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Romans 15

KJV · Chapter 15/16

1We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

2Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

3For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

4For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

5Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

6That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

8Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

9And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

10And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.

11And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

12And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

13Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

14And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

15Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,

16That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

17I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.

18For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,

19Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

20Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:

21But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.

22For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.

23But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you;

24Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.

25But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

26For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

27It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

28When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.

29And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

30Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;

31That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;

32That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

33Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Paul asks those who are strong in faith to bear with the weaknesses of those who are weaker, following the example of Christ, who did not please himself. He then speaks of his travel plans, including a visit to Rome on his way to Spain, and asks for prayer for his safety in Jerusalem.

Explanation

Continuing the theme of the previous chapter, Paul points to Christ as the supreme model of self-denial for the sake of others. His citation of several Old Testament texts about Gentiles praising God reinforces, once again, that the inclusion of non-Jews had always been part of God's plan, not a last-minute change of direction. The final, more personal section reveals Paul's ambitious missionary plans (reaching all the way to Spain, then the western edge of the known world) and his very real vulnerability: he asks for prayer because he fears retaliation from unbelieving Jews in Jerusalem — a reminder that even great servants of God feel fear and need support.

Fun facts

  • The 'collection for the poor' that Paul mentions, gathered by the churches of Macedonia and Achaia for the Christians in Jerusalem, is also discussed in detail in 2 Corinthians 8-9, showing how Paul organized relief efforts among churches across different regions of the empire.
  • Paul's intention to travel to Spain is never confirmed with certainty in Scripture, but early Christian traditions (including the first-century Letter of Clement of Rome) suggest he may have made that journey after the events recorded in Acts.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Romans 15:1He directly picks up chapter 14's theme of food and personal convictions: whoever considers himself “strong” on these matters has the responsibility to bear with those who still have scruples, instead of only pleasing himself.
  2. Romans 15:2He turns the previous principle into a positive goal: the aim is not just to tolerate the other, but to actively pursue what builds up and strengthens one's neighbor.
  3. Romans 15:3He uses Christ as the ultimate example of not living to please himself, citing Psalm 69 to show that He even bore on Himself the hostility that was aimed at God.
  4. Romans 15:4He explains why Paul quotes the Old Testament so often throughout the letter: those ancient texts were recorded to instruct present-day readers, serving as a source of patience, comfort, and hope.
  5. Romans 15:5This turns into a prayer: that the same God who gives patience and comfort (mentioned in the previous verse) would help the readers think with one mind, following Christ's example.
  6. Romans 15:6The goal of this unity is not just internal harmony, it is being able to praise God “with one mouth,” together, without the divisions that had been discussed in the previous chapters.
  7. Romans 15:7He sums up the argument about mutual acceptance with a direct comparison: receive one another the way Christ received each of them, excluding no one over differences of conviction.
  8. Romans 15:8“Circumcision” here is a way of referring to the Jewish people, identified by that rite, and “minister” means someone in service of. Paul is saying that Jesus's mission included, first of all, fulfilling ancient promises made to Israel's ancestors.
  9. Romans 15:9He cites Psalm 18 to show that the inclusion of the Gentiles in the worship of God was already foreseen in the Jewish scriptures, not a new idea of Paul's.
  10. Romans 15:10A second quotation, from Deuteronomy, directly calling the Gentiles to rejoice together with the people of Israel, reinforcing the same idea of inclusion.
  11. Romans 15:11A third quotation, from Psalm 117, the shortest psalm in the book, calling “all ye Gentiles” and “all ye people” to praise the Lord.
  12. Romans 15:12A fourth quotation, from Isaiah, about a “root of Jesse” (David's father), a descendant who would rise to reign and be a hope also for the Gentiles, not just for Israel.
  13. Romans 15:13He closes this sequence of quotations with another prayer, asking that the “God of hope” fill the readers with joy and peace through faith, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
  14. Romans 15:14Paul softens his tone after so many direct instructions: he acknowledges that the Romans themselves already have enough maturity and knowledge to counsel one another, without needing him to teach everything from scratch.
  15. Romans 15:15He explains why, even while acknowledging that maturity, he felt free to write so boldly: it is part of the grace and mission God gave him, a reminder, not a correction from someone who doubts them.
  16. Romans 15:16Paul uses temple-priest vocabulary to describe his own work, as if he were offering the converted non-Jews as a kind of offering to God. It is an image, not an account of a literal rite.
  17. Romans 15:17After mentioning his special mission, Paul clarifies the kind of pride he feels: it is not personal vanity, it is gratitude for what God did through him.
  18. Romans 15:18He reinforces that humility: he only speaks of what Christ truly accomplished through him, both in word and deed, to bring the Gentiles to the obedience of faith.
  19. Romans 15:19Illyricum was a region that corresponds roughly today to the Balkans, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Paul is describing the real geographic reach of the journeys he had already made preaching, from one end of the known territory to the other.
  20. Romans 15:20He explains his specific missionary strategy: preferring to preach the gospel where it had not yet been preached, so as not to repeat work someone else had already begun.
  21. Romans 15:21He cites Isaiah to justify this strategy: his calling is precisely to reach those who had never heard of Christ before.
  22. Romans 15:22This same dedication to still-unreached places is the reason, according to Paul, why it took him so long to visit the Romans, who already had an established church.
  23. Romans 15:23Now that this kind of pioneering work is further along in the regions where he was, Paul reveals that his long-standing desire to visit Rome can finally come true.
  24. Romans 15:24Spain was, at the time, the known western edge of the Roman Empire. Paul planned to use Rome as a support base to reach it, which shows the scale of his missionary ambition.
  25. Romans 15:25Before heading to Rome, however, he has a more urgent commitment: taking financial help to the Christian community in Jerusalem.
  26. Romans 15:26This collection was a fund organized by Paul among the Greek churches, Macedonia and Achaia, to help poor Christians in Jerusalem. It was a practical gesture of unity between Jewish and non-Jewish communities that, historically, did not always get along.
  27. Romans 15:27He explains the logic of this financial help: Gentile Christians received spiritual blessings that originally came from Jerusalem, so he considers it fair for them to give back with material help.
  28. Romans 15:28After delivering this help to Jerusalem, he reveals the next stop of his journey: passing through Rome on the way to Spain, territory even further beyond the gospel's reach.
  29. Romans 15:29He expresses confidence that, when he finally arrives in Rome, he will bring with him the full blessing of the gospel of Christ.
  30. Romans 15:30He asks the readers for spiritual support, described with the image of striving together in prayer, for the challenge he is about to face in Jerusalem.
  31. Romans 15:31He details two specific prayer requests: protection from hostile opponents in Judea, and that the offering he is bringing be well received by the Christians of Jerusalem.
  32. Romans 15:32The ultimate goal of these requests is practical: to arrive in Rome with joy, free of the weight of unresolved problems, and to be able to rest together with the readers.
  33. Romans 15:33He closes this block of the letter with a brief blessing, asking that the “God of peace” be with all the readers.

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