Romans 15
Living for Others, Not Self 1–6
Christ's Ministry Unites Jews and Gentiles 7–13
Paul's Apostolic Ministry to the Gentiles 14–21
Paul’s Travel Plans and the Jerusalem Collection 22–29
Request for Prayer and Final Blessing 30–33
Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain
Study Notes for Romans 15
Verse 1
bear the infirmities of the weak — The ‘strong’ (dunatos) are to carry (bastazo) the ‘infirmities’ (asthenema, a word found only here in the New Testament) of the ‘weak’ (adunatos, without power) of ch. 14. Bastazo is the verb of Gal 6:2, ‘Bear ye one another’s burdens’. ‘Ought’ (opheilo) names a debt, as in v.27.
Verse 2
to edification — Oikodome is building up, the standard already set in Rom 14:19, ‘things wherewith one may edify another’. The measure is the neighbour’s ‘good’ (agathos), not his approval. Paul describes his own practice the same way: ‘not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many’ (1 Cor 10:33).
Verse 3
The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me — This is from Ps 69:9, whose first half the disciples remembered at the cleansing of the temple: ‘The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up’ (John 2:17). The insults aimed at God landed on the Son (epipipto, to fall upon); he took them rather than please himself.
Verse 4
written for our learning — The Scripture just quoted (Ps 69) was written ‘for our learning’ (didaskalia, instruction) to produce ‘patience’ (hupomone, endurance) and ‘comfort’ (paraklesis), and so ‘hope’. Of the wilderness history Paul says the same: ‘they are written for our admonition’ (1 Cor 10:11). Vv.5 and 13 name the God who gives them.
Verse 7
receive ye one another — Proslambano, to take to oneself, is the verb of Rom 14:1, ‘Him that is weak in the faith receive ye’, and of 14:3, ‘for God hath received him’. The pattern is Christ’s own reception of ‘us’, and the end is ‘the glory of God’.
Verse 8
a minister of the circumcision — Diakonos, a servant, of the circumcision, the Jews: ‘I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel’ (Matt 15:24). The purpose is ‘the truth of God’, to ‘confirm’ (bebaioo, make firm) ‘the promises made unto the fathers’; the Gentiles’ mercy follows in v.9.
Verse 9
the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy — Four proofs follow (vv.9–12), from the Psalms, the Law and the Prophets. The first is Ps 18:49: ‘give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name’. The Hebrew goyim, ‘heathen’ there and ‘nations’ in Ps 117:1, is what Paul renders ethne, Gentiles.
Verse 11
Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles — This is from Ps 117:1: ‘O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.’ Both halves of the call go beyond Israel. The second proof, in v.10, is Deut 32:43, ‘Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people’, which bids the Gentiles rejoice ‘with his people’; this third proof bids them praise the LORD himself.
Verse 12
a root of Jesse — This is from Isa 11:10: ‘there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek.’ Christ names himself ‘the root and the offspring of David’ (Rev 22:16). ‘Trust’ is elpizo, to hope, which leads straight into ‘the God of hope’ of v.13.
Verse 13
the God of hope — This title occurs only here; it joins ‘the God of patience and consolation’ (v.5) and ‘the God of peace’ (v.33). ‘Abound’ is perisseuo, to overflow; the hope Paul asked for in v.4 comes ‘through the power’ (dunamis) ‘of the Holy Ghost’, with ‘joy and peace in believing’.
Verse 14
able also to admonish one another — Noutheteo, to put in mind, is the verb of Col 3:16, ‘teaching and admonishing one another’. ‘Goodness’ (agathosune) is among the fruit of the Spirit in Gal 5:22. Paul counts the Roman believers as able to instruct each other before he writes more boldly.
Verse 15
putting you in mind — Epanamimnesko, to remind again, and ‘more boldly’ (tolmeroteron) each occur only here in the New Testament. The boldness rests on ‘the grace that is given to me of God’, the grace of ‘I say, through the grace given unto me’ (Rom 12:3) and of ‘grace and apostleship’ (Rom 1:5).
Verse 16
ministering the gospel of God — There are three priestly words: leitourgos (minister), used of Christ as ‘a minister of the sanctuary’ (Heb 8:2); hierourgeo (to work as a priest, found only here); prosphora (offering). The gospel is the service and the Gentiles the offering, ‘acceptable’ (euprosdektos), a word that returns in v.31.
Verse 19
unto Illyricum — Illyricum (Illurikon) is named only here in the New Testament. ‘Mighty signs and wonders’ (semeia and terata) are the marks of an apostle in 2 Cor 12:12 and God’s witness in Heb 2:4. ‘Fully preached’ is pleroo, to fill: the gospel has been carried round the whole arc from Jerusalem.
Verse 20
not where Christ was named — ‘Strived’ is philotimeomai, to make it one’s aim; the word is used also in 2 Cor 5:9 and 1 Thess 4:11. The rule against building ‘upon another man’s foundation’ matches ‘I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon’ (1 Cor 3:10) and ‘another man’s line’ (2 Cor 10:16).
Verse 21
To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see — This is from Isa 52:15: ‘that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.’ It stands just before Isa 53:1, ‘Who hath believed our report?’, which Paul has already cited of Israel’s response (Rom 10:16).
Verse 22
much hindered — Enkopto, to cut in on, to hinder; Paul uses it of Satan in 1 Thess 2:18, ‘Satan hindered us’. In Rom 1:13 he said he had ‘oftentimes’ purposed to come but ‘was let hitherto’. The hindrance here is the work of vv.19–21, which kept him in places where Christ was not yet named.
Verse 24
into Spain — Spania is named only here and in v.28. ‘Brought on my way’ is propempo, to send forward, used of an escort by the church in Acts 15:3. Rome is the halfway stop: he hopes ‘to see you in my journey’, and to be sent on ‘if first I be somewhat filled with your company’.
Verse 25
to minister unto the saints — Diakoneo is the verb of the noun diakonos in v.8: Christ was a minister to the circumcision, and Paul now goes to minister to the saints. The service is the collection (1 Cor 16:1); Paul later describes the visit: ‘to bring alms to my nation, and offerings’ (Acts 24:17).
Verse 26
a certain contribution for the poor saints — ‘Contribution’ is koinonia, fellowship or partnership, a sharing rather than a levy. Macedonia’s part is told in 2 Cor 8:1–4, ‘the fellowship of the ministering to the saints’; Achaia ‘was ready a year ago’ (2 Cor 9:2). ‘Poor’ is ptochos.
Verse 27
their debtors they are — Opheiletes, debtor, is from the verb opheilo, ‘ought’ in v.1, rendered ‘duty’ here. The exchange is spiritual for carnal: ‘If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?’ (1 Cor 9:11). ‘Minister’ is leitourgeo, of the family of v.16.
Verse 30
strive together with me — Synagonizomai, found only here, is from agon, a contest. Epaphras was ‘labouring fervently’ for the Colossians ‘in prayers’ (Col 4:12), the same effort of prayer. The request rests on two grounds: ‘the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake’ and ‘the love of the Spirit’.
Verse 31
accepted of the saints — There are two petitions: deliverance (rhuomai) from the unbelieving (apeitheo, the disobedient) in Judaea, and that his ‘service’ (diakonia) be ‘accepted’ (euprosdektos), the word of ‘acceptable’ in v.16. At Jerusalem, ‘the brethren received us gladly’ (Acts 21:17).
Verse 33
the God of peace — This is the third title in the chapter, after ‘the God of patience and consolation’ (v.5) and ‘the God of hope’ (v.13). Paul closes with the same title elsewhere: Rom 16:20 (‘the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly’), Phil 4:9 and 1 Thess 5:23.