Romans 1:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Do you notice that the Apostle burns with a strong desire to see the Romans and yet does not dare to do this against the will of God?

Rather, he moderates his desire by the fear of God. He loved them and strove toward them. Yet even when he loved, he did not wish to see them against God's will.

Such is true love, not the love found among us, who break both laws of love. Either we love no one, or if we do love, we love against the will of God.

In both ways we act contrary to the divine law. It is hard to hear this, but harder still to do it.

When, you ask, do we love against God's will? Whenever we pay no attention to Christ tormented by hunger, yet give children, friends, and relatives more than they need.

Now he adds why he remembers them. "To come to you," he says. Pay attention: however much he loved them, and however greatly he desired to see them, he did not wish to see them against the will of God.

But we either love no one, or if at some time we love someone, we do this against the will of God.

That Paul prayed without ceasing to see them came from his strong love for us. That he submitted to God's direction was a sign of his great piety.

Let us also not sorrow if at times we do not receive what we ask in prayer. We are not better than Paul, who asked the Lord three times for deliverance from the thorn in the flesh and did not receive what he desired (2 Cor 12:7-9).

For this was profitable for him.

In my prayers, praying that not after a long time, but soon, it might be granted me to see you.

The Apostle unfolds the meaning of his prayer for them. He says that he asks God that he may be able to come to Rome, in order to strengthen them according to the will of God, Whose gift he preaches.

When he comes to them, everything that is to take place must also take place according to the will of God. Therefore he asks in his prayers that, by some means, an opportunity may be given him to come to Rome, since he is now occupied with preaching among others.

The journey will be prosperous if it is the will of God, since the will of God will also prepare the way. A prosperous journey means not enduring the hardships of the road in vain.

There are many kinds of service to God. The one who prays serves Him, as does the one who fasts, the one who attends to the divine words, and the one who cares for the needs of strangers.

The divine Apostle said that he serves God by offering the Gospel of His Son to the nations. He serves in spirit, that is, by the gift given to him.

Thus he knew that the honoring of the Only-begotten is pleasing to God. Observing precision, he did not simply say that he asked God to come to them, but "by the will of God," that is, if this pleases the Ruler of all.

If the salvation of so many thousands was in view, and the divine Apostle did not ask unconditionally, but set God's will alongside his request, what excuse are we worthy of?

We deliberate and pray about sensory things that concern us, yet do not make this depend on the will of God.

Paul proves that everything he did, he did according to the will of God.

Besides the general obligations of the apostleship, what special motive did St. Paul have for intercourse with the Romans? (Rom 1:8-12).

First, that "your faith is proclaimed in all the world" (Rom 1:8). That is, it was especially pleasing for the Apostle of Christ to become acquainted with such worthy and renowned followers of Christ.

"God is my witness," he declares, "that without ceasing I make mention of you, always asking in my prayers that, by the will of God, I may at last be prospered to come to you" (Rom 1:9-10).

Second, the Apostle wished to raise the faith of the Romans to a still higher degree. "For I long to see you," he says to them, "that I may impart to you some spiritual gift for your strengthening" (Rom 1:11).

Having shown in verses 5 and 6 that the Romans, in a certain sense, formed part of his flock through the grace of the apostleship given him by Christ, the Apostle Paul bears witness to his affection for the Romans.

He says that he had long desired to preach among them and had prayed that God would permit him to come to Rome. There he wished to be comforted by the faith whose renown had spread far, and to impart to them something that would strengthen them still more in the faith.

This would also give him the opportunity to spread the true teaching among new peoples, and in this way to be fully the Apostle of the Gentiles.

"That without ceasing I make mention of you, always in my prayers, asking." "Behold true love! While seemingly speaking of one thing, Paul combines four thoughts here.

He remembers, remembers without ceasing, remembers in prayers, and remembers while praying for a matter pleasing to them. He remembers not once, twice, or three times, but without ceasing.

One cannot bear someone continually in memory without having great love. Therefore consider what attachment and love it signifies to remember in prayers, and to remember without ceasing" (St. Chrysostom).

"Asking, if somehow I may at last be prospered by the will of God to come to you." Such is the disposition of souls devoted to God: not only to do what is pleasing to God, but to do it as God wills.