Romans 15
Exhortation for the Strong to Help the Weak
1 But we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not just please ourselves.
Paul classified himself with the strong believers. The strong believers were to identify with the weak believers. The strong believers were not just to care for themselves. They had a responsibility to the weak believers.
2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up.
As long as it is good, believers should please their neighbor. The weak believers were to be built up, not torn down.
3 For even Christ did not please himself, but just as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”
Paul quoted Psalm 69:9. Christ took on infirmities and sufferings for the sake of the weak.
4 For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.
All believers have the same hope. The Greek word for "hope" is ἐλπίς (helpis), which means what is assured to come. Everything was written in the past for the instruction of the saints. The Scriptures were written to help believers endure the sufferings of the satanic world system. They were also written so that those suffering would have assurance of what was to come.
5 Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus,
Paul prayed for endurance and comfort. They are both communicated to the believer through the Scriptures. Believers are to be like-minded, meaning to be in harmony, even though there is a variety of opinions on amoral issues. Believers are to possess the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ comes through the study of Scriptures.
6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
All voices are to unify and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ as one voice in harmony. The amoral differences are not part of the mind of Christ. The amoral differences are not voices that glorify Christ. They are voices that cause division.
Exhortation to Mutual Acceptance
7 Receive one another, then, just as Christ also received you, to God’s glory.
Just as Christ has received the weaker believer, then the stronger believer should receive the weaker believer as well. They should both receive each other. They are not to be separated by the division of amoral issues, but they are to be united in order to bring glory to God.
8 God’s truth to confirm the promises made to the fathers,
Christ has become a servant to the Jews. In Matthew 10:5-6, his primary mission was to the Jews. His mission was very limited to the Gentiles. Jesus commanded his disciples to only evangelize the lost sheep of Israel. The content of the message of Jesus was to teach the truth, which was different than that of the Pharisees. He was to confirm the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. Circumcison was a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant. Jesus himself was circumcised. The Messiah was to fulfill all of the promises of the Jewish covenants. Therefore, Christ had to limit his ministry to the Jews. He would later raise Paul to bring the gospel to the Gentiles.
9 and thus the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.”
The Gentiles were grafted into the Jewish covenants. The restrictions to Jews only was removed. Jews and Gentiles were to come together into one body. The strong and weak believers were also to come into one body.
10 And again it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
Paul quoted Psalm 18:49 to confirm that the Old Testament prophesied about Gentile salvation.
11 And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.”
Paul quoted Deuteronomy 22:23 to confirm that the Gentiles would one day praise God.
12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, and the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope.”
Paul quoted Isaiah 11:10 to prove that the root of Jesse, who is the Messiah, will one day come and rule over the Gentiles. He is the ἐλπίς (helpis) of the Gentiles. meaning the hope, or a better translation would be the expectation of what is sure to come.
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul prayed for the joining together of the strong and the weak believers. Division of the brothers does not bring glory to God.
Paul’s Motivation for Writing the Letter
14 But I myself am fully convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.
Even though much of Paul's letter was negative, Paul was confident that the Roman church would become full of divine viewpoint knowledge. Full of goodness means spiritual maturity. The Roman church was a mature church, so Paul could speak to them in stronger terms. The reason that so many pastors have to give soft messages is because their congregation is not mature enough to handle a tough message. If the congregation is not mature enough to handle a tough message, then the pastor is not doing his job. He is most likely more interested in attendance and dollars then he is in preparing soldiers for spiritual warfare against the demonic world.
15 But I have written more boldly to you on some points so as to remind you, because of the grace given to me by
Paul pointed out his own zeal in ministry. His boldness came from his appointed office. He wanted to remind them of some Bible doctrines that needed to be emphasized. The grace given Paul was his appointment to apostleship. God turned Paul from an enemy of Christ to an apostle of Christ.
16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I serve the gospel of God like a priest, so that the Gentiles may become an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Paul was appointed as apostle to the Gentiles. Peter was a priest to the circumcision. Paul was a priest to the uncircumcised. Paul's apostolic authority gave him the right to write this letter to a church that he did not establish or had not even visited.
17 So I boast in Christ Jesus about the things that pertain to God.
Paul had established Gentile churches all over the Roman empire. He boasted in Christ, not in his own ability. It was Christ who gave Paul tremendous success in Gentile evangelization.
18 For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed,
Paul only teaches what Christ has accomplished through his apostolic call to the Gentiles. Paul would not dare give credit to himself.
19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
The signs were miracles of authentication. Wonders were miracles that amazed the onlookers. Paul taught the gospel and confirmed that this message was from God by performing miracles in a Gentile pagan world that was steeped into the occult. He was able to perform these miracles by the divine power of the Holy Spirit. Paul had taught the gospel and established Gentile churches from Jerusalem to Illyricum. Illyricum is part of modern Yugosalvea and Albania, a distance of 1500 miles from Jerusalem. Paul established churches all over the Roman Empire. Without airplane, train, bus, or car, these Gentile missionary trips were a supernatural journey. The gospel of Christ is the burial, atonement, resurrection, and return of Jesus Christ.
20 And in this way I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation,
Paul did not want to retire. Paul wanted to preach the gospel in new areas. The work of the apostles was to lay the foundation by establishing churches in new regions of the Roman Empire. Those who followed the apostles were to lay on their foundations.
Paul was an evangelist extraordinaire. He established churches in the pagan Gentile world all over the Roman Empire. He covered 1500 miles of territory without modern transportation. When he went into a town, he was not welcome. He was usually arrested by the local sheriff and told not to come back. When he left a town, Judiazers would sneak into town and attempt to discredit Paul and his message. Paul's letters were mostly written to defend the gospel from these Judiazers.
21 but as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”
Paul quoted Isaiah 52:15 to confirm that the Gentiles would one day see and hear the good news of the Messiah.
Paul’s Intention of Visiting the Romans
22 This is the reason I was often hindered from coming to you.
Paul was prevented from visiting Rome, because of his abundant ministries in other regions of the Roman Empire.
23 But now there is nothing more to keep me in these regions, and I have for many years desired to come to you
Paul had founded churches in the whole area, so he was now free to visit Rome.
24 when I go to Spain. For I hope to visit you when I pass through and that you will help me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.
Paul's plan was to travel to Spain, which was outside of the eastern Roman Empire. Paul had already established churches West of the Roman Empire, but he had not yet touched the Eastern borders. He was hoping that Rome would help finance his journey to Spain.
25 But now I go to Jerusalem to minister to the saints.
His immediate plans were to visit Jerusalem first, and then go to Rome.
26 For Macedonia and Achaia are pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
Macedonia and Achaia had collected a huge contribution for the Jerusalem church. The Jerusalem church was the home church that supported Paul's ministry to the Gentiles. None of the 1500 miles of Gentile churches would have heard the gospel if it was not for the support of the Jerusalem church. Now, the Jerusalem church was experiencing famine, suffering, and heavy persecution, since they were the headquarters of Jewish and Gentile missions. This made the Jerusalem church a major target of Satan. Paul asked the Gentile churches to help out the Mother Church that had sprung them into existence.
27 For they were pleased to do this, and indeed they are indebted to the Jerusalem saints. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are obligated also to minister to them in material things.
The Gentile churches were pleased to help out the Jerusalem Church, because they were indebted to them. The Gentile churches would not have existed if the Jerusalem Church had not supported Paul's missionary trips to visit them.
28 Therefore after I have completed this and have safely delivered this bounty to them, I will set out for Spain by way of you,
The details of Paul's plan was to visit Jerusalem, drop off the donation, travel to Rome, and then head to Spain.
29 and I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of Christ’s blessing.
Paul knew that Christ would bless his ministry to Rome.
30 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to join fervently with me in prayer to God on my behalf.
Paul asked for their prayers. He asked them to strive together in prayer, because he expected spiritual warfare to resist his visit to Rome. Since Paul had never visited the Roman church, then he personally did not know many of their members. Therefore, he asked many of these members that he has never met to join in prayer with Paul, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. There is a unity between Christian brothers and sisters, even if they have never met. Christian brothers can pray for those whom they have never met, since they are in unity with them through the Holy Spirit. All believers are "in Christ", making them a unity.
31 Pray that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea and that my ministry in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,
Paul prayed that he would be rescued from unbelieving Jews in Rome. He knew what was to come. He was mobbed and arrested by Jews. However, he was rescued by Roman soldiers.
Paul also prayed that the Jerusalem church would accept his gift. There was a lot of pride in the Jerusalem church. Also, the enemies of Paul had done a lot of damage to his credibility and his message.
32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.
It was the will of God for Paul to go to Rome, but not the way that he expected. Scripture never confirmed that Paul went to Spain. However, he did go to Rome, but he went in chains as a prisoner of Emperor Nero. However, from these chains, Paul led many Romans to Christ, including many in the household of Nero. Nero eventually martyred Paul and the other apostles. However, Nero was assassinated. The new Roman government, which was influenced by Paul's house arrest in Rome, was more favorable to the Christian message. The Christians were not heavily persecuted again until 250 A.D. In the meantime, Christianity spread and eventually brought down the Roman Empire. All of these events transpired after the arrest of Paul in Jerusalem and his transport to the Roman prison of the evil Emperor Nero.
33 Now may the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.
Paul closed his letter with his usual signature. However, after he signed the letter, he realized that he needed to say hello to many of his friends in Rome. For a church that Paul never visited, he sure did know a lot of people. The next chapter will reveal Paul's influence on the Roman Empire.
