Romanschapter 15
33 verses · Paul · AD 56 or 57 · Paul's letters
We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
Introduction
Paul, Paul's letters, Romans Overview.
Paul wrote this chapter from Corinth to a church he had never visited, a mixed company of believers born Jewish and born Gentile who had been quarrelling over food and holy days. He closes that quarrel here and then, for the first time in the letter, speaks at length about himself. Listen for the name of Christ set before every command. Listen for the Law, the Psalms and the Prophets called in as witnesses. Listen too for a man with a map in his mind, weighing a dangerous errand before a long-desired visit. The chapter shows doctrine turning into plans, money and prayer.
Context
- Who
- Roman house churches Paul hopes will become the base for a mission to the western end of the empire.
- What
- The close of the letter's teaching on the strong and the weak, followed by Paul's account of his ministry to the Gentiles and his plans for Jerusalem, Rome and Spain.
- Where
- Written at Corinth in the province of Achaia to the believers at Rome, with Jerusalem the next place on Paul's route.
- When
- About AD 57 on the usual dating, during the three months Paul spent in Greece before carrying the collection to Jerusalem, a date probable to within a year or two.
- Why
- To bring believers of Jewish and Gentile birth to receive one another, and to prepare the church at Rome to pray for Paul and to help him on to Spain.
Historical context
"The collection" was years of work. Paul had gathered money from the churches of Macedonia and Achaia for the poor believers in Jerusalem, and he is about to deliver it in person with a delegation. It was practical relief for a community that had known famine, and it was a statement: Gentile churches supporting the mother church, tying the two halves of the movement together with money.
Show the rest of the historical context, 3 more paragraphs
He knows the trip is dangerous and asks them to pray that he be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea and that the offering be acceptable to the saints. Both worries were real; the second may have worried him more.
Spain was the far west, Romanized and wealthy, and reaching it meant a long sea passage and a base of support. When Paul says he hopes to be sent on his way by them, he is using the language of formal backing, provisions, letters, money, companions. That was how ancient travel worked, and it is essentially why this letter exists.
His claim to have fulfilled the gospel from Jerusalem around to Illyricum, and his policy of not building on another man's foundation, explain why he had never come to Rome before: someone else had already laid it.
Significance
For the Roman believers, this chapter turned a long theological letter into a request. They were being invited into a mission that reached past them to the edge of the map.
Show the rest of the significance, 1 more paragraph
It also finished the letter's argument with a wall of Scripture about Gentiles praising God alongside his people, and one summarizing command: welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
The heads below are this chapter's scenes. The numbered points under each are its verses.
Bear the Weak: Christ Received Both Jew and Gentile
Romans 15:1-3
bear with the shortcomings of the weak: The strong are told to carry the shortcomings of the weak and to build up their neighbor. Christ did not please Himself, and Paul quotes Psalm 69:9 for it, where the insults aimed at God fell on Him. That verse sets the pattern the strong copy.
Romans 15:1
“But we who are stronger ought to bear the weaknesses of the infirm, and not to please ourselves. In these words Paul appears to declare himself one of the strong, just as he also says in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, that I became weak to the weak, that I might gain the weak. For there too he does not say that he is weak, but that he becomes weak; and certainly, if he had been weak, he could not have become weak.”
Origen of Alexandria · written before 253 · Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanspatristic
4 more voices on this verseWhat preachers and commentators have said about this verse, in their own words.
Romans 15:1
“For as God has destined those to whom he has granted superior knowledge to convey instruction to the ignorant, so to those whom he makes strong he commits the duty of supporting the weak by their strength; thus ought all gifts to be communicated among all the members of Christ. The stronger then any one is in Christ, the more bound he is to bear with the weak.”
John Calvin · Commentaries (1554)reformed
Romans 15:1
“We then that are strong--on such points as have been discussed, the abolition of the Jewish distinction of meats and days under the Gospel. Ro 14:20. ought . . . not to please ourselves--ought to think less of what we may lawfully do than of how our conduct will affect others.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Romans 15:1
“The closer the stones lie, and the better they are squared to fit one another, the stronger is the building. Now observe the reason why Christians must please one another: For even Christ pleased not himself. The self-denial of our Lord Jesus is the best argument against the selfishness of Christians.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Romans 15:1
“We then that are strong - The apostle resumes the subject of the preceding chapter; and continues the exhortation to brotherly love and mutual kindness and forbearance. By the “strong” here he means the strong “in faith” in respect to the matters under discussion; those whose minds were free from doubts and perplexities. His own mind was free from doubt, and there were many others, particularly of the Gentile converts, that had the same views. But many also, particularly of the “Jewish” converts, had many doubts and scruples.”
please his neighbor for his good: The pleasing has two limits set on it, the neighbor's good and his building up. Chrysostom reads the words added at the end as a guard, so that pleasing the weak counts only where it builds him up. Barnes takes neighbor here chiefly of fellow members of the church.
Romans 15:2
“And to this — that we bear the weaknesses of the weak — we ought also to add this, that we should not please ourselves, but our neighbor, only in what is good, and unto edification. The vice of self-love (philautia), that is, of pleasing oneself, the prophet also blames elsewhere when he says: Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and learned in their own sight. Likewise, then, in this matter also we can say: Woe to those who please themselves, and seem good in their own sight.”
Origen of Alexandria · written before 253 · Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanspatristic
1 more voice on this verse
Romans 15:2
“Let every one of us please his neighbor - For it should be a maxim with each of us to do all in our power to please our brethren; and especially in those things in which their spiritual edification is concerned. Though we should not indulge men in mere whims and caprices, yet we should bear with their ignorance and their weakness, knowing that others had much to bear with from us before we came to our present advanced state of religious knowledge.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
For even Christ did not please Himself: Christ is the pattern set before the strong of verse 1. Theodoret sets beside this verse the prayer of the passion, where Jesus yields His will to the Father's. Calvin draws the lesson that a servant should refuse no burden his Lord has carried for others.
Romans 15:3
“For Christ also did not please himself, but as it is written: The reproaches of those who reproached you fell upon me. In this he seems to show that Christ too, not pleasing himself, and not thinking it robbery to be equal with God, emptied himself; but wishing to please men — that is, to save men — he endured the reproaches of those who reproached, as it is written: The reproaches of those who reproached you fell upon me.”
Origen of Alexandria · written before 253 · Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanspatristic
2 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:3
“For even Christ - The apostle proceeds, in his usual manner, to illustrate what he had said by the example of the Saviour. To a Christian, the example of the Lord Jesus will furnish the most ready, certain, and happy illustration of the nature and extent of his duty. Pleased not himself - This is not to be understood as if the Lord Jesus did not voluntarily and cheerfully engage in his great work. He was not “compelled” to come and suffer.”
Romans 15:3
“For even Christ pleased not himself, etc. Since it is not right that a servant should refuse what his lord has himself undertaken, it would be very strange in us to wish an exemption from the duty of bearing the infirmities of others, to which Christ, in whom we glory as our Lord and King, submitted himself; for he having no regard for himself, gave up himself wholly to this service.”
John Calvin · Commentaries (1554)reformed
Cross references
Romans 15:3
- QuotingPsalms 69:9“because zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult You have fallen on me.”
'The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me' (Christ pleased not himself)
Romans 15:4-6
written for our instruction: The Psalm quoted in verse 3 stands for the whole Old Testament, written in the past to instruct the church. The endurance and encouragement the Scriptures give produce hope, and Paul's prayer for harmony answers the disagreement of chapter 14. He asks for one mind and one voice glorifying God.
Romans 15:4
“For whatever things were written, were written for our instruction. This is like what he himself says elsewhere: But they were written for our sakes, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”
Origen of Alexandria · written before 253 · Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanspatristic
1 more voice on this verse
Romans 15:4
“Now the God of patience and consolation--Such beautiful names of God are taken from the graces which He inspires: as "the God of hope" (Ro 15:13), "the God of peace" (Ro 15:33). grant you to be likeminded--"of the same mind" according to Christ Jesus--It is not mere unanimity which the apostle seeks for them; for unanimity in evil is to be deprecated.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
the God who gives endurance and encouragement: Verse 5 traces to God the endurance and encouragement that verse 4 credited to the Scriptures. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that Paul names God here by the graces He gives. The God of hope in verse 13 and the God of peace in verse 33 follow the same pattern.
Romans 15:5
“Now may the God of patience and of consolation grant you to be of the same mind one toward another according to Jesus Christ: that with one accord, with one mouth, you may honor God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. If patience is a virtue, and every virtue is from God, then patience too is from God.”
Origen of Alexandria · written before 253 · Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanspatristic
2 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:5
“Now the God of patience and consolation,.... These titles and characters of God are manifestly used on account of what is before said concerning the Scriptures, and to show, that the efficacy and usefulness of them, in producing and promoting patience and comfort, entirely depend upon God the author of them: from exhorting, the apostle proceeds to petitioning; well knowing that all his exhortations would be of no avail without the power of divine grace accompanying them. The words are a prayer.”
Romans 15:5
“Now the God of patience - The God who is “himself” long-suffering, who bears patiently with the errors and faults of his children, and who can “give” patience, may he give you of his Spirit, that you may bear patiently the infirmities and errors of each other. The example of God here, who bears long with his children, and is not angry soon at their offences, is a strong argument why Christians should bear with each other. If God bears long and patiently with “our” infirmities, “we” ought to bear with each other.”
with one mind and one voice: Barnes notes that the word behind one mind is the one Acts uses of the first believers praying together, at Acts 1:14, 2:1 and 4:24. Chrysostom presses the pair, one voice and one will behind it. Clarke names the two voices meant, Jew and Gentile.
Romans 15:6
“That ye - Jews and Gentiles - may with one mind - Thinking the same things, and bearing with each other, after the example of Christ; and one mouth, in all your religious assemblies, without jarring or contentions, glorify God for calling you into such a state of salvation, and showing himself to be your loving compassionate Father, as he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
2 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:6
“That ye may with one mind and one mouth;.... This is the end for which the above request is made, and shows, that a cordial and sincere affection for one another is necessary to the worshipping of God with one consent, to a joining together in acts of religious service, both in praying to God, and in praising of him, which latter seems here chiefly designed; for how should there be an agreement of heart and voice, of mind and mouth, in praising God, unless there is a singleness of heart, and oneness of affection?”
Romans 15:6
“Those that agree in Christ, who is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, and the great centre of unity, may well afford to agree among themselves. This coalescence of the Jews and Gentiles in Christ and Christianity was a thing that filled and affected Paul so much that he could not mention it without some enlargement and illustration.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Romans 15:7-9
just as Christ accepted you: The chapter comes down to one command, accept one another just as Christ accepted you. Christ became a servant of the circumcised to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, so Gentile praise rests on promises kept to Israel. Jew and Gentile glorify one God.
Romans 15:7
“Wherefore - In view of all the considerations tending to produce unity and love, which have been presented. He refers to the various arguments in this and the preceding chapter. Receive ye one another - Acknowledge one another as Christians, and treat one another as such, though you may differ in opinion about many smaller matters; see Rom 14:3. As Christ also received us - That is, received us as his friends and followers; see Rom 14:3. To the glory of God - In order to promote his glory.”
3 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:7
“After these things he says: "Wherefore receive one another, as Christ also received you unto the honor of God." What he says, "receive one another," is to be referred back to what he had set forth at the first, where, on the occasion of clean or unclean foods, those who thought differently were at variance with one another; and he says: "Receive one another, as Christ also received you," who shrank from no one's uncleannesses, nor reckoned to anyone his offenses. Judge nothing, therefore, concerning the uncleanness of animals, just as he did not reckon the uncleannesses of believers.”
Origen of Alexandria · written before 253 · Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanspatristic
Romans 15:7
“Those words, to the glory of God, may refer both to Christ's receiving us, which is our pattern, and to our receiving one another, which is our practice according to that pattern. Christ hath received us to the glory of God. The end of our reception by Christ is that we might glorify God in this world, and be glorified with him in that to come.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Romans 15:7
“Wherefore receive ye one another,.... Into your hearts and affections; embrace one another cordially, the Jew the Gentile, the Gentile the Jew, the strong brother the weak, the weak the strong: as Christ also received us. The Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, read "you". Both Jews and Gentiles, as appears from the following verses.”
Christ has become a servant of the circumcised: Augustine reads the verse as a word to humble the Gentiles, since Christ came first as a servant of the circumcised. Clarke adds that Christ kept His earthly ministry among the circumcised, so the Gentiles owe the weak of Israel patience. God's truth to the patriarchs stands behind it.
Romans 15:8
“Understanding by the promises made to the fathers the whole covenant of grace, darkly administered under the Old Testament, and brought to a clearer light now under the gospel, it was Christ's great errand to confirm that covenant, Dan. ix.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
2 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:8
“Now--"For" is the true reading: the apostle is merely assigning an additional motive to Christian forbearance.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Romans 15:8
“Christ Jesus-Jesus is the name, Christ the surname. The latter was first known to the Jews; the former, to the gentiles. Therefore he is styled Jesus Christ, when the words stand in the common, natural order.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy: The first of four quotations is Psalm 18:49. Wesley hears in it Gentiles and Jews joining in the worship of the God of Israel. Chrysostom reads mercy as the whole claim of the Gentiles, who held no promises, so their debt of praise is larger.
Romans 15:9
“And that the Gentiles ... - The benefits of the gospel were not to be confined to “the Jews;” and as God “designed” that those benefits should be extended to the “Gentiles,” so the Jewish converts ought to be willing to admit them and treat them as brethren. That God “did” design this, the apostle proceeds to show. Might glorify God - Might “praise,” or give thanks to God. This implies that the favor shown to them was a “great” favor. For his mercy - Greek, On account of the mercy shown to them.”
2 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:9
“Christ, in and by his apostles and ministers, whom he sent to disciple all nations, did confess to God among the Gentiles. The exaltation of Christ, as well as the conversion of sinners, is set forth by the praising of God. Christ's declaring God's name to his brethren is called his praising God in the midst of the congregation, Ps. xxii.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Romans 15:9
“As it is written - In the eighteenth Psalm, here the gentiles and Jews are spoken of as joining in the worship of the God of Israel.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Cross references
Romans 15:9
- QuotingPsalms 18:49“Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.”
'I will confess to thee among the Gentiles' (Gentile-praise catena, 'as it is written')
Romans 15:10-13
Deuteronomy 32:43, Psalm 117:1 and Isaiah 11:10 stand in a row, each setting Gentile praise beside Israel's. Isaiah names the Root of Jesse, who rises to rule the Gentiles and in whom they hope. The benediction then asks the God of hope to fill the church with joy and peace.
Romans 15:10
“And again he saith,.... God or Christ, in Deu 32:43; rejoice ye Gentiles with his people; which from the Hebrew text are by some rendered, "rejoice his people O ye Gentiles"; to which agree the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, who render it, "praise O ye nations his people"; or as some copies of the former, "the judgment of his people"; and the latter adds, the house of Israel. The note of R. Sol.”
2 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:10
“And again-- (De 32:43, though there is some difficulty in the Hebrew).”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Romans 15:10
“This is quoted from that song of Moses, Deut. xxxii. Observe, Those who were incorporated among his people are said to rejoice with his people. No greater joy can come to any people than the coming of the gospel among them in power.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Cross references
Romans 15:10
- QuotingDeuteronomy 32:43“Rejoice, O heavens, with Him, and let all God’s angels worship Him. Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His children. He will take vengeance on His adversaries and repay those who hate Him; He will cleanse His land and His people.”
'Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people'
Psalm 117 supplies the third witness. Gill ties the psalm's mercy and truth to verses 8 and 9, mercy for the Gentiles and truth for Israel. Matthew Henry sets this praise against the idols of wood and stone the nations had praised for ages.
Romans 15:11
“This is quoted out of that short psalm, Ps. cxvii. Converting grace sets people a praising God, furnishes with the richest matter for praise, and gives a heart to it. The Gentiles had been, for many ages, praising their idols of wood and stone, but now they are brought to praise the Lord; and this David in spirit speaks of.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
1 more voice on this verse
Romans 15:11
“And again - Psa 117:1. The object in this quotation is the same as before. The apostle accumulates quotations to show that it was the common language of the Old Testament, and that he was not depending on a single expression for the truth of his doctrine. All ye Gentiles - In the psalm, “all ye nations;” but the original is the same. And laud him - “Praise” him. The psalm is directly in point. It is a call on “all” nations to praise God; the very point in the discussion of the apostle.”
Cross references
Romans 15:11
- QuotingPsalms 117:1“Praise the LORD, all you nations! Extol Him, all you peoples!”
'Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles'
Paul quotes Isaiah as the Greek translation gives it. Barnes pictures the Root of Jesse as a live root under a fallen tree that sends up a new shoot. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the Root as the one sprung from Jesse and point to Revelation 22:16.
Romans 15:12
“Esaias saith - Isa 11:1, Isa 11:10. There shall be a root - A descendant, or one that should proceed from him when he was dead. When a tree dies, and falls, there may remain a “root” which shall retain life, and which shall send up a sprout of a similar kind. So Job says Job 14:7, “For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.” So in relation to Jesse.”
3 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:12
“But when the same prophet represents to us even nations sometimes estimated as "the small dust of the balance," and as "less than nothing, and vanity," and sometimes as about to hope and "trust in the name" and arm of the Lord, are we at all misled respecting the Gentile nations by the diversity of statement? Are some of them to turn believers, and are others accounted dust, from any difference of nature? Nay, rather Christ has shone as the true light on the nations within the ocean's limits, and from the heaven which is over us all.”
Tertullian · written before 220 · On the Resurrection of the Fleshpatristic
Romans 15:12
“Faith is the soul's confidence in Christ and dependence on him. The prophet has it, to him shall the Gentiles seek. The method of faith is first to seek unto Christ, as to one proposed to us for a Saviour; and, finding him able and willing to save, then to trust in him.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Romans 15:12
“And again, Esaias saith-- (Isa 11:10). There shall be a--"the" root of Jesse--meaning, not "He from whom Jesse sprang," but "He that is sprung from Jesse" (that is, Jesse's son David)--see Re 22:16. and he that shall rise, &c.--So the Septuagint in substantial, though not verbal, agreement with the original.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Cross references
Romans 15:12
- QuotingIsaiah 11:10“On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious.”
'There shall be a root of Jesse... in him shall the Gentiles trust' ('Esaias saith')
ConnectionsIsaiah 11:10
Now may the God of hope: Gill takes the title from verse 12, where the Gentiles hope in the Root of Jesse. Wesley sets beside it Rome's goddess Hope, whose temple burned twice. Theophylact offers a reading that divides the prayer, joy for grieved Jewish believers and peace for hostile Gentile believers.
Romans 15:13
“Now the God of hope - The God who “inspires,” or “produces” the Christian hope. All joy and peace - Rom 14:17. If they were filled with this, there would be no strife and contention. In believing - The effect of believing is to produce this joy and peace. That ye may abound ... - That your hope may be steadfast and strong. Through the power ... - By means of the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit. It is by his power alone that the Christian has the hope of eternal life; see Eph 1:13-14; Rom 8:24.”
2 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:13
“Now the God of hope,.... This character is taken from the latter part of Rom 15:12, and is occasioned by it, "in him shall the Gentiles trust", or "hope"; and is proper to God as he is the author and giver of this grace; for naturally men are without it; that which is a good hope is the gift of God, and through his grace, and is wrought in the heart in regeneration; for to this are the children of God begotten again.”
Romans 15:13
“Now the God of hope - A glorious title of God, but till now unknown to the heathens; for their goddess Hope, like their other idols, was nothing; whose temple at Rome was burned by lightning. It was, indeed, built again not long after, but was again burned to the ground.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Paul's Ambition: To Preach Where Christ Was Not Named
Romans 15:14-16
full of goodness: Paul credits the church with goodness, knowledge and the ability to instruct one another, and calls his letter a bold reminder. By God's grace Paul is a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, in the priestly service of the gospel. The Holy Spirit makes that Gentile offering holy.
Romans 15:14
“But I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, so that you are able to admonish others as well. By the same reasoning by which we said above that believers are filled with all joy and all peace, here too he affirms that those to whom the discourse is addressed are full of goodness and of all knowledge.”
Origen of Alexandria · written before 253 · Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanspatristic
3 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:14
“And I - am persuaded of you - This is supposed to be an address to the Gentiles; and it is managed with great delicacy: he seems to apologize for the freedom he had used in writing to them; which he gives them to understand proceeded from the authority he had received by his apostolical office, the exercise of which office respected them particularly. So they could not be offended when they found themselves so particularly distinguished. Ye - are full of goodness - Instead of αγαθωσυνης, goodness, some MSS. of good repute have αγαπης, love.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Romans 15:14
“There are several conclusions of this Epistle. The first begins at this verse; the second, chap. xvi, 1; the third, chap. xvi, 17; the fourth, chap. xvi, 21; and the fifth, chap. xvi, 25; Ye are full of goodness - By being created anew.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Romans 15:14
“And I myself also am persuaded of you,.... This is said by way of prevention to an objection that might he made to the apostle's prayers and exhortations by the Romans.”
I have written you a bold reminder on some points: Theodore of Mopsuestia reads the letter as a reminder of teaching the Romans already held. Barnes calls it bold for a stranger who had never visited them. Clarke records a reading that takes the phrase on some points as aimed at one party among them.
Romans 15:15
“Nevertheless - Notwithstanding my full persuasion of your knowledge and your purpose to do right. Perhaps he refers also to the fact that he was a stranger to them. The more boldly - More boldly than might have been expected from a stranger. The reason why he showed this boldness in declaring his sentiments, he immediately states - that he had been especially called to the function of instructing the Gentiles. In some sort - ἀπὸ μέρος apo meros. In part. Some have supposed that he referred to a “party” at Rome - the Gentile party (Whitby).”
in the priestly service of the gospel of God: Both words in the verse come from the temple. Barnes traces minister to the Levitical priests and finds the verb for priestly service nowhere else in the New Testament. Origen reads the gospel as Paul's sacrifice, and Augustine names believing Gentiles as the offering made acceptable to God.
Romans 15:16
“Ministering the Gospel of God - Ἱερουργουντα, Acting as a priest. Here is a plain allusion, says Dr. Whitby, to the Jewish sacrifices offered by the priest, and sanctified or made acceptable by the libamen offered with them; for he compares himself, in preaching the Gospel, to the priest performing his sacred functions - preparing his sacrifice to be offered. The Gentiles, converted by him and dedicated to the service of God, are his sacrifices and oblation. The Holy Spirit is the libamen poured upon this sacrifice, by which it was sanctified and rendered acceptable to God.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
2 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:16
“And he says this grace was given him for this purpose, that I may be, he says, a minister to Christ Jesus among the Gentiles, sanctifying the Gospel of God. What we have as sanctifying the Gospel of God, the Greeks say more magnificently, *hierourgounta to euangelion tou theou* ("performing the sacred rite of the Gospel of God"), which, though not fully rendered by us, might nevertheless be expressed as sacrificing the Gospel of God; by which it is shown that to announce the Gospel is a sacrificial work.”
Origen of Alexandria · written before 253 · Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanspatristic
Romans 15:16
“And it is an acceptable offering, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. Paul preached to them, and dealt with them; but that which made them sacrifices to God was their sanctification; and this was not his work, but the work of the Holy Ghost. None are acceptably offered to God but those that are sanctified: unholy things can never be pleasing to the holy God.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Romans 15:17-19
exult in Christ Jesus: Paul places his boasting in Christ Jesus and in his service for God. Christ worked through him to bring the Gentiles to obedience, by word and deed, with signs and wonders by the Spirit's power. Jerusalem to Illyricum marks the ground covered.
Romans 15:17
“I have therefore glory in Christ Jesus toward God. True glorying toward God there is none, except that which is in Christ Jesus. But to glory in God without Christ is much the same as if someone should say that he can have glory with God without righteousness, without wisdom, without truth. For all these things Christ is; and therefore in Christ alone is there true glorying toward God. This is like that which he himself says elsewhere: But he that glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
Origen of Alexandria · written before 253 · Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanspatristic
what Christ has accomplished through me: Paul limits his boast to the work of Christ. Theophylact reads Paul as the instrument and Christ as the worker. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown take Paul to mean he will go no further than what Christ has done through him among the Gentiles.
Romans 15:18
“For I will not dare to speak - If the thing were not as I have stated it, I would not dare to arrogate to myself honors which did not belong to me. But God has made me the apostle of the Gentiles; and the conversion of the Gentiles is the fruit of my ministry, Christ having wrought by me for this purpose. By word and deed - Αογῳ και εργῳ· These words may refer to the doctrines which he taught and to the miracles which he wrought among them.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
1 more voice on this verse
Romans 15:18
“For I will not dare to speak of any--"to speak aught" of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me--a modest, though somewhat obscure form of expression, meaning, "I will not dare to go beyond what Christ hath wrought by me"--in which form accordingly the rest of the passage is expressed.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum: Aquinas takes signs as the lesser miracles, such as healing the sick, and wonders as the greater ones that point to something great. Barnes points to the miracles of Acts 19:11 and 12. Theodoret traces the circuit from Jerusalem to Illyricum through Asia Minor and Thrace.
Romans 15:19
“Through mighty signs and wonders - By stupendous and striking miracles; see the note at Act 2:43. Paul here refers, doubtless, to the miracles which he had himself performed; see Act 19:11-12, “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul,” etc. By the power of the Spirit of God - This may either be connected with signs and wonders, and then it will mean that those miracles were performed by the power of the Holy Spirit; or it may constitute a new subject, and refer to the gift of prophecy, the power of speaking other languages.”
1 more voice on this verse
Romans 15:19
“Through mighty signs and wonders,.... Or "in", or "through the power of signs and wonders", as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions render the words.”
Romans 15:20-21
aspired to preach the gospel: Paul aimed at ground where Christ had never been named, keeping clear of another man's foundation. Isaiah 52:15 is quoted for it: those who were never told about Him will see, and the ones who never heard will understand. Pioneer work was his whole ambition.
Romans 15:20
“So have I strived to preach the Gospel - Οὑτω δε φιλοτιμουμενον· For I have considered it my honor to preach the Gospel where that Gospel was before unknown. This is the proper import of the word φιλοτιμεισθαι; from φιλος, a friend, and τιμη, honor.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
1 more voice on this verse
Romans 15:20
“Not where Christ had been named - These places he generally declined, though not altogether, having an holy ambition (so the Greek word means) to make the first proclamation of the gospel in places where it was quite unheard of, in spite of all the difficulty and dangers that attended it.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Clarke reads the quotation as a word Paul set himself to fulfil by his way of preaching. Barnes reads it as the warrant for going where the gospel was unheard. Chrysostom notes that Paul ran where the labor was greater.
Romans 15:21
“But as it is written - Isa 52:15. This is not literally quoted, but the sense is retained. The design of quoting it is to justify the principle on which the apostle acted. It was revealed that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles; and he regarded it as a high honor to be the instrument of carrying this prediction into effect.”
Cross references
Romans 15:21
- QuotingIsaiah 52:15“so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard.”
'To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see' (Paul's ambition to preach where unnamed)
Plans for Spain and the Offering for Jerusalem
Romans 15:22-24
often been hindered from coming to you: The pioneer policy kept Paul from Rome. With no openings left in those regions and years of longing behind him, he can turn west. Rome is a stop on his road to Spain, a place to enjoy the church's company and be equipped for the next stage.
Romans 15:22
“Paul was not hindered by Satan, as some think, but by the fact that he was too busy planting churches in places where nobody had ever preached the gospel before.”
Origen of Alexandria · written before 253 · Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanspatristic
1 more voice on this verse
Romans 15:22
“For which cause, etc. - My considering it a point of honor to build on no other man’s foundation; and, finding that the Gospel has been long ago planted at Rome, I have been prevented from going thither, purposing rather to spend my time and strength in preaching where Christ has not, as yet, been proclaimed.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
there are no further opportunities for me in these regions: Clarke reads the phrase as no further opportunities to preach the gospel in these regions. Barnes adds that the churches there were planted and left in the care of elders, as Acts 20:17 shows. The longing of many years could now be met.
Romans 15:23
"But now, having no further place in these regions, and having a desire to come to you now for many preceding years, when I set out for Spain, I hope that as I pass through I may see you, and be sent on my way there by you, when first I shall have enjoyed you in part." He seems to say these things while situated in Achaia, at Corinth, as we have already shown so far as our strength allowed in the earlier parts of the Epistle: which Achaia, of course, is neighboring and adjoining to Macedonia.
Origen of Alexandria · written before 253 · Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanspatristic
I hope to see you on my way to Spain: Gill counts the visit to Spain uncertain. Cyril of Jerusalem says Paul proclaimed the gospel in Spain. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown place such a visit between a first and a second imprisonment at Rome.
Romans 15:24
“Whensoever I take my journey into Spain,.... Which he had now meditated and resolved upon, being a place, as before observed, where it is very likely the Gospel as yet had not been preached, which made him desirous of going thither; but whether he ever went thither, or not, is not certain; some think he never performed the intended journey; others affirm he did, some time between his two appearances before Nero.”
4 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:24
“Whensoever I take my journey into Spain - Where it is very likely the Gospel had not yet been planted; though legendary tales inform us that St. James had planted the Gospel there long before this time, and had founded many bishoprics! But this is as unfounded as it is ridiculous and absurd; for nothing like what is now termed a bishopric, nor even a parish, was founded for many years after this. An itinerant preacher, might, with more propriety, say travelling circuits were formed, rather than bishoprics.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
Romans 15:24
“Paul instructed imperial Rome and extended the zeal of his preaching even to Spain, sustaining countless conflicts and performing signs and wonders.”
Cyril of Jerusalem · written before 386 · CATECHESIS 17.26patristic
Romans 15:24
“Into Spain - Where the gospel had not yet been preached. If first I may be somewhat satisfied with your company - How remarkable is the modesty with which he speaks!”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Romans 15:24
“Those who think our apostle was never at large after his first imprisonment at Rome will of course hold that it never was; while those who are persuaded, as we are, that he underwent a second imprisonment, prior to which he was at large for a considerable time after his first, incline naturally to the other opinion.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Romans 15:25-27
on my way to Jerusalem to serve the saints: An older errand comes first, a gift Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to give for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Paul calls the gift a debt, since the Gentiles have shared in Israel's spiritual blessings and return material help. Willing giving and real obligation stand together.
Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution: Theodoret traces the contribution to the promise Paul and Barnabas made to Peter, James and John to help the saints in Judea. Barnes reads were pleased as free and cheerful giving. Acts 24:17 records the gift delivered.
Romans 15:26
For, &c.--better, "For Macedonia and Achaia have thought good to make a certain contribution for the poor of the saints which are at Jerusalem." (See Ac 24:17). "They have thought it good; and their debtors verily they are"; that is, "And well they may, considering what the Gentile believers owe to their Jewish brethren."
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
1 more voice on this verse
Romans 15:26
“The poor of the saints that are in Jerusalem - It can by no means be inferred from this expression, that the community of goods among the Christians was then ceased.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings: Theophylact names the spiritual blessings the Gentiles shared: Christ came from the Jews, and with Him the apostles and the prophets. Wesley calls the debt one of justice as well as mercy.
Romans 15:27
“Their debtors - The reason he immediately states; compare Rom 1:14. Of their spiritual things - Have received the gospel by the instrumentality of those who had been Jews; and were admitted now to the same privileges with them. Carnal things - Things pertaining to the flesh; that is, to this life. On this ground the apostle puts the obligation to support the ministers of the gospel; 1Co 9:11. It becomes a matter of “debt” where the hearer of the gospel “receives,” in spiritual blessings, far more than he confers by supporting the ministry.”
2 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:27
“It hath pleased them; and they are their debtors - That is, they are bound to it, in justice as well as mercy. Spiritual things - By the preaching of the gospel.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Romans 15:27
“Ga 6:6; and see Lu 7:4; When therefore I have . . . sealed--that is, delivered over safely to them this fruit--of the faith and love of the Gentile converts I will come--"come back," or "return" by you into Spain--(See on Ro 15:24).”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
Romans 15:28-29
safely delivered this bounty to them: The collection is finished and delivered before anything else moves. Paul expects to arrive carrying the fullness of the blessing of Christ. Fullness renders pleroma, the word chapter 11 uses of Israel's fullness at 11:12 and of the full number of the Gentiles at 11:25.
Romans 15:28
“When I have sealed to them this fruit - When I have safely delivered to them, as under seal, this fruit of their brethren's love. I will go by you into Spain - Such was his design; but it does not appear that Paul went into Spain. There are often holy purposes in the minds of good men, which are overruled by the providence of God so as never to take effect.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
2 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:28
“One poor man, already old, preached from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum, and swiftly runs his word. Since, then, it had come from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum, and his word had run swiftly, next it follows, and that very word which had said, From Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum, says: But I wish to go even to the Spains. This the apostle Paul speaks. See the swiftness of the word. He is not content with the east: he longs to run to the west.”
Jerome · written before 420 · Homily 57, on Psalm 147patristic
Romans 15:28
“When therefore I have performed this,.... Meaning when he had dispatched that business, and finished that affair which the Macedonian and Achaian churches had entreated him to engage in, and which he had undertook; namely, to take their collection, and carry it to Jerusalem, and distribute it among the poor saints there; and which he expresses by another phrase, and have sealed to them this fruit.”
in the fullness of the blessing of Christ: Clarke and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown report that almost every manuscript lacks the words of the gospel, and they read the blessing of Christ. The confidence proved true. He did come to them in the fullness of that blessing, though in circumstances far from those he planned.
Romans 15:29
“And I am sure--"I know" that . . . I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of Christ--Such, beyond all doubts, is the true reading, the words "of the gospel" being in hardly any manuscripts of antiquity and authority. Nor was the apostle mistaken in this confidence, though his visit to Rome was in very different circumstances from what he expected.”
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)reformed
2 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:29
“And I am sure when I come to you,.... He intended to go to Spain; he was not sure he should reach thither; but he was positive in it he should come to Rome.”
Romans 15:29
“I am sure - Greek, I know; expressing the fullest confidence, a confidence that was greatly confirmed by the success of his labors elsewhere. In the fulness of the blessings ... - This is a Hebrew mode of expression, where one noun performs the purpose of an adjective, and means “with a full or abundant blessing.” This confidence he, expressed in other language in Rom 1:11-12; see the notes. Of the gospel of Christ - Which the gospel of Christ is suited to impart. Thus, every minister of the gospel should wish to go.”
Romans 15:30-33
by the love of the Spirit: Paul asks the Roman church to join his struggle in prayer, and the verb for that joining is synagonizomai, a wrestling fought alongside another man. Two requests follow, deliverance from the unbelievers in Judea and a welcome for the Jerusalem gift. Both name dangers he already sees.
Romans 15:30
“For the love of the Spirit - By that love of God which the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in your hearts. That ye strive together - Συναγωνισασθαι That ye agonize with me. He felt that much depended on the success of his present mission to the Christians at Jerusalem, and their acceptance of the charitable contribution which he was bringing with him, in order to conciliate them to the reception of the Gentiles into the Church of God without obliging them to submit to circumcision.”
Adam Clarke · Commentary on the Bible (1810-1826)evangelical
2 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:30
“I beseech you by the love of the Spirit - That is, by the love which is the genuine fruit of the Spirit. To strive together with me in your prayers - He must pray himself, who would have others strive together with him in prayer. Of all the apostles, St. Paul alone is recorded to desire the prayers of the faithful for himself.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
Romans 15:30
“This is quoted out of Ps. lxix. 9 , the former part of which verse is applied to Christ ( John ii. 17 ), The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the latter part here; for David was a type of Christ, and his sufferings of Christ's sufferings.”
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible (1707-1721)puritan
Pray that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea: Barnes explains the danger: Judea's unbelievers counted Paul an apostate, and Acts 21:21 records the charge that he taught Jews to forsake Moses. Wesley reads the prayer for an acceptable service as a prayer that the saints would be knit to the Gentiles who gave.
Romans 15:31
“That I may be delivered - He is thus urgent from a sense of the importance of his life to the church. Otherwise he would have rejoiced "to depart, and to be with Christ." And that my service may be acceptable - In spite of all their prejudices; to the end the Jewish and gentile believers may be knit together in tender love.”
John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)evangelical
1 more voice on this verse
Romans 15:31
“That I may be ... - The unbelieving Jews in Judea had been opposed to Paul’s conversion. They could not forget that he had borne letters of commission from them to persecute the Christians at Damascus. They regarded him as an apostate. They had heard of his success among the Gentiles; and they had been informed that he “taught all the Jews among the Gentiles to forsake the laws of Moses;” Act 21:21. Hence, the apostle could not but be aware that in returning to Judea, he exposed himself to special dangers.”
I may come to you with joy: Chrysostom links the phrase by God's will to 1:10, where Paul first prayed for a way to Rome by the same will. Theophylact notes the humble aim. Paul hopes to be refreshed with them and to come with joy.
The God of peace be with all of you: Theodoret reads the God of peace as a prayer for brothers in Rome at odds with one another. Clarke calls peace between Jew and Gentile the letter's aim and notes that some of the oldest manuscripts lack the Amen. Spurgeon pairs the prayer with the struggle of verse 30.
Romans 15:33
"Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen." He endows the Romans with an immense blessing, that the God of peace may be with them — that is, that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, may guard their hearts in Christ Jesus, who is our peace.
Origen of Alexandria · written before 253 · Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanspatristic
3 more voices on this verse
Romans 15:33
“Now the God of peace be with you all, Amen. As God is in this chapter before styled the God of patience, Rom 15:5, and the God of hope, Rom 15:13, because of his concern in these graces; so he is here styled "the God of peace", because of his concern in that peace which is made between him and his people, by the blood of Christ.”
Romans 15:33
“Now the God of peace - God, the author or promoter of peace and union. In Rom 15:13, he is called the God of hope. Here the apostle desires that the God who gives peace would impart to them union of sentiment and feeling, particularly between the Jewish and Gentile Christians - the great object for which he labored in his journey to Judea, and which he had been endeavoring to promote throughout this Epistle; see 1Co 14:33; Heb 13:20. This is the close of the doctrinal and hortatory parts of this Epistle.”
Romans 15:33
PAUL ONCE ADVISED the Romans to strive. Three verses before our text he actually gives them an exhortation to strive, and yet he here utters a prayer that the God of peace might be with them all. Lest you should think him to be a man of strife, you must read the verse. He says: “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.”
How this psalm is built
The form: Exhortation joined to prayer, the apostle's constant custom, as Ohrid classes it.
The patterns in this chapter
| Device | What it does | Where to see it |
|---|---|---|
| Six quotations of Scripture, four of them in a row | The chapter quotes the Old Testament six times, at verses 3, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 21, and three of them open on the words as it is written. Verses 9 to 12 set four in a row from the Law, the Psalms and the Prophets, and each one names the Gentiles. Barnes reads the heaping of texts as proof that the call to the nations was the common language of the Old Testament.Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869), on Romans 15:11. | Romans 15:9, Romans 15:10, Romans 15:11, Romans 15:12 |
| God named three times by what He gives | Three prayers close three movements of the chapter. Verse 5 names the God who gives endurance and encouragement, verse 13 the God of hope, and verse 33 the God of peace. Gill marks the pattern, each title taken from the grace the verse around it asks for.John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748), on Romans 15:33. | Romans 15:5, Romans 15:13, Romans 15:33 |
| A plan with six places on it | The last part of the chapter names Jerusalem four times, Illyricum once, Spain twice, and Macedonia, Achaia and Judea once each. Rome is the stop between Jerusalem and Spain. Barnes notes that Acts 19:21 records the same plan, Jerusalem first and then Rome.Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869), on Romans 15:25. | Romans 15:19, Romans 15:24, Romans 15:26, Romans 15:28 |
The structure
10 more paragraphs on the patterns
Paul speaks throughout, first as a teacher and then about himself. Verses 1 to 13 finish the argument over the strong and the weak that began at 14:1, so the two chapters form one unit, and Albert Barnes reads verse 1 as the apostle resuming the subject of the chapter before (Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869), on Romans 15:1). Verses 1 to 6 set the example of Christ and close with a prayer, and verses 7 to 13 set His service to Israel and the nations and close with a second prayer. Thomas Aquinas marks the turn at verse 14 from general admonitions to familiar matters, first about Paul and then, from 16:1, about others (Commentary on Romans, on Romans 15:14). John Wesley counts verse 14 as the first of the letter's several conclusions (Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament, 1755, on Romans 15:14). The plan of verses 22 to 32 and the prayer for peace at verse 33 hand the letter to chapter 16, which commends Phoebe and greets the church by name.
The debate
The readers differ over who the strong are. Theodore of Mopsuestia holds that Paul is speaking to the Gentile believers, who looked down on the Jewish believers for keeping the law (PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH, on Romans 15:1). Adam Clarke reads the strong as the Gentile Christians who understood their liberty in the gospel (Commentary on the Bible, on Romans 15:1). Barnes reads them as those whose minds were free from doubt on the matters in dispute (on Romans 15:1).
They differ over what kept Paul from Rome at verse 22. Origen of Alexandria holds that he was held back by planting churches where no one had preached, and he sets aside the view that Satan hindered him (COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS, on Romans 15:22). Ambrosiaster holds that he was kept busy shutting out the teaching of the false apostles (COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES, on Romans 15:22). Gennadius of Constantinople holds that Paul believed Peter had already come to Rome as its teacher (PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH, on Romans 15:20).
They differ over whether Paul ever reached Spain. Cyril of Jerusalem says that Paul carried his preaching even to Spain (CATECHESIS 17.26, on Romans 15:24). Jamieson, Fausset and Brown lean the same way, placing the visit between a first and a second imprisonment at Rome (Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871, on Romans 15:24). John Gill counts the matter uncertain (Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748), on Romans 15:24), and Wesley holds that it does not appear that Paul went (on Romans 15:28).
The text itself carries three small variants. At verse 29 the older printings add of the gospel before of Christ, and Clarke and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown report the words missing from almost every important manuscript (on Romans 15:29). At verse 7 Gill records that the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate, the Syriac and the Arabic read you where other copies read us (on Romans 15:7). At verse 33 Clarke records that some of the most ancient manuscripts lack the closing Amen (on Romans 15:33).
The Old Testament in the chapter
Verse 3 quotes Psalm 69:9, which Clarke reads as Christ bearing the insults aimed at God (on Romans 15:3), and verse 4 widens the point to everything written in the past, which Clarke takes as the whole of the Old Testament (on Romans 15:4). Verse 9 quotes Psalm 18:49, where Wesley hears Gentiles and Jews joining in the worship of the God of Israel (on Romans 15:9). Verse 10 quotes Deuteronomy 32:43, and Gill records that the Targums render the Hebrew as a call to the nations to praise His people (on Romans 15:10). Verse 11 quotes Psalm 117:1, the psalm Matthew Henry calls short (Commentary on the Whole Bible, on Romans 15:11). Verse 12 quotes Isaiah 11:10, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that Paul follows the Septuagint, which agrees with the Hebrew in substance (on Romans 15:12). Verse 21 quotes Isaiah 52:15, which Barnes says is given in its sense, as the warrant for preaching where Christ was unknown (on Romans 15:21).
Where to go deeper
The argument of 14:1 to 15:13 has its own page at /featured/the-weak-and-the-strong. The collection for Jerusalem is taught at /featured/the-grace-of-giving, the city Paul hoped to visit at /featured/rome, and the song that Isaiah 52:15 belongs to at /featured/the-servant-songs.
Keep studying
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Sources for this chapter
The summary
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary.
The form and classifications
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament, 1755, on Romans 15:14; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans, on Romans 15:33 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans, on Romans 15:14.
The exposition
Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes; Augustine of Hippo; Charles Hodge, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans; Charles Spurgeon, The New Park Street Pulpit, Sermon No. 49: “The God of Peace” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Cyril of Jerusalem, CATECHESIS 17.26; Frederic Godet, Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Chrysostom; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Robert Haldane, Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans; Theodore of Mopsuestia, PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH; Theodoret of Cyrus, INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans; Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.