ACC ~ Romans 15 v1 - 13

OVERVIEW:

Christ suffered reproach and did not seek his own advantage. This is the pattern of the Christian life: pleasing God first and others accordingly, not fearing to be weak to win the weak. The Scriptures were written to be understood and followed, and so to give us hope and patience. Christians are called to live in harmony, which is achieved by mutual self-sacrifice in imitation of Christ. When Gentiles see the unity of the church, they will be persuaded of the truth of the gospel and believe. Christians look to the future in hope and confidence.

15:1 | Bearing with the Weak

WINNING THE WEAK. ORIGEN: Paul appears from this to be calling himself strong, just as he says in 1 Corinthians: “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak.” COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

LET THE WEAK TEST YOUR STRENGTH. CHRYSOSTOM: What Paul says is this: If you are strong, then let the weak test your strength. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 27.

BECOMING WEAK. PELAGIUS: If you really are strong, Paul says, do as I did and become weak in order to win the weak. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Once again, Paul is speaking to the Gentiles, who looked down on the Jews because they kept the law. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.

15:2 | Edifying Our Neighbor

TO EDIFY. ORIGEN: We ought to please God first, then our neighbor. But perhaps someone will say that Paul is contradicting himself here, because elsewhere he says: “If I please men, then I am not a servant of Christ.” … In answer to this it must be said that it is one thing to try to please others in order to get their praise and quite another to please them in order that one’s own life might be blameless, so that those who meet us may be edified by what they see and hear. We are not called to please others by doing things which are against faith, honor and piety. … Note that Paul himself says this, when he adds that in pleasing our neighbor the purpose is to edify him. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

CARE FOR THE POOR. CHRYSOSTOM: If you are rich and powerful, do not please yourself but look after the poor and needy, because that way you will enjoy true glory and be doing much service besides. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 27.

NOT SEEKING MY OWN ADVANTAGE. PELAGIUS: 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. But those who do their own will, because they are seeking their own advantage, are pleasing themselves. Paul indicates how and why we should please, so that we do not do it for worthless glory. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

15:3 | Christ Pleased God, Not Himself

CHRIST DID NOT PLEASE HIMSELF. ORIGEN: Christ did not please himself nor did he think it was robbery to be equal with God, but wanting to please men, that is, to save them, he suffered the reproaches of those who reproached God, as it is written. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

CHRIST’S PLEASURE IN DOING THE WILL OF THE ONE WHO SENT HIM. AMBROSIASTER: In the sixty-eighth Psalm [LXX] the Savior says that he did not come to please himself but God the Father. For because he said: “I did not come down from heaven to do my will but the will of him who sent me,” the Jews objected and put him to death as a sinner. Therefore the psalmist puts himself in Christ’s place and says: “The reproaches of those who reproached thee fell on me.” COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

CHRYSOSTOM: Paul always points to Christ’s self-sacrifice when he asks us to make sacrifices. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 27.

CHRIST SUFFERED REPROACH. PELAGIUS: 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. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

NOT AS I WILL. THEODORET OF CYR: Remember the words of Christ’s prayer concerning his passion: “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wilt.” INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

15:4 | The Scriptures Encourage Hope

FOR OUR INSTRUCTION. ORIGEN: This is similar to what Paul says elsewhere: “these things were written down for our instruction.” … “Encouragement of the Scriptures” is given not to those who neither believe nor understand them but only to those who do. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

THE SCRIPTURES ENABLE HOPE AND PATIENCE. CHRYSOSTOM: These things were written so that we might not fall away, for we have many battles to fight, both inward and outward. But being comforted by the Scriptures we can exhibit patience, so that by living in patience we might dwell in hope. For these things produce one another—hope brings forth patience, and patience, hope. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 27.

THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES. PELAGIUS: No Scripture is written without reason, for the merits and temptations of the righteous contribute to our edification, because they so very obviously lived for God. Through the encouragement of the Scriptures we await with great patience the hope which is to come. … Those who enjoy the encouragement of the law cannot be moved by any temptation. By the examples of patience and encouragement which have been written down, we may hope for encouragement both in present temptations and … in the future. For it is great cause for encouragement if we know that our Lord and his saints have already borne the things which we suffer. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

15:5 | Living in Harmony

LIVE IN HARMONY. ORIGEN: Here Paul is blessing the Romans in the manner of the patriarchs and prophets. … It is a great blessing that they should all understand and think alike. If you want to know just how great it is, look at what the Savior said in the Gospel: “If two or three of you agree, whatever they ask will be done for them by God.” . . .

This unanimity must be “in accord with Christ Jesus,” for of course it is possible to conspire together for evil. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

GREATER LOVE HAS NO MAN THAN THIS. AMBROSIASTER: As if he had been sent for their salvation, the apostle charges the people with a good wish, praying that God may grant them a common understanding of his wisdom according to Christ Jesus, so that they may be wise in the teaching of Christ. For then they will be able to please God by following the example of the Lord, who said: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends” and his brethren, and with one voice and one confession magnify God the Father in Christ. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

IN ACCORD WITH CHRIST. CHRYSOSTOM: Love wants us to think of one another as we think of Christ. And to show that it is not mere love that he requires Paul adds, as always: “in accord with Christ Jesus.” HOMILIES ON ROMANS 27.

THE GOD OF STEADFASTNESS. [PSEUDO-]CONSTANTIUS: By “the God of steadfastness” Paul means the Holy Spirit. THE HOLY LETTER OF ST. PAUL TO THE ROMANS.

PELAGIUS: The God of steadfastness is the Holy Spirit, who grants that with one mind, in accordance with Christ, we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. His steadfastness is meant to lead to repentance, and his encouragement is for those who have already repented.

We are to live in harmony, so that each one may seek the salvation of the other as if it were his own, just as Christ saved everyone from death by his own death. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

GODLY CONSENSUS. THEODORET OF CYR: Paul adds “in accord with Christ Jesus” in order to show that he is not praying for them to live in unbounded harmony but rather in a godly consensus. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

15:6 | Glorifying God with One Voice

THE WHOLE BODY UNITED. CHRYSOSTOM: He wants us to do this not just with one mouth but with one mind also. The whole body is united into one, and Paul concludes his address with another doxology, in which he gives the utmost encouragement to unanimity and concord. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 27.

WITH ONE MIND. PELAGIUS: God is truly glorified when we praise him with one mind and with one voice. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

15:7 | Welcoming One Another

BIND YOURSELVES TO ONE ANOTHER. CHRYSOSTOM: Let us obey this command and bind ourselves closely to one another. For it is no longer just the weak that he is encouraging, but everyone. If someone wants to break relations with you, do not do the same with him. … Rather, display even more love toward him, that you may draw him to you. For he is a member of the body, and when a member is cut off we must do everything we can to unite it again and then pay more attention to it. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 27.

BEARING BURDENS AS DID GOD. PELAGIUS: For the sake of God’s honor bear one another’s burdens. … If God took us upon himself while we were ungodly, how much more should we, who are like one another, support each other! PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

UNITED IN LOVE. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: We are all one body and members one of another. Christ obliges us to be united with one another in the bonds of charity. EXPLANATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

15:8 | Confirming the Promises to the Patriarchs

IDENTIFYING WITH AND TRANSCENDING CIRCUMCISION. ORIGEN: There are two ways in which “Christ became a servant to the circumcised.” First, he was himself circumcised and so identified himself with them. Second, he fulfilled the promises of the law, so that now neither those who are circumcised nor Gentile believers are obliged to keep it any more. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

TO CONFIRM THE PROMISES TO THE PATRIARCHS. CHRYSOSTOM: When Paul says that “Christ became a servant to the circumcised” he means that by coming to fulfill the law, by being circumcised and born of the seed of Abraham, Christ undid the curse, held back God’s wrath and made those who were meant to obtain the promises fit to receive them. … It was because you had transgressed the law that Christ came to fulfill it, not so that you might then keep it but so that he might confirm to you the promises which were made to the fathers, which the law had caused to be suspended because you offended and were unworthy of the promise. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 28.

THE WORD SPOKEN FIRST TO ISRAEL. AUGUSTINE: Paul said this so that the Gentiles would understand that the Lord Christ had been sent to the Jews and so they would not be proud. Since the Jews rejected what had been sent to them, it happened that the gospel was also preached to the Gentiles, as is most clearly written in the Acts of the apostles, when the apostles say to the Jews: “It was necessary that the Word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you … judge yourselves unworthy … behold, we turn to the Gentiles.”

It also agrees with the Lord’s own testimony, when he said: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” and: “It is not right for the children’s bread to be thrown to the dogs.” If the Gentiles think carefully, they will realize by their own faith, by which they now believe that to the pure all things are pure, that they should not offend those Jewish converts who, perhaps from weakness, dare not touch certain kinds of meat, fearing that it has been in contact with idols. AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 82.

NOW JEWS AND GENTILES CALLED TO BE ONE. PELAGIUS: Once more Paul urges both Jews and Gentiles to unity with each other. He agrees with the Jews that Christ was promised to them and came to them first and that the Gentiles were called later on, because of God’s mercy. Nevertheless, both peoples have now been made into one. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS 82.

15:9 | The Gentiles Glorify God

THE GENTILES RECEIVE MERCY. AMBROSIASTER: It is written in the seventeenth psalm [LXX] that the Gentiles will be admitted to the grace of God in order to receive salvation. For this is the voice of Christ, which predicted what would happen in the future. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

GLORIFY GOD BY MANIFESTING UNITY. CHRYSOSTOM: It was by mercy alone that the Gentiles were saved; hence they were bound to glorify God. It is a glory to God when they are blended together and united, when they offer praise with one mind, when they bear the weaker and when they do not neglect the member who has been cut off. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 28.

PELAGIUS: 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. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

15:10 | Gentiles Rejoice with Jews

GENTILES CALLED TO REJOICE WITH JEWS. CHRYSOSTOM: Paul has given this and the following Scriptures in order to show that we ought to be united and glorify God. He wanted to humble the Jews, that they might not lift themselves up over the Gentiles, given that all the prophets called them. He also wanted to humble the Gentiles, by showing them that they had a greater grace to be thankful for. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 28.

PELAGIUS: These Gentiles have been brought to salvation along with God’s people, the Jews. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

15:11 | Gentiles Praise God

JEWS AND GENTILES FELLOW HEIRS. AMBROSIASTER: God long ago decreed in Psalm 116 that by the intervention of his mercy Jews and Gentiles would be united. The Gentiles would be granted grace to become fellow heirs with the Jews, who by the grace of God were long ago named as his people. While the Jews were noble, the Gentiles were ignoble, but now by God’s mercy the Gentiles have been made noble as well, so that all may rejoice together by acknowledging the truth. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

PELAGIUS: The Gentiles must praise God because they have been brought to salvation. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

15:12 | Gentiles Hope in Christ

THE ROOT OF JESSE. AMBROSIASTER: In order to give the Gentiles greater assurance and a surer hope, Paul backs up God’s decree with many examples.

Why is Christ said to be from the root of Jesse and not from the root of Boaz, a righteous man, or of Obed? It is because he is said to be the Son of David on account of the kingdom, and just as he was born of God to be king, so also he was born of David according to the flesh. Therefore, the root of Jesse is the tree of David, which bore fruit on the branch which is the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to Christ. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

IN HIM THE GENTILES SHALL HOPE. PELAGIUS: 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. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

15:13 | Abounding in Hope

ALL JOY AND PEACE. ORIGEN: Precisely how all this can be fulfilled so that they may be filled with all joy and peace is hard to say, especially since the apostle himself, when talking about the gifts of the Spirit, says that he knows in part and prophesies in part. But I think that believers can have the fullness of peace when they are reconciled to God the Father by faith. … For if someone who believes is armed with the power of the Holy Spirit, it is certain that he will always have the fullness of joy and peace. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

IN BELIEVING. CHRYSOSTOM: In other words, may you get rid of your heartlessness toward one another and not be cast down by temptations. You will achieve this by abounding in hope, which is the cause of all good things and comes from the Holy Spirit. It is not just from the Spirit, though, because you must do your part also. That is why Paul adds the words “in believing.” HOMILIES ON ROMANS 28.

THE TRIUNE GIFT IS ONE. [PSEUDO-]CONSTANTIUS: Here Paul shows that because God does not fill anyone with the gift of grace apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, the gift of the Father and of the Holy Spirit is one and the same. THE HOLY LETTER OF ST. PAUL TO THE ROMANS.

ABOUND IN HOPE. PELAGIUS: All the joy of believers should be in the hope to come. Where there is peace, all is joy. However, there is no joy in discord but only widespread sorrow. … Hope rests in the signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

THE GOD OF ALL HOPE. GENNADIUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE: By “the God of all hope” Paul means that God has blessed us with the hope of things to come. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.