Romans 15
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The following material is adopted from John MacArthur’s commentary on Romans and his Study guide. Additional material taken from sources listed at the end
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The Unity of Strong and Weak Christians — Part 3: Please One Another as Christ Did ( 15:1-6 )
( Romans 15:1–6 ) “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
— God has always been deeply concerned about the unity of His people
— Through David, the Lord proclaimed, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!” ( Ps 133:1 )
— It was also a concern of Jesus
— Speaking to a largely Jewish crowd, Jesus said, “I have other sheet [Gentiles], which are not of this fold [Israel]; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd” ( Jn 10:16 , cf. 1 Cor 15:28 )
— Apart from outright sin, nothing shatters the fellowship, the spiritual growth, and the witness of the congregation so much as disharmony among its memebers
— Paul continues teaching on the vital importance of unity in the church, adding two more principles
— Paul’s first principle has six spiritual characteristics that should lead to us to please one another
— Regard for others ( 15:1a )
— Disregard for self ( vv 1b-2 )
— Conformity to Christ ( v. 3 )
— Submission to Scripture ( v. 4 )
— Dependence on divine power ( v. 5 )
— And giving glory to God ( v. 6 )
Regard for Others ( 15:1a )
( Romans 15:1 ) “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.”
— As with the principles of (a) receiving one another with understanding ( 14:1-12 ) and (b) of building up one another without offending ( vv. 13-23 ), responsibility for pleasing one another falls on each of us, but especially on those who are strong
— Consequently, they ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength
— opheilō ( ought ) has the basic meaning of owing a debt or having a strong obligation
— to bear the weaknesses
— This is not to simply tolerate those weaknesses but to help carry them
— Not being critical or condescending and by showing respect for sincere views that you may not agree with
Disregard for Self ( 15:1b-2 )
( Romans 15:1–2 ) “and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.”
— Apart from that which in itself is sinful, we are divinely freed to do much as we please
— But the Lord doe snot grant those freedoms just so that we can selfishly please ourselves
— Paul was grieved over the Philippian church when he heard that some members there, apparently in positions of leadership and influence, sought “after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus” ( Phil 2:21 )
— The objective of pleasing our neighbor is to promote his good and his edification
Conformity to Christ ( 15:3 )
( Romans 15:3 ) “For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.’”
— The willingness to please the Lord despite misunderstanding, ridicule, slander, deprivation, persecution, and even death should characterize every believer
— It will characterize every believer whose life is conformed to Christ and who desires to please another brother
Submission to Scripture ( 15:4 )
( Romans 15:4 ) “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
— With few exceptions ( Rom 16:26; 2 Pet 3:16 ), NT references to Scripture signify the OT
— Paul’s well-known statement that “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” ( 2 Tim 3:16-17 ) certainly applies to the NT
— But in the minds of the initial readers, it referred to “the sacred writing” ( v. 15 ) of the OT
— God gives us encouragement to persevere
— He provides this impetus by means of the Scriptures
— The Scriptures chronicle all the reasons to keep believing
Q: What are non-essential issues and how do we decide?
Dependence on Divine Power ( 15:5 )
( Romans 15:5 ) “Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,”
— In this benediction, Paul prays that the Lord would grant his fellow believers in Rome to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus
— As with perseverance and encouragement, the harmony God requires, He will also provide
Giving Glory to God ( 15:6 )
( Romans 15:6 ) “so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
— The consummate purpose of Christian unity is not to please other believers but to please the Lord
— It is only when His people are in one accord and worship Him with one voice that they truly and fully glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
The Unity of Strong and Weak Christians — Part 4: Rejoice with One Another in God’s Plan of Redemption ( 15:7-13 )
( Romans 15:7–13 ) “Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, “Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles, And I will sing to Your name.” Again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.” And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, And let all the peoples praise Him.” Again Isaiah says, “There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope.” Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
— Paul provides the fourth major principle for promoting unity in the church: corporate rejoicing because of the common sharing in God’s eternal plan of redemption
The Basic Instruction ( 15:7 )
( Romans 15:7 ) “Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.”
— Accept is an intensified form of proslambanō and carries the ideas of receiving something or someone with special concern
— But the connotation in Romans 5:17 is positive and illustrated several times in the book of Acts
— When Apollos “began to speak out boldly in the synagogue,” Priscilla and Aquila lovingly “took him aside [ proslambanō ] and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” ( Acts 18:26 )
— After Paul’s ship was wrecked off the coast of Malta, “the natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received [ proslambanō ] us all” ( Acts 28:2, emphasis added )
— We are to accept one another in the fullest and deepest sense
— If the perfect, sinless Son of God has accepted us into God’s divine family, how much more should we be willing to accept each other
— This, despite the fact that we all still carry sinful trappings from our old, unredeemed flesh
— Third, Jesus accepts sinners impartially
— His promise is unequivocal: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” ( Jn 6:37 )
— Fourth, Jesus accepts sinners to the glory of God
— Paul states this explicitly: Christ also accepted us to the glory of God
Biblical Illustrations ( 15:8-12 )
( Romans 15:8–12 ) “For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, “Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles, And I will sing to Your name.” Again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.” And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, And let all the peoples praise Him.” Again Isaiah says, “There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope.””
— To illustrate that it has always been God’s plan to bring Gentile and Jew alike into His kingdom, Paul cites passages from the OT
— From the beginning of Romans, Paul has emphasized that truth ( 1:4-5 )
Quoting from Isaiah 52:5 , Paul chastised self-righteous Jews in the congregation, reminding them that for centuries, “The name of God is blasphemed among Gentiles because of you, ‘just as it is written’” ( Rom 2:24 ). Instead of being like their Messiah, “a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth” ( Isa 49:6 0, they self righteously separated themselves from the Gentiles and treated them with disdain ( cf. Acts 13:47 ). The apostle later asks rhetorically, “Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also?” and then answers his own question, “Yes, of Gentiles also “ (Rom 3:29 )
The book of Romans is a declaration of the sovereign plan and effort of God to save both Jew and Gentile.
— In verse 11 Paul quotes from Psalm 117:1, continuing to remind his Jewish readers of the testimony of their own Scripture: Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, And let all the peoples praise Him.”
— Still Again Isaiah says, “There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope ( see Isa 11:10 )
The Benedictory Intercession ( 15:13 )
( Romans 15:13 ) “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
— Paul closes this passage with a beautiful benediction of intercession fro all the people of God
— He doesn’t mention Jew or Gentile, but the entire body of Christ
In Defense of Boldness ( 15:14-21 )
( Romans 15:14–21 ) “And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another …”
— In the present text, Paul gives a defense of his ministry, especially of his boldness in writing this letter to a church he did not found and had never visited
— Except for a few individuals he had met elsewhere, he did not know the Christians in Rome
Paul the Partner in Faith ( 15:14-15 )
( Romans 15:14–15 ) “And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God,”
— The first commendation was for their goodness, their high moral character and living
— As Paul makes clear in Galatians 5:22-23, all virtue is the fruit of the Holy Spirit
— But the Spirit can only bear fruit in the lives of believers who are submissive to His divine will and power
— Virtue and truth, here referred to as goodness and knowledge are inseparable
— The third virtue Paul commends believers in Rome is a product of the first two — they are able to admonish one another
— He gave the church many other commands and admonitions (but no condemnation) too numerous to repeat here, but all of them given in a spirit of love as well as boldness, so as to remind them again
Paul the Priest ( 15:16 )
( Romans 15:16 ) “to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”
— As Paul ministered figuratively as a priest of the gospel of God to the Gentiles, he did so in order that his offering of believing Gentiles to God, as it were, might be acceptable to Him
Paul the Preacher ( 15:17-19 )
( Romans 15:17–19 ) “Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”
— Paul’s boast was never in himself
— From what we find the NT, Paul would seem to have more reason to boast than any of the other apostles
— He was used by God to reveal more of the NT than any other human writer, and the greater part of the book of Acts focuses on his ministry
— Paul’s boast was in the cross of Christ, in the grace and mercy of God to save unworthy sinners such as himself
— The second feature of a faithful preacher is emphasizing obedience to the Lord
— Paul’s preaching resulted in the obedience of the Gentiles
— The third feature of a faithful preacher is personal integrity
— Paul preached to the Gentiles by word and deed
— The fourth mark of a faithful preacher is divine affirmation of his ministry
— For Paul, that affirmation often was made evident in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit
Paul reminded the Corinthians that “the signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles ( 2 Cor 12:12 ). Although some dispute the genuineness of the last half of Mark 16, the truths it contains are consistent with the rest of the New Testament. It is therefore perfectly fitting to acknowledge that the apostles “went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed” ( Mark 16:20 )
— The fifth feature of a faithful preacher is that his work is thorough
— He completes what God called him to do
— Paul could claim that from Jerusalem and around as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ
Paul the Pioneer ( 15:20-21 )
( Romans 15:20–21) “And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; but as it is written, ‘They who had no news of Him shall see, And they who have not heard shall understand.’”
— People who have had no news of Christ, who have not heart the gospel, are found everywhere
— God does not call every believer to be an evangelist, but He calls every believer to be a witness
Ministering in the Will of God ( 15:22-33 )
( Romans 15:22–33 ) “For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while— but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in …”
— In Romans 15:22-32, Paul demonstrates in his own life six characteristics of his own ministry that should be evidenced in anyone who is committed to doing God’s will
— Providence ( v. 22 )
— Planning ( vv. 23-24 )
— Priority ( vv. 25-28 )
— Prosperity ( v. 29 )
— Purpose ( v. 30a )
— Prayer ( v. 30b-32 )
Providence ( 15:22 )
( Romans 15:22 ) “For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you;”
— Providence is God’s sovereign control of everything exercised not through the miraculous, but through ordering all the complex natural events so that they accomplish His will
— God providence was a crucial element in achieving the intended purposes for Paul’s service
— Classic examples
— Joseph and his brother
— As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” (Gen 50:20 )
— King Ahasuerus chose Esther as his queen and thereby enabled her to intercede on behalf of her fellow Jews and save them from annihilation
Planning ( 15:23-24 )
( Romans 15:23–24 ) “but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while—”
Spain was on the far western side of the continent and had become a major center of commerce and culture, made accessible by way of the renowned Roman Roads. Ruins of impressive Roman architecture still exists there today. That province had produced such outstanding men as Martial, famous for his epigrams; the poet Lucan; the notable orator Quintilian; the greatest Spaniard in the Roman Empire, Seneca, the notable statesman and Stoic philosopher who tutored Nero and was prime minister of the Empire. yet from the most reliable historical and archaeological evidence, Spain was not evangelized until the middle of the third century
Priority ( 15:25-28 )
( Romans 15:25–28 ) “but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.”
— Paul illustrates a third characteristic of a believer who faithfully fulfills his calling, namely the setting of clear priorities
— Before Paul would be free to go to Rome, much less Spain, it was necessary for him to to about a thousand miles in the opposite direction to Jerusalem, in order to serve the saints there
Prosperity ( 15:29 )
( Romans 15:29 ) “I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.”
— The fourth characteristic of a person who faithfully fulfills his divine calling is a spiritual prosperity
— Paul saying I know reflects his absolute assurance that when he came to Jerusalem it would be in the fulness of the blessing of Christ
Purpose ( 15:30a )
( Romans 15:30a ) “Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit,”
— A fifth implied characteristic of a person who faithfully fulfills his divine calling is that of having a clear purpose in his service for the Lord
— Paul asks for protection and his ministry
— And he declares that the purpose of that request is so that he is able to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ
Prayer ( 15:30b-32 )
( Romans 15:30b–32 ) “to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company.”
— The cardinal characteristic of a person who faithfully does the will of God is prayer
— Paul urges his fellow believers in Rome to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me
— Although he asks for protection while in Judea, he is not speaking primarily about struggling in prayer against the forces of evil
— His emphasis is on earnestly struggling along with his brethren in Rome in their prayers to God for him
Safety ( 15:31a )
( Romans 15:31a ) “that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea,”
— Disobedient in this context refers to the Jews who obstinately refused to believe the gospel and therefore were disobedient to God, whose Son, they rejected
— It is therefore rendered “do not believe” in the King James Version
— Paul’s prayer to be rescued was answered positively, to the extent that the unbelieving Jews were not allowed to take his life
Success ( 15:31b )
( Romans 15:31b ) “and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints;”
— Paul’s second prayer request was that, regardless of what dangers might befall him, his service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints;
— Paul’s prayer for success was also answered
— “When we had come to Jerusalem,” Luke records that “the brethren received us gladly…And after [Paul] had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it they began glorifying God” ( Acts 21:17, 19-20 )
Satisfaction ( 15:32a, c )
( Rom 15:32a, c ) “so that I may come, to you in joy… and find refreshing rest in your company”
— This is Paul’s most personal prayer request of the three
— He hoped that he might come in joy
Benediction ( 15:33 )
( Romans 15:33 ) “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
— Before extending personal greeting to various friends in Rome and giving a final warning to be on guard against those who caused dissensions for their own selfish purposes, Paul gives this short benediction
Additional Resources
MacArthur, Romans. Romans 1-8. Moody Press, 1987.
MacArthur, Romans. Romans 9-16. Moody Press, 1991.
MacArthur, John. New Testament Commentary. Moody, 1985.
William Hendriksen. Exposition of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1995.
Sproul, R.C. Romans: The Righteous Shall Live by Faith. Romans an expositional commentary. Ligonier Ministries. 2019.