PRACTICAL PART. MAN'S GRATITUDE FOR FREE SALVATION. The theme of this part of the Epistle is given in chap. Romans 12:1: The believer saved by Christ through faith is to present himself a thank-offering to God; all Christian duty is praise for deliverance. For convenience we may divide this portio... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:1. NOW WE THAT ARE STRONG. ‘Then' is incorrect, though the connection is logically with what precedes. OUGHT TO BEAR, as a burden is borne. THE INFIRMITIES OF THE WEAK; all such weaknesses of faith, but particularly those referred to in the previous discussion. This bearing is often si... [ Continue Reading ]
3. _General Discussion of the Subject_, _passing over into Expressions of Christian Praise_. The section opens with a statement of the principle which should govern the strong brethren (Romans 15:1), which is at once extended to both classes (Romans 15:2), as an injunction to please our neighbor. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:2. LET EACH ONE OF US (weak as well as strong) PLEASE HIS NEIGHBOR FOR HIS GOOD UNTO EDIFICATION. ‘His good,' lit, ‘the good,' but it seems best to explain ‘for his benefit.' The last Phrase, ‘unto edification,' with a view to building him up in Christian character, defines more especially... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:3. FOR CHRIST ALSO, etc. ‘Also' is slightly preferable to ‘even.' ‘The example of Christ is for the believer the new law to be made real (Galatians 6:2); hence the _for also_ ' (Godet). BUT, AS IT IS WRITTEN (Psalms 69:9), THE REPROACHES OF THEM REPROACHING THEE FELL UPON ME. The citation... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:4. FOR. This introduces a justification of the previous citation, and a preparation for the subject which follows, the duty of being ‘of the same mind one toward another' (Romans 15:6). WHATSOEVER THINGS WERE WRITTEN AFORETIME. Evidently including the whole Old Testament. WERE WRITTEN... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:5. NOW THE GOD OF PATIENCE AND COMFORT (as in Romans 15:4). ‘He well knows that the Scripture itself is inefficacious without help of the God of the Scriptures' (Godet). He is the source of the patience and comfort they afford GRANT YOU TO BE OF THE SAME MIND ONE TOWARD ANOTHER, Thus the... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:6. THAT WITH ONE ACCORD YE MAY WITH ONE MOUTH GLORIFY, etc. ‘One accord' results from being ‘of the same mind,' and is in its turn the source of the praising ‘with one mouth.' It is in the utterance of common praise that harmony of feeling finds its highest expression. THE GOD AND FATHER... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:7. WHEREFORE RECEIVE YE ONE ANOTHER, etc. Since this utterance of praise is so sacred a privilege, they are exhorted, strong and weak alike, to receive one another (comp. chap. Romans 14:1) in Christian fellowship. AS CHRIST ALSO RECEIVED YOU. Good authorities read ‘us;' but the weight o... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:8. FOR I SAY. ‘For' is strongly supported, and introduces the explanation of how Christ had received both Jewish Christians (Romans 15:8), and those of Gentile origin (Romans 15:9): ‘the connection of the former with Christ appears as the _fulfilment_ _of their theocratic claim,_ but that... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:9. AND THAT THE GENTILES MIGHT GLORIFY GOD. This clause is parallel in form with the one immediately preceding (see the change made above). expressing another purposed result of Christ's having been made a minister. Most commentators, however, take it as dependent upon ‘I say,' but in diff... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:10. REJOICE, YE GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE. From the LXX., Deuteronomy 32:43. But our Hebrew text reads: ‘Rejoice, O ye nations, His people.' Probably the LXX. follows another reading, though other explanations have been suggested. In any case the praise of Gentiles is predicted.... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:11. PRAISE THE LORD, ALL YE GENTILES. From Psalms 117:1, exactly after the LXX., in this clause; in the second the best authorities support the reading; AND LET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM. The E. V. follows the text which conforms to the LXX.... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:12. ISAIAH FAITH (Isaiah 11:10); from the LXX. THERE SHALL BE, etc. The Hebrew is more closely rendered in our version: ‘And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek.' But the LXX. presents the same thought in... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:13. NOW THE GOD OF HOPE, etc. Most aptly is God here called the God of hope (comp. the similar repetition, Romans 15:4-5), the God who produces the hope they possess. ‘As Romans 15:1-4 passed into a blessing (Romans 15:5-6), so now the hortatory discourse, begun afresh in Romans 15:7, pass... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:14. NOW I AM PERSUADED, MY BRETHREN. This direct affectionate address indicates the return to more personal matters. EVEN I MYSELF, or, ‘I myself also,' The former implies: ‘even I, the one who has just admonished you, have this favorable conviction respecting you; the latter, ‘I of myse... [ Continue Reading ]
1. _Personal Explanations._ This section forms an ‘epilogue' (Meyer), corresponding in matter with the introductory paragraph; chap. Romans 1:8-15. The Apostle first expresses his confidence in the Roman Christians, and, in a partially apologetic tone, justifies his writing to them by a reference to... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:15. BUT (though I am convinced of this, yet), BRETHREN I HAVE WRITTEN (lit., ‘I wrote,' in this Epistle) THE MORE BOLDLY (in contrast with the assurance of Romans 15:14 respecting their goodness, etc.) UNTO YOU IN SOME MEASURE; _i.e._, in special places; the phrase qualifies the verb, not... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:16. THAT I SHOULD BE, etc. The purpose of the grace given him. A MINISTER; not the word usually so rendered (as in Romans 15:8), but one applied to a minister in public worship (our word ‘liturgy' is allied to this); it is more closely defined by what follows. OF CHRIST JESUS; as the H... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:17. I HAVE THEREFORE MY (lit., ‘the') GLORYING; the same word we render ‘boasting' in chap. Romans 3:27; here used in a good sense. IN (not, ‘through') CHRIST JESUS; only in fellowship with Him can he glory; thus incidentally opposing the thought that his glorying was in himself. IN THO... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:18. FOR I WILL NOT DARE (‘be bold,' probably in allusion to Romans 15:15) TO SPEAK, etc. The emphasis rests not on the word CHRIST, but on the phrase DID NOT WORK THROUGH ME; the contrast being, not with what he did of himself, or strictly with what others did, but more exactly with what C... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:19. IN THE POWER OF SIGNS AND WONDERS, IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Some authorities read ‘Spirit of God,' and the Vatican manuscript has ‘Spirit' alone; but the best established form is as above. The two clauses are parallel, and should be closely joined with what precedes. Christ wro... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:20. YET MAKING IT MY AMBITION. The participle here used means, ‘to make it a point of honor,' but this exact sense need not be pressed here. SO TO PREACH THE GOSPEL, ‘to evangelize,' not the same word as in Romans 15:19. ‘So,' _i.e._, in this manner (as afterwards defined), may qualify t... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:21. BUT, preaching the gospel in this way, not where others had preached, but, AS IT IS WRITTEN (according to this rule of Scripture), THEY TO WHOM NO TIDINGS OF HIM CAME, SHALL SEE; AND THEY, etc. From Isaiah 52:15, following the LXX., which adds ‘of him' (comp. the E. V., which renders t... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:22. WHEREFORE ALSO. Because of this aim of wide missionary activity, not because a church had already been formed at Rome. I WAS HINDERED FOR THE MOST PART; or, ‘these many times.' Some authorities read, ‘oftentimes' as in chap. Romans 1:13; but the usual reading is better supported. The... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:23-24. The construction of these verses occasions much difficulty, which was relieved by the insertion of the clause (Romans 15:24): ‘I will come to you,' to complete the sense; decisive authority proving the words to be an interpolation. Another attempt to relieve the abruptness was made... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:25. BUT NOW. Partly resumptive of Romans 15:23, since it returns to his present circumstances, but introducing a new thought in contrast with the hope expressed in Romans 15:24. I AM JOURNEYING UNTO JERUSALEM (on the point of doing so) MINISTERING UNTO THE SAINTS. How is afterwards expla... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:26. FOR MACEDONIA AND ACHAIA. Personification for the Christians in these provinces; the latter included Greece proper. THOUGHT IT GOOD; ‘were well-pleased,' willingly did this service. A CERTAIN CONTRIBUTION. The Greek word means ‘fellowship,' ‘communion,' and is allied with ‘communic... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:27. FOR THEY THOUGHT IT GOOD (namely, to make this CONTRIBUTION); AND THEIR DEBTORS THEY ARE. The Apostle emphasizes by the repetition the willingness of the Grecian Christians, but adds another statement to mark the reasonableness of such contributions: they were a matter of repayment. T... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:28. WHEN THEREFORE, etc. Reverting to the hope expressed in Romans 15:24. HAVE SEALED TO THEM THIS FRUIT. Secured to them as their property the ‘fruit,' the produce, of this contribution. Some take ‘sealed' in a literal sense, but this seems out of keeping with the tone of the passage. T... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:29. AND I KNOW THAT, etc. The Apostle's humility did not prevent him from knowing this and writing of it. More confidence of _this kind_ would promote humility in the preacher. IN THE FULNESS OF THE BLESSING OF CHRIST ‘Of the gospel' is a gloss, to be rejected on decisive authority. Chri... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:30. NOW I BESEECH YOU, BRETHREN. This fervent exhortation is the natural expression of his confidence in them and of the anticipation he has respecting what awaits him at Jerusalem (comp. Acts 20:22; Acts 21:10, etc.) BY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND BY THE LOVE OF THE SPIRIT. ‘For' is incor... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:31. THAT, etc. The purpose and purport of the prayer. THAT ARE DISOBEDIENT. Comp. chap. Romans 11:30. The word may mean ‘unbelieving,' and in any case the two senses are closely related, but the unbelief of the Jews is here regarded as disobedience to the gospel. AND THAT MY MINISTRATIO... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:32. THAT IN JOY (the emphasis rests on this phrase) COMING UNTO YOU THROUGH THE WILL OF GOD (there is considerable variation in the manuscripts, but this seems the best established reading), I MAY TOGETHER WITH YOU FIND REST. This rendering follows the better supported reading, though the... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 15:33. NOW THE GOD OF PEACE, etc. A benediction was natural, and the anticipated conflicts might well lead him to speak of God as ‘the God of peace.'... [ Continue Reading ]