Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · Romans Capítulo 15

Romans 15:1. We then that are strong, &c.— According to our translation, one would suppose that this verse is an inference from the latter part of the foregoing chapter:—as if it were, We therefore who are strong, &c. whereas it is in the Greek, But we who are strong: and it stands in immediate connection with the last verse of the former chapter, by way of opposition; thus: "The weak brother, who puts a difference between meats, is condemned, if he eateth without observing a distinction: But we who are strong,—meaning the Gentile Christians,—are so far from being condemned, if we bear the infirmities of the weak, that we are bound in duty to do it." Therefore these two verses cannot be separated without destroying the sense. To please ourselves, signifies, to follow our own humours. See Locke, Heylin, and the last note.

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Romans 15:3. As it is written— In Psalms 69:9. That this psalm was undoubtedly spoken of the Messiah, we learn from Rom 15:22 applied to Christ, Joh 19:28-29 and from the former part of the verse here cited; namely, The zeal of thine house hath confirmed me, applied to Christ, John 2:17. And the Jews themselves confess that the things contained in this psalm shall be accomplished in the days of the Messiah. The passage maybe paraphrased respecting our Saviour, "I have placed myself in a world, where I have been afflicted with the wickedness of mankind; which I have continually seen and heard about me, and which has been, through the whole course of my life, my continual grief and burden." See Whitby, and on Psalms 69:9.

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Romans 15:5. Grant you to be like-minded— The original properly signifies, "To agree in an harmonious and affectionate manner;" and might be read, Grant you or give you the same mutual affection, according to the example of Jesus Christ. See Raphelius, and Galatians 4:28, 1 Peter 1:15, Ephesians 4:24.

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Romans 15:6. That ye may with one mind, &c.— It does not appear how this can be otherwise understood than of public worship; and it shews, that glorifying or praising God for his grace in Christ Jesus, is a principal part of Christian worship, in which all should join with one mind and one mouth.

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Romans 15:7. Wherefore receive ye one another— This cannot mean, "Receive one another into church communion;" for there is no appearance that the convert Jews and Gentiles separated communion in Rome, on account of differences about meats and drinks, and days. We should have heard more of it from St. Paul, if there had been two separate congregations; that is, two churches of Christians in Rome divided about these indifferent things. Besides, directions cannot be given to private Christians to receive one another in that sense; therefore the receiving here, must be understood of receiving, as a man does another into his company, converse, and familiarity. He would have them, Jews and Gentiles, lay aside all distinction, coldness, and reserve, in their conversation one with another; and, as domestics of the same family, live friendly and familiar, notwithstanding their different judgments about those ritual observances. Hence, Rom 15:5 he exhorts them, "Be united in friendship one to another; that, with one heart and one voice, ye may conjointly glorify God; and receive one another with the same good-will that Christ has received us, the Jews,— εις δοξαν του Θεου, to the glorifying God for his truth, in fulfilling the promises he made to the patriarchs;—and has received the Gentiles, to glorify God for his mercy to them: so that we have reason, both Jews and Gentiles, laying aside these little differences about things indifferent, to join together heartily in glorifying God." The phrase, glory of God, for glorifying God, is of the same kind with that used ch. Romans 3:22; Rom 3:26 where he uses the faith of Jesus, for believing in Jesus. The thing to which St. Paul here exhorts them, is, to the glorifying of God with one accord, as is evident from the words immediately preceding; and what follows, Rom 15:9-11 is to the same purpose: so that there is no room to doubt that his meaning in these words is, "Christ received or took us, believing Jews, to himself, that we might magnify the truth of God; and took the Gentiles thatbelieve, to himself, that they might magnify his mercy." See Locke.

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Romans 15:8. Now I say that Jesus Christ, &c.— The connection of this and the next verse is evident, by only repeating in our own minds the words,I say, at the beginning of the 9th, Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision, on account of the truth of God, to confirm, or make good the promises given to the fathers: Romans 15:9. And I say that the Gentiles, on account of mercy, should glorify God; meaning in union with the Christian Jews. The Gentile must allow the Jew a primary and eminent right to all the glory and privileges of the Gospel; because the truth of God was engaged, by the promises to Abraham, &c. to send the Messiah to the Jewish nation, to make his appearance, and to exercise his ministry among them for their salvation: therefore the believing Gentile had undeniable reason to own and receive the believing Jew, and to join with him in the divine praise; Romans 15:5-6. And as God had extended his mercy in Christ Jesus to the believing Gentiles, how could the Jews refuse the Gentiles a share in solemn thanksgivings to God for so great a favour? Could the Jews stint or deny the mercy of God to the Gentile world? And if he allowed God's mercy to them in the Redeemer, must he not allow them to bear a part in solemn acknowledgments of his goodness; especially, considering that the Scriptures do expressly foretel, that the Gentiles should have their share in this joyful work?—Accordingly, as it would be more difficult to persuade the Jew, he lays before him several quotations from Scripture to that purpose. What it was that Christ ministered to the Jews, we may see by the like expression of St. Paul applied to himself, Rom 15:16 where he calls himself a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the Gospel of God. See Matthew 15:24. What is said, Rom 15:9-11 confirms what we have observed upon Rom 15:6 namely, that praise and thanksgiving to God for his mercy in Jesus Christ is a principal part of Christian worship. See Hebrews 13:15. Locke.

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Romans 15:10. And again he saith, Rejoice, &c.— It would have been better to have rendered these words impersonally; Again it is said: for according to our version, it seems as if the words quoted in this verse were written by the same person as those in the preceding verse; whereas the former are from the book of Psalms, the latter from Deuteronomy.

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Romans 15:12. In him shall the Gentiles trust— Rather hope, says Mr. Locke: not that there is any material difference in the signification of trust and hope, but the better to express and answer St. Paul's way of writing; with whom it is familiar, when he has been speaking of any virtue or grace, whereof God is the author, to call God thereupon the God of that virtue or grace. So, Romans 15:13, he calls God the God of hope. See also Romans 15:4-5.

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Romans 15:14. And I myself also am persuaded, &c.— In this part of the chapter, the Apostle, with much complaisance, and to open the way still farther for a candid receptionofthe sacred truths which he had delivered, apologizes for writing this letter, and for the freedom that he had used, particularly with the Gentile part of the Christians; which freedom he hoped they would place to the account of the Gentiles, Romans 15:14-17. He gives a general idea of the success and course of his ministry, Rom 15:18-21 signifies his great desire to make them a visit at Rome, Rom 15:22-24 acquaints them with the journey that he was going to take from Corinth to Jerusalem, to carry a charitable collection made among the Gentile converts for the relief of the poor Christians there; and desires their prayers, that he might be delivered from the malice of the infidel Jews; and that his charitable design might be kindly accepted, and have its intended effect among the Christian Jews, Romans 15:24-33.

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Romans 15:15. In some sort— 'Απο μερους . The word μερος is a part of any thing, or company of men; and may signify part of or a party among the people to whom the Apostle writes, or of whom he speaks; Romans 11:25, 2Co 1:14; 2 Corinthians 2:5. That it has this sense here, and signifies the Gentile part of the church at Rome, is the more probable, because the Apostle assigns his commission as the Apostle of the Gentiles, for the reason of his boldness in writing. I have written more boldly unto you, because, or on account of the grace that is given to me of God, that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. Now this would be an apology only to the Gentile part of the society; and therefore, to preserve the propriety of the Apostle's reasoning, we ought in this view to render απο μερους with respect to part of you. See the note on ch. Romans 1:5.

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Romans 15:16. That the offering-up of the Gentiles, &c.— This sentiment seems to be taken from Isaiah 66:20. Themeaning is, "That the offering of the Gentiles to God, as a holy sacrifice, by my hands, may be acceptable to him; being sanctified and set apart by the Holy Spirit so plentifully communicated to them, in a rich variety of gifts and graces."

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Romans 15:17. Things which pertain to God— We have the same phrase, Heb 5:1 where it signifies the things that were offered to God in the temple ministration. St. Paul, by way of allusion, speaks of the Gentiles in the foregoing verse, as an offering to be made to God; and then here he tells them, that he had matter of glorying in this offering; that is, that he had had success in converting the Gentiles, andbringing them to be a living, holy, and acceptable sacrifice to God; an account whereof he gives them in the four following verses. See Locke, and Raphelius.

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Romans 15:19. Unto IIyricum— Though it is evident from this passage, that St. Paul, before the date of this Epistle, which was about the year 58, had preached the Gospel in these regions, it is observable that St. Luke takes no notice hereof in the history of the Acts; where he also omits to mention the journey which the Apostle took to Arabia on his first conversion, and several other remarkable facts referred to in the 11th chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians, and elsewhere. And it is very possible, that the visit to Crete, when Titus was left behind to ordain elders, (Titus 1:5.) might be of this number. See Doddridge, Wall, and Calmet.

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Romans 15:20. So have I lived to preach the Gospel, &c.— So have I been ambitious, &c. The Apostle could not mean that he scorned to come after any other Christian minister, especially after what we read of his going to preach the Gospel at Damascus, Antioch, and Jerusalem. It may signify, that, far from declining dangers and oppositions, which might be expected from his first planting the Gospel in any country, he rather felt a sublime ambition, as the Greek word signifies, in making the first proclamation of the Gospel in places where it had before been quite unheard of. And probablyhe might glance at those false Apostles, who crept into the churches which he had planted, and endeavoured to establish their own reputation and influence by alienating the affections of his own converts, while they built on his grand and noble foundation an edifice of wood, hay, and stubble. This is likewise a proof in favour of the Apostle's own sincerity, and of the miraculousness of his conversion. If his conversion, and the part he acted in consequence of it, was an imposture, it was such an imposture as could not be carried on by one man alone. The faith he professed, and of which he became an Apostle, was nothis own invention. With Jesus, who was the author of it, he had never any communication, except when going to Damascus; nor with his Apostles, except as their persecutor. As he took on himself the office of an apostle, it was absolutely necessary for him to have a precise and perfect knowledge of all the facts contained in the Gospels, several of which had only passed between Jesus himself and his twelve Apostles, and others more privately still, so that they could be known to very few: and as the testimony they bore, would have been different in point of fact, and many of their doctrines repugnant to his, either they must have been forced to ruin his credit, or he would have ruined theirs. It was therefore impossible for him to act this part but in confederacy at least with the Apostles. Such a confederacy was still the more necessary for him, as the undertaking to preach the Gospel did not only require an exact and particular knowledge of all that it contained, but an apparent power of working miracles; for to such a power all the Apostles appealed in proof of their mission, and of the doctrines they preached. He was therefore to learn of them by what secret arts they imposed on the senses of men, if this power was a cheat. But how could he gain these men to become his confederates? Was it by furiously persecuting them and their brethren, as we find that he did to the moment of his conversion? Would they venture to trust their capital enemy with all the secrets of their imposture? Would they put in his power to take away not only their lives, but the honour of their sect, which they preferred to their lives, by so ill-timed a confidence? Would men, so secret as not to be drawn by the most severe persecutions to say one word which could tend to prove them impostors, confess themselves such to their prosecutor, in hopes of his being their accomplice? This is still more impossible, than that he should attempt to engage in the fraud without their consent and assistance. Had he not availed himself of a confederacy with the Apostles to get at their secret doctrines, he might have gained a knowledge of them by pretending to preach among such persons as they had already converted: but by going to places where the Gospel was entirely unknown, he lost every opportunity of this kind; and though he lost all these opportunities, we find no one of the Apostles objecting to the doctrine which he planted, as inconsistent with what they had received from Christ, and the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. His very success among such people was another proof of the reality of his conversion, and his divine mission. For among the Gentiles, who had not heard of the Gospel, he could find no disposition, no aptness, no bias to aid his imposture. It is evident, that there was not anyconfederacy between him and them, strong enough to impose either his doctrines or his miracles upon them, if they had been false. He was in no combination with their priests or their magistrates; no sect or party among them gave him any help; all eyes were open and watchful to detect his impostures; all hands ready to punish him, as soon as he was detected. Had he remained in Judea, he might at least have had many confederates, all the Apostles, all the disciples of Christ, at that time pretty numerous; but in preaching to the Gentiles he was often alone, seldom or never with more than two or three companions. Was this a confederacy powerful enough to carry on such a cheat in so many different parts of the world, against the united opposition of the magistrates, priests, philosophers, people, all combined to detect and expose their frauds? Let it be also considered, that those to whom the Apostle addressed himself, were not a gross or ignorant people, apt to mistake any uncommon operations of nature, or juggling tricks, for miraculous acts. The churches planted by St. Paul, were in the most enlightened parts of the world, among the Greeks of Asia and Europe, among the Romans, in the midst of science, philosophy, freedom of thought, and in an age more inquisitively curious into the powers of nature, and less inclined to credit religious frauds, than any before it. Nor were they only the lowest of the people whom he converted. Sergius Paulus the proconsul of Paphos, Erastus chamberlain of Corinth, and Dionysius the Areopagite, were his proselytes. Upon the whole, it appears beyond contradiction, that his pretension to miracles was not assisted by the disposition of those whomhe designed to convert, nor by any power and confederacy to carry on and abet the cheat: what less, then, than a divine concurrence could have rendered him successful in converting nations, which had not heard of the Gospel till he preached it to them? See Doddridge, and Lyttelton's Observations on the Conversion of St. Paul.

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Romans 15:24. Into Spain— It hence appears probable, considering the principle by which St. Paul chose to govern himself, of not building on another man's foundation, that no Apostle had as yet planted any church in Spain; which very ill agrees with the "Legend of St. James;" for, according to that, he had now been fifteen years in Spain, and had erected several bishopricks there. See Geddes's Miscell. vol. 2: p. 221.

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Romans 15:25. But now I go unto Jerusalem— He means (as appears from Romans 15:26-27.) to carry the money which he had collected among the Gentile Christians in Macedonia and Achaia, for the relief of the poor Christians at Jerusalem. This was an affair which lay near his heart, and about which he had taken much pains. See 1Co 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:9 : His design in the business is pretty evident from 2Co 9:12-13 where he says, The administration of this service nor only supplieth the wants of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God. While by the experience of this ministration, they [the Jews] glorify God for your professed subjection unto the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men. The Jews were generally treated as objects of contempt and insult throughout the Roman empire. The Apostle was in hopes that this liberal contribution, sent by the Gentile Christians converted by St. Paul's ministry, would engage the affections of the Jewish Christians at Jerusalem, on their part much prejudiced against the reception of the Gentiles into the church and covenant of God, without submitting to their law. Most gladly would he have established asolid coalition between the Jewish and Gentile converts; being sensible that it was of great importance to the spreading of the Gospel. And this was one laudable device to accomplish the good end; namely, to procure a handsome present from the Gentiles to the poor saints at Jerusalem; which was a probable expedient to conciliate their affection and esteem, by affording them a pleasing taste of the good fruitsof St. Paul's ministry, and giving them reason to believe, that their nation would be regarded and honoured in proportion as the Gospel spread in the world. I make no doubt, that this is an instance of St. Paul's zeal and prudent endeavours to establish a good harmony between Christian Jews and Gentiles; and this shews, why he so earnestly requests the prayers of the Christians at Rome, that his service, which he had for Jerusalem, might be accepted of the saints, Romans 15:31-32. It is no objection to this, that St.

James, Peter, and John, had desired St. Paul to remember the poor, or to make a collection among the Gentile converts for the poor brethren at Jerusalem, Gal 2:10 for he there tells us, that it was what he had intended to do, before they proposed it: and probably he first mentioned it to the Apostles of the circumcision.

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Romans 15:28. When—I have performed this, &c.— Dispatched this affair, and have secured to them this collection. See Doddridge.

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Romans 15:29. I shall come in the fulness of the blessing— He may be understood to mean here, that he should be able to satisfy them, that the forgiveness of sins was to be obtained by the Gospel; for that he shews, ch. Romans 4:6-9. And they had as much title to it by the Gospel, as the Jews themselves; which was the thing that he had been proving to them in this Epistle. See Locke; whose paraphrase is, "I shall bring to you full satisfaction, concerning the blessedness which you receive by the Gospel of Christ."

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Romans 15:30. And for the love of the Spirit— "By that love, which is the genuine fruit of the Spirit." Some would explain this of the love which the Spirit of God bears to us, or the affection which we owe to that gracious Person. The words rendered strive together with me, signify, "That you join your utmost strength and fervency with mine; as those who fight and struggle together in the public games, or in the field of battle." See Elsner's Observat. vol. 2: p. 65.

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