Romans 15:4-13, part of a section that begins in verse 1, forms the conclusion to the ethical section that began in 12:1. It culminates the body of the letter and reminds the reader of the beginning of the letter. In the first chapter, Paul announced the revelation of God’s salvation to both Jew and Gentile, and in Romans 15 Paul presents a glorious, eschatological vision of Jew and Gentile praising God together with one voice. In this section, he uses a catena of Scripture to demonstrate how Israel’s sacred texts have foretold of this vision, this inclusion of the Gentiles to glorify God. He also boldly tells this mixed congregation (although likely mostly Gentile church) that these words of Scripture are for them in order that these words might bring hope. Since this is the vision that has driven Paul’s arguments throughout the letter, this passage is both a fitting conclusion and a hopeful admonition.
Paul’s emphasis on hope is significant in several respects. It connects the conclusion of the letter to earlier points of importance in his profession of faith.
• the hope of Abraham (4:18)
• the hope of being justified by faith to share the glory of God (5:2)
• the hope of Christian character (5:4)
• the hope of experiencing God’s love poured into our hearts via the Holy Spirit (5:5)
• the hope that emerges from the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit (8:20, 24, 25)
• the hope of life in the body of Christ (12:12).
4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness (ὑπομονῆς, etymologically related to abiding, dwelling, remaining) and by the encouragement (παρακλήσεως, etymologically related to advocate, comforter, counselor) of the scriptures we might have hope, with hope emerging from grace that equips us to be agents of grace to others. Such a verse confirms that the early Christians accepted the Jewish scripture as their own. Therefore, the “canon” was not open for them.[1] Paul heavily relies upon Scripture throughout the letter to the Romans. His statement here, however, is bold. To be sure, this is not the first time that Paul has applied Israel’s Scriptures directly to Gentiles. Paul stresses that the Lord considered his faith as righteousness was not just a word for Abraham, but also a word for us who have faith in the same God of Abraham, who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, whom his enemies handed over to death, but dying for our sins. Paul also refers to the wilderness wandering of Israel as an example, instructing us who have witnessed the turning-point of the ages (I Corinthians 10:11). Paul is claiming that Israel’s Scriptures are not just for Israel. In light of God’s revelation through Jesus, both Jew and Gentile find hope and encouragement in these sacred texts. Furthermore, Paul claims that God has always intended the Scriptures with both audiences in view. The Scriptures are “steadfast” and bring hope. One might find it difficult to understand why Paul would take this moment to explain his use of the Old Testament after using it so often. The quotation has value because of the abiding value of the Old Testament. We also know that God has inspired all scripture in a way that makes it useful for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (II Timothy 3:16). Thus, both texts lay down a view of the Old Testament to which we need to listen. 1) There is permanent value in the great moral and spiritual truths, and 2) the witness it has to Christ. Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase captures Paul’s meaning wonderfully well: “Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next.”
In verses 5-6, Paul reveals a concern for unity. The context for this appeal for unity comes in chapter 14 where Paul addresses factions in the church. It is clear that some want to follow certain practices commonly associated with Jewish tradition while others do not believe that following such practices is necessary. These differences have created quarreling to the point that some even despise one another (14:10). He has just appealed to them to please others rather than themselves, pointing to Christ as the model for this behavior (verses 1-3). Paul now offers a prayer-wish. 5 May the God of steadfastness (ὑπομονῆς) and encouragement (παρακλήσεως) grant you to live in harmony with (τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν) one another (or, literally, to think the same thing with each other), in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that together you may with one voice (mouth)glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The power at work here in the judgment and transfiguration of the world is the Spirit of God, who will lead creatures to the eschatological praise of God. [2]His prayer desires that they unite with their minds and their mouths so that they might reveal their spiritual unity in praising God. Paul expresses this theme of united praise even more vividly in the next section. Christians are to live in accordance with the life and example of Christ. It means to be thoughtful for one another. Paul relates hope to the steadfastness and encouragement of God that grants us “to live in harmony with one another.”
In verses 7-13, hope has its basis, first, on the promises of Scriptures, and second on God's steadfastness and encouragement. Paul drives home his message with a powerful summation in verses 7-9a. Critical here is how the gracious action of Christ is the foundation and summons for Christians to act graciously toward others. Also important is how this part of the passage underscores the “no distinction” motif. 7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Paul now generalizes the principles of this section, so that the command is to the weak as well as the strong. He will show this applies to the main division of that time - Jew and Gentile. Paul will make several appeals to Scripture to demonstrate the need and purpose of their unity. First, though, he reminds them that Christ has welcomed each of them. The word translated “welcome” here connotes wholehearted acceptance. Because Christ has received them when they were less than worthy, they must extend the same welcoming spirit to one another.[3] 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs. The idea of Christ becoming a servant may have some reference to the relationship between the weak and the strong. 9 And Christ became a servant in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. Jesus Christ is the basis of the hope of the community, as it looks ahead to the consummation that has yet to come, Christ newly putting into force the promises of God.[4] The expanse of the grace of God in Christ overcomes such distinctions. Moreover, Paul is clearly claiming that “no distinction” is grounded in the reality that Gentiles have been included all along in God’s purposes for Israel fulfilled in Christ. Chapters 9-11 make both Jew and Gentile rely on God’s mercy. As it is written in Psalm 18:49, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name.” We see the confession begins with one person. Without explanation, Paul places the words of this psalm on the lips of Christ. This type of messianic psalm citation is common in the gospels (for example, see Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34; Luke 23:46). There is also an acknowledgment of the “name” of God confessed and introduced among the Gentiles. Therefore, let gentiles be merciful to their brothers and sisters in the faith. 10 And again he says in Deuteronomy 32:43, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” Where Moses calls on the Gentiles to rejoice over the salvation of Israel. In the second citation, the scripture invites the Gentiles as a whole to rejoice “with his people” or alongside Israel. We find Paul emphasizing the dependence of the Gentiles on the Abrahamic covenant. There was a two-fold proposition. Paul is saying this: 1) remind the Gentiles that it was through the Jews God called them, and 2) remind the Jews that their purpose was the calling of the Gentiles. In its context, David was celebrating his victory over the Gentiles. The main work of Jesus was among the Jews, though he welcomed gentiles. The former showed fidelity to God's promise, the latter reveals God's mercy. 11 And again in Psalm 117:1, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.” The third citation widens the circle to “all the peoples” offering praise to the Lord. In context, we find an appeal to all nations to praise the Lord. What began with one person results in all peoples offering praise to the Lord of Hosts. These citations mark not only Israel’s gratitude for and trust in God’s faithfulness to deliver and fulfill promises. For in addition to the psalmist singing praises to God in the presence of the Gentiles (Psalm 18:49), the remaining three citations illustrate the Gentiles’ own gratitude and trust in relation to God. The people of Israel and Gentiles alike partake in and respond to the blessings of God. Paul further reinforces the authority of his viewpoint by presenting scriptural evidence from all three parts of the Old Testament canon — Torah, Prophets and Writings. 12 And again Isaiah 11:10 says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.” In context, we find a description of the Messianic kingdom, which will replace the Jewish kingdom God is about to destroy. Another dimension of hope is that of the Gentiles mentioned in 15:12. Here, in a manner akin to the past bolstering the present in 15:4, Paul places hope in the historical perspective of God’s messianic purposes. The work of one person provides the rationale for such praise. Isaiah 11 was a key text in the formation of messianism and people thoroughly connected it with messianic expectation. By employing this text, Jesus the Jewish Messiah becomes the source of hope for the Gentiles and the demonstration of God’s mercy to the nations and God’s faithfulness to his people. The quotation of Isaiah 11 also alludes to the gathering of the lost ones of Israel (see Romans 11) to join with the Gentiles around the one who rises to rule the nations (Isaiah 11:11-12). The rise of the root of Jesse to a place of honor (Isaiah 11:4) suggests that those who gather around him will also receive honor and will have cause to offer praise.
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. The last phrase of the previous verse quoted suggests this benediction. This blessing recalls the main themes of the letter of Paul. Hope is a present blessing from God that gives us the confidence to move into the future by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul prays that this eschatological vision of joint praise will offer the church hope. He has argued that all of Scripture testifies to this gospel of unity in Christ, and he ends this section with a prayer wish. To abound in this hope would entail an end to the quarreling. It would result in thinking the same way and speaking praises to God with one mouth (vv. 5-6). The Roman church is not at this point, but by reminding them of the gospel of unity in Christ, Paul hopes that they will share this vision of joint praise. In this sense, there is only one real problem in Christian theology, and that is the problem of the future, for the entire notion of God has the future as the essential nature of God, made known in the Exodus and in Israelite prophesy, the God who is always before us, who encounters us in the promises for the future, and therefore a God whom we cannot have, but can only await in active hope.[5]
Paul is concluding the ethical portion of this letter. I find it wise to remember that those of us who seek to be ethical and virtuous people need to exercise some care in how we are such in real life encounters. The statement by Elizabeth Taylor is one many of us know well. The problem with people who have no vices is that you can be quite sure they are going to have some pretty annoying virtues. We are such profound and deep sinners that we can even turn the avoidance of vice and the practice of virtue into a vice!
Paul concludes the ethical portion of the letter with a focus upon hope. Hope can be fragile. Some believed the gospel to gentiles meant God had rejected the promise to Jews. Christ continues the promise and shows God's mercy. John Knox (Interpreter’s Bible) takes this opportunity to discuss the idea of hope. It is an important concept for Paul. In 1:16-17, though Paul does not use the word, the word “salvation” is primarily future eschatological and is an object of patient waiting and hope in 8:24. This idea dominates the central section of the letter in Chapters 5-8. Chapter 8 ends the section with great hope. Chapters 9-11 are an expression of hope, even though external circumstances are against it. In ending the entire letter, he again reminds us of hope. Paul’s view is not “gloomy,” although he portrays natural person realistically. However, hope is not just future expectation, but also a present reality as a manifestation of the love of God. The hope is in the process of realization. This is the heart of the epistle.
The purpose of this passage was to amplify what it means to receive one another and to bear one another’s weaknesses. He uses Christ as an example to show that it by service to one another that we can maintain hope, peace, and joy. Paul is now nearing the end of this long and difficult letter. One should expect that it is here Paul will expose his primary reason for writing this letter.
Paul concludes the ethical portion of the letter with reminding Jew and Gentile to welcome each other, even as Christ welcomed others. Jesus did so by calling a a representative group of the Jews of his time, people who naturally opposed each other. He welcomed the crowds, but especially the outcast. He did so by welcoming a diverse group of local followers as well. How well do we embody this part of the ethical life of being a follower of Jesus?
Imagine going to a library seeking information, but instead of checking out a book, you check out a person! That is the idea behind a project called the Human Library -- a place where real people are on loan to the library users. Those real people, because of the facts of their lives, represent categories such as Muslim, bipolar, single young mother, unemployed, HIV victim, autistic, sexually abused, convert, brain-damaged, molested, deaf and blind, soldier with PTSD, homeless, alcoholic, ADHD and so forth. They are typically available at a scheduled event that might run for several hours over one or more days. Borrowers go to the event and select a category they'd like to know more about. The human "book" then sits down for 30 minutes or so with the borrower and shares his or her story, and the borrower gets to ask questions. Want to know what it's like to be a refugee? There is likely a refugee in that human library ready to explain that experience to you. And the same with several other topics. The first occurrence of the Human Library was in Denmark in the spring of 2000. It ran for four days straight at a Copenhagen location and offered some 75 "titles," chosen to inform and to challenge stereotypes. More than 1,000 "readers" showed up, leaving organizers stunned at the impact of the project. The idea has since jumped the Danish borders, and Human Library events have now happened on every continent but Antarctica. At a Human Library happening in Rochester, New York, for example, borrowers got to hear from a Vietnam veteran, a martial artist, a British butler and a person paralyzed in a car accident, among many others.
What if people "borrowed" us? I like that idea. It could be a powerful image of the Christian life. It gives us an opportunity as followers of Jesus Christ to think about what people outside of our experience -- nonbelievers, people of other faiths, the curious, etc. -- would learn if they were to "borrow" us to "read" for a while. What would they read? What would they learn?
Actually, this idea is not a new one. In an old gospel song called "The World's Bible," lyricist Annie Johnson Flint included these lines:
We are the only Bible
The careless world will read;
We are the sinners' gospel,
We are the scoffers' creed;
We are the Lord's last message,
Given in word and deed ...
Actually, though, the idea goes back much farther. In the New Testament, Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians, saying,
"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (II Corinthians 3:2-3).
The world is in need of unselfish souls
Who would share their last morsel of bread,
Who would give of their love and give of their wealth,
And like seeds, their compassion they’d spread.
The world is in need of unselfish souls
Who would share of their God-given treasure,
With those who are weak and those who are tired,
And do so in generous measure.
The world is in need of those generous souls
Who will give of their lives and their time,
To provide in this land a strong helping hand,
[1] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology, Volume I, 212.
[2] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology, Volume III, 625.
[3] In Paul’s use of “truthfulness” and “mercy” in the next verse, one should not take it literally, but rather rhetorically. The NRSV captures the sense of Paul’s emphasis with the parallel use of “in order that” connecting verses 8-9a, which places the confirmation of promises to Israel’s patriarchs in direct association with Gentiles glorifying God. In the Greek, the presence of de at the opening of verse 9 signals the connotation that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised not only to confirm promises to the patriarchs, but also to give the Gentiles reason to glorify God for God’s mercy.
[4] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology, Volume III, 545.
[5] Moltmann, Theology of Hope, 16.
[6] —George Michael Leader, Healing Poems (Leader Publishing, 2001), 121.
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