seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Romans 15:1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”[a] 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews[b] on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.”[c]
I will sing the praises of your name.”[c]
10 Again, it says,
“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”[d]
11 And again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples extol him.”[e]
let all the peoples extol him.”[e]
12 And again, Isaiah says,
“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.”[f]
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.”[f]
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14 I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. 15 Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. 21 Rather, as it is written:
“Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.”[g]
and those who have not heard will understand.”[g]
22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.
23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you, 24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. 27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.
30 I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31 Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, 32 so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. 33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Footnotes:
- Romans 15:3 Psalm 69:9
- Romans 15:8 Greek circumcision
- Romans 15:9 2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49
- Romans 15:10 Deut. 32:43
- Romans 15:11 Psalm 117:1
- Romans 15:12 Isaiah 11:10 (see Septuagint)
- Romans 15:21 Isaiah 52:15 (see Septuagint
People with a strong faith should support those whose faith is weak. Paul includes himself with the ‘strong’ when he says ‘we’. We should encourage other people. Paul did not mean that we should praise a person in an untrue way. And we should not encourage that person to continue his wrong acts. Instead, we should always act to help him and to encourage his faith to grow. Christ did not please himself. Paul uses words from Psalm 69:9. Christ suffered because he was serving God. The insults that people gave to God came to Christ.
Christ became a servant for two reasons:
1. His life showed that we can trust God. God had do the things that he promised to Christ’s Jewish ancestors. Zechariah, in his song of praise, remembered God’s promises. God told Abraham that he (God) would show his kindness to his (Abraham’s) descendants (Luke 1:73-75).
2. The Gentiles would receive God’s mercy.
Paul calls the Christians in Rome his brothers. He then shows that he appreciates their good qualities. He praises them in a fond manner. He feels confident that they will understand his letter. They seem well able to teach the gospel. And they will warn those people who are doing wrong things.
In fact, Paul’s words may seem to praise the Christians in Rome a little too much. But Paul did not want to offend them. Paul had not even visited their church yet, but he had written to them in a bold way. He wondered whether he had upset them. He explained that he wrote this letter to remind them about important matters in the Christian faith. People are quick to forget. So there are many references in the New Testament about the need to remember.
There were several reasons why Paul wanted the Gentile churches to help the poor Christians in Jerusalem:
1. The leaders of the church in Jerusalem had agreed that Paul would work among the Gentiles. But they asked that he and Barnabas should continue to help poor people (Galatians 2:9-10).
2. Paul thought that the Gentiles had a debt to the Jews. Jews had preached the gospel to them. The Gentiles had received spiritual blessings when they heard it. Now the Jews were poor and they needed help. So it was right that the Gentiles should help to provide for the Jews.
3. The gift would help to unite Jewish and Gentile Christians. It would remind them both that they were part of a world-wide church.
4. It would show that Christians had a practical faith. Christians were aware of other people’s problems and they acted to help them.
Paul wanted to go with the Christians from the different churches (Acts 20:4). They would hand over the gift in Jerusalem. When Paul had done this, he intended to travel to Rome on his way to Spain. Probably he thought that Rome would be a useful place for his work. There were good roads from Rome to many other important cities. And there was already a large church in Rome. Paul hoped that the Christians in Rome would help him on his journey. He did not intend to stay in Rome for a long time.
Paul’s prayer for safety had a different answer. The Jews in Jerusalem caused trouble for him. The Romans had to rescue him. But the Romans did not free him. Instead, they kept him in prison. They later sent him to Caesarea because of a plot to kill him. After a series of court meetings, and more than two years in prison, he appealed to the Emperor. So Paul went to Rome as a prisoner. Instead of a brief stay, he spent two years there. He was under house arrest. In other words, he lived in his own home, but a Roman soldier did not allow him to leave. But he was able to receive visitors. Also he preached to his Roman guards (Acts 28:16-31).
Wordy Paul is at it again. The Gentile churches raised money to send back to the oppressed Christians in Jerusalem. There are a lot of Christian churches today. Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Mormon, Seventh Day, and more..... all Christian.... all slightly different..... but all Christian. Wordy Paul is at it again. Way back in the book of Genesis...... there was a story about the Tower of Babel. All the humans decided they wanted to build a tower to heaven where they could be gods.... just like God. God quashed their plan by disrupting their language..... so people who spoke the same language began grouping themselves together.... making new nations.... and now..... God wants them to choose to return.
Wordy Paul is at it again. Now that Jesus has been here...... All the people who were so willing to build a temple to the heavens so they could be gods.... have the opportunity to choose to join a common family again.... brothers and sisters in Christ..... under one Living God.... through His Son.... Jesus. All they have to do is accept one another.....
IMHO.... Ignorant humans have the same problem today..... they don't support one another. Like a dog twisted in an awning, afraid, and alone..... they snap at those who try to cut them loose from the awing..... but when they are saved from that painful trap.... they are all too happy to thank the one that helped them out...... Accept one Another.....
