Romans 15 - Introduction

The strong must bear with the weak. We may not please ourselves, for Christ did not so; but receive one the other, as Christ did us all, both Jews and Gentiles. Paul excuseth his writing, promiseth to see them, and requesteth their prayers.

Anno Domini 58.

THE Apostle, in the 7th verse of this chapter, having exhorted the Jewish and Gentile Christians at Rome to a cordial union, from the considerationthat Christ had received both into his church,naturally turned his thoughts to an objection which might be made to this doctrine; namely, that if Christ had meant to receive the Gentiles, he would have preached to them himself. To this the Apostle replied, that the Lord Jesus Christ was born among the Jews, and preached to the Jews only; because thereby, in the end, he most effectuallyaccomplished God's promises to the fathers, concerning the blessing of the nations in Abraham's seed, Romans 15:8.—Farther, because the Jews were unwilling to be united with the Gentiles in one church, the Apostle quoted various passages from their own prophets,foretelling that the Gentiles, in future times, would be Messiah's subjects, and join the Jews in worshipping the true God, Romans 15:9.—Wherefore, God having determined from the beginning to make the Gentiles his people, the Jewish believers were bound to acknowledge such of them as were converted, for their brethren and fellow-heirs of the promises of God, notwithstanding they did not obey the law of Moses. And, having thus established the title of the Gentiles to all the privileges of the people of God under the Gospel dispensation, the Apostle prayed that God would fill them with all joy and peace, through the firm belief of their title to these great blessings, Romans 15:13.

Both the doctrinal and practical part of this Epistle being now finished, the Apostle makes a very handsome apology to the believing Romans, for writing so long a letter to persons with whom he was not personally acquainted. He told them, that, having a good opinion of their grace and knowledge, Romans 15:14.—he had, on that account, written tothem with the more freedom, to bring things to their remembrance: and that he haddone this likewise, because he was both qualified and authorised to teach them by virtue of the apostolical office which God had conferred on him, for the purpose of converting the Gentiles, Romans 15:15.—Then, to prove his apostleship to the Romans, he told them that he had good reason to boast of his success in converting the Gentiles, and in presenting them to God as an acceptable offering, Romans 15:17.—But that, in this his boasting, he would speak, not of the things which Christ had wrought by others, to make the Gentiles obedient, but of the success which he himself had had in converting them through divine grace by his own preaching and miracles, Romans 15:18.—Moreover, to give the Romans a just idea of his character and success as an Apostle, he informed them, that he had always made it a rule, not to preach the Gospel where it had been preached before, lest he might have appeared an inferior workman, who built on a foundation laid by another: but that he had gone to the most ignorant and barbarous nations, that the prophesies concerning the conversion of the Gentiles might be fulfilled, Romans 15:20.—And that his resolution of not preaching where the Gospel had been preached before, was the reason of his not visiting Rome hitherto, Romans 15:22.—But now having no more opportunity of that sort in the parts from Jerusalem to Illyricum, and having long had a desire to see the Romans, he would certainly come to them in his way to Spain, Romans 15:23.-At present he was going to Jerusalem with the collections which he had made for the poor of the brethren in Judea, Romans 15:25.—But when that service was finished, he would come to Rome, Romans 15:28.—In the mean time, he earnestly begged their prayers, that he might be delivered from the disobedient in Judea; and that the service he was performing to the brethren in Jerusalem might be acceptable to them, Romans 15:30.—Lastly, because there had been great dissensions among the Romans about the method of justification, and about the obligation of the law of Moses, he wished the God of peace to be with them all, Romans 15:33.; thus adapting his apostolical benediction to their particular circumstances.