Year Two, October 6

Welcome One Another As Christ Has Welcomed You1

Romans 15:1-16

1We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. (If any course of action that would be safe to us would be dangerous to weaker Christians, we must consider their limitations and deny ourselves for their sakes.) 2Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Jerome2 says, “Love the scriptures, and wisdom will love you.” Chrysostom3 says, “Is it not absurd, that in money matters people will not trust others, but insist on counting the money themselves; yet, where their souls are concerned, people are persuaded and drawn away by the opinions of others, and this when they have the clear and accurate declaration of God’s word? Therefore, I beg and plead with you all, that, instead of paying attention to what this or that person may say about these things, that you consult the Holy Scriptures about them.”)

5May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (There must be unity among Christians, especially in Christian families. Otherwise, the power in praising God will be weakened. If we are jealous of each other, or use angry language and quarrelsome words, we cannot glorify God as we should.) 7Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (If the Lord Jesus has received us, and puts up with our weakness and foolishness, then it is not much to ask that we have patience with one another, and show pity for each other’s faults.)

8For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.

Our Lord Jesus became the servant of the Jews and fulfilled prophecy by preaching to them. Will we not follow his example and become the servants of others for their good? And his ministry did not stop with Israel. We who are Gentiles also share the blessing. Therefore, like our Lord, we should also seek the good of all mankind and live to bless them.

As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,

and sing to your name.”

10And again it is said,

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

11And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,

and let all the peoples extol him.”

12And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,

even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;

in him will the Gentiles hope.”

13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

14I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Paul’s ministry was mainly as the apostle to the Gentiles. Therefore he was all the more anxious that the gospel should produce the fruit of mutual love in them. Each person should give the most attention to the work the Lord has especially given them to do. The one pure motive should be that God will be glorified by it. Paul’s great desire was for God to be glorified and for the church to thrive. Let us be filled with the same zeal.)

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¹ Romans 15:7

² Jerome (347- 420 AD). Best known for his translation of most of the Bible into Latin.

³ John Chrysostom (349-407 AD). Early Church Father and Archbishop of Constantinople.