These two verses exhibit the positive and negative statements: (1) we should not please ourselves; (2) we should please our neighbor. Hodge's discerning words on this passage are: Now the peace of God be with you all ... Paul had asked them to pray for him; and some have thought that Paul here prays for them, not a long prayer, but one so rich and full of meaning that its single petition includes all others. 2, 3. Paul shows that God always planned to welcome the Gentile nations, and his mission is to introduce Gentiles to the message of salvation by faith in Christ. Paul performed no such service for converted Gentiles; he did not give them the Holy Spirit; and, whatever examples there are of the Holy Spirit's being given through "the laying on of the apostles' hands," it was still God, and not the apostles, who gave it. No wonder he prayed to God and asked others to join. In some measure ... satisfied with your company ... Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged, Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible, Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures. now Israel just like the natural Jew, by adoption into the family of God. people. 22.  not to please ourselves--ought to think less of what we may lawfully do than of how our conduct will affect others. Failing to do this does not elevate men above the supreme preacher Paul, but, on the other hand, exhibits their weakness and ineffectiveness. God inhabits the praises of His Return for giving His only begotten Son that we might be saved. In the power of the Holy Spirit ... is Paul's reminder that only God's children, the baptized true believers "in Christ" who have received the Spirit as a consequence of their sonship shall ever possess this joy and peace. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); The reference to reproaches is significant, because the reproaches that fell upon Christ resulted from his not pleasing himself. He was arrested and imprisoned in Jerusalem; there was a diabolical plot to murder him; there were tedious delays, dangerous journeys, confrontations with kings and governors during the years of his imprisonment; then, there was an appeal to Caesar, a shipwreck, a poisonous viper on his hand; and, at last, up the Appian Way he came, wearing a chain, as an animal is chained, and walking between the files of pagan soldiers! is very important that we Christians be in one accord. The Connection: To the preceding exposition of the perniciousness of the eating indicated in Romans 14:23, Paul now subjoins the general obligation, (9) which is to be fulfilled by the strong, over against ( δέ) that imperilling of the weak. Tragically, this expression which occurs no less than 169 times in Paul's writings seems to have gone through many minds without having made any impression at all! Where, ever in history, was there another prayer like this? Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ, perhaps the greatest preacher ever to set foot on earth; and he was not above the prosaic business of asking the brethren for money, not for himself, but for others. Moreover, the object of prayer is described, as "the God of consolation"; all true, real, solid comfort springs from him, which he communicates by his son, the consolation of Israel; by his Spirit, the comforter; by his word, the doctrines and promises of which afford strong consolation to the heirs of promise, sensible sinners and afflicted souls; by the ordinances of the Gospel, which are breasts of consolation; and by the faithful ministers of Christ, who are "Barnabases", sons of consolation, ( Acts 4:36 ) . specifies the source of the ἐν ἑνὶ στ., and is to be closely joined with it: unanimously with one mouth, not: unanimously, with one mouth. [1] John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. "Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament". })(); Who should bear the infirmities of the weak? Romans 15:1 "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, var _gaq = _gaq || []; That I should be a minister of Christ Jesus unto the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. verses 9-12, it shows God’s plan has always been to bring Jew and Gentile alike We should praise Him, because He has brought us life. If Christ had been willing to please people, rather than God, he could have avoided the bitter hatreds that fell upon him; but his living for the glory of the Father caused the enemies of God to heap all of their scorn and opposition upon him. Wherefore receive ye one another, even as Christ also received you, to the glory of God. The Christian era was ushered in with the double promise of peace and joy, the peace being prophesied by Zacharias, thus: and the joy having been announced by the angel of the Lord to the shepherds: Such a glorious peace and joy are available from no other source than the life of faith in Jesus Christ. We Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament. 1 B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 394. Jesus came first to the physical house of Israel. Proud member Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, unto edifying. Matthew 15:24 "But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep Romans 15:9. heart.". Jesus Christ was a minister of the ____________. self-sacrifice. according to Christ Jesus; according to the doctrine of Christ, which teaches, directs, and engages, as to sameness of judgment and practice, so to mutual love and affection; and according to the new commandment of Christ, which obliges to love one another; and according to the example of Christ, who is the great pattern of patience and forbearance, of meekness and humility, of condescension and goodness, and of equal love and affection to all his members. Isaiah 11:1 "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a 2 Romans 15:4-5. Paul quotes from the Law, the Prophets and twice from the Who Sweet Company, 1969), p. 183. We know also, that all believers Romans 15:13 says, we abound in hope through what power? blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be We are Or will we disregard the Word as just another book and wander through life hopelessly? more." _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); It Being sanctified by the Holy Spirit ... was commented upon thus by Macknight: but the Gentiles were made acceptable to God through the Spirit of God, as affirmed in this verse, that Spirit being sent by God into their hearts in consequence of their sonship through faith and obedience (Galatians 4:6). Finding the new version too difficult to understand? For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be Saul means asked and this was the name he was using when he was persecuting the Christians. Branch shall grow out of his roots:", Isaiah 11:10 "And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand An army guarded Paul's life as he was transported out of Jerusalem; and, in time, the battlements of Rome loomed upon his horizon. Father, which hath loved us, and hath given [us] everlasting consolation and By contrast, the sacrifice made by the strong brethren in accommodating themselves to the weak are extremely petty and trivial. glory of God.". The first 13 verses of this chapter continue without interruption the argument of the previous chapter regarding the problem of weak brethren; but, with one thought leading to another in typically Pauline style, there is first a summary of the arguments already presented, followed by an especial appeal to the example of Christ, an example foretold in prophecy, and with some statements of the apostle concerning the use of the scriptures and the peace and joy of believing, concluding the section.