Almost always immediately after the greeting, Paul thanks God for the virtues of faith, hope and charity of the church he is writing to, except for the church in Galatia. Once more, for the sake of comparison, I will collect 1 to 2 verses after the greetings.
"We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father." (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)
"We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:" (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4)
"I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:" (1 Corinthians 1:4-6)
"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:" (Galatians 1:6)
"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world." (Romans 1:8)
"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;" (Ephesians 1:15-16)
"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy," (Philippians 1:3-4)
"We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;" (Colossians 1:3-5)
St. Paul has set a good example for all leaders, be they spiritual or secular. Despite the shortcomings and sins found among the members of a church, Paul always found something to praise them before he scolded them. He praises them in an indirect way --- by giving thanks to God for their good performance. In this way, Paul taught the church members a good lesson. There is nothing we can boast of. Ultimately, our achievements are actually God's work.
Back to the epistle to the Romans. Paul wrote to them in the authority of an apostle. Yet, he made it clear that authority is for the service of God and the believers. How did Paul serve God?
He serves God "with my spirit in the gospel of his Son" (Romans 1:9b)
What does Paul mean? Remember that at his time of writing (about 58 A.D.), the canonical gospels were not yet in circulation. Be patient. Paul would make himself clear later.
What did Paul want to do with the Romans? He states his purpose explicitly.
"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." (Romans 1:11-12)
What is that "spiritual gift"? Something that edifies, that establishes.
What sorts of comfort was Paul seeking? That more people believed in Christ.
"I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also." (Romans 1:14-15)
At last, it is clear that Paul wanted to preach the gospel to the Romans. He felt that he owed people something. He felt that he owed the Greeks and the Barbarians, the wise and the unwise. Therefore, he owed the Romans something as well. Paul must do something. Otherwise, he would feel uncomfortable. This something is the preaching of the gospel.
This attitude is very important. Most of the time, missionaries make the mistake of taking up a paternalistic attitude towards the audience. They feel that they are bringing the savages salvation. The savages should thank them. On the contrary, Paul's attitude is the opposite. He is returning salvation to its rightful owners. Paul should thank his audience instead.
Teachers should learn from Paul. Most of the time, most teachers are paternalistic. They impart knowledge on the students who should thank the teachers. Paul corrects us. We should be student-centered. We are returning what rightfully belongs to the students. We should thank our students instead. Teachers, you cannot be arrogant!
Dear Lord, there is much to learn from St. Paul. Continue to enlighten us in appreciating his attitudes. Amen.
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