Page 98 - Romans Student Textbook.doc

gospel. In his first letter to the church in Corinth Paul put it this way, “For though I am free from all, I have
made myself servant to all that I might win more of them.” 130 Freedom is a great blessing and an effective
ministry tool that must not become an end in itself that does harm to the very people we are trying to
reach for Christ.

Despite your differences pursue living in such a way that your harmonious relationships show God’s glory
in the world. (15:1-6) Paul began this paragraph by summarizing what he had just written in the previous
two paragraphs. Looking at those in the Roman congregations who had listened to him and were
confident that they were strong and free he said, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the
failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build
him up.” 131 Freedom is given to be used to help build up the body of Christ so that its mature living and
speaking would result in all, both the weak and the strong being make able to show the glory of God to a
watching world. Despite the differences that existed between them their common bond through the
salvation they shared by faith in Christ was to temper their use of their freedom in such a way that their
relationship to Christ as a bearer of His image would clearly shine through their words and actions. Not
only was this to be true of them as individuals who were following the example of Christ, but also as they
together as a united body magnified God’s glory through the display of His love being what ordered their
relationships with one another.

As Christ has worked on your behalf to show God’s love and mercy to you, so you must accept one
another in spite of your differences. (15:7-13)

“Strangers!” “Aliens!” That is exactly how the Jews looked at the Gentiles and how the Gentiles looked at
the Jews. That is how the cultures from which the members of the churches in Rome pushed them to view
one another. Paul began this final paragraph about how the people in the churches were to regulate their
relationships with one another with a command. “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has
welcomed you, for the glory of God.” 132 The action that is commanded is “welcoming” or “receiving” each
other. This is an important act because it describes the first need that one who is weak in the faith needs.
Before they will be able to take instruction and mature, they need to be accepted into the community of
those whose goal is to see them grow and mature. They need people to receive them and become their
brothers and sisters who will help them through the maze of struggles that will lead to spiritual maturity.
To reinforce the notion that this command must reach beyond the racial, cultural barriers that threaten to
isolate Jew from Gentile Paul provided a flurry of quotations from the Old Testament that revealed that it
has always been God’s plan to combine the Jews and the Gentiles is a unified faith community that would
trust in the “root of Jesse” — that is, Jesus — as the one who would make such a community possible
through His redeeming work. All of this is done so that the glory of God would be seen through His mercy.
It is important to notice how they are commanded to receive each other. The phrase is “as Christ has
welcomed you.” 133 This begs the question, “How has Christ accepted you?” The answer to that question is
freely, mercifully, without partiality.

Repeatedly throughout the letter Paul has emphasized this attribute of God. He stated it as a principle in
chapter 2, “For God shows no partiality.” 134 And again in chapter 10, “For there is no distinction between
Jew and Greek.” 135 Repeatedly the little phrase “the Jew first and also the Greek” or some variation of it
brought God’s impartial nature back to mind. 136 Because this is so Jew and Gentile, slave and free, men

130 I Corinthians 9:19, ESV.
131 Romans 15:1-2, ESV.
132 Romans 15:7, ESV.
133 Romans 15:7, ESV.
134 Romans 2:11, ESV.
135 Romans 10:12, ESV.
136 Romans 2:9,10; 3:9, 29; 4:9; 9:25-26, 30-32; 14;8-9.

97