Book of Romans · Chapter 15 of 16
33 verses · 13 video commentaries from 8 courses · Berean Standard Bible
1We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
2Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
3For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.”
4For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.
5Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you harmony with one another in Christ Jesus,
6so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God.
8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs,
9so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.”
10Again, it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”
11And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and extol Him, all you peoples.”
12And once more, Isaiah says: “The Root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”
13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another.
15However, I have written you a bold reminder on some points, because of the grace God has given me
16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17Therefore I exult in Christ Jesus in my service to God.
18I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,
19by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
20In this way I have aspired to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.
21Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about Him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”
22That is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.
23But now that there are no further opportunities for me in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to visit you,
24I hope to see you on my way to Spain. And after I have enjoyed your company for a while, you can equip me for my journey.
25Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve the saints there.
26For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
27They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings.
28So after I have completed this service and have safely delivered this bounty to them, I will set off to Spain by way of you.
29I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
30Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
31Pray that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there,
32so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.
33The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.
Rom 15:23-28
Paul's mission, as described in his letter to the Romans, involved traveling to Rome and then to Spain. He believed that completing this journey and alerting a specific number of Gentiles (non-Jews) to the coming kingdom was essential to fulfilling his task and Jewish prophecies for the Messiah's return.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · What Would Paul Have Said About the Fall of the Temple? · watch the clip
Rom 15:8
Paul indicates that Jesus' earthly ministry was directed towards the circumcised, meaning he preached and ministered primarily to Jews. This detail places Jesus firmly within a specific historical and cultural context.
Summarized by AI · Did Jesus Really Exist? Evidence That Even Atheist Historians Accept · Lecture 1: Jesus in History · watch the clip
The claim that Paul never says Jesus ministered on Earth or communicated with anyone before his death is incorrect. Paul states that Jesus became a 'minister to the circumcised' (Romans 15:8), implying an earthly ministry to Jews. Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 11, Paul recounts Jesus' words at the Last Supper, indicating direct communication with his disciples.
Summarized by AI · Did Jesus Really Exist? Evidence That Even Atheist Historians Accept · Lecture 2: Jesus and the Mythicists · watch the clip
In Romans 15:8, Paul states that Jesus "became a servant to the circumcised." This suggests that Jesus' earthly ministry was primarily directed towards Jews, fulfilling God's promises to them before the message extended to Gentiles.
Summarized by AI · Paul and Jesus: The Great Divide · Lecture 7: What Did Paul Know About Jesus? · watch the clip
Rom 15:12
Paul's most severe criticisms were directed at other apostles, not at Jews in general. He explicitly states in Romans that 'all Israel will be saved' and that God's gifts and calling are irrevocable, indicating that he did not condemn non-Christian Jews to perpetual damnation, a concept that emerged later in Christian thought.
Summarized by AI · Against the Jews: How Christianity Became Anti-Jewish · Against the Jews: How Christianity Became Anti-Jewish · watch the clip
Josephus noted that a key motivation for the Jewish revolt against Rome in 66 CE was an 'ambiguous oracle' found in their sacred scriptures, predicting that a ruler of the world would emerge from their country. This reflects a widespread messianic expectation during the late Second Temple period, also referenced by the Apostle Paul.
Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 3: Beginnings | From Jesus to Christ · watch the clip
Paul asserts that Jesus, as the Davidic Messiah, would return as a cosmic warrior to combat and defeat the pagan gods, establishing God's kingdom. This event, described vividly in 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians 15, would involve Christ abolishing all cosmic rule and authority, leading to a universal kneeling before him.
Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 4: Beginnings | Paul, the Pagan's Apostle · watch the clip
Rom 15:18-19
Paul asserted his authority based on charismatic qualities, claiming Christ worked through him with 'word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of Spirit' to bring Gentiles to obedience. His ability to endure numerous hardships, such as beatings, imprisonments, and hunger, further demonstrated his power and validated his apostleship.
Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 10: Charisma and Christianity | Cyprian and the Bishops · watch the clip
Rom 15:19
The presence of the Holy Spirit is manifested through various spiritual gifts among Jesus's followers, as discussed by Paul. These gifts, such as powerful deeds, prophecy, and discernment of spirits, are all activated by the same Spirit. The Spirit also inspires miracles, signs, wonders, and prayer, indicating its active role in the lives of believers.
Summarized by AI · Demons and Ghosts in the Bible · Lecture 25: The "Holy Ghost" in Early Christianity · watch the clip
Rom 15:23
Paul's letter to the Romans is unique among his epistles because it systematically lays out his gospel message. Unlike his other letters, which address specific problems in churches he founded, Romans was written to a church he did not establish and had not yet visited. Paul intended to explain his message to the Roman Christians to gain their support for his mission further west.
Summarized by AI · Paul and Jesus: The Great Divide · Lecture 5: The Gospel of Paul · watch the clip
Rom 15:24-25
Mendez says Paul writes Romans from Corinth, sending Phoebe, a deaconess at Cenchreae, and mentioning Erastus the city treasurer, whose name may match a Corinthian inscription. Because Paul did not found the Roman church, he writes warmly (Romans 1:8), and perhaps because they do not know him he lays out his theology at length, with 1:16, not ashamed of the gospel, as the thesis: salvation for Jew and Greek alike. He announces in 15:24-25 a trip to Jerusalem and then Spain, and in chapters 12 to 15 urges respect for authorities and for one another over food and observances.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 19: Paul’s Churches | Inventing Christian Communities · watch the clip
Rom 15:25-27
Paul organized a collection among his Gentile converts to aid the poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, who were suffering from famine. This 'collection for the saints' was not merely an act of charity but a tangible demonstration of the equality between Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ. Paul viewed this act of giving as central to his gospel message, symbolizing that Gentiles, having received spiritual blessings from the Jews, could now share material blessings in return.
Summarized by AI · Through the Eye of a Needle: Jesus's Teachings on Wealth and Their Modern Relevance · Lecture 6: Wealth in the Wake of Jesus · watch the clip
Rom 15:25-26
From the first century, Christians began collecting funds to support those in need, a practice notably championed by Paul for the saints in Jerusalem during a time of hardship. This emphasis on contributing to the destitute became a distinguishing feature of early Christian communities, contrasting with the Greek and Roman worlds where such public collections for the poor were not common.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Is Christianity Good for the World? · watch the clip