Romans 1:12

10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.

11 For I long to see you, that ^aI may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—

12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by ^athe mutual faith both of you and me.

13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but ^awas hindered until now), that I might have some ^bfruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.

14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.

15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

The Just Live by Faith

16 For ^aI am not ashamed of the gospel¹ of Christ, for ^bit is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, ^cfor the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does Romans 1:12 Mean?

Romans 1:11-12

Do not be misled by the word established because it can suggest that they were not already established, which they were. The next verse explains what he means.

The apostle Paul is talking about "feeding the flock," preaching "the whole counsel of God" in infinite detail. The words of God—the gospel—when understood in its broadest sense, include the entirety of the Bible. It is not confined to making a witness so that people might have this held against them in a legal sense by God—as if God were saying, "I gave you My word, but you didn't respond to it."

God's primary concern is to prepare His children to share a relationship in fellowship with Him for all eternity—everybody living exactly the same way. The "gospel" requires an infinite expansion on the bare basics that bring us to conversion so we can see the application of God's way of life in every situation possible in our lives.

John W. Ritenbaugh
What Is the Work of God Now? (Part One)

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