5 Now G1161 the God G2316 of patience G5281 and G2532 consolation G3874 grant G1325 you G5213 to be G846 likeminded G5426 one G240 toward another G1722 G240 according G2596 to Christ G5547 Jesus: G2424
Be of the same G846 mind G5426 one toward another. G1519 G240 Mind G5426 not G3361 high things, G5308 but G235 condescend G4879 to men of low estate. G5011 Be G1096 not G3361 wise G5429 in G3844 your own conceits. G1438
Finally, G1161 G5056 be ye all G3956 of one mind, G3675 having compassion one of another, G4835 love as brethren, G5361 be pitiful, G2155 be courteous: G5391
And G2532 walk G4043 in G1722 love, G26 as G2531 Christ G5547 also G2532 hath loved G25 us, G2248 and G2532 hath given G3860 himself G1438 for G5228 us G2257 an offering G4376 and G2532 a sacrifice G2378 to God G2316 for G1519 a sweetsmelling G2175 savour. G3744
Now G1161 I beseech G3870 you, G5209 brethren, G80 by G1223 the name G3686 of our G2257 Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 that G2443 ye G3004 all G3956 speak G3004 the same thing, G846 and G2532 that there be G5600 no G3361 divisions G4978 among G1722 you; G5213 but G1161 that ye be G5600 perfectly joined together G2675 in G1722 the same G846 mind G3563 and G2532 in G1722 the same G846 judgment. G1106
Fulfil ye G4137 my G3450 joy, G5479 that G2443 ye be likeminded, G846 G5426 having G2192 the same G846 love, G26 being of one accord, G4861 of one G1520 mind. G5426
And G2532 account G2233 that the longsuffering G3115 of our G2257 Lord G2962 is salvation; G4991 even as G2531 our G2257 beloved G27 brother G80 Paul G3972 also G2532 according to G2596 the wisdom G4678 given G1325 unto him G846 hath written G1125 unto you; G5213
The Lord G2962 is G1019 not G3756 slack G1019 concerning his promise, G1860 as G5613 some men G5100 count G2233 slackness; G1022 but G235 is longsuffering G3114 to G1519 us-ward, G2248 not G3361 willing G1014 that any G5100 should perish, G622 but G235 that all G3956 should come G5562 to G1519 repentance. G3341
Which sometime G4218 were disobedient, G544 when G3753 once G530 the longsuffering G3115 of God G2316 waited G1551 in G1722 the days G2250 of Noah, G3575 while the ark G2787 was a preparing, G2680 wherein G1519 G3739 few, G3641 that is, G5123 eight G3638 souls G5590 were saved G1295 by G1223 water. G5204
And the LORD H3068 passed by H5674 before him, H6440 and proclaimed, H7121 The LORD, H3068 The LORD H3068 God, H410 merciful H7349 and gracious, H2587 longsuffering, H750 H639 and abundant H7227 in goodness H2617 and truth, H571
Only G3440 let your conversation be G4176 as it becometh G516 the gospel G2098 of Christ: G5547 that G2443 whether G1535 I come G2064 and G2532 see G1492 you, G5209 or G1535 else be absent, G548 I may hear G191 of your G5216 affairs, G4012 that G3754 ye stand fast G4739 in G1722 one G1520 spirit, G4151 with one G3391 mind G5590 striving together G4866 for the faith G4102 of the gospel; G2098
Nevertheless G235 God, G2316 that comforteth G3870 those that are cast down, G5011 comforted G3870 us G2248 by G1722 the coming G3952 of Titus; G5103
Blessed G2128 be God, G2316 even G2532 the Father G3962 of our G2257 Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 the Father G3962 of mercies, G3628 and G2532 the God G2316 of all G3956 comfort; G3874 Who G3588 comforteth G3870 us G2248 in G1909 all G3956 our G2257 tribulation, G2347 that G1519 we G2248 may be able G1410 to comfort G3870 them which are in G1722 any G3956 trouble, G2347 by G1223 the comfort G3874 wherewith G3739 we G3870 ourselves G846 are comforted G3870 of G5259 God. G2316
For G1063 even G2532 Christ G5547 pleased G700 not G3756 himself; G1438 but, G235 as G2531 it is written, G1125 The reproaches G3680 of them that reproached G3679 thee G4571 fell G1968 on G1909 me. G1691
And G1161 the multitude G4128 of them that believed G4100 were G2258 of one heart G2588 and G2532 of one G3391 soul: G5590 neither G2532 G3761 said G3004 any G1520 of them that ought G5100 of the things which he G846 possessed G5224 was G1511 his own; G2398 but G235 they G846 had G2258 all things G537 common. G2839
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Romans 15
Commentary on Romans 15 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 15
The apostle, in this chapter, continues the discourse of the former, concerning mutual forbearance in indifferent things; and so draws towards a conclusion of the epistle. Where such differences of apprehension, and consequently distances of affection, are among Christians, there is need of precept upon precept, line upon line, to allay the heat, and to beget a better temper. The apostle, being desirous to drive the nail home, as a nail in a sure place, follows his blow, unwilling to leave the subject till he has some hopes of prevailing, to which end he orders the cause before them and fills his mouth with the most pressing arguments. We may observe, in this chapter,
Rom 15:1-4
The apostle here lays down two precepts, with reasons to enforce them, showing the duty of the strong Christian to consider and condescend to the weakest.
Rom 15:5-6
The apostle, having delivered two exhortations, before he proceeds to more, intermixes here a prayer for the success of what he had said. Faithful ministers water their preaching with their prayers, because, whoever sows the seed, it is God that gives the increase. We can but speak to the ear; it is God's prerogative to speak to the heart. Observe,
Rom 15:7-12
The apostle here returns to his exhortation to Christians. What he says here (v. 7) is to the same purport with the former; but the repetition shows how much the apostle's heart was upon it. "Receive one another into your affection, into your communion, and into your common conversation, as there is occasion.' He had exhorted the strong to receive the weak (ch. 14:1), here, Receive one another; for sometimes the prejudices of the weak Christian make him shy of the strong, as much as the pride of the strong Christian makes him shy of the weak, neither of which ought to be. Let there be a mutual embracing among Christians. Those that have received Christ by faith must receive all Christians by brotherly love; though poor in the world, though persecuted and despised, though it may be matter of reproach and danger to you to receive them, though in the less weighty matters of the law they are of different apprehensions, though there may have been occasion for private piques, yet, laying aside these and the like considerations, receive you one another. Now the reason why Christians must receive one another is taken, as before, from the condescending love of Christ to us: As Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Can there be a more cogent argument? Has Christ been so kind to us, and shall we be so unkind to those that are his? Was he so forward to entertain us, and shall we be backward to entertain our brethren? Christ has received us into the nearest and dearest relations to himself: has received us into his fold, into his family, into the adoption of sons, into a covenant of friendship, yea, into a marriage-covenant with himself; he has received us (though we were strangers and enemies, and had played the prodigal) into fellowship and communion with himself. Those words, to the glory of God, may refer both to Christ's receiving us, which is our pattern, and to our receiving one another, which is our practice according to that pattern.
Rom 15:13
Here is another prayer directed to God, as the God of hope; and it is, as the former (v. 5, 6), for spiritual blessings: these are the blest blessings, and to be first and chiefly prayed for.
Rom 15:14-16
Here,
Rom 15:17-21
The apostle here gives some account of himself and of his own affairs. Having mentioned his ministry and apostleship, he goes on further to magnify his office in the efficacy of it, and to mention to the glory of God the great success of his ministry and the wonderful things that God had done by him, for encouragement to the Christian church at Rome, that they were not alone in the profession of Christianity, but though, compared with the multitude of their idolatrous neighbours, they were but a little flock, yet, up and down the country, there were many that were their companions in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. It was likewise a great confirmation of the truth of the Christian doctrine that it had such strange success, and was so far propagated by such weak and unlikely means, such multitudes captivated to the obedience of Christ by the foolishness of preaching. Therefore Paul gives them this account, which he makes the matter of his glorying; not vain glory, but holy gracious glorying, which appears by the limitations; it is through Jesus Christ. Thus does he centre all his glorying in Christ; he teaches us so to do, 1 Co. 1:31. Not unto us, Ps. 115:1. And it is in those things which pertain to God. The conversion of souls is one of those things that pertain to God, and therefore is the matter of Paul's glorying; not the things of the flesh. Whereof I may glory, echoµ oun kaucheµsin en Christoµ Ieµsou ta pros Theon. I would rather read it thus: Therefore I have a rejoicing in Christ Jesus (it is the same word that is used, 2 Co. 1:12, and Phil. 3:3, where it is the character of the circumcision that they rejoice-kauchoµmenoi, in Christ Jesus) concerning the things of God; or those things that are offered to God-the living sacrifices of the Gentiles, v. 16. Paul would have them to rejoice with him in the extent and efficacy of his ministry, of which he speaks not only with the greatest deference possible to the power of Christ, and the effectual working of the Spirit as all in all; but with a protestation of the truth of what he said (v. 18): I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me. He would not boast of things without his line, nor take the praise of another man's work, as he might have done when he was writing to distant strangers, who perhaps could not contradict him; but (says he) I dare not do it: a faithful man dares not lie, however he be tempted, dares be true, however he be terrified. now, in this account of himself, we may observe,
Rom 15:22-29
St. Paul here declares his purpose to come and see the Christians at Rome. Upon this head his matter is but common and ordinary, appointing a visit to his friends; but the manner of his expression is gracious and savoury, very instructive, and for our imitation. We should learn by it to speak of our common affairs in the language of Canaan. Even our common discourse should have an air of grace; by this it will appear what country we belong to. it should seem that Paul's company was very much desired at Rome. He was a man that had as many friends and as many enemies as most men ever had: he passed through evil report and good report. No doubt they had heard much of him at Rome, and longed to see him. Should the apostle of the Gentiles be a stranger at Rome, the metropolis of the Gentile world? Why as to this he excuses it that he had not come yet, he promises to come shortly, and gives a good reason why he could not come now.
Rom 15:30-33
Here we have,