Romans 1:8

Is your faith known to others? Is it known "in all the world"? Paul has a lot to say to the Christians in Rome, but I think it is significant that he begins by honoring them for their faith, specifically that their faith is notable among Christians who have never met their fellow believers in Rome. I imagine it would be a little like honoring Christians today who live in Hollywood, or Washington D.C., or Iraq. I imagine Paul's equivalents as being Rome, Jerusalem, and Athens: cities as I understand it where there was a lot of cultural, political, or religious influence and where it was probably more challenging than in others places to boldly contradict the authorities. There can be a lot of pressure to live out your faith quietly to protect your life, career, family, and reputation when what you believe isn't popular. A lot of Roman Christians may have lost their jobs, their career prospects, their families, and their lives. Yet Christ must have been much more important to them than everything else if their faith was notable enough to be recognized and "spoken of in all the world".