to become: having a right relationship to God. As is often the case in prayer, Paul interrupted his thanksgiving with a personal aside about his desire to visit these Roman house churches. He wanted “to share To quote David Bartlett: “Faith is not a matter of believing the right things … (but) a matter of receiving the gift of God’s righteousness in Jesus Christ.” 2 – A THANKSGIVING PRAYER Romans 1:8-17 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. Which of the many prayers attributed to Paul do you find most helpful in expressing your own attitude to prayer? 2. Do you find Paul’s prayer in Romans 8-17 selfcentred? Or does it express a conviction that Paul believed deeply in the mission he had been given to proclaim the gospel everywhere and especially in Rome, the capital of the Empire? 3. Does the definition of salvation expressed in Paul’s prayer correspond to your own convictions? How else might you express the experience? +++++++ CLOSING PRAYER Some Prayers of St. Paul Go before us, O Lord, in all our endeavours, that whatever we do this day may begin, continue and end according to your will. May whomever we meet learn from us how much you love the whole world through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. OPENING PRAYER Our gracious God, we offer ourselves to you this day that we may learn more fully how your love in Jesus Christ may work also in us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. * * * * * *