Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Romans 1:9
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
9. For God is my witness ] A characteristic appeal. Cp. 2Co 1:23; 2Co 11:31 ; 2Co 12:19; Gal 1:20; Php 1:8; 1Th 2:5; 1Th 2:10. This is traceable in part, perhaps, to the incessant calumnies against his sincerity and veracity which grieved St Paul’s heart.
whom I serve ] The word here rendered “serve” has special reference to religious worship, whether paid by priests or by people. But it naturally implies also active obedience to the God so worshipped, and its classical usage points entirely this way.
with my spirit ] Lit. in my spirit. Much has been said on the risk of confounding “ in ” and the instrumental “ with,” in such cases; and this risk must never be slighted. But in Heb. both ideas have the same sign, and the Hebraistic tinge of N. T. Greek makes it highly likely that in many instances there will be no practical distinction of “in” and “with.” We may well explain the present phrase, “I serve Him with my spirit as the instrument.” The spirit was used in every various way in the Master’s work.
in the gospel of his Son ] Here obviously, on the other hand, “ in ” bears its proper meaning. The Gospel was the field of energy and effort; in it, in expounding and spreading its message, St Paul spent his spiritual powers. “ Of His Son: ” see for the same idea in fuller terms, 2Co 4:4, where lit. “The Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” The Eternal Son is Himself “the Gospel.” The Gospel is His, because He is not only the great Teacher but the essential Doctrine.
without ceasing ] As a continual and diligent habit. The same word occurs 1Th 5:17, in the same sense.
always in my prayers ] Lit. always, upon my prayers; i.e., “on every occasion of prayer.” “ My prayers;” no doubt specially “my private prayers.” The Apostle did indeed “labour fervently in prayer” for his beloved converts and brethren, in his hours of direct intercourse with God. From ch. 16 we gather how individual and detailed his remembrance at such times would be.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For God is my witness – The reason of this strong appeal to God is, to show to the Romans the deep interest which he felt in their welfare This interest was manifested in his prayers, and in his earnest desires to see them. A deep interest shown in this way was well suited to prepare them to receive what he had to say to them.
Whom I serve – See Rom 1:1; compare Act 17:23. The expression denotes that he was devoted to God in this manner; that he obeyed him; and had given himself to do his will in making known his gospel.
With my spirit – Greek, en, in my spirit, that is, with my heart. It is not an external service merely; it is internal, real, sincere. He was really and sincerely devoted to the service of God.
In the gospel of his Son – In making known the gospel, or as a minister of the gospel.
That without ceasing – adialeiptos. This word means constantly, always, without intermission. It was not only once, but repeatedly. It had been the burden of his prayers. The same thing he also mentions in regard to other churches, 1Th 1:3; 1Th 2:13.
I make mention – I call you to remembrance, and present your case before God. This evinced his remarkable interest in a church which he had never seen, and it shows that Paul was a man of prayer; praying not for his friends and kindred only, but for those whom he had never seen. If with the same intensity of prayer all Christians, and Christian ministers, would remember the churches, what a different aspect would the Christian church soon assume!
Always – This word should be connected with the following verse, Always making request, etc.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Rom 1:9
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son.
Pauls appeal to God
I. Its ground is the consciousness of entire consecration to the service of that God whom he had found in the revelation of His Son.
1. These are the two thoughts which are stamped on the whole of this introduction, and which everywhere else are prominent.
(1) Before he knew Christ his God was always the object of his fear and devotion. But how different was that God and his knowledge of Him–without his love in Christ, and His Triune essence. The service he offered was sincere, but ignorant and bigoted, a service which rejected Christ and persecuted His saints. But now in Christ all this had undergone a change. It had pleased God to reveal His Son in Him, and the Son had revealed the Father, and both revelations had been made perfect in the gift of the Holy Ghost. God in Christ became the Alpha and Omega of Divine things to Him.
(2) To that God whom the gospel revealed the apostle gave the service of his renewed spirit. Not merely in the sphere of his intellect, because that was convinced, nor in the sphere of the emotions, because they had been stirred, but in the very inmost self of his self he had given his life to the God of the gospel.
2. Let the richest treasure of your experience be God is my Witness. Paul had no grace that we may not claim. But the real secret which enables us to dare this Omniscient scrutiny is the habitual revelation of the Fatherly love of God in Christ which enables us to say, My God. If Thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquity! carried to an extreme would take away all confidence. God is my witness, but He is my God in Christ.
II. Its special emphasis rests upon the words in my Spirit.
1. The terms are liturgical, for Paul never forgot the ancient temple. The soul is regenerate because inhabited by God. Where He dwells must be a temple; and all glorious things spoken about the ancient dwelling place of Jehovah may be transferred to the spirit of the believer. But He is Priest as well as Temple. Sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts. The great concern of our life must be to preserve our spirit inviolate for the sacred Indweller. The apostle lived in his body as in a temple: an earthly house which should be dissolved, but then built again. He lived in his spirit, however, as in a temple which should never be dissolved; and he lived in hope that both should be reunited and glorified as the eternal dwelling place of God in Christ.
2. This service that he offered in his spirit was the service of God in the gospel of His Son.
(1) He served God for himself. In a certain sense he was a solitary worshipper, presenting in secret his whole devotion before it was translated to the outer sanctuary and the visible life. Habituate yourself to an interior life, hid with Christ in God.
(2) With this, however, we must connect his supplications for others. In the temple of his spirit he offered a systematic, persevering intercession with thanksgiving for the Churches of Christ. It was a house of prayer for all nations.
3. Cultivate this habit of prayer for yourself, your own communion, Christendom and the world in general; cultivate also the habit of mixing mutual prayer with all your engagements.
4. Remember that God alone is the witness of your fidelity, but men will be the witnesses of its results. (W. B. Pope, D. D.)
The true service of God
I. Respects the spread of the gospel.
II. Is rendered with the Spirit.
III. Is constant.
IV. Prayerful.
V. Is discharged as in the sight of God. (J. Lyth, D. D.)
The nature of Christian obedience
We all serve something or someone, self, passion, prejudice, sin, business, ambition, etc., and we find the service pleasant enough. But the only service worth entering upon is that of Christ.
I. The claims which God has upon our service. These are–
1. Self-interest. God is a good Master.
2. Gratitude. A child that turns his back on a kind parent, a servant who repays affection by insult, a rebel who plots against a munificent king–all these is the man who forgets God.
II. The principles which should direct and govern our service to God. Whom I serve with my spirit, implies–
1. Voluntariness. We are not so much influenced by the command which addresses the ear, or the threatening which alarms the conscience, as by love.
2. Sincerity. The spirit is that which commands the whole of man. Often we see the affections dormant and the will persevering. How much of Gods worship is performed outwardly when it is inwardly disliked. The body without the spirit is dead; service without love is hypocrisy.
3. Universality. It had respect to every precept of Gods Word. The carnal mind will only obey such commands as seem pleasing to us.
4. Perpetuity. Not in prosperity only nor in adversity only. It is only by continuousness that perfection is arrived at.
III. The rule by which the service should be governed. The gospel is not only the means of salvation, but it is the rule which regulates our life. To serve God in the gospel is to–
1. Serve God in light. The gospel is the light which shows the Christians safety and danger.
2. To serve God in faith. The whole principle of the gospel is faith, the principle of life, thought, and action.
3. To serve God in love. Love is the great rule of life and sanctification.
4. To be rewarded by God according to the gospel. (J. J. S. Bird, B. A.)
My spirit
1. There was an auction one day of the books and furniture of a very celebrated author, and a vain but rich young man, having induced the auctioneer to offer them in one lot, paid several thousand pounds for the books, shelves, carpet, and in fact everything except the room itself. He directed the things to be taken carefully to his house and fitted up in a room, and placed in the same positions as in the authors study. The young man then sat down with reverence on the authors chair, took up the authors pen, dipped it in the authors ink, and bent his head over the paper on the authors table. But nothing came; the paper remained a blank. The genius of the author was in neither his pen nor his surrounding, but in his spirit–the gift of God. We may be unable to create in our spirit the genius of a celebrated man; but we may develop our own faculty; and, if we do this, we shall bless the world exactly as God wishes us to do. The little forget-me-nots which grow in the quiet nook of the steep rock do their work as effectively as the great oaks which grace the park of a king; and as the tiny flower does its best, it is as worthy of praise as the gigantic tree that does no more.
2. But though we cannot obtain the special genius of another mans spirit, we can receive as our own the disposition of the greatest man who ever lived–Christ can be received by all, and the breathings of His Spirit within us shall mould our thoughts, fashion our desires, and develop our lives like His own. If a man would occupy the place in the world for which he has been specially created, it is absolutely needful for him to have the breathings of Christ in his own spirit; and when undertaking any sacred mission for the benefit of our fellow men, our inquiry should not be, Have I bags of money? but, Is my spirit influenced by Christ? Christ direction is the first and most important step in the kingdom of God.
3. One day a young soldier went to visit the tomb of Scandenberg and the sword of the famous warrior was placed in his hand. The soldier lifted it saying, Is this really Scandenbergs sword? Why there is nothing in it more than mine! The old clerk exclaimed, You see only the sword; you should have seen the hand that grasped it! Likewise, the preacher may be only an ordinary man, he is only an earthen vessel; but in his spirit there should be a power which can move mens hearts and influence their lives–God should breathe within him.
4. Christ and the angels do not look on us as we look on each other. We value a mans surroundings rather than the man himself, An artist whose soul loves beauty does not value a picture by its frame. Seeing the picture to be a gem, he buys it, and does not care twopence for the frame, So, when the Lord looks on you, He does not value your bank book, your dress, your bodily strength and beauty; he values you–your spirit. A man is measured by his soul! (W. Birch.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 9. Whom I serve with my spirit] Whom I worship with the profoundest religious reverence; for so the original certainly means: I not only employ all the powers of my body in this service, but all those of my soul; being thoroughly convinced of the absolute truth of the religion I preach. Probably St. Paul opposes, in this place, the spiritual worship of the Gospel to the external, or what some call the carnal, worship of the Jews. Mine is not a religion of ceremonies, but one in which the life and power of the eternal Spirit are acknowledged and experienced.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
God is my witness; in these words there is the force, if not the form, of an oath. See the like, 2Co 1:18; 11:31; Gal 1:20. His great love and care of them was a hidden thing, and known only to God; to him therefore he appeals for the truth thereof. Oaths, in certain cases, are allowable under the New Testament, as well as the Old.
With my spirit, i.e. sincerely, or with my whole heart: see Eph 6:6; 2Ti 1:3.
Without ceasing, i.e. as often as he prayed. This was a great indication of his hearty affection to them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. For God . . . whom I servetheword denotes religious service.
with my spiritfrom myinmost soul.
in the gospel of his Sontowhich Paul’s whole religious life and official activity wereconsecrated.
is my witness, that withoutceasing I make mention of you always in my prayersso for theEphesians (Eph 1:15; Eph 1:16);so for the Philippians (Phi 1:3;Phi 1:4); so for the Colossians(Col 1:3; Col 1:4);so for the Thessalonians (1Th 1:2;1Th 1:3). What catholic love,what all-absorbing spirituality, what impassioned devotion to theglory of Christ among men!
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For God is my witness, whom I serve,…. These words are an appeal to God, and carry in them the nature and form of an oath; the reason of the apostle’s using it was, because he was personally unknown to the Romans, and they to him, and so might doubt of his affectionate regard unto them; and therefore for the confirmation thereof he uses it: this was a case which was only known to God and himself, and hence he appeals to him for the truth of it. The object of his oath or appeal, or by which he speaks, is not himself, or anything that belonged to him, nor any creature in heaven or on earth, but God; who in a solemn oath is only to be appealed to and sworn by: he describes him as the God “whom [he] served”, to distinguish him from all false gods, and to show that he that takes an oath, should be one that fears and serves the Lord; what he served him in was not the law, but
the Gospel of his Son; Jesus Christ, who is the author, minister, and subject matter of it: he served him in it, by preaching, spreading, and defending it. This is a service, and a very laborious one, and makes for the honour and glory of God. The manner in which he served him was, as he says,
with my Spirit; either with the Spirit of God, which was given to him; or in a spiritual manner, in opposition to the carnal worship of the Jews; internally, in opposition to bodily exercise only, and voluntarily, with his whole heart, soul, and spirit. The matter or substance of his appeal or oath was,
that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; whence may be observed, that prayer to God ought to be constant; and that we should be concerned for others as well as for ourselves; all the saints should share therein.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
I serve (). Old verb from , hire, and , hireling, so to serve for hire, then to serve in general gods or men, whether sacred services (Heb 9:9; Heb 10:2) or spiritual service as here. Cf. Rom 12:1; Phil 3:3.
Unceasingly (). Late adverb for which see 1Thess 1:2; 1Thess 2:13; 1Thess 5:17, only other N.T. examples.
Always (). One might think that Paul prayed for no others, but he uses both adverbs in 1Th 1:2. He seems to have had prayer lists. He never omitted the Romans.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
I serve [] . See on Luk 1:74. The word was used in a special sense to denote the service rendered to Jehovah by the Israelites as His peculiar people. See Rom 9:4; Act 26:7. Compare Heb 9:1, 6. As in his Philippian letter, Paul here appropriates the Jewish word for the spiritual Christian service. See on Phi 3:3.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For God is my witness,” (martus gar mou estin ho theos) “For the witness of me is God,” or “God exists as my witness,” in all that I think, say, and do. So he is of every person in everything one says and does, Job 16:19; 1Th 2:5. He is looking on, Pro 15:3.
2) “Whom I serve,” (ho latreuo) “Whom I actively, progressively serve”; The Greek term here used denotes devout religious service or devotions, Act 27:23.
3) “With my spirit in the gospel of his Son,” (en to pneumati mou en to evangellio tou huiou autou) “In my spirit in the gospel (good news) of his Son”; Paul’s heart, soul, mind, attitude, disposition, and body were committed to the preaching of the gospel of the Son of God by word and pen, Rom 1:15.
4) “That without ceasing I make mention of you,” (hos adialeiptos mneian humon poioumai) “How unceasingly (with uninterrupted continuity) I make mention of you all,” in testimony and prayer.” He practiced praying “without ceasing,” even as he commanded it of others, Eph 6:18; Col 4:2-3; 1Th 5:17-18.
5) “Always in my prayers,” (pantote epi ton proseuchon) “At all times and conditions in the prayers,” which I offer. Do we always remember our missionaries and sister churches in prayer, or even as often as our missionaries remember us? Jas 5:16; Eph 1:16; 2Ti 1:3.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
9. For God is my witness, etc. He proves his love by its effects; for had he not greatly loved them, he would not have so anxiously commended them to the Lord, and especially he would not have so ardently desired to promote their welfare by his own labors. His anxiety then and his ardent desire were certain evidences of his love; for had they not sprung from it, they would never have existed. And as he knew it to be necessary for establishing confidence in his preaching, that the Romans should be fully persuaded of his sincerity, he added an oath — a needful remedy, whenever a declaration, which ought to be received as true and indubitable vacillates through uncertainty. For since an oath is nothing else but an appeal to God as to the truth of what we declare, most foolish is it to deny that the Apostle used here an oath. He did not notwithstanding transgress the prohibition of Christ.
It hence appears that it was not Christ’s design (as the superstitious Anabaptists dream) to abolish oaths altogether, but on the contrary to call attention to the due observance of the law; and the law, allowing an oath, only condemns perjury and needless swearing. If then we would use an oath aright, let us imitate the seriousness and the reverent manner exhibited by the Apostles; and that you may understand what it is, know that God is so called as a witness, that he is also appealed to as an avenger, in case we deceive; which Paul expresses elsewhere in these words,
“
God is a witness to my soul.” (2Co 1:23.) (30)
Whom I serve with my spirit, etc. It is usual with profane men, who trifle with God, to pretend his name, no less boldly than presumptuously; but the Apostle here speaks of his own piety, in order to gain credit; and those, in whom the fear of God and reverence for his name prevail, will dread to swear falsely. At the same time, he sets his own spirit in opposition to the outward mask of religion; for as many falsely pretend to be the worshippers of God, and outwardly appear to be so, he testifies that he, from the heart served, God. (31) It may be also that he alluded to the ancient ceremonies, in which alone the Jews thought the worship of God consisted. He then intimates, that though he retained not observance of these, he was yet a sincere worshipper of God, according to what he says in Phi 3:3,
“
We are the true circumcision, who in spirit serve God, and glory not in the flesh.”
He then glories that he served God with sincere devotion of heart, which is true religion and approved worship.
But it was expedient, as I have said, in order that his oath might attain more credit, that Paul should declare his piety towards God; for perjury is a sport to the ungodly, while the pious dread it more than a thousand deaths; inasmuch as it cannot be, but that where there is a real fear of God, there must be also a reverence for his name. It is then the same thing, as though Paul had said, that he knew how much sacredness and sincerity belonged to an oath, and that he did not rashly appeal to God as a witness, as the profane are wont to do. And thus, by his own example, he teaches us, that whenever we swear, we ought to give such evidence of piety, that the name of God, which we use in our declarations, may retain its sacredness. And further, he gives a proof, even by his own ministry, that he worshipped not God feignedly; for it was the fullest evidence, that he was a man devoted to God’s glory, when he denied himself, and hesitated not to undergo all the hardships of reproach, poverty, and hatred, and even the peril of death, in advancing the kingdom of God. (32)
Some take this clause, as though Paul intended to recommend that worship which he said he rendered to God, on this account, — because it corresponded with what the gospel prescribes. It is indeed certain that spiritual worship is enjoined on us in the gospel; but the former interpretation is far the most suitable, — that he devoted his service to God in preaching the gospel. He, however, makes at the same time a difference between himself and hypocrites, who have something else in view rather than to serve God; for ambition, or some such thing, influences most men; and it is far from being the case, that all engage cordially and faithfully in this office. The meaning is, that Paul performed sincerely the office of teaching; for what he says of his own devotion he applies to this subject.
But we hence gather a profitable doctrine; for it ought to add no little encouragement to the ministers of the gospel, when they hear that, in preaching the gospel, they render an acceptable and a valuable service to God. What, indeed, is there to prevent them from regarding it an excellent service, when they know that their labor is pleasing to God, and is approved by him? Moreover, he calls it the gospel of the Son of God; for Christ is in it made known, who has been appointed by the Father for this end, — that he, being glorified, should also glorify the Father.
That continually, etc. He still further sets forth the ardor of his love by his very constancy in praying for them. It was, indeed, a strong evidence, when he poured forth no prayers to the Lord without making mention of them. That the meaning may be clearer, I render παντοτε, “always;” as though it was said, “In all my prayers,” or, “whenever I address God in prayer, I join a mention of you.” (33) Now he speaks not of every kind of calling on God, but of those prayers to which the saints, being at liberty, and laying aside all cares, apply their whole attention to the work; for he might have often expressed suddenly this or that wish, when the Romans did not come into his mind; but whenever he had previously intended, and, as it were, prepared himself to offer up prayers to God, among others he remembered them. He then speaks peculiarly of those prayers, for which the saints deliberately prepare themselves; as we find to have been the case with our Lord himself, who, for this purpose, sought retirement. He at the same time intimates how frequently, or rather, how unceasingly he was engaged in such prayers, since he says that he prayed continually.
(30) The passage in Mat 5:33, has been often wholly misunderstood. That oaths in common conversation are alone prohibited, is quite evident from what the passage itself contains. In solemn oaths there was no swearing by “heaven,” or by “God’s throne,” or by “the earth,” or by “Jerusalem,” or by “the head.” such forms were only used in conversation, as similar ones are still used: and these kinds of swearing are alone condemned by our Savior. — Ed.
(31) “ Sincerè et verè — sincerely and truly,” [ Wolfius ], “not merely externally, but cordially,” [ Hodge ].
(32) ἐν τῶ εὐαγγελίω τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ “by the preaching of the gospel, etc.” [ Stuart ]. “ In predicando evangelio — in preaching the gospel,” [ Beza ]. “I serve God, not in teaching legal rites, but a much more celestial doctrine,” [ Grotius ]
(33) The order of the words, as arranged by [ Calvin ], is better than that of our version; he connects “always in my prayers,” or, “in all my prayers,” with “requesting.” The simpler rendering would be as follows: —
9. My witness indeed is God, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that I unceasingly make mention of you, always requesting in my prayers,
10. That by some means now at length I may, through the will of God, have a free course to come to you.
“
In the gospel,” may either mean “according to the gospel,” or, “in preaching the gospel.” [ Hodge ] prefers the first. The particle ει clearly means “that” in this connection. That it is used in this sense in the New Testament there can be no doubt; see Act 26:8; Heb 7:15
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) Proof that the Apostle takes this lively interest in the Roman Church conveyed through a solemn adjuration.
Whom I serve.The word for serve is strictly used for voluntary service paid to God, especially in the way of sacrifice and outward worship. Here it is somewhat metaphorical: Whom I serve, not so much with outward acts as with the ritual of the spirit.
With my spirit.Spirit is with St. Paul the highest part or faculty in the nature of man. It is the seat of his higher consciousnessthe organ by which he communicates with God. Certainly man is of kin to the beasts by his body; and if he be not of kin to God by his spirit, he is a base and ignoble creature. (Bacon, Essay on Atheism.) Of itself the spirit of man is neutral. When brought into contact with the Spirit of God, it is capable of a truly religious life; but apart from this influence, it is apt to fall under the dominion of the fleshi.e., of those evil appetites and desires to which man is exposed by his physical organisation.
In the gospel of his Son.The sphere to which the Apostle feels himself called, and in which this heart-worship of his finds its field of operation, is the defence and preaching, &c., of the gospel.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(9-11) It is the constant subject of the Apostles prayers that he may succeed in making his way to Rome; so anxious is he to open his heart to that Church in personal- apostolic intercourse.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Without ceasing Regularly remembering the unseen Roman Church.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers,’
The use of this minor oath, calling on God as his witness, confirms how desirous Paul was to win the hearts of the Roman church. He was aware that many voices came to Rome and he was concerned that his voice should be heard above them. So he stresses before God that he ‘serves God in his spirit in the Gospel of His Son’. There is an echo here of the words of the introduction. Just as Jesus Christ was revealed as acting ‘according to the spirit of holiness’ (Rom 1:4), so Paul acts ‘in his spirit’ which is a spirit of servitude to God. He is the servant of the Holy One. And He is so in ‘the Gospel of His Son’, that is in the Gospel of God, the Good News whose source is God, which is concerning His Son (Rom 1:1; Rom 1:3).
And it is because of his spirit’s servitude to God that he unceasingly makes mention of them always in his prayers in order that he might at some stage be able to come and see them. He acts under divine compulsion as God’s hired servant. Note how his prayers are ‘unceasing’ (they occur day by day) and ‘always’ (he never misses a day). Assuming it to be true, and the oath confirms it, we have an indication here of the depth of Paul’ prayer life even in the midst of a busy schedule which included arranging the details of the Collection for the saints in Judea and planning the journey to Jerusalem.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Rom 1:9. With my Spirit “Not only with my body, but with the whole bent, the greatest integrity and ardour of my soul.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Rom 1:9 . ] The pith of the following proof of the assurance conveyed in Rom 1:8 lies in , not in the desire to come to Rome, which is not subjoined till Rom 1:10 (Th. Schott). The interest felt by the Apostle in the Romans, which was so vivid that he unceasingly remembered them, etc., had even now urged him to his . . [348]
. ] The asseveration in the form of an oath (comp 2Co 1:23 ; 2Co 11:31 ; Phi 1:8 ) is intended solemnly to strengthen the impression of what he has to say; viewed with reference to the circumstance which might readily excite surprise, that he, the Apostle of the Gentiles, had never yet laboured in the church which nevertheless was Pauline of the capital of the Gentile world. See Rom 1:10-13 . The hypothesis of “ iniquos rumores ,” that had reached his ears from Rome (van Hengel), is unnecessary and unsupported by any trace in the letter.
. . [350] ] added to strengthen the asseveration with respect to its sacred conscientiousness: to whom I render holy service in my spirit, i.e. in my moral self-consciousness, which is the living inner sphere of that service. [351] This . , on which lies the practical stress of the relative clause, excludes indeed all of a merely external kind, exercising itself in works, or even impure; but is not intended to suggest a definite contrast to this, which would here be without due motive. It is rather the involuntary expression of the profoundly vivid feeling of inward experience . The Apostle knows and feels that the depths of his innermost life are pervaded by his . Comp . , in 2Ti 1:3 ; also Heb 12:28 . cannot be the Holy Spirit (Theodoret), [353] but Paul bore the witness of that Spirit in his own spirit (Rom 8:16 ; Rom 9:1 .).
. . ] in the gospel of His Son , which I preach, defend, etc. That is the great sphere to which He is called in the service of God, in the consciousness of which he is impelled by an inward necessity to devote to his readers that fervent sympathy of which he assures them. Grotius and Reiche think there is an implied contrast to the , which however is quite foreign to the connection. Can we think of a side-glance at the Jewish style of teaching when the discourse breathes only love and warmth of affection?
.] does not stand for (as following the Vulgate, the majority, including Fritzsche, think), but expresses the manner (the degree). God is my witness, how unceasingly, etc. Comp Php 1:8 ; 2Co 7:15 ; 1Th 2:10 ; Act 10:28 ; Calvin; Philippi; van Hengel; see also Ellendt, Lex. Soph. II. p. 1000. The idea of modality must be everywhere retained, where takes the place of . See the passages in Heindorf, a [355] Plat. Hipp. maj. p. 281, Jacobs. a [356] Ach. Tat. p. 566.
. . .] make mention of you , viz. in my prayers . See Rom 1:10 . Comp Eph 1:16 ; Php 1:3 ; 1Th 1:2 .
[348] . . . .
[350] . . . .
[351] Comp. Ernesti, Urspr. d. Snde , II. p. 89 f.; see also on Joh 4:23 .
[353] Holsten also ( z. Ev. d. Paul. u. Petr. p. 386) understands it of the Holy Spirit as bestowed on the Apostle ( ). See, against this view, Rich. Schmidt, Paul. Christol . p. 33 ff.
[355] d refers to the note of the commentator or editor named on the particular passage.
[356] d refers to the note of the commentator or editor named on the particular passage.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
DISCOURSE: 1820
PAULS LOVE TO THE CHURCH AT ROME
Rom 1:9-12. God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
IT has been thought by some, that it would have been better for the Church if the Gospels only had been transmitted to posterity, and the Epistles had perished in oblivion. This impious sentiment originates altogether in mens hatred of the truth; and it argues as much ignorance of the Gospels, as it does ingratitude to God. The Gospels contain all the same truths as the Epistles; but the Epistles render them more clear. Never should we have had so complete a view of the correspondence between the Jewish and Christian dispensations, as we are favoured with in the Epistle to the Hebrews: nor would the doctrine of justification by faith alone have been so clearly defined, or so incontrovertibly established, if the Epistles to the Romans and the Galatians had never existed. We are moreover indebted to the Epistles for a much clearer insight into practical religion, than we ever should have had without them. It is true, that the example of Christ is perfect, and that the precepts he has given us are perfect also; but we should never have known what heights of piety are attainable by men of like passions with ourselves, if we had not known more of the Apostles than what is recorded of them in the Gospels. In the Acts of the Apostles we behold much of their zeal and diligence; but in the Epistles, the full portrait of a minister is drawn with a minuteness and accuracy which we should in vain look for in any other place. To go no further than to the words before uswhat an exalted idea have we of the love which a minister should bear towards his people, in this solemn declaration of St. Paul! Let us contemplate it awhile: let us consider the leading points which his words develope; and,
I.
His love to the Church at Rome
St. Paul was a man of a most enlarged heart: he loved all that loved the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity; as well those who had not seen his face in the flesh, as those who had been converted under his own ministry. He knew the Christians at Rome only by report; yet he felt the most ardent affection for them; and shewed that affection,
1.
By his incessant prayers for them
[The love which exists among the men of this world leads them to regard each others temporal welfare: but spiritual and Christian love has respect chiefly to the souls of men; and consequently exercises itself most in promoting their eternal welfare. It was thus that St. Paul manifested his love to the Christians at Rome: he prayed for them: he knew that God alone could make them truly happy; and that he would regard the intercessions of his people in their behalf: and therefore he made mention of them always in his prayers, and laboured without ceasing to bring down upon them the blessings of heaven.
Now this was a decisive proof of love. Indeed by this we all may try our love, and may ascertain whether it be merely natural, or truly Christian; yea, all husbands and wives, parents and children, ministers and people, may here discern! not only the nature of their affection, as by a touchstone, but the measure of it, as by a scale; and, by examining into the constancy and fervour of their intercessions for others, may learn the state of their own souls before God. O that, like the Apostle, we could appeal to the heart-searching God, and call him to witness, that we have this evidence at least of serving him with our spirit in the Gospel of his Son!]
2.
By his earnest desire to visit them
[Love naturally affects communion with the objects beloved. St. Paul no sooner heard of the piety of those at Rome, than he conceived an ardent affection for them, and a determination of mind, if a favourable opportunity should present itself, to pay them a visit. For many years, occurrences had arisen to prevent the execution of his purpose [Note: Rom 15:22-23.]: but nothing could abate his desire of seeing them, when his way thither should be made clear. Hence, among his other petitions for them, he prayed particularly and constantly that God would be pleased to direct his way to them, and to prosper him in his journey towards them. This, in connexion with the former, was also a strong evidence of his love: for, had he loved them less, he might well have left them to the care of their spiritual fathers, and confined his own ministry to those who were nearer to him and easier of access. Had they been the peculiar objects of his charge, and had he laboured for many years exclusively amongst them, we doubt not but that his desire to see them would have been still more ardent. At all events we are sure, that no minister who truly loves his people and his work will be long absent from his flock without having this the constant language of his heart, I long to see you! He may be separated from them in presence, but not in heart.]
But what were,
II.
The particular objects of his intended visit to them
Rome was then the most magnificent city in the universe: it was the seat of empire, the capital of the world. But was it to gratify a vain curiosity, or to court popularity among the great, that the Apostle sought to go thither? No: he had far nobler ends in view: the true objects of his intended visit were,
1.
The advancement of their welfare
[The Apostle was honoured by God with a power of conferring miraculous gifts: and these, when conferred, tended greatly to strengthen the hands of those who preached the Gospel, and to confirm the faith of them that heard it [Note: This is strongly marked in his appeal to the Galatians, Gal 3:2; Gal 3:5.]. To this therefore he might in part refer, when he spoke of imparting to the Church some spiritual gifts. But he certainly desired to increase also the graces of the Lords people; to confirm their faith, enliven their hope, and augment their joy. However exalted their characters were, there was yet abundant room for improvement; and he hoped to be a blessed instrument in the hands of God for the advancing and perfecting of his work in their souls. For this end, God is pleased to make use of his ministering servants. On them he confers the honour, not merely of awakening men from the sleep of death, but of building them up also on their most holy faith, and completing them, as a spiritual edifice, for his own immediate residence. O blessed work indeed! Well might the Apostle desire to be engaged in it, wherever his labours might be successfully employed: for surely no labour can be so great, no suffering so heavy, but it is richly compensated, if this end be in any measure produced.]
2.
The comfort of his own soul
[Next to the happiness of communion with God, is that of fellowship with his believing people. To be appreciated, it must be felt: no one can have any conception of that oneness of heart and mind which exists in the Lords people, unless he himself has experienced it. When their faith is in lively exercise, and their souls are humbled in the dust, and their hearts overflow with love, who shall give us any adequate idea of their felicity? Certainly it is nearly allied to the happiness of heaven; or rather, it is an anticipation and foretaste of heaven itself. This happiness the Apostle assuredly expected to enjoy among the people at Rome: yea, this happiness does every faithful minister enjoy, according to the degree in which his own soul is devoted to God, and the people to whom he ministers have imbibed his spirit.
O that it may be known and felt amongst us; and that we may increasingly reap this fruit of our intercourse with each other!]
Improvement
1.
Let us be thankful to God, who has heard and answered our supplications
[That you have remembered your minister, we have no doubt: and God is witness that he has not been unmindful of you; and now our heavenly Benefactor has graciously renewed to us our opportunities of uniting together in our wonted exercises of prayer and praise. Let us then be thankful; yet not in word only, but in deed and in truth. Let us consecrate ourselves to him afresh, and strive, with holy ardour, who shall serve him best. This is the true way in which to manifest our thankfulness to God. Our offices may differ, as the offices of the eye and hand; but, if all of us perform the proper duties of our station with care and diligence, he will accept our services, not according to the importance which we annex to them, but according to the mind with which they are performed.]
2.
Let us continue to pray for his blessing on our poor endeavours
[It is to no purpose that God has brought us together again, if he himself be not in the midst of us. Paul may plant, and Apollos may water: but it is God alone that can give the increase. Let us therefore wait upon him continually. Let us go to him before we meet in the public assembly; and retire from thence to our closets again. Let all that we do be begun, continued, and ended in a humble dependence upon God. Then shall spiritual gifts be richly imparted to you; and the whole body of us be comforted and edified.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
Ver. 9. Whom I serve in my spirit ] That is, with all the faculties of my soul concentred and co-united.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
9. ] “Asseveratio pia, de re necessaria, et hominibus, remotis prsertim et ignotis, occulta.” Bengel. There could be no other witness to his practice in his secret prayers, but God: and as the assertion of a habit of incessantly praying for the Roman Christians, whom he had never seen, might seem to savour of an exaggerated expression of affection, he solemnly appeals to this only possible testimony. To the Eph., Phil., (see however Php 1:8 ), Col., Thess., he gives the same assurance, but without the asseveration. The thus calling God to witness is no un-common practice with Paul: see reff. in E. V.
. ] The serving God in his spirit was a guarantee that his profession was sincere, and that the oath just taken was no mere form, but a solemn and earnest appeal of his spirit. See also Phi 3:3 (present text), and Joh 4:24 . “The LXX use generally (not so, but only in a few places, e.g. Num 16:9 , Eze 20:32 ; it is mostly rendered by ; for the most part rendering ) for the Heb. , which mostly implies the service of the priests in the temple: e.g. Num 3:31 ; Num 4:12 ; Num 18:2 , &c. The Apostle means then, that he is an intelligent, true priest of his God, not in the temple, but in his spirit, not at the altar, but at the gospel of His Son.” Umbreit.
. ] , Chrys. Hom. iii. p. 438. His peculiar method of was concerned with the gospel of the Son of God. “Quidam accipiunt hanc particulam, quasi voluerit Paulus cultum illum, quo se prosequi Deum dixerat, ex eo commendare, quod Evangelii prscripto respondeat: certum est autem, spiritualem Dei cultum in Evangelio nobis prcipi. Sed prior interpretatio longe melius quadrat, nempe quod suum Deo obsequium addicat in Evangelii prdicatione.” Calvin. See , Phi 4:15 .
[ ] how unceasingly : the words may also mean ‘ that without ceasing ,’ but the former rendering seems the better of the two.]
belongs to the following, not to the preceding words. This latter construction would not be without example, , 1Ma 12:11 , but this very example shews that if so, its natural place would be close to . The whole phrase is a favourite one with Paul, see reff. “ vice nominis accipio, ac si dictum foret, ‘In omnibus meis orationibus, seu quoties precibus Deum appello, adjungo vestri mentionem.’ ” Calvin.
must be understood of his ordinary stated prayers, just in our sense of my prayers : “quoties ex professo et quasi meditatus Deum orabat, illorum quoque habebat rationem inter alios.” Calv.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Rom 1:9 f. (Phi 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. in the LXX is always used of religious service worship, whether of the true God or of idols. : Paul’s ministry is spiritual and rendered with his spirit not like that of the ministers in the at Jerusalem. : in preaching the glad tidings of His Son. : the may either be “how” or “that”: looking to 1Th 2:10 , “how” seems more probable. : I remember you. Cf. Job 14:13 (O that Thou wouldst appoint me ). : at my prayers. (Winer, p. 470.) For , see Act 27:12 and Burton, Moods and Tenses , 276. is “now at length,” “now, after all this waiting”. (S. and H.) The , 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. : 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 , which was no doubt present to consciousness when the word 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 (1Co 16:2 , 1Co 16:3 John Rom 1:2 ), as well as the LXX, suggest the contrary. Hence the R.V. is probably right. : his long cherished and often disappointed hope had taught Paul to say, “if the Lord will” (Jas 4:15 ).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
witness. Greek. martus; only here in Romans. Compare 2Co 1:23. Php 1:1, Php 1:8. 1Th 2:5, 1Th 2:10.
serve. Greek. latreuo. App-137 and App-190.
spirit. App-101. Compare Php 1:3, Php 1:3.
the gospel of His Son. This expression only here; elsewhere, the Apostle speaks of “the gospel of Christ”, 1Co 9:12, 1Co 9:18; 2Co 2:12. Php 1:27. Compare 2Co 4:4.
without ceasing, Greek. adialeiptos. Only here and 1Th 1:3; 1Th 2:13; 1Th 5:17.
make mention. Compare Eph 1:16. Php 1:3. 1Th 1:2; 1Th 3:6. 2Ti 1:3. Phm 1:4. The same expression appears in a papyrus of second cent., from the Fayoum, in a letter from a Roman soldier to his sister.
prayers. Greek. proseuche. App-134.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
9.] Asseveratio pia, de re necessaria, et hominibus, remotis prsertim et ignotis, occulta. Bengel. There could be no other witness to his practice in his secret prayers, but God: and as the assertion of a habit of incessantly praying for the Roman Christians, whom he had never seen, might seem to savour of an exaggerated expression of affection, he solemnly appeals to this only possible testimony. To the Eph., Phil., (see however Php 1:8), Col., Thess., he gives the same assurance, but without the asseveration. The thus calling God to witness is no un-common practice with Paul: see reff. in E. V.
.] The serving God in his spirit was a guarantee that his profession was sincere, and that the oath just taken was no mere form, but a solemn and earnest appeal of his spirit. See also Php 3:3 (present text), and Joh 4:24. The LXX use generally (not so, but only in a few places, e.g. Num 16:9, Eze 20:32; it is mostly rendered by ; for the most part rendering ) for the Heb. , which mostly implies the service of the priests in the temple: e.g. Num 3:31; Num 4:12; Num 18:2, &c. The Apostle means then, that he is an intelligent, true priest of his God, not in the temple, but in his spirit,-not at the altar, but at the gospel of His Son. Umbreit.
.] , Chrys. Hom. iii. p. 438. His peculiar method of was concerned with the gospel of the Son of God. Quidam accipiunt hanc particulam, quasi voluerit Paulus cultum illum, quo se prosequi Deum dixerat, ex eo commendare, quod Evangelii prscripto respondeat: certum est autem, spiritualem Dei cultum in Evangelio nobis prcipi. Sed prior interpretatio longe melius quadrat, nempe quod suum Deo obsequium addicat in Evangelii prdicatione. Calvin. See , Php 4:15.
[ ] how unceasingly: the words may also mean that without ceasing, but the former rendering seems the better of the two.]
belongs to the following, not to the preceding words. This latter construction would not be without example,- , 1Ma 12:11, but this very example shews that if so, its natural place would be close to . The whole phrase is a favourite one with Paul, see reff. vice nominis accipio, ac si dictum foret, In omnibus meis orationibus, seu quoties precibus Deum appello, adjungo vestri mentionem. Calvin.
must be understood of his ordinary stated prayers, just in our sense of my prayers: quoties ex professo et quasi meditatus Deum orabat, illorum quoque habebat rationem inter alios. Calv.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Rom 1:9. , witness) A pious asseveration respecting a matter necessary [Pauls secret prayer for them], and hidden from men, especially from those, who were remote and unknown,-2Co 11:31.-, I serve), as an apostle, ch. Rom 15:16. The witness of God resounds [is often appealed to] in spiritual service; and he who serves God, desires and rejoices, that as many as possible should serve God, 2Ti 1:3.- , mention of you) Paul was wont to make distinct and explicit mention of the churches, and of the souls of their members.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Rom 1:9
Rom 1:9
For God is my witness,-He appeals to God as to his great interest in them [for there could be no other witness to his practice in his secret prayers].
whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son,- [The Savior said: The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth. (Joh 4:23-24). These spiritual states and emotions originate in the inner man and find expression through the appointments of the gospel, in obedience to which the spirit proclaims its fealty to God. Only when men serve God thus can their service be true and acceptable.]
how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers-The prominent position occupied by this church and its opportunities to spread an influence for good or evil commended itself especially to the apostle as worthy and needful of mention in his prayers, that the influence that went out to all parts of the world might be a good and true one. It shows, too, what weight he attached to prayer.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
God: Rom 9:1, Job 16:19, 2Co 1:23, 2Co 11:10, 2Co 11:11, 2Co 11:31, Gal 1:20, Phi 1:8, 1Th 2:5-10, 1Ti 2:7
whom: Act 27:23, Phi 2:22, Col 1:28, Col 1:29, 2Ti 1:3
with: or, in, Joh 4:23, Joh 4:24, Act 19:21, 1Co 14:14, 1Co 14:15, Phi 3:3
the: Mar 1:1, Act 3:26, 1Jo 5:9-12
that: 1Sa 12:23, Luk 18:1, Act 12:5, Eph 6:18, 1Th 3:10, 1Th 5:17, 2Ti 1:3
I make: Eph 1:16-19, Eph 3:14-21, Phi 1:4, Phi 1:9-11, Col 1:9-13, 1Th 1:2, Phm 1:4
Reciprocal: Deu 10:12 – to serve Jos 22:5 – serve Jdg 11:10 – The Lord Jer 42:5 – The Lord be Mal 3:18 – between him Act 6:4 – prayer Act 20:19 – Serving Rom 1:1 – a servant Rom 1:3 – his Son Rom 7:6 – serve Phi 1:3 – I thank Phi 1:27 – the gospel Col 1:3 – give 1Th 2:13 – thank 2Th 1:11 – we pray 3Jo 1:3 – when
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
MARKS OF SPIRITUAL SERVICE
God Whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son.
Rom 1:9
Here is a remarkable expressionWhom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His son. St. Paul was a model servant. We profess ourselves to be Christs servants. Let us take a lesson from this great exemplar of acceptable service and seek to follow him as he followed Christ. In these words St. Paul strikingly describes the character of his service. Let us notice, first, its marks. They are indicated in the expression to which I again call your attention, with my spirit. It occurs in one other place only in the New Testament, viz. in Php 3:1, where true Christians are described as those who worship God in the spirit. We shall see that it is full of meaning.
I. It was a willing service.The Lord Jesus Christ will have no compulsion. There are to be no pressed men in His service. There are some persons who are religious, so far as their religion goes, by necessity, the force of circumstances, the force of public opinion, which still considers a profession of religion a respectable thing. But that is not serving God with the spirit. St. Paul was no such unwilling, reluctant servant as that. His was a voluntary, free-hearted service. There were very few inducements in St. Pauls day to serve God in any other manner except with the spirit. A man attempting to do so would very soon find he had chosen a rough and unpleasant path.
II. This service was intelligent, as opposed to a merely mechanical routine.There is a very great danger of our falling into a mere routine. The very familiarity with holy things may breed contempt of them before we are aware. The most spiritual duties may come at last to be almost mechanically performed. The only safeguard is to be renewed in our spirit by daily contact with the Holy Spirit of God. St. Paul, at any rate, was no unintelligent worker. How wonderfully he had grasped the great problems of sin and salvation this Epistle is a witness. What a range of spiritual truth does he unveil!
III. It was priestly service.An examination of the original helps us here. The thought of adoration is in the Greek word. It is a liturgical word. It brings before us the idea of the Temple and priestly service. The service St. Paul was rendering to God in the Gospel of His Son was priestly service. The priest of the Old Testament exercised his office in perpetually offering the same sacrifices which could never take away sins; but the true spiritual priest of the New Testament exercises his office in proclaiming the finished work of Christ on Calvary, and the good news of salvation through His merit, freely offered to all them that believe. This thought of priestly service carries with it the idea of the dedication of the body as Gods truest temple. It is a mighty step onward in Christian experience to have learnt what it is to be Gods temple.
Rev. E. W. Moore.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
1:9
Rom 1:9. God is my witness. Since God knows the hearts of all, He knew that Paul’s service was from the heart, and for that reason_ the prayers of the apostle would be heard.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Rom 1:9. For. This introduces a solemn proof of his thanksgiving.
God is my witness. Such appeals to God are not uncommon in Pauls writings. God only could know what his habit in secret prayer was. The fact was important, since he had labored so widely and yet not visited them. This might seem like ignorance or forgetfulness of them.
Whom I serve in my spirit. This adds strength to the solemn asseveration. The word translated serve is used in the Septuagint of priestly service, and probably retains some such force here. He renders true service, not in the temple, but in his spirit. Spirit is the highest part of mans nature, and in passages like this the reference is to the human spirit, not in contrast with soul or body, but as the sphere of the working of the Holy Spirit. Meyer says: in my moral self-consciousness, which is the living inner sphere of that service. But it is a regenerated moral self-consciousness (so Godet).
In the gospel of his Son. The gospel concerning his Son (comp. Rom 1:3). This is the sphere of the service from another point of view; his service is not the performance of a ritual, but the proclamation of the gospel, the good tidings about the Son of God. Notice here and throughout, that the gospel is spoken of, not as the gospel of Jesus, but as the gospel of God, the gospel of Christ, the gospel of his Son. Paul served God by telling the good tidings of the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom 1:1-5)
How unceasingly. The E. V. is incorrect here. It is the mode, rather than the simple fact, or the degree, which is brought out.
I remember you. Here the E. V. is inaccurate in its punctuation. This phrase should be separated from what follows. The remembrance is not a mere recollection, but an active recalling of them. Make mention is more literal, but it suggests the thought of petition, which is first brought out in what follows.
Always in my prayers, or, at my prayers i.e., always when engaged in prayer.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Here we have observable, 1. The apostle’s solemn protestation of his affectionate love unto, and great care and concern for, these Roman converts, whom he was now absent from, yea, whose faces he had never yet seen; Without ceasing, says the apostle, I make mention of you always in my prayers.
Observe, 2. That because the apostle was yet a stranger to them, had never seen them, and it was impossible for them to know the outgoings of his heart toward them, he solemnly appeals to the heart-searching God, calls him to witness how affectionately he loved them, and how frequently he prayed for them; God is my witness. The words have the force, if not the form of an oath, and teach us, that it is unquestionably lawful in important affairs to swear, to appeal to God, and call him to be a witness of what we either say or do. We find St. Paul did it often, and our Saviour himself did not refuse to answer upon oath, when solemnly adjured.
Observe, 3. How the apostle swears by God, not by the creatures, which is the swearing condemned by our Saviour and by St. James, Matthew 5 and James 5.
Note farther, How St. Paul appeals to that God, whom he served in or with his spirit; that is, with the apostle’s own spirit, with his heart unfeignedly.
From whence we may remark, That no service can be performed acceptable to almighty God, except the heart and spirit of a Christian be engaged in it. True, the body has its part and share in divine worship, as well as the soul; but the service of the body is never accepted by God, unless animated and quickened by an obedient soul.
Oh Christian, serve thy God with thy soul and spirit, as well as with thy tongue and knee! and then thy offering will be more acceptable to God, than the most adorned temples, the most pompous ceremonies, and most costly devotions whatever, with the want of these.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Rom 1:9-12. For God is my witness In saying I am thankful for your conversion, I might be well supposed to speak the truth, such an event being perfectly agreeable to the continual tenor of my petitions to God; whom I serve Not only as a Christian, but as an apostle; with my spirit With my understanding and conscience, will and affections, yea, with all the faculties of my soul, as well as with all the members of my body. Or, as the expression may be rendered, in my spirit, exercising faith in him, love to him, humility before him, resignation to his will, and zeal for his glory; in the gospel of his Son To promote the success of which is the whole business of my life; that without ceasing I make mention of you in my prayers In my solemn addresses to God; making request , entreating; if by any means, now at length This accumulation of particles declares the strength of his desire; that I may impart to you Face to face, by laying on of my hands, preaching the gospel, prayer, private conversation; some spiritual gift With such gifts the Corinthians, who had enjoyed the presence of St. Paul, abounded, 1Co 1:7; 1Co 12:1, &c.; Rom 14:1. So did the Galatians likewise, Gal 3:5. And indeed all those churches which had the presence of any of the apostles, had peculiar advantages in this kind from the laying on of their hands, Act 19:6; Act 8:17, &c.; 2Ti 1:6. But, as yet, the Christians at Rome were greatly inferior to them in this respect; for which reason the apostle, in the 12th chapter, where he has occasion to mention gifts, says little, if any thing, of any extraordinary spiritual gifts possessed by any of them. He therefore desires to impart some to them, that they might be established in their Christian faith, and fortified against all temptations, either to renounce or dishonour it. For by these gifts the testimony of Christ was confirmed to the members of the churches. That Peter had no more been at Rome than Paul, at the time when this epistle was written, appears from the general tenor thereof, and from this place in particular. For otherwise, the gifts which Paul wishes to impart to the believers at Rome, would have been imparted already by Peter. That is, that I may be comforted together with you As I have great reason to believe we shall be; by the mutual faith both of you Whose faith will be strengthened and confirmed by these gifts; and me Whose faith will be encouraged and increased when I see believers established, and unbelievers converted by these gifts. As often as the apostles communicated spiritual gifts to their disciples, it was a new proof to themselves of Gods presence with them, and an additional confirmation of their mission from God in the eyes of others, both of which, no doubt, gave them great joy. In this passage, we see the apostle not only associates the Romans with, but even prefers them before, himself. How different is this style of the apostle from that of the modern court of Rome!
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Vv. 9, 10. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, how without ceasing I make mention of you, making request in all my prayers, if perhaps now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
This thanksgiving of the apostle was an inward action of which none but God could have knowledge; and as the words, Rom 1:8, might seem chargeable with exaggeration, he appeals to the one witness of his inner life. Paul thinks of those times of intimate intercourse which he has daily with his God in the exercise of his ministry; for it is at His feet, as it were, that he discharges this task. He says: in my spirit, that is to say, in the most intimate part of his being, where is the organ by which his soul communicates with the divine world. The spirit is therefore here one of the clements of his human nature (1Th 5:23); only it is evidently thought of as penetrated with the Divine Spirit. When Paul says: in the gospel of His Son, it is clear that he is not thinking of the matter, but of the act of evangelical preaching. This is for him a continual act of worship which he performs only on his knees. The words: of His Son, bring out the supreme gravity of the act. How, in fact, can one take part in a work which concerns the Son, otherwise than in concert with God Himself! The need be translated neither by that (the fact), which expresses too little, nor by how much (the degree), which is too strong, but by how. The word refers to the mode of this inward worship, as it is developed in what follows. The expression: without ceasing, explains the: I give thanks for you all, which had preceded (Rom 1:8). Hence the for at the beginning of the verse.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
9. For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how I incessantly make mention of you always in my prayers;
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my {r} spirit in the {s} gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
(r) Very willingly and with all my heart.
(s) In preaching his Son.