Romans 15 Commentary
Please choose a passage:
Romans 15:1-3
Living harmoniously by faith means strong believers helping weaker believers. We should not live in a self-centered way but should help fellow believers build their faith and their relationship with God. Christ is the perfect example of this selflessness.
Romans 15:4-6
The Bible (Scripture) was written down so that we would be able to learn from it. The Bible encourages us to persevere in faith, which gives us hope. One reason God gave us the Scriptures is to provide hope.
Romans 15:7-11
Christ made us acceptable in the presence of God, though we did not deserve it. In light of this, we should accept one another as we are, Gentile or Jew.
Romans 15:12-13
Paul shows that Isaiah predicted/prophesied that Jesus would be a descendant of Jesse and would become the ruler of the Gentiles and bring hope to them.
Romans 15:14-16
The Roman believers’ faith was already famous throughout the world and Paul knew they were living righteously by their reputation. He explains that he wrote this letter to make sure they would continue to pursue God through faith, not religious rules, and he defends his role as a minister to Gentiles.
Romans 15:17-19
God commissioned Paul to take the gospel to the Gentiles, and now many Gentiles are obeying God. Paul says this is a reason to boast in what Christ has accomplished through Paul, in Gentile obedience as well as in signs and wonders which the Spirit has worked through Paul’s ministry.
Romans 15:20-22
Paul prioritized his travel so that he could preach the gospel to those who did not know Christ. He again explains that he had not visited the believers in Rome because he had been preaching the gospel to those who had not heard the gospel.
Romans 15:23-24
Paul saw that his ministry was complete in the region from Jerusalem east to Illyricum (modern Croatia) and he made plans to visit the believers in Rome, as he traveled west to Spain.
Romans 15:25-27
Paul is not planning to travel to Spain by way of Rome immediately; first, he will make a trip to Jerusalem to deliver a contribution to the poor believers there. The contribution was voluntary, and yet the Gentiles are indebted to the Jews due to their shared spiritual blessings in Christ.
Romans 15:28-29
Paul says again that he plans to go to Spain by way of Rome.
Romans 15:30-33
Paul requests prayer from the Roman believers and says that if his prayers are answered he will be able to come to them with joy and find rest.
Additional Resources
The Apostle Paul writes to the world-renowned believers in Rome, the center of the world at that time, in order to answer a slanderous charge made to them against Paul and his message. Paul’s detractors claim his emphasis on faith overturns the law. Paul says that ” just living by the law” does not achieve personal justice before God, while “just living by faith” does. Paul then demonstrates what a just life looks like: harmonious living with Jesus as the leader. Paul also makes clear the choice a believer has: to walk in faith and the power of the resurrection and experience resurrection life, or walk in sin and unnecessarily experience the negative consequences.
As believers, we ought to encourage other believers in their faith. Christ is our perfect example of how to encourage and show love to other believers; He accepted the Gentiles into His family and this is a reason for rejoicing. Paul has been longing to visit the believers in Rome and he explains his plans to see them on his way to Spain.
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