Self-denial and patience 1 NOW we that are stronger, ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of you please his neighbour unto good, to edification. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written: The reproaches of them that reproached you, fell upon me. (Ps 69:9) 4 For what things soever were written, were written for our learning: that through patience and the comfort of the scriptures, we might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of one mind one towards another, according to Jesus Christ: 6 That with one mind, and with one mouth, you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mercy 7 Wherefore receive one another, as Christ also has received you unto the honour of God. 8 For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. 9 But that the Gentiles are to glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: Therefore will I confess to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and will sing to your name. (Ps 18:49; 2 Sam 22:50) 10 And again he says: Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people. (Dt 32:43) 11 And again: Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; and magnify him, all you people. (Ps 117:1) 12 And again Isaiah says: There shall be a root of Jesse; and he that shall rise up to rule the Gentiles, in him the Gentiles shall hope. (Is 11:19) 13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing; that you may abound in hope, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Apostle of the Gentiles 14 And I myself also, my brethren, am assured of you, that you also are full of love, replenished with all knowledge, so that you are able to admonish one another. 15 But I have written to you, brethren, more boldly in some sort, as it were putting you in mind: because of the grace which is given me from God. 16 That I should be the minister of Christ Jesus among the Gentiles; sanctifying the gospel of God, that the oblation of the Gentiles may be made acceptable and sanctified in the Holy Spirit. 17 I have therefore glory in Christ Jesus towards God. 18 For I dare not to speak of any of those things which Christ works not by me, for the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed, 19 By the virtue of signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that from Jerusalem round about as far as unto Illyricum, I have replenished the gospel of Christ. 20 And I have so preached this gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation. 21 But as it is written: They to whom he was not spoken of, shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand. (Is 52:15)
St. Paul's plans 22 For which cause also I was hindered very much from coming to you, and have been kept away till now. 23 But now having no more place in these countries, and having a great desire these many years past to come unto you, 24 When I shall begin to take my journey into Spain, I hope that as I pass, I shall see you, and be brought on my way thither by you, if first, in part, I shall have enjoyed you: 25 But now I shall go to Jerusalem, to minister unto the saints. 26 For it has pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a contribution for the poor of the saints that are in Jerusalem. 27 For it has pleased them; and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they ought also in carnal things to minister to them. 28 When therefore I shall have accomplished this, and consigned to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain. 29 And I know, that when I come to you, I shall come in the abundance of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.
Request for prayers 30 I beseech you therefore, brethren, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the charity of the Holy Spirit, that you help me in your prayers for me to God, 31 That I may be delivered from the unbelievers that are in Judea, and that the oblation of my service may be acceptable in Jerusalem to the saints. 32 That I may come to you with joy, by the will of God, and may be refreshed with you. 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Commentary on Romans 15
15:2 please his neighbor, that is, condescend to him in matters that please him, but not in matters that are evil. Similarly, we should not have the intention of pleasing men for the sake of human favor or glory, but for the honor of God and the benefit of our neighbor. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
15:4 This is quite evident, if we attentively examine the Jewish history, and the Divine commands which are the principles of it. For these commands, which some persons have said do not apply to us, are so many and varied, and repeated at so many and diverse times, that they certainly must have formed a peculiar character in the heart of the obedient Israelite, and were much more than an outward form and a sort of ceremonial service. They are so abundant throughout the Old Testament, that unless they in some way apply to us, it is difficult to see what is its direct use, at this day, in the way of precept; and this is the very conclusion which these same persons often go on to draw. They are willing to rid themselves of the Old Testament, and they say that Christians are not concerned in it, and that the Jews were almost barbarians; whereas St. Paul tells us, that the Jewish history is "written for our admonition and our learning." 1 Cor. 10:11; Rom. 15:4. (Cardinal John Henry Newman Sermon 13)
15:8 minister of the circumcision: It was fitting that Christ's preaching, whether through Himself or through His apostles, should be directed at first to the Jews alone. First, in order to show that by His coming the promises were fulfilled which had been made to the Jews of old, and not to the Gentiles... Secondly, in order to show that His coming was of God... for the right order demanded that the doctrine of Christ should be made known first to the Jews, who, by believing in and worshiping one God, were nearer to God, and that it should be transmitted through them to the Gentiles... Thirdly, in order to deprive the Jews of ground for quibbling. Jerome says: "It behooved Christ's coming to be announced to the Jews first, lest they should have a valid excuse, and say that they had rejected our Lord because He had sent His apostles to the Gentiles and Samaritans." Fourthly, because it was through the triumph of the cross that Christ merited power and lordship over the Gentiles... Consequently He did not wish His doctrine to be preached to the Gentiles before His Passion. (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 3.42.1.a)
15:9-12 He quoted all these scriptural testimonies to teach believers from Jews not to be upset by the salvation of the nations, but believe the inspired writings about them. (Theodoret of Cyrus)
15:15 And having come down from the seat of the master, both there and here, he speaks to them as brethren and friends of equal rank. And this is quite a Teacher's duty, to give his address that variety which is profitable to the hearers. (St. John Chrysostom)
15:16 minister of Jesus Christ among the Gentiles: Galatians 2:8 says, "Peter to the circumcison and Paul uncircumcision." For even this distinction makes no difference, since it was a dispensation of divine grace, except that the Jews, who by the ancient custom of the law were not allowed to associate with Gentiles because they had for long been separated from them by the law, were admitted to the faith in Christ through the blessed Peter, while the Gentiles would similarly be conducted to faith through blessed Paul. But afterwards the shared character of the faith brought them together as one. Indeed, they all worked as one, as is clearly shown to be the case by the facts themselves. In fact, even Paul called as many of the Jews as he could to faith, as he did in Corinth (Acts 18:8). And it is clear in many places that he disputed with the Jews in the synagogues. Peter also went to the Gentiles as often as he could and did not disdain to do so as with Cornelius. (Theodore of Mopsuestia Com Gal 2:8)
15:17 towards God: namely, the Father. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
15:18 As if to say: I will not speak about the fruit produced through me, if it was not produced by me. Otherwise, I would |
have no glory with God, even if with men. What I do relate are things not as accomplished chiefly through me, but as done by Christ though me. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
15:19 Illyricum: is a province in Europe, whereof the old northern limits were the two Pannonias, the Adriatic sea south, Istria west, Upper Moesia and Macedonia east, so that St. Paul preached in Syria, Phoenicia, Arabia,Cilicia, Pamphilia, Pisidia, Lycaonia, Galatia, Pontus, Paphlagonia, Phrygia, Troas, Asia, Caria, Lycia, Ionia, Lydia, the isles of Cyprus and Crete, Thracia, Macedonia, Thessalia, and Achaia. (Augustin Calmet Dictionary)
15:20 another man's foundation: This can be interpreted in two ways: in one way heretical doctrine, which is alien to the foundation of the true faith: in this sense the word, lest, is taken causally. For the Apostle willed to preach to those who had not heard the name of Christ with the intention, because if his hearers had heard the teachings of false apostles, it would have been more difficult to lead them back to the truth. Hence, it says in Mt 7:26: "The man is foolish who builds his house on sand." In another way, another’s foundation can mean the doctrine of the true faith preached by others. Then the word, lest, is taken in a consecutive sense. For the Apostle did not avoid preaching to those to whom others had preached; thus he preached to the Romans, whom Peter had previously instructed. But when he preached to those who had heard nothing about Christ, the result was that he was not building on another’s foundation, but he himself laid the first foundation of the faith: "As a wise architect, I laid a foundation" I Cor 3:10. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
15:24 That St. Paul did not immediately, after executing his commission to Jerusalem, set out on his intended journey to Spain, is clear from Acts 21, where it is stated, that after having been apprehended at Jerusalem, he was sent a prisoner to Rome, and detained there for two years; whether, after his liberation from prison, he set out for Spain, is disputed. (Bishop John McEvilly)
15:27 they are their debtors: namely, to the Jews who sent preachers from Jerusalem. And for the blessings of divine knowledge and of the promises and of grace, (St. Thomas Aquinas)
15:28 I will come by you: But because this is not certain, it can be said better that the Apostle did not say something false, because he intended to do what he said. Consequently, his words must be understood as suggesting his intention and not a future event about which he was not certain... And this is how Pope Gelasius resolves the question, as can be found in the decretals 39 "Blessed Paul therefore should not be thought to deceive—God forbid!—or to show himself an adversary because, although he had promised to go to Spain, he did not fulfill that promise, being occupied by divine providence with more important matters. As far as his own will was concerned, he said in truth that he wanted to do it. But as regards the secrets of God’s plan—which as a man he could know, even though we was filled with the spirit of God—he did not in fact do it, being prevented by the heavenly plan." For even though he had the prophetic spirit, not all things are revealed to the prophets, as is clear in 2 King 4:27, where Elijah says, "Her soul is in bitterness, and the Lord has concealed it from me, and has not told it to me." (St. Thomas Aquinas)
15:30 We ought also to pray for the just for three reasons: First, because the prayers of a multitude are more easily heard, wherefore a gloss on Romans 15:30, "Help me in your prayers," says: "The Apostle rightly tells the lesser brethren to pray for him, for many lesser ones, if they be united together in one mind, become great, and it is impossible for the prayers of a multitude not to obtain" that which is possible to be obtained by prayer. Secondly, that many may thank God for the graces conferred on the just, which graces conduce to the profit of many, according to the Apostle 2 Cor. 1:11. Thirdly, that the more perfect may not wax proud, seeing that they find that they need the prayers of the less perfect. (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 2.83.5.r3) |
Catechism Cross-references
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