Romans 15:1-13

The Example of Christ

Romans 15:1-7

Ro 15:1, 2. With tenderness and patience Paul continues the matter of Christian example and liberty. Christians should help each other and consider the good of the weaker brother, while receiving one another in unity and fellowship to the glory of God before the Gentiles. The strong and enlightened must tolerate and bear with the weaker and less enlightened until they too become strong in faith and knowledge.

Spiritual unity in the Church is vital. To develop and maintain that unity requires that all parties, weak and strong, must be welcomed. The strong must voluntarily give up certain things they are free to do, for the sake of those who are weaker.

When the stronger accepts the weaker he should not do so with the idea of arguing over scruples. He is not to criticize the weaker person's views. He should not even try to settle the doubtful points. Unfortunately, trouble usually begins when one side tries to argue the issue with the purpose of getting the other side to change.

The essence of Christian fellowship does not require to all hold the same view on doubtful points. Churches sometimes divide because they attempt to require everyone to hold the same belief on debatable matters. That is a fruitless effort. It denies the nature of true Christian fellowship. Christian fellowship is built around the centrality of each person's relationship to Christ. Every believer is to be received warmly and openly, regardless of his views on nonessentials.

Ro 15:3. The Lord Jesus is our example of self-sacrifice as the governing principle regarding our brother's conscience. His example teaches us to set aside personal prerogatives that may be all right in order to help those who are weak. He "pleased not himself."

In some decisions it is possible to please God, others, and oneself at the same time. Many times, however, one cannot please oneself and also please God. Even Jesus prayed "not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42).

The Scripture passage referred to here is Psalm 69:9 which speaks of the indescribable humiliation and suffering of Jesus in His passion. He could not please himself and also save the lost sinners He loved. Paul was so much as saying that if Jesus could give His life to save a soul, it should be easy for a believer to sacrifice some meat—or any liberty—that might cause that soul to be lost forever.

Jesus occupied His whole life with ministry to others. The multitudes thronged Him, taking His time, His strength, His ministry of teaching, healing, and blessing. He "came not to be ministered unto, but to minister" (Matthew 20:28).

As believers are identified with Jesus, their first concern will be to please Him and, in turn, their neighbor whenever it will promote the neighbor's good and Christian growth.

The Lord Jesus received us when we were sinners, and He is very patient with us from day to day. He received the weaker brother. Can the "strong" refuse to be of the "same mind"? He is not only our Example; as our Redeemer and Sustainer, He will provide sufficient grace to enable us to imitate Him. He will help us not only by example but also by His presence through the Holy Spirit as we use the resources of the Word (verse 4) and prayer (verse 5).

Ro 15:4. The "for" at the beginning of this verse shows that Paul's appeal to Psalm 69:9 was an example of principles we learn from the Old Testament (1 Corinthians 10:6, 10; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17). The Christian fellowship should not only be stamped by consideration of its members one for anther; it should be known for its study of Scripture.

The Bible is our great source of comfort and strength. By the Scriptures we learn that it is always better to be right with God and to suffer, than to be wrong to avoid trouble. The promises of God's Word comfort us in our sorrows and encourage us in our struggles.

Ro 15:5. This verse is a prayer of the apostle, the first of several wherein he petitioned for seven divine graces to be poured into the hearts of the Roman believers. He desired that they would find harmony which the disputes (recorded in chapter 14) caused disturbance.

The qualities which make for harmony in the local fellowship of believers are to be found in God. If each Christian would get to really know and follow the God of patience and comfort there would be no strife over nonessentials. The spirit of Christ would rule.

Ro 15:6. Paul was asking a strange thing. He was suggesting that the strong and the weak, who disagreed concerning things, speak with "one mouth" and with "one voice" glorify God. He requested this after having made the point that there is room for differences of opinions concerning nonessential things and that every believer must be persuaded in his own mind.

How can this be? Was he contradicting himself? What he was saying is that while believers may not be in total agreement concerning nonessentials, they can and should be in agreement that none should please himself but rather "his neighbor for his good to edification" (Ro 15:2). With the "one mind" of self-denial, brethren can with "one mouth" glorify God.

Ro 15:7. The injunction to receive one another was possibly addressed to Jews and Gentiles. All through the epistle there are evidences of the possibility of differences between these two sections in the Church. Throughout his writing the apostle defended the Gentile against the self-satisfied national pride of the Jew, and the Jew against the probable contempt of the Gentile.

Christ  The Hope of Jews and Gentiles

Romans 15:8-12, 13

Ro 15:8. Note the change in the use of terms. Paul switched from the words "strong" and "weak" to terminology indicating two nationalities in the Church—Jews and Gentiles. Very possibly the "weak" were for the most part Jews and the "strong" were Gentiles.

As the "minister of the circumcision" Christ fulfilled the whole Mosaic requirement in His person and His work. He was the minister of the covenant that brought salvation to Israel and, in turn, to all people. He validated and carried out the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Ro 15:9. Christ came to the Jews because God had pledged himself by many promises to send the Redeemer to them. Jesus himself manifested concern for "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 10:6; 15:24). Paul in the opening of Romans declared that "the gospel... is the power of God unto salvation... to the Jew first" (Ro 1:16).

But while Christ honored the Jews by coming first to them, they by no means had exclusive possession of Him and His mercy. He came "that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy."  The quotation in the verse is from Psalm 18:49. Christ's coming to the Jew was in the way of God's truth and to the Gentile it was in the way of mercy. The Jew can praise God for His faithfulness and the Gentile for His grace.

The underlying appeal of the apostle is that the Gentiles should not be disrispectful of the scruples of the Jewish saints and the Jews should not condemn the Gentile's liberty in the grace of God.

Ro 15:10-12. Old Testament prophecy has much to say about the bringing of the Gentiles into the place of blessing. The apostle, in support of his argument, called attention to several passages. He quoted from Psalm 18 in (verse 9), Deuteronomy 32:43 in (verse 10), Psalm 117:1 in (verse 11), and Isaiah 11:10 in (verse 12).

In quoting Psalm 18:49, the Holy Spirit showed that David knew by revelation that God wanted His chosen people to proclaim Him to the Gentiles. He exhorted them to confess His name and sing praises to Him in their midst. When the Jews were in captivity in Babylon, Gentiles asked them to sing for them one of the songs of Zion (Psalm 137). (Boney M "By The Rivers of Babylon").

What an opportunity to witness for God. They, however, were too engrossed in their sorrow to sing. They hung their harps on the willow trees and wept. Sometimes we become so self-centered and filled with self-pity because of temporal problems that we miss opportunities to win a soul for eternity.

Romans 15:10 uses a quotation from Deuteronomy 32:43. This is in the song of Moses shortly before his death. God was giving him prophetically a new understanding of God's judgments as well as His blessings. He was calling on Gentile nations to rejoice with Jews as they learned of God's power and glory.

Romans 15:12 draws the assurance from Isaiah 11:10 that Gentiles will surely respond to the good news. They will put their trust in the true and living God, as they hear of His mighty acts of grace.

The Old Testament lists many Gentiles who came to know God through the witness of Jews. Peoples of earth were divided into Jew/Gentile through the calling out of Abram from Gentile idolatry to become the ancestor of the Jewish race. One of the first Gentiles to come to know God was Hagar as she served in the home of Abraham and Sarah. The people of Nineveh were Gentiles won to God by a reluctant missionary, Jonah.

All three divisions of the Hebrew Bible—the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms—were used to support the argument. The quote from Isaiah declares that the One who comes in the Davidic line will also rule over the Gentiles. Jew and Gentile alike will be united under Christ in a common hope. This is the hope which will be fulfilled in the Millennium. Israel will come into its own, and the Gentiles will be blessed in Christ.

Ro 15:13. Paul had a beautiful way of concluding an argument with benediction. Here it is "the God of hope." There is nothing hopeless about the Christian experience. "The God of hope" is both the One who gives hope and the object of that hope. The joy is the joy of the Lord (John 15:11; Galatians 5:22; 1 John 1:4).

The peace is not "as the world giveth" (John 14:27). It is Jesus' peace given by the Holy Spirit to those who hope in God (Galatians 5:22; Philippians 4:7). The Christian does not build on the experience of an hour or the happenings of a century; hope is in God, the One who sees the end from the beginning, planning and understanding it all. The result of joy and peace abounds "through the power of the Holy Spirit."

Conclusion

To summarize the argument, note these:

(1) welcome the weaker brother (Romans 14:1, 2);

(2) do not despise one another (Romans 14:3);

(3) don't pass judgment on your brother (Romans 14:4);

(4) don't cause your fellow believer to sin (1 Corinthians 8:7-13);

(5) accommodate the weaker brother in a spirit of love (Romans 14:14-23);

(6) show the spirit of Christ (Romans 15:1-8).