Romans 1:8

Romans 1:8 [AV]
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

ANNOTATED NOTES:

First: simply means "before I go any further”, or “I want to begin by saying". It’s not referring to first in importance, but first in order before speaking of other things.

my God: Paul refers not just to thanking “God", but with a personal affection, thanking “my God”, expressing his deep personal interest in their welfare to his God, Who was intimately aware of every detail and need in their lives (see Phil 4:19). Also see Gen 28:21 (Jacob); Deut 4:5 (Moses); 2 Sam 22:7,22,30 (David); John 20:17 (Jesus Christ).

through Jesus Christ: through what Jesus Christ made available; it is what Jesus Christ accomplished that made their believing faith and thus his thankfulness possible

for: concerning

your faith: within the context, referring to their believing regarding the Lord Jesus Christ

throughout the whole world: FOS hyperbole, or exaggeration, where overstatement is used to emphasize how widespread the news had become (see Rom 16:19a)

world: FOS synecdoche, “world” is figuratively used for the people (see John 3:16). The saints at Rome who had believed the gospel concerning Jesus Christ were being talked about in many and varied locations throughout the vast Roman Empire. As Paul travelled and preached throughout the empire, think of how the witness of those believers at the heart of the empire, Rome, would have opened doors of utterance for Paul and others!

ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION:

Romans 1:8 [LIT]
Before I go any further, let me first say that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your believing concerning Jesus Christ is being talked about all over the world.

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