8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.
8 I thank God through Jesus for every one of you. That's first. People everywhere keep telling me about your lives of faith, and every time I hear them, I thank him.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world.
3 I thank my God every time I remember you.
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
3 Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God.
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.
(Read Philippians 1:1-7)
The highest honour of the most eminent ministers is, to be servants of Christ. And those who are not really saints on earth, never will be saints in heaven. Out of Christ, the best saints are sinners, and unable to stand before God. There is no peace without grace. Inward peace springs from a sense of Divine favour. And there is no grace and peace but from God our Father, the fountain and origin of all blessings. At Philippi the apostle was evil entreated, and saw little fruit of his labour; yet he remembers Philippi with joy. We must thank our God for the graces and comforts, gifts and usefulness of others, as we receive the benefit, and God receives the glory. The work of grace will never be perfected till the day of Jesus Christ, the day of his appearance. But we may always be confident God will perform his good work, in every soul wherein he has really begun it by regeneration; though we must not trust in outward appearances, nor in any thing but a new creation to holiness. People are dear to their ministers, when they receive benefit by their ministry. Fellow-sufferers in the cause of God should be dear one to another.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Romans 1:8
Commentary on Romans 1:8-15
(Read Romans 1:8-15)
We must show love for our friends, not only by praying for them, but by praising God for them. As in our purposes, so in our desires, we must remember to say, If the Lord will, James 4:15. Our journeys are made prosperous or otherwise, according to the will of God. We should readily impart to others what God has trusted to us, rejoicing to make others joyful, especially taking pleasure in communing with those who believe the same things with us. If redeemed by the blood, and converted by the grace of the Lord Jesus, we are altogether his; and for his sake we are debtors to all men, to do all the good we can. Such services are our duty.