Romans 1:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

To bear someone unceasingly in memory is impossible without having great love. Understand from this what affection and love it belongs to, to have people in one's prayers and to have them there unceasingly.

When Paul says, "Whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son," he shows us both the grace of God and his own humility of mind.

He shows the grace of God in that such a work was entrusted to him. He shows his humility of mind in that he attributes everything not to his own diligence, but to the help of the Spirit.

The mention of the gospel points to one of the kinds of service. There are many different ways of service in general, and likewise of service to God.

With earthly kings, all are subject to one sovereign, though not all serve in the same way. One man's service consists in command over the army, another's in governing cities, and another's in keeping money in the treasury.

So also in spiritual matters. One serves and works for God by believing and ordering his life well.

Another does so by taking upon himself care for strangers. Another does so by undertaking intercession for those in need.

Similarly, among the Apostles themselves, Stephen and those around him served God by protection and care for widows. Others served by teaching the word.

Such was Paul, who served God by preaching the Gospel. This was the kind of his service, and for this he was appointed.

Therefore he not only calls God as witness, but also speaks of what had been entrusted to him. He shows that, if he had not received so great an authorization, he would not falsely have called as witness the One who entrusted it.

At the same time Paul wishes to show that his love for the Romans and his care for them are necessary.

So that they might not say, "Who are you, where are you from, and why do you say that you care for such a vast and most royal city?" the Apostle proves that this care is necessary for him.

For this kind of service has been laid upon him, to preach the Gospel. The one entrusted with such a work must always keep in thought those who are about to receive the word.

Besides this, by the words "with my spirit," the Apostle also indicates something else, namely that his service to God is far higher than Hellenic, that is, pagan, and Jewish service.

Hellenic service is false and carnal. Jewish service, although true, is also carnal.

The service of the Church is opposite to the former and incomparably higher than the Jewish. Our service to God is not performed through sheep, calves, smoke, and incense.

It is performed through a spiritual soul. This is exactly what Christ showed when He said, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (Jn 4:24).

"In the gospel of His Son." Having said above that the gospel belongs to the Father, the Apostle here attributes it also to the Son.

So indistinctly is it spoken of the Father and the Son. According to the blessed Gospel saying, the Apostle knew that what belongs to the Father belongs to the Son, and what belongs to the Son belongs also to the Father.

"All Mine," Christ says, "are Yours, and Yours are Mine" (Jn 17:10).

"That without ceasing I make mention of you in my prayers." Such is true love.

It seems to me that the Apostle is speaking throughout of one thing, although he uses four expressions here. He remembers, remembers unceasingly, remembers in prayers, and remembers in prayers concerning important matters.

There are many forms of service to God. One serves and works for God by ordering only his own affairs well. Another does so by caring for strangers and supplying widows, as the fellow servants of Stephen did.

Another does so by carrying out the ministry of the word. Therefore the Apostle says: "God, whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of His Son."

Above he attributed the Gospel to the Father. This is not strange, for what belongs to the Father belongs to the Son, and what belongs to the Son belongs to the Father.

He says this to prove that these concerns are necessary for him. For one to whom the ministry of the Gospel has been entrusted must care for all who have received the word.

Since God is Spirit, He must be served in spirit, or in truth. When He is served by the spirit, He is served by faith.

The Lord said this to the Samaritan woman, who thought that God wished to be worshiped on the mountain: "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.

For the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is Spirit" (Jn 4:23-24).

"I make mention of you without ceasing." By continually remembering the Romans, Paul asks in his prayers that love be sown among them. By this he awakens in them longing for himself.

Who does not love the one whom he hears remembers him? If, in the name of Christ, they willingly received teaching from those who were not sent and distorted the word (cf. Gal 1:6-9; Acts 15:1-2), how much more should they desire to hear him whom they knew to be an Apostle, and whose words were clothed with such power.

Interpreting these words, St. Chrysostom observes: "By saying 'to establish you,' he covertly gives to understand that the Romans need to be corrected in many things."

Explaining his intention to impart a spiritual gift, the Apostle adds: "that is, that I may be comforted together with you by our mutual faith, both yours and mine" (Rom 1:12).

If the Apostle grew weak with those who were weak, how could he fail to be comforted when he met those strong in faith, thirsting to be corrected in all things, and being corrected? (Bishop Theophan).

Such doubt could later pass over to the whole Epistle. Therefore, when speaking of this, the Apostle called God as witness.

He called God, to whom his whole life is consecrated and before whom, therefore, he cannot allow himself to think or say anything untrue.

"God is my witness," he says. "Certainly this is the language of the apostolic spirit and heart, an expression of fatherly care.

But what exactly do these words mean, and why does Paul call God as witness? His speech concerned his affection.

Since he had not yet seen the Romans, he calls as witness not men, but the Examiner of hearts. Having said, 'I love you,' he presents as proof that he always prays and desires to come to them.

Yet since this was not known to them, he turns to trustworthy testimony" (Saint Chrysostom).

"Whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son." "He mentioned the gospel in order to show the kind of service.

There are many different kinds of service in general, as there are also kinds of service to God. With earthly kings, all are subject to one sovereign, yet not all serve in the same way.

One man's service consists in command over the army, another's in governing cities, and another's in guarding the treasury. So also in spiritual matters.

One serves and works for God by believing and carefully watching over his life. Another does so by taking upon himself the service of strangers.

Another does so by taking on the care of interceding for those in need. Likewise, among the Apostles themselves, Stephen and his fellow ministers worked for God by providing for widows.

Another served by teaching the word, such as Paul, who served God by preaching the Gospel. This was the kind of his service.

To this he was appointed. Therefore he not only calls God as witness, but also says what had been entrusted to him.

By this he makes known that, having been deemed worthy of such a trust, he would not falsely call as witness the One who entrusted it" (Saint Chrysostom).

Thus the service by which Saint Paul served God was the gospel. How did he fulfill this service?

"With my spirit," he says. What does it mean to serve God in the gospel with the spirit?

It means by the gift given to him. Saint Chrysostom partly understands it so when he says: "By this the Apostle shows us both the grace of God and his own humility of mind.

He shows the grace of God in that such a work was entrusted to him. He shows his humility of mind in that he attributes everything not to his own zeal, but to the help of the Spirit."

Blessed Theodoret states this thought more clearly: "There are many kinds of service to God. One who prays serves Him, and one who fasts.

One who attends to the divine words serves Him, and so does one who cares for the service of strangers. But the divine Apostle said that he serves God by offering to the nations the gospel of His Son.

He serves with the spirit, that is, with the gift given to him." So also say the other interpreters.

The fact that Saint Paul calls this spirit his own does not prevent us from seeing in this word the gift of the Holy Spirit. A spiritual gift becomes the possession of the one to whom it is given.

The Apostle could speak this way with the meaning, "by the spirit of grace given to me." This thought is supported by the fact that he served in the gospel by this spirit.

In the gospel everything, zeal, power, and the truths themselves, is from the Spirit.

One may also understand Saint Paul's serving God with his spirit in the gospel as serving with his whole being, with all his powers, and with complete sincerity.

This is what he says of himself to Saint Timothy: "with a pure conscience" (2 Tim 1:3).

One may also understand it this way: the Apostle serves God not only with body and soul, but rather with his higher part, that is, with the spirit.

For he distinguishes these three in man when writing to the Thessalonians: "May your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (cf. 1 Thess 5:23).

In the one whose spirit has been restored to its rights by the grace of the Spirit, the spirit rules over soul and body and draws them after itself.

Such a person, serving God with the spirit, serves with his whole being. This thought may be considered not foreign to the Apostle's mind in the expression he used.

One may also understand service with the spirit as spiritual service, in contrast to the carnal service of the Old Testament.

Thus the Apostle says in the Epistle to the Philippians, "We are the circumcision, who serve God in the spirit and do not trust in the flesh" (cf. Phil 3:3).

Saint Chrysostom says: "By the words 'with my spirit,' the Apostle also teaches that his service to God is far higher than pagan and Jewish service.

Pagan service is false. Jewish service, though true, is carnal. The service of the Church is opposite to the pagan and incomparably higher than the Jewish.

In our service to God, neither sheep, nor calves, nor smoke, nor incense is offered. A spiritual soul is offered, as Christ showed when He said, 'God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth'" (cf. Jn 4:24).

So also say our other interpreters. The gospel is the most spiritual service.

"In the gospel of His Son" means either concerning the Son or from the Son. The whole Gospel is concerning the Son.

It concerns how He came, was incarnate, suffered, died, rose, ascended into heaven, sat at the right hand of the Father, and, as Head of the Church, governs her and all things for her good.

Yet it is also from the Son. For He began the gospel and entrusted the Apostles with carrying it through the world.

Although the Spirit worked in the Apostles, He received everything from the Son.

Saint Chrysostom says: "Having above attributed the gospel to the Father, he now attributes it to the Son. So indistinctly is it spoken of the Father and the Son.

For the Apostle knew, according to the blessed saying of Christ, that what belongs to the Father belongs to the Son, and what belongs to the Son belongs to the Father.

'All Mine are Yours,' says Christ, 'and Yours are Mine' (Jn 17:10)." So also say all our interpreters.