Romans 15:1-2 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
“Some Christians have not paid much attention to Jesus Christ as an example, saying, ‘It is not an example we need; it is a Savior.’ Others have focused on Jesus’ being an example to the neglect of His deity and atoning work on the Cross. It is correct that we need a Savior, but it is also true that the Bible presents Jesus as an example for those who have been saved by Him…. Paul is still writing to the so-called ‘strong’ Christian telling him that he must use his liberty in a responsible way for the building up of his weaker brothers and sisters. But he is also providing motivation for the strong to do that. His point of motivation here is Christ’s example. The text tells us that Jesus did not please Himself but rather set out to please God for the benefit of others. (See Philippians 2:5-8.)” [BSF ]
Stott says: “the strong ought to bear with the failings (literally ‘weakness’) of the weak (1a) Strong people are of course tempted to wield their strength to discard or crush the weak. Paul urges them instead to bear with them. The Greek verb ‘bastazo’, like the English word ‘bear’, can mean either to ‘endure’ in the sense of ‘tolerate’, or to ‘carry’ and ‘support’. The context suggests that the latter is correct here.” The spiritual Jew ought to carry support the Gentile.
“and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification” Adam Clarke says: “For it should be a maxim with each of us to do all in our power to please our brethren; and especially in those things in which their spiritual edification is concerned… we should bear with their ignorance and their weakness, knowing that others had much to bear with from us before we came to our present advanced state of religious knowledge.”
But cautions Stott: “Neighbor-pleasing, which Scripture commands (Lev 19:18; cf Rom 13:9), must not be confused with ‘men-pleasing’, which Scripture condemns (Gal 1:10; Col 3;22; 1 Thes 2:4). In this pejorative sense, to ‘please me’, usually in antithesis to pleasing God, means to flatter people in order to carry favor with them, to win their approval by some unprincipled compromise. It is always incompatible with integrity and sincerity… Stott says that we are talking about a “constructive alternative to demolition. And this up-building of the weak will doubtless include helping to educate and so strengthen their conscience.”
Rom 15:3-4 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” (Ps 69:9) For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
“For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me.’” (Ps 69:9) David cried out to God concerning the reproach he was feeling among his countrymen. He described his condition “I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God.” (Ps 69:3) He declares: “Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; they are mighty who would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully; though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it.”
Still his righteous desired was reconciliation. He wanted to build up his countrymen. Though the charges against him were false, yet David recognized: “O God, You know my foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from You.” (Ps 69:5) His prayer was that his sins would not do not negate the work of God: “Let not those who wait for You, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed because of me; let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel. Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; shame has covered my face.” (Ps 69:6-7)
Then he acknowledges: “I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother's children; because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.” (Ps 69:8-9) David felt the brunt of the reproaches of those who reproach the LORD. Stott says: “He [David] complains of the contempt that was put upon him and the reproach with which he was continually loaded.” He “became a byword to them.”(Ps 69:10-11)
Matthew Henry says: “They ridiculed him for that by which he both humbled himself and honored God. When men lift up themselves in pride and vain glory they are justly laughed at for their folly; but David chastened his soul, and clothed himself with sackcloth, and from his abasing himself they took occasion to trample upon him… instead of commending his devotion and recommending it as a great example of piety, they did all they could both to discourage him in it and to prevent others from following his good example; for that was to his reproach.” Moreover, says David, “Those who sit in the gate speak against me, and I am the song of the drunkards.” (Ps 69:12) These are the elders of his people. Matthew Henry says: “See the bad consequences of the sin of drunkenness; it makes men despisers of those that are good, <2 Tim. 3:3>. When the king was made sick with bottles of wine he stretched out his hand with scorners, <Hos. 7:5>. The bench of the drunkards is the seat of the scornful.”
But David had not suffered anything compared to what the Messiah would suffer. In fact, the sins of reproach of his weaker brothers were laid upon Jesus—not David. “Christ never acted as one who sought His own ease or profit; He not only bore with the weakness, but with the insults, of His creatures; as it is written in <Psalm 69:9>: ‘The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on Me’— I not only bore their insults, but bore the punishment due to them for their vicious and abominable conduct. That this Psalm refers to the Messiah and his sufferings for mankind is evident, not only from the quotation here, but also from <John 19:28-29>, when our Lord's receiving the vinegar during his expiatory suffering is said to be a fulfilling of the Scripture, namely, of <Psa. 69:21>; and his cleansing of the temple, <John 2:15-17>, is said to be a fulfillment of <Psa. 69:9>, ‘for the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up,’ the former part of which verse the apostle quotes here.” (from Adam Clarke Commentary)
“for whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Rom 15:4) “Winston Churchhill, one of the most brilliant and influential people of his generation, died despairing. His last words were, ‘There is no hope.’ No hope? Romans 15:4 says that a Christian can have hope and even marks out a promising pathway to it.” [BSF] It is through the patience and comfort of Scriptures.
Rom 15:5-7 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.
Without this understanding that He bore our reproach being applied by the Spirit of God to our hearts, we are not capable of being like-minded with Christ.
Rom 15:8-12 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: "For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name.” (Ps 18:49) And again he says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!" (Deut 32:43) And again: "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!" (Ps 117:1) And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; and He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope." (Isa 11:10)
Paul now seems to irrefutably point his finger at the Jews saying: you are the strong! Awake! Jesus Christ, Himself, has become a servant to the circumcision— the Jews— for the Truth of God. He subjected Himself thus for two purposes: “to confirm the promises made to the fathers and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.” Paul includes four Old Testament quotes. According to Stott, “In each case he uses the LXX text, and he chooses one from the Law, one from the Prophets and two from the Writings, which were the three divisions of the Old Testament.” So, our message is backed by Torah and it is Torah.
Stott further explains: “All four quotations refer both to the Gentiles and to the worship of God, although each contains a slightly different emphasis.” Stott says:
"In the first, David, though king of Israel, announces his intention to praise God among the Gentiles, although it is not clear whether the nations are to be spectators only or active participants. ‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name’ (9b= Ps 18:49; 2 Sam 22:50).
In the second quotation the nations are definitely participants. Moses is represented as summoning them to rejoice in company with God’s people. Again it says, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people’ (10= Deut 32:43)
In the third quotation the psalmist also addresses all the nations directly and bids them praise Yahweh, repeating the word ‘all’. And again, Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles, and sing praised to him, all you peoples’ (11= Ps 117:1).
Then in the fourth and final verse the prophet Isaiah predicts the rise of Messiah, descended from David, Jesse’s son, who would rule the nations and win their confidence. And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in Him’ (12= Isa 11:10) Thus Messiah would be simultaneously the root of Jesse and the hope of all nations.” [Stott]
Messiah is the hope of the weak and strong. So, if Abraham is your father by faith in Scriptures, do not forsake the weak. Do not be as the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day. According to Jesus, they sit in “Moses seat” but “will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men.” Jesus explains: “They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.'” Jesus cautioned: “But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your ‘father’; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called ‘teachers’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.” (Matt 23:1-10)
Rom 15:13-15 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God.
Stott says: “He is of course engaging in a little harmless, diplomatic hyperbole. But it would be unfair to accuse him of insincerity. Nor does it seem right to describe his words as ‘a courteous apology’ [Sandy and Headlam, p 403]. He is simply reminding them that he knows and appreciates their qualities—their kindness…, their extensive Christian knowledge and their proven ability to teach and admonish one another.” Stott then plays devil’s advocate asking: “If then they are such fine and gifted Christians, why has Paul thought it necessary to write to them as he has done? He supplies two reasons. First, I have written to you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again (15a)…” Paul felt that the churches, and especially the one he did not establish in Rome, “had been entrusted the task of formulating the gospel and thus laying the foundations of the faith.” So, Paul “kept reminding the churches of the original message and calling them back to it. (E.g. Rom 6:17; 1 Cor 15:1ff; Phil 3:1; 2 Thes 2:15; 1 Tim 6:20; 2 Tim 1:13f; 3:14; Heb 2:1; 2 Pet 1:12ff; 3:1; 1 joh2:21ff; Jude 3)” Perhaps he saw down through the ages a time when the message taught and preached in churches would not even resemble the original message.
“Paul’s second reason for having written had to do with his unique ministry as the apostle to the Gentiles, to which he has already referred three times (1:5; 11:13; 12:3); Cf Gal 2:9; Eph 3:2ff) I have written, he goes on, because of the grace God gave me (15b) to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles… (16a) Although he did not found the church in Rome, he nevertheless has authority to teach its members on account of his special vocation, by God’s grace alone, to be the Apostle to the Gentiles.” [Stott]
Rom 15:16-17 …that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God.
The purpose of Paul’s teaching was that “offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” The LORD told Isaiah: “‘For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the LORD out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,’ says the LORD, ‘as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,’ says the LORD. ” (Isa 66:18-21)
Stott talks of the universal application of this precept; he says: “All evangelists are priests, because they offer converts to God. Indeed, it is this truth more than any other which effectively unites the church’s two major roles of worship and witness. It is when we worship God, glorifying His holy name, that we are driven out to proclaim His name to the world. And when through our witness people are brought to Christ, we then offer them to God. Further, they themselves join us in this worship, until they go out to witness. Thus worship leads to witness, and witness to worship. It is a perpetual cycle.”
Rom 15:18-19 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
Paul is speaking of things that Christ has accomplished through him by “word and deed.” Stott says: “This combination of words and work, the verbal and the visual, is recognition that human beings often learn more through their eyes than through their ears. Words explain works, but works dramatize words… One of Jesus’ most powerful visual aids was to take a child in His arms, and one of the early church’s [visual aids] was their common life and care for the needy.”
The object of Paul’s ministry was “to make the Gentiles obedient.” Stott says: “It is surprising that he now omits any reference to faith, for of course his objective is to bring people to Christ, indeed to faith in Christ (Rom 1:16). Nevertheless his emphasis is on obedience, presumably because it is the indispensable consequence of saving faith, and is a vital ingredient of Christian discipleship.”
“in mighty signs and wonders” Stott says: “Paul refuses to recount his own exploits. All he will dare to talk about... is— what Christ has accomplished through me.” In 2 Cor 12:12 Paul calls signs and wonders “the things that mark an apostle” or “the signs of a true apostle.”(RSV) This is not to deny that God can perform miracles today; it is rather to acknowledge that their “chief purpose was to authenticate the unique ministry of the apostles. (See Acts record and Heb 2:4)”
“by the power of the Spirit of God.” Stott explains: “Physical miracles are not the only way in which the power of the Holy Spirit is displayed. Indeed His usual way is through the Word of God, which is His ‘sword’. (Eph 6:17) It is He who takes our feeble human words and confirms them with His Devine power in the minds, hearts, consciences and wills of the hearers. (E.g’ 1 Cor 2:4; 1 Thes 1:5) Every conversion is a power encounter, in which the Spirit through the Gospel rescues and regenerates sinners.” “so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”
Rom 15:20-21And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation, but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; and those who have not heard shall understand.” (Isa 52:15)
Stott says: “Paul … used two metaphors, agricultural and architectural, to illustrate this division of labor, especially as it related to himself and Apolos in Corinth.” [Stott] Thus Paul says: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” And “…as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.” (1 Cor 3:6-10)
Paul had been starting churches, as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; and those who have not heard shall understand. (Isa 52:15)
This verse defines his mission. He was the apostle to the Gentiles. But He was not a New Testament evangelist, as some are today. He preached the Seed of the Woman. The very next verses are the prophetic, suffering-servant chapter of Isaiah 53. The Spirit has used it to convert many souls. We learn among other things there that not only did He bear our reproach, but “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isa 53:5)
Rom 15:22-29 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you. But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints for it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors for if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.”
Rom 15:30-33 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
It seems in these words that Paul not only had to be delivered from the unbelievers, but from believers.