Paul's motive for writing to his Roman readers
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
Paul has absolutely the noblest of motives for wanting to come to Rome and visit the Roman Christians. He wants to come so that he may impart “some spiritual gift” to them for the strengthening of their faith. Faith grows through the use of the means of grace, and it is these means that Paul intends to share with them. But at this point there’s an intriguing break in Paul’s sentence. After telling them that he longs to see them so that he might strengthen them, he adjusts his line of thought to head off a misunderstanding that might arise in the minds of his readers, namely that the upcoming visit will be a one-way street with Paul dispensing all the good things.
Actually, Paul envisions the visit as a two-way street. He will be strengthened too. He’s coming so that the Roman Christians and he himself “may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” Their faith will strengthen him! Paul’s laudatory sentences in verses 8 to 10 weren’t just a formality. He really does treasure the faith of his fellow believers. A moment’s reflection will reveal an engaging picture here: Paul, the great missionary, being strengthened and encouraged by the faith of
the people to whom he’s ministering. But there’s a lesson here too. We all might learn to treasure more fully the fellowship of the believers the Lord lets us associate with.
In line with his previously expressed concern for the Romans, Paul now returns once more to the matter of his not having visited them previously. The double negative he uses actually becomes a strong positive: “I do not want you to be unaware [meaning: I want you to be very sure] . . . that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now).”
No doubt many things might have kept Paul from going to Rome earlier. He himself identifies the major cause later in the letter (15:19-22) when he tells us that unfinished mission work in the Eastern Mediterranean region (“from Jerusalem . . . to Illyricum”) was the main reason for his not being able to go earlier. Now, however, that work is finished, and he can go to Rome “in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles” (verse 13).