Paul said that the Faith of the Romans was being proclaimed in all the World. Did he mean that Christians from other churches went around bragging about how much faith the Romans had? Or did he mean the doctrine the Romans believed was the same doctrine Paul and other churches preached?
It’s the latter because in the same context Paul says that the Faith of the Romans was mutual—it belonged to both him and the Romans.
First, I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because the Faith of yours is being proclaimed in the whole World… I desire to see you, in order… to strengthen you, that is, to be encouraged together with you through the Mutual Faith, both yours and mine (Romans 1:8-12; LEB).
The message of this passage is that we can be encouraged with other believers by sharing in the Faith, those great teachings which all true Christians have in common. We strengthen other churches through the Faith, as Paul purposed to do with the Romans. But how does this strengthening work exactly?
Well, you simply talk with people of another congregation about the sound doctrine. If they are rooted in sound doctrine, they’ll be greatly encouraged to hear you share it. It will be like being abroad and running into someone from your hometown. It will be like meeting a long-lost friend. But it all starts by speaking.
… since we have the same Spirit of the Faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak (2 Corinthians 4:13; NKJV modified)
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