That Paul gives thanks to God through Jesus Christ means that
Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man; or
the work of Christ made access to God possible.
Most likely Paul means that Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and himself so that when he prays to God, Christ is there to intercede for Paul. We can deduce that this is Paul’s meaning because Jesus said that he is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Further, Paul himself writes elsewhere that there is one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). Relatedly, that there are intermediaries between God and humans was a common theological notion in Judaism. Paul and the early church recognized that Christ takes on this mediatorial role.
Some contend that when Paul says he prays through Christ, he means that Christ has made access to God possible. In other words, through his death and resurrection, Christ has made it possible for Paul to give thanks directly to God. While it is true that Christ makes access to God possible, this is not likely what Paul has in mind in Romans 1:8. For in Romans 1:8 Paul writes through Jesus Christ.
What’s important to notice is that the preposition carries the sense of either agency or cause, depending on the case of the noun it modifies. Here it modifies a noun in the genitive, so it is to be taken in the sense of agency. In other words, Paul gives thanks to God through the agency of Jesus Christ.
Thus, when Paul gives thanks to God, he does so through Jesus Christ, the perfect mediator between God and man.
Interpretation 1:
Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man.
Summary:
It was common in Judaism to hold that angels, and even the patriarchs, played a mediatorial role between humans and God. Paul, along with the early church, understood that all such mediatorial roles have been subsumed under the one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ. Thus, when Paul gives thanks to the Father, he knows the Father hears his prayer through the intercession of the Son.
We can pray to God with confidence, knowing that Jesus Christ is our mediator. This means that Jesus Christ always stands in the presence of the Father, ready and willing to plead our case.
Advocates:
James Dunn
Richard Longenecker
John MacArthur
Leon Morris
Minor differences:
Our authors agree that the reason Paul says he gives thanks to God through Jesus Christ is because he understands that Christ acts as a mediator between God and man.
James Dunn points out that it was common in Judaism to believe that there were beings who played a mediatorial role between humans and God. He reminds us that for some, archangels played this role, while Philo believed it was the patriarchs.1
John MacArthur deduces that Paul likely has the mediatorial role of Christ in mind. In particular, he points out that Jesus himself said that no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6), and we find Jesus' mediatorial role stated explicitly by Paul in other passages (1 Timothy 2:5).2
Arguments
Possible weaknesses
Interpretation 2:
The work of Christ made access to God possible.
Summary:
By his death and resurrection, Christ has made access to God possible. Thus, Paul can pray directly to God because of the access granted through Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.
Advocates:
Douglas Moo
Frank Thielman
Minor differences:
Our authors seem to agree that what Paul has in mind is that Christ made access to God possible.
Douglas Moo states this position explicitly: Although this might mean that Christ, as High Priest, is the mediator of his thanks before God, it is better taken as an indication that Christ is the one who has created the access to God for such thanks to be offered.
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Frank Thielman, on the other hand, is less specific. He simply notes that when Paul opens his letters with thanksgiving, he is focused on what God has done through Christ.7 That Paul focuses on what God has done through Christ suggests that for Thielman, when Paul says he thanks God through Christ, he means through the access provided by Christ’s work.
Arguments
Explanation:
Paul says that he gives thanks to God through Jesus Christ.
What he likely means is that because of the work of Jesus Christ, we now have access to the Father, so we can give thanks to him.8 Another way to say this is that because of sin we were barred from praying directly to God, but because of Christ’s work on the cross, our sins have been atoned for, so we can now pray to God directly. We can deduce that this is Paul’s likely meaning because Christ made access to God possible. For example, in 2 Corinthians 5:18 we read that through Christ God was reconciling us to himself. Likewise, in Ephesians 2:14–16, Paul writes that Jesus broke the wall of hostility, reconciling both Jews and Gentiles to God through the cross. Thus, Christ reconciled humans with God so that through his work, we can now give thanks to God directly.
Counterargument:
While it is true that Christ has provided access to God through his reconciliatory work, this view overlooks the fact that the name Jesus Christ
is in the genitive case. This is important to notice because when the preposition διά modifies a noun in the genitive case, it normally means agency rather than cause (see interpretation 1, argument 1, response to counterargument). Further, we know that Paul explicitly states that Jesus is the one who intercedes for us. For example, in Romans 8:34 he says that we are not condemned because Jesus died, and he indeed intercedes for us.9 Thus, while it is the case that Christ reconciles us with God, he also intercedes for us as a mediator. So we must conclude that Paul has Christ’s mediatorial role in mind in Romans 1:8.
Possible weaknesses
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.