Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.
Rome was the capital of the Roman empire. It was where the emperor lived, plus many politicians and leaders. In many ways, it was the center of power in the Mediterranean region. But God was doing something greater in that city through a small but growing group of believers in Jesus. The church was small but would later become one of the centers of Christianity. The Roman Catholic Church has its headquarters there today. There is no way to know how big this church was during Paul’s day. Being in the capital had its advantages but also disadvantages. There may have been some powerful people who became believers. Many believers experienced persecution during those times. This would only get worse over the next decades and centuries until Christianity won the battle and the Roman Empire became the “Holy” Roman Empire under Constantine. At this early stage of time, the Roman church had already developed a reputation for its faith. If Paul was writing in Corinth, as is believed, then word had reached Greece and probably beyond. What does it take to have a reputation of faith that people begin to notice? Can people see a difference in how we live, so much so that they wonder what is our motivation? Can they see Jesus at work in what we say and how we act? The Roman church offers us a challenge of example of contagious faith. No wonder that this church would grow and eventually take over the Roman Empire!
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