TEXT [Commentary]

  F.   Living Together in Love and Harmony (15:1-13)

1 We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. 2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. 3 For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.”[*] 4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. 8 Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews[*] to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. 9 He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote:

“For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles;

I will sing praises to your name.”[*]

10 And in another place it is written,

“Rejoice with his people,

you Gentiles.”[*]

11 And yet again,

“Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles.

Praise him, all you people of the earth.”[*]

12 And in another place Isaiah said,

“The heir to David’s throne[*] will come,

and he will rule over the Gentiles.

They will place their hope on him.”[*]

13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

NOTES

15:1 We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. Lit., “We, the strong, ought to bear (bastazein [TG941, ZG1002]) the weaknesses of the weak.” The phrase “things like this” refers to the questions of whether Christians should abstain from eating certain kinds of food and whether they should observe certain holy days.

15:2 We should help others do what is right. Lit., “Each of us must please his neighbor for good.”

and build them up in the Lord. Cf. 14:19; 1 Cor 8:1; 14:26; Eph 4:12; 1 Thess 5:11.

15:3 The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me. The words “O God” are not included in the Gr. text but are implied. A quotation from Ps 69:9 (see note on 11:9-10), in which the righteous person suffers abuse from those who disdain God; here it is understood as a reference to the abuse Christ suffered because of his commitment to pleasing God, not himself.

15:4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. Cf. 1 Cor 10:6, 11.

And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Lit., “so that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement of the Scriptures”—that is, through the patience (endurance) and encouragement the Scriptures give us. The words “as we wait patiently” may be alternatively translated “and they teach us to wait patiently.” The OT lessons of endurance encourage us to remain faithful.

15:5 live in complete harmony with each other. The phrase to auto phronein (“to have the same mind”), emphasizing the importance of harmony in the church, occurs also in 12:16; 2 Cor 13:11; Phil 2:2; 4:2.

as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Lit., “according to Christ Jesus,” which could be translated in different ways: “following the example of Christ Jesus” (NJB, TEV; cf. REB); “as you follow Christ” (NIV, CEV); “in obedience to the desire of Christ Jesus” (cf. NCV). Cf. Phil 2:5-8.

15:6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God. Disharmony in the church inhibits the worship of God’s people and the glory they give to him.

God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lit., “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” which reflects a slightly different nuance than the NLT.

15:7 just as Christ has accepted you. Some Gr. mss have “us” instead of “you.”

so that God will be given glory. Lit., “for the glory of God.” This is an ambiguous phrase that may be understood as connecting either with the first part of the verse (“Therefore accept each other”) or the second (“just as Christ has accepted you [or us]”); the first is more likely.

15:8 Christ came as a servant to the Jews. Cf. Matt 15:24: “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.” For Jesus as a “servant” (diakonos [TG1249, ZG1356]), see Mark 10:45; Luke 22:27; cf. John 13:1-17.

15:9 He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God. Alternatively, “and the Gentiles are giving glory to God,” or “(Christ came as a servant to the Jews) so that the Gentiles might give glory to God.” The syntax is difficult: are v. 8 and v. 9a parallel assertions dependent on the very first words of v. 8 (“Remember that”; lit., “I say”; so Cranfield), or are v. 8b and v. 9a parallel purpose expressions dependent on v. 8a (“Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews”; so Dunn, Moo, Schreiner)? Though the details are obscure, the overall point is clear: Christ came for the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles.

That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote. Lit., “As it is written,” a phrase introducing four OT quotations that speak of the place of Gentiles in God’s plan (in support of 15:9a). Some see the quotations emphasizing God’s covenant blessing on both Jews and Gentiles (in support of 15:8-9a; so Cranfield, Dunn, Moo, Schreiner); but the only common element in the four quotations is the reference to Gentiles. Though the details of God’s eternal plan of salvation were a “mystery” concealed from previous generations (Eph 3:2-6; Col 1:25-27), the inclusion of Gentiles in the plan is understood by Paul as something clearly predicted in the OT.

For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name. This is a quotation from Ps 18:49. The phrase exomologēsomai soi [TG1843A, ZG2018] can be translated in different ways: “I will praise you” (NLT, REB, NAB, NJB, TEV); “I will thank you”; “I will acknowledge you [publicly]”; “I will proclaim you.” It is rendered most lit. as, “I will confess you” (NRSV).

15:10 And in another place it is written. Lit., “And again it says.”

Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles. This is a quotation from the Song of Moses (Deut 32:43). For other Pauline references to the Song of Moses, see 10:19; 11:11; 12:19; 1 Cor 10:20; Phil 2:15; cf. Heb 1:6; 10:30; see note on 10:19.

15:11 Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles. This is a quotation from Ps 117:1.

15:12 And in another place Isaiah said. Lit., “And again Isaiah says.”

The heir to David’s throne. Lit., “the root of Jesse,” that is, the descendant of Jesse. This is probably a messianic designation. (Jesse was the father of King David, and the Messiah was to be a descendant of David; see 1:3; cf. Rev 5:5.) The quotation is an allusion to Isa 11:10, LXX.

15:13 God, the source of hope. Or, “God, who is the ground of hope” (REB); or, “God, in whom we hope.” Lit., “the God of hope.” The title may be suggested by the reference to hope at the end of the preceding verse. For the meaning of “hope,” see comments on 5:2-5; 8:18-25.

will fill you completely with joy and peace. Cf. 14:17: “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” The word for “joy” (chara [TG5479, ZG5915]) carries a deeper connotation than the more superficial English word “happiness”; see comments below and on 5:2-5. For the meaning of “peace,” see note on 1:7.

because you trust in him. Or, “as you trust in him [or in Christ].” Lit., “in believing” (en tō pisteuein [TG4100, ZG4409]).

Then you will overflow with confident hope. Lit., “so that you may abound in hope.” A hope-filled life is the result of a heart filled with joy and peace arising from one’s faith in Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. For the eschatological meaning of “hope,” see note on 5:2.

COMMENTARY [Text]

This section serves as a conclusion to chapter 14. It emphasizes the importance of relating in love to those with different backgrounds and convictions in the church and calls Jews and Gentiles to live together in harmony, reflecting the selfless love of Christ. Christians are called to look beyond their own interests to the needs of those around them, to be considerate of the doubts and fears of less mature Christians, and to do everything they can to strengthen others in the Lord. As followers of Christ, Jews and Gentiles must accept one another and learn to live together in love, for Christ came to save them both. They are to live together in peace and joy, by the power of the Holy Spirit, as they look forward to their glorious future.

Living Together in Love and Harmony. In this passage, Paul calls on the more mature Christians to be patient and gracious in their dealings with more conservative brothers and sisters—those still bound by the traditions of their past—and to be considerate of their misgivings and fears. In everything, Christians are to live not simply for themselves but for others—to help one another sacrificially and to build one another up in the Lord. They are to model their lives after that of Christ himself, who sacrificed his own life for the sake of others. In this way, they will all come to live together in a harmonious, Christlike spirit, praising God “with one voice” (15:6).

With strong ethnic differences in the church, Paul places great emphasis on the importance of harmony in the body of Christ (12:16; 14:19; 15:5-6). The church is to be known as a warmly welcoming place, a tangible expression of the harmonious fellowship that is to characterize the family of Christ. This is one of the reasons Paul placed so much importance on the expression of love among believers. It is also the reason for his strong warnings against anything or anyone that would be divisive (see comments on 16:17). Today, his words apply equally well to churches experiencing the tension of doctrinal differences (or any other kind of differences) that are not of major theological or moral significance. Where Christians have different convictions about secondary issues like these, they must learn to live together in love. In matters like these, love is not divisive but warmly accepting.

Though Paul does not often refer to Christ as an example, when he does, his focus is usually on the sacrificial love of Christ—not the compassion shown in his earthly ministry, but the self-sacrificing love expressed in his suffering and death (2 Cor 8:9; Phil 2:5-8; Col 3:13). For therein lies the deepest significance of Christ’s life. And just as sacrificial love is the quintessential characteristic of Christ, so it is to be the quintessential mark of the followers of Christ. This concurs with what Jesus said: “I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35; indeed, Jesus implied that the love of believers for one another is a significant factor in unbelievers coming to know Christ; John 17:21, 23). For Paul, then, “sacrificial love” (agapē [TG26, ZG27]) is the single most important character trait for Christians to develop—the virtue to be sought above all others.

Accepting One Another with Our Differences. The priority of the love command means that Christians from different ethnic backgrounds (here, Jews and Gentiles) must accept one another, just as Christ has accepted us, and must learn to live together in love (15:7). Christ came to save both Jews and Gentiles (15:8)—and Paul quotes texts from all three major parts of the Old Testament (the law, the prophets, and the writings) to validate the inclusion of Gentiles in his plan (15:9-12; cf. Gal 3:8). So, as Paul writes to the Galatians, in God’s eyes “there is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). As Christians, then, we must learn to see each other through new eyes—as part of the “family.” Our fundamental identity is defined no longer by our ethnicity, gender, or social status but by our adoption into the family of Christ—we are Christians. And in this new Christian family, it is not our ethnic diversity that we celebrate but our oneness in Christ.

Paul nowhere encourages believers to focus on their ethnic or racial diversity; his consistent emphasis is rather on the unity of the body of Christ:

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. . . . He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. . . . So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. . . . We are his house. . . . We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. (Eph 2:14-15, 19-21)

Paul’s emphasis on the unity of Christians from different backgrounds challenges a great deal of contemporary thinking about the importance of affirming our diversity. It represents a fundamentally different way of dealing with the issue of ethnic and racial diversity in the Christian community, and behind it lie a different set of values and a different goal. Paul highlights not the differences between Christians but the bond that ties them together in Christ. He encouraged them to see each other not as distinct from one another but as brothers and sisters who share the same bloodline. His goal was not to distinguish them from one another but to bind them together as members of the same family—interconnected parts of the same body. Christian love does not divide but unites.

Living a Life of Joy, Peace, and Hope. Paul concludes this section on living out the Christian faith (12:1–15:13) by praying that God would fill the Christians in Rome with joy and peace so that they may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (15:13). It is the transforming power of the Spirit that produces all distinctively Christian qualities and attitudes. So, to the list of the Spirit’s fruit recorded in his letter to the Galatians (“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control,” Gal 5:22-23), Paul here adds “hope,” the joyful, faith-filled anticipation of the glorious future God has promised to his people. (For the eschatological meaning of “hope,” see comments on 5:2-5; 8:18-25.) The Spirit of God provides a different worldview for the Christian, a different way of thinking—a completely different outlook, reflecting the change of heart that takes place when one receives the life of Christ. The result is the gradual transformation of one’s character.

In the New Testament, “joy” implies something deeper than mere happiness. As the term is commonly used in English, “happiness” is a more superficial phenomenon, something more dependent on one’s circumstances; it is something we feel when everything is going well. New Testament “joy,” on the other hand, is frequently spoken of in the context of suffering and persecution; it is less dependent on circumstances. It is something that may be experienced even in the midst of pain because a believer’s joy is in the Lord. This is why Paul encourages Christians—even Christians experiencing persecution—to seek the experience of continual joy: “Always be joyful” (1 Thess 5:16); “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). In light of all the goodness and grace God has shown us and his promise never to forsake us (8:31-39), our hearts are to be filled with joy. (About joy, see comments on 5:1-5.)