Romans 15 · The Lantern

We, the strong, ought to take on our own shoulders the weaknesses of those who are not strong, and not merely to please ourselves.

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.

Once again, Paul is speaking to the Gentiles, who looked down on the Jews because they kept the law.

The Apostle taught above that the stronger should avoid scandalizing the weak; here he teaches that the stronger should bear with the failings of the weak. In regard to this he does two things: first, he proposes an admonition; second, he clarifies it, at let every one of you. This admonition contains two parts: the first pertains to external behavior.

Let each of us please our neighbor for our neighbor’s good, to help in the building up of their character.

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.

Let us be commended not by ourselves but by our neighbors, just as Paul sets his own example before us elsewhere when he says: "Just as I try to please all men in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage but that of many, that they may be saved." For nobody can build up another person if he has not first attracted him by his good life.

Then when he says, let every one of you, he clarifies his admonition: first, in regard to the second part; second, in regard to the first, at wherefore, receive one another. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he explains what he had said; second, he presents a reason, for Christ did not please himself.

Even the Christ did not please himself! On the contrary, as scripture says of him — ‘The reproaches of those who were reproaching you fell upon me.’

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 reproa…

An imitator and disciple of Christ does not seek his own advantage. Christ died for the salvation of others and bore the most bitter reproach.… But whatever insults are cast, not only upon Christ but also upon the saints for God's sake, are cast upon God himself.

Then when he says, for Christ, he assigns the reason for what he had said and uses the example of Christ: first, he mentions the example of Christ; second, he shows that we should imitate this example, for whatever things were written; third, he adds a prayer so that we can fulfill it, at now the God of peace.

Whatever was written in the scriptures in days gone by was written for our instruction, so that, through patient endurance, and through the encouragement drawn from the scriptures, we might hold fast to our hope.

And that ancient achievements are proposed as images for our correction, the apostle shows, when he says, "So that my bonds in Christ are become manifest in all the palace, and to all the rest; and several of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear,"-since martyrs' testimonies are examples of conversion gl…

That is, that we might not fall away, (for there are sundry conflicts within and without), that being nerved and comforted by the Scriptures, we might exhibit patience, that by living in patience we might abide in hope. For these things are productive of each other, patience of hope, and hope of patience. And both of them are brought about by the Scriptures.

Then when he says, for whatever things were written, he shows that we must imitate this example of Christ, saying: for whatever things were written in Sacred Scripture about Christ or his members were written for our learning.

And may God, the giver of this patience and this encouragement, grant you to be united in sympathy in Christ,

so that with one heart and one voice you may praise the God and Father of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

He does not say merely with one mouth, but bids us do it with one will also. See how he has united the whole body into one, and how he concludes his address again with a doxology, whereby he gives the utmost inducement to unanimity and concord.

What then is the fruit of like-mindedness? The glorification of God not only with one mouth, but also with one soul (for this is what "with one accord" means).

That, by the fact that you agree on the same things, with one mind, existing through faith and consensus of charity, as it says in a psalm: who makes men of one mind to dwell in a house (Ps 67:7), i.e., with one confession of the voice coming from unity of faith, 1 Corinthians: I appeal that all of you agree (1 Cor 1:10), that for the conformity of the heart, you may glorify Go…

Therefore always receive one another as friends, just as the Christ himself received us, to the glory of God.

For I tell you that Christ, in vindication of God’s truthfulness, has become a minister of the covenant of circumcision, so that he may fulfill the promises made to our ancestors,

and that the Gentiles also may praise God for his mercy. As scripture says — ‘Therefore will I make acknowledgment to you among the Gentiles and sing in honor of your name.’

But the Gentiles honor God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will confess to you among the Gentiles, and I will sing to your name." And again he says: "Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people." And again: "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and magnify him, all you peoples." And Isaiah again says: "There shall be the root of Jesse, and he who shall arise to rule the…

Paul deprives the Jews of presumption when he teaches that it was foretold that the Gentiles would be saved, even though this was not announced to them. Christ accepts those Gentiles who have received mercy because they too belong to his body.

Then when he says, but that the gentiles, he shows that even the gentiles were accepted by Christ: first, he states his proposition; second, he confirms it with an authority, at as it is written. First, therefore, he says: It has been stated that Christ accepted the Jews in order that the promises made to the patriarchs be fulfilled.

And again it says — ‘Rejoice, you Gentiles, with God’s people.’

"And, rejoice, ye Gentiles, with His people. And, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and let all people laud Him." "And, There shall be a root of Jesse, and He that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him shall the Gentiles trust." Now all these quotations he has given to show that we ought to be united, and to glorify God; and also, to humble the Jew, that he may not lift…

These Gentiles have been brought to salvation along with God's people, the Jews.

The second authority contains the coalescence of gentiles and Jews. Hence, he says: and again he says: O gentiles, once alienated from the commonwealth of Israel (Eph 2:12); rejoice, you gentiles, with his people, i.e., adopt a common joy together with the Jews, who were once his people: they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest (Isa 9:3); there shall be one flock and…

And yet again — ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all Peoples sing his praises.’

Again, Isaiah says — ‘There will be a Scion of the house of Jesse, One who is to arise to rule the Gentiles; on him will the Gentiles rest their hopes.’

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?

Jesse was the father of David, from whose seed, through Mary, Christ was born [cf. 1:3].… It is thus proved to the Jews that their Messiah has already come, because it is clear that all the Gentiles hope in Christ.

The fourth authority contains the reverence of the gentiles toward Christ. Hence he continues: and again Isaiah says: the root of Jesse shall come (Isa 11:10). Here he foretells the origin of Jesus, that he will be born of the seed of Jesse. For Jesse was David's father.

May God, who inspires our hope, grant you perfect happiness and peace in your faith, until you are filled with this hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I am persuaded, my friends — yes, I Paul, with regard to you — that you are yourselves full of kindness, furnished with all Christian learning, and well able to give advice to one another.

Such shall he be "who cleaves to that which is good," according to the apostle, "who hates evil, having love unfeigned; for he that loveth another fulfilleth the law." If, then, this God, to whom we bear witness, be as He is, the God of hope, we acknowledge our hope, speeding on to hope, "saturated with goodness, filled with all knowledge."

"And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." He had said, "Inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office." He had said, "Take heed lest He also spare not thee." He had said, "Be not wise in your own conceits"; and again, "Why dost thou judge thy brothe…

After instructing the Romans with general admonitions, the Apostle now begins to write certain familiar matters to them. First, matters pertaining to himself; second, matters pertaining to others, at but I commend to you Phoebe (Rom 16:1).

But in parts of this letter I have expressed myself somewhat boldly — by way of refreshing your memories —

These things therefore being manifest to us, and since we look into the depths of the divine knowledge, it behooves us to do all things in [their proper] order, which the Lord has commanded us to perform at stated times.

Paul means: "I had greater confidence to write because I knew that you were sensible people, ready to accept a reasonable argument." … Paul wrote to them not because of earthly obligations or to earn praise but to discharge the task he had received.

Then when he says, but I have written to you, he gives the true cause why he had admonished and corrected them. In regard to this he does two things: first, he shows that this belongs to the authority committed to him by his apostolate; second, he shows how he used this power, at I have, therefore, glory.

because of the charge with which God has entrusted me, that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus to go to the Gentiles — that I should act as a priest of God’s good news, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be an acceptable sacrifice, consecrated by the Holy Spirit.

And we, who through the name of Jesus have believed as one man in God the Maker of all, have been stripped, through the name of His first-begotten Son, of the filthy garments, i.e., of our sins; and being vehemently inflamed by the word of His calling, we are the true high priestly race of God, as even God Himself bears witness, saying that in every place among the Gentiles sac…

By his example Paul was showing that what he performed with so much fear is holy. For some pass off as human what they proclaim as divine, with the result that what is holy seems to be unholy, since it is not done in a holy way.… Following Paul, however, the Gentiles become an acceptable sacrifice to God, sanctified and exalted not by fire but by the Holy Spirit.

First, he describes the author of this grace when he says: which was given me by God. As if to say: not by men: Paul an apostle, not from men nor through men (Gal 1:1).

It is, then, through my union with Christ Jesus that I have a proud confidence in my work for God.

For I will not dare to speak of anything but what Christ has done through me to win the obedience of the Gentiles —

by my words and actions, through the power displayed in signs and marvels, and through the power of the Holy Spirit. And so, starting from Jerusalem and its neighborhood, and going as far as Illyria, I have told in full the good news of the Christ;

yet always with the ambition to tell the good news where Christ’s name had not previously been heard, so as to avoid building on another’s foundations.

And he preached this Gospel in such a way that he did not insert his own discourses as an addition to another's labors or another's preaching, lest he should himself set the building of his own preaching upon foundations of faith laid by another, and should seem to filch the glory of another's work.

A man who builds on someone else's foundation is not doing anything wrong, as long as he builds with gold and such. Here Paul is referring to those false apostles who always went to converts and never to the Gentiles because they could not work miracles. Paul also shows that he had done a good job, for he both laid the foundation and also built on top of it.

Then when he says, and I have so preached, he shows how difficult it is to produce this fruit, for it is difficult to convert those entirely ignorant to the faith.

But as scripture says — ‘They to whom he had never been proclaimed will see; and they who have never heard will understand!’

That is why I have so often been prevented from coming to you.

But now there are no further openings for me in these parts, and I have for several years been longing to come to you whenever I may be going to Spain.

"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 stre…

Where all the people have already heard the gospel, Paul has no reason for laying a foundation. Observe from this that there are some desires which are good!

Then when he says, but now, he clarifies his intention to visit them: first, he promises to visit them; second, he tells why he must delay, at but now I shall go; third, he mentions the goal of his visit, when therefore I shall have accomplished this.

For my hope is to visit you on my journey, and then to be sent on my way by you, after I have first partly satisfied myself by seeing something of you.

Just now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem, to take help to Christ’s people there.

For Macedonia and Greece have been glad to make a collection for the poor among Christ’s people at Jerusalem.

Yes, they were glad to do so; and indeed it is a duty which they owe to them. For the Gentile converts who have shared their spiritual blessings are in duty bound to minister to them in the things of this world.

In this way the believers among the Jews would rejoice at God's providential saving of the Gentiles through their ministry. For these Gentiles, by giving themselves completely to the service of God and not caring at all about the things of this world, offered an example of good behavior to believers.

In this, he says, there is nothing new if they wished to make a contribution to the saints: they are their debtors. In what way? Christ comes from the Jews, He came for them; from thence the apostles, the prophets, all good things. But the whole world became a partaker of all this.

Third, he assigns the reasons, the first of which is good pleasure; hence he says: for it has pleased them: each must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion (2 Cor 9:7). The second cause is debt; hence he adds: render therefore to all men their dues (Rom 13:7).

When I have settled this matter, and have secured to the poor at Jerusalem the enjoyment of these benefits, I will go, by way of you, to Spain.

After these things he says: "When therefore I shall have completed this, and shall have consigned to them this fruit, I shall set out by way of you into Spain. For I know that coming to you, I shall come in the abundance of the blessing of Christ." See with how great caution he promises that he will seal the fruit of those who offer.

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.

Then when he says, when, therefore, he mentions the place from which he will come to them, saying: when, therefore, I shall have accomplished this, namely, ministering to the saints, and consigned to them this fruit, i.e., the alms of the gentiles, which is a fruit of their conversion: Israel is an abundant vine that yields its fruit (Hos 10:1); I shall come by you into Spain.

And I know that, when I come to you, it will be with a full measure of blessing from Christ.

Wherefore instruction, which reveals hidden things, is called illumination, as it is the teacher only who uncovers the lid of the ark, contrary to what the poets say, that "Zeus stops up the jar of good things, but opens that of evil." "For I know," says the apostle, "that when I come to you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of Christ;" designating the spiritual gift…

If the Romans behave well, Paul will be full of good teaching for them, for the teacher is incited to teach to the extent that the student shows progress.

Then when he says, but I know, he foretells the fruit of his visit, saying: but I know, namely, from my confidence in God's grace, that when I come to you, I shall come in the abundance of the blessing of Christ, i.e., Christ will give his blessing more abundantly to you in my coming, about which it says in a psalm: they shall go from strength to strength (Ps 84:7), and which L…

I beg you, then, friends, by Jesus Christ, our Lord, and by the love inspired by the Spirit, to join me in earnest prayer to God on my behalf.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you help me in your prayers to God, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers who are in Judaea, and that this my ministry may be made acceptable to the saints in Jerusalem, so that coming to you in joy by the will of God, I may find rest together with you.

Paul asks the whole church to pray for him, because he knows that when many people pray together their prayers have great effect. When James was killed, Peter was set free from prison by the prayers of the brethren, who prayed not so much for his good as for their own, so that they could be strengthened by his teaching. Spiritual love leads us to pray for one another.

Then when he says, I beseech you, therefore, he asks them for the favor of their prayers: first, he seeks their prayers; second, he prays for them, at now the God of peace. In regard to the first he does three things: first, he urges them to pray for him for three reasons.

Pray that I may be rescued from those in Judea who reject the faith, and that the help which I am taking to Jerusalem may prove acceptable to Christ’s people;

"That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea." A great struggle then lies before him. And this too is why he calls for their prayers. And he does not say that I may be engaged in it, but "I may be delivered," as Christ commanded, to "pray that we enter not into temptation." (Matt. xxvi.

He did not say: to enter into a contest and defeat them, but: "to be delivered," fulfilling the divine law that commands us to pray not to fall into temptation (Matt. 26:41).

Third, he mentions things he wishes to be obtained by him, the first of which pertains to the enemies he had in Judea; hence he says: that I may be delivered from the unbelievers that are in Judea, who particularly attacked and hated Paul, because he confidently preached the end of the legal observances: they have been told about you that you teach that Moses should be forsaken…

so that, God willing, I may be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and enjoy some rest among you.

Because Paul's mind is dedicated to delivering the gifts, he wants their mind to respond to him by the judgment of God so that, having understood his love for them, they might with one accord give thanks to God on his behalf. For he was a great blessing to them, in that by his ministry many were made happy and are now praising God.

Paul has no desire to do the right thing apart from God's will.

The third pertains to those to whom he was writing: hence he adds: so that I may come to you with joy, and this by God's will, against which he wanted to do nothing: making request, if by any means now at length I may have a prosperous journey, by the will of God, to come unto you (Rom 1:10), and may be refreshed with you, i.e., that from your presence I may receive refreshment…

May God, the giver of peace, be with you all. Amen.

"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.

The God of peace dwells only in those who are peaceable. It is good that he has concluded with peace, because the two parties are here called back to peaceful agreement with each other.

Then when he says, now the God of peace, he shows that he is praying for them, saying: now the God, i.e., the giver of peace, be with you all, by the fact that you are at peace with one another: agree with one another and the God of peace will be with you (2 Cor 13:11). He adds, amen, i.e., let it be so: let the people say: amen (Ps 106:48).

Romans15