Romans 15

Romans 15:7

Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

Just as we are to love and forgive others as Christ has loved and forgiven us (John 15:12, Eph. 4:32), we are to accept one another, as Christ has accepted us. Our acceptance of others is not based on their theology or performance. It is a fruit of the unconditional love we have received from God.

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.

The God of hope. The gospel is a hope-filled gospel that points you to the God of hope and leaves you abounding in supernatural hope.

Hope is a rope that links us to a truth not yet experienced. Everyone has a hope rope, but if you hitch your rope to something that is not true, you’ll be disappointed. When disappointments come, you may blame your hope rope, but the problem is not the rope. It’s what you’ve hitched it to.

There is no greater Truth to which you can affix your hope rope than Daddy-God himself. At one time we were “without hope and without God,” but “on him we have set our hope” (Eph. 2:12, 2 Cor. 1:9-10). The God of hope will never let you down.

We can’t live without hope. Hope gives us strength. If you’ve heard a bad report, hold onto your hope. When your hope rope is hitched to the God of hope, there’s nothing you can’t endure.

Further reading: “The Gospel of Hope”

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.

The gospel revealed in the Bible goes by several names. There is the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1) or the gospel of Christ (Rom. 15:19, 1 Cor. 9:12, 2 Cor. 2:12, 9:13, 10:14, Gal. 1:7, Php. 1:27, 1 Th. 3:2). There is the gospel of God (Mark 1:14, Rom 1:1, 2 Cor. 11:7, 1 Th. 2:2, 8, 9, 1 Pet. 4:17), gospel of the blessed God (1 Tim. 1:11), and the gospel of his Son (Rom 1:9). There is the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 4:23, 9:35, 24:14, Luke 16:16), and the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4). These are different labels for the one and only gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24). See entry for The Gospel.

Romans 15:19

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.

The gospel of Christ. In his letter to the Romans, Paul refers to the gospel as the gospel of Christ, the gospel of God, the gospel of his Son (Rom. 1:1, 9, 15:16, 19). See entry for Romans 15:16.

Romans 15:20

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;

The gospel; see entry for The Gospel.

Romans 15:22

For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you;

For this reason is one of Paul’s favorite sayings. See entry for Eph. 1:15.

Romans 15:24

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—

To be helped on my way there by you. Paul expected the churches he visited would help fund his onward travels (1 Cor. 16:6; 2 Cor. 1:16).

Romans 15:25

but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints.

The saints. Throughout scripture, Christians are consistently referred to as sanctified saints. See entry for Acts 26:18.

Romans 15:27

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.

(a) Indebted to them. The Gentiles were grateful for the Jews who brought them the Gospel.

(b) Material things. The original word (sarkikos) is related to the word for flesh (sarx). In context, Paul is talking about financial aid. See entry for 1 Cor. 9:11.

Romans 15:33

Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

The God of peace. In a world marred by sin and disorder, God releases his shalom-peace. He is not the God of wrath or the God of death. He is the God of peace who, by making broken things right and all things new, releases peace and joy.

When we proclaim the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15) we are revealing the way of peace (Luke 1:79) which leads us to the God of peace (Rom. 16:20, Php. 4:9, 1 Th. 5:23, Heb. 13:20) who gives us life and peace (Rom. 8:6).

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