Romans
Chapter 15
Pleasing Others
We, the strong and free, should carry the weakness of those who are not strong instead of seeking our own pleasure.
Let each of us bring joy to our neighbors by helping them for a good purpose, for building up.
Christ himself did not seek his own satisfaction, as scripture says: The insults of those insulting you fell upon me.
And we know that whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, for both perseverance and comfort, given to us by the scripture, to sustain our hope.
May God, the source of all perseverance and comfort, grant you all peace in Christ Jesus,
so that you may praise God, the Father of Christ Jesus, our Lord, with one voice.
The Good News for Jews and Gentiles
Welcome one another, as Christ welcomed you for the glory of God.
Look: Christ put himself at the service of the Jewish world to fulfill the promises made by God to their ancestors; here you see God’s faithfulness.
The pagans instead, give thanks to God for his mercy, as scripture says: Because of that, I will sing and praise your name among the pagans.
And elsewhere: Rejoice, pagan nations, together with God’s people.
And again: Praise the Lord, all people, and let all nations speak of his magnificence.
Isaiah says: A descendant of Jesse will come who will rule the pagan nations, and they will hope in him.
May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith, so that your hope may grow stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s Mission to the Gentiles 14As for me, brothers and sisters, I am confident that you have goodwill, knowledge, and the ability to advise each other.
However, I have written boldly at some points in this letter to remind you of what you already know. I do this in accordance with the grace that God has given me
when I was sent to the pagan nations. I dedicated myself to serving the Good News of God as a minister of Christ Jesus, aiming to present the non-Jews to God as an acceptable offering, consecrated by the Holy Spirit.
This service of God is a source of pride for me, in Christ Jesus.
Of course, I would not dare to speak of other things, but what Christ himself has done through me—my words and my works,
with miracles and signs—by the power of the Holy Spirit—so that non-Jews may obey the faith. In this way, I have extended the Good News to all parts, from Jerusalem to Illyricum.
I have been very careful, and I am proud of this, not to preach in places where Christ is already known, nor to build upon foundations laid by others.
Let it be as scripture says: Those who have not been told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.
This work has kept me from coming to you.
But now there is no more place for me in these regions and, as I have wanted for so long to go and see you,
I hope to visit you when I go to Spain. Then you could help me go there, once I have enjoyed being with you for a time.
I’m heading to Jerusalem now to assist that community.
Know that the churches of Macedonia and Achaia have decided to contribute to the poor among the believers in Jerusalem.
They have decided to do that, and in fact, they were indebted to them. For the non-Jews have shared the spiritual goods of the Jews, and now they must help them materially.
So I am supposed to finish this task and give over the amount that has been collected. Then I will come to you, and from there, go to Spain.
And I am sure that when I go to you, I will go with all the blessings of God.
I urge you, brothers and sisters, by Christ Jesus our Lord and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in prayer to God;
pray that I may avoid the traps set by the enemies of faith in Judea and that the Jerusalem community will welcome the help I bring.
And so I will go to you with joy and, God willing, be refreshed in your company.
May the God of peace be with you. Amen.
Commentaries
Pleasing Others.
Paul takes it a step further by saying that sharing the faith involves, in essence, “bearing with the weaknesses of the weak” (1). This is the only way to build a Christian community and the only rule for its growth. Although the Apostle highlights the duty of the “strong,” what he truly emphasizes is the golden rule of every Christian community: the “active acceptance” of everything that makes “the other” different “from oneself.” If it is their sins, this acceptance means helping to share the burden as if it were our own; if it is their gifts, as our own; if it is their varied opinions, as a complement to our own; if it is their sufferings, as our sufferings. And thus, until we break down the last barrier that separates us—those rooted deep in human hearts: fear, suspicion, and rejection of everything we see in “the other” as different, as a challenge, and as a threat to our security—what force will enable fraternal coexistence as a daily practice of bearing our brothers’ and sisters’ weaknesses (cf. Gal 6:2)? Paul says it is the Word of God, for it is the only “power” that calls us together, unites us in mutual agreement, comforts the Christian community, and inspires us to praise God with one heart and one voice.
The Good News for Jews and Gentiles.
The final encouragement of the letter is directed to the entire Christian community in Rome, both those from Judaism and those from pagan backgrounds: “welcome one another, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God” (7). This is not just moral guidance on how to live together. The Apostle goes further, recognizing the “Gospel of universal salvation,” revealed by Christ, already established as “reality and proclamation” through this mutual acceptance of brotherly love within the community of Rome. Faith in Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, is the key that unlocks all the mysteries of Scripture for Paul, or the one main secret: God’s initiative of universal salvation, aimed at bringing all peoples into one final people of God. This is Paul’s vision at the end of his letter.
Paul’s Mission to the Gentiles.
These lines seem to suggest that Paul wants to excuse his intrusion into a Church he did not establish and thus justify his planned visit. The language is courteous and restrained. The letter, the Apostle appears to say, is not meant to evangelize the faithful Christians of Rome, but merely to refresh what is already known.
Paul neither apologizes for the letter he is writing nor for the visit he is announcing. The Christians in Rome likely saw both of the Apostles’ actions as entirely natural. Would the same be true today if a bishop sent a similar letter to Christians in another diocese? In the early centuries, shared responsibility and collegiality among the churches created the typical environment in which leaders of different Christian communities worked.