Beauty in the Book: Romans 15
Themes
Explore themes of unity in the church, evangelistic mission, and gospel partnerships. See how Paul connects with other members of Christ’s body to further the Gospel mission—accomplished by God’s power and for God’s glory.
Questions
This chapter addresses the following questions:
What should be my motivation for bearing with others in the church?
What is the benefit of Christian unity?
When people come to Christ, who deserves the glory, and why?
Moving Forward
This writing will break down the chapter section-by-section, offering commentary for your reflection. Don’t miss the ending titled Beauty in the Book where it all gets wrapped up in a bow—highlighting how every chapter is woven with uplifting realities of God’s goodness and grace.
Romans 15:1-3
After ending chapter fourteen with an invocation to love one another amidst differences in convictions and opinions within the church, Paul begins with why we are to do so, digging even deeper into the heart of the matter.
We aren’t to love others in order to please ourselves, but to please our Heavenly Father.
If we love others with the intent of puffing ourselves up in religious pride, there is a detriment to the soul of the prideful one. While laying our lives down on behalf of others may add to the peace of the moment, pride of the heart is a sickness that infects churches and individuals if left unchecked.
Thankfully, Paul doesn’t leave this matter unchecked but addresses it at once. He comments on how we are walking in the way of Jesus when we choose to bear with others—not so we can feel extra holy—but so they can be extraordinarily blessed.
We love others for their good, and in doing so, we reflect the steadfast mercies of Christ who gave himself up for our good:
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 NIV
For it doesn’t matter how impressive we are or how strong our faith is. Or if we have the most incredible knowledge of God’s character or confounding spiritual gifts. We could have life-changing prophetic insight, or a heart generous to give away all that we have. Yet, if we are doing these things for our own sake, and not for the sake of others, we aren’t acting in purity of love.
See what 1 Corinthians says regarding this:
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Fun fact for you: in some versions of Scripture—like the King James Version—the word “love” is actually replaced with the word “charity”.
Think about how we use that word in our modern age. As a noun, the word “charity” is often used to describe an event which helps or serves those in need. A “charitable” person is a generous or self-giving person. One who expends their time or resources on behalf of others.
In all these things, there is an others-focused mentality at play. And that’s exactly the implication of the Greek definition for this word. See below:
love/charity, agapē, ἀγάπη:
affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love (or love feasts)
1 Corinthians goes on to describe what love (or charity) looks like played out. It says this:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
As we can see, the one who is walking in love isn’t walking in prideful and self-seeking behavior, but is rather patiently honoring others, extending mercy along the way.
In regards to our verses from Romans, as we bear with others in the church who may not share the same confidence in Christ—or faith—as we do, may we seek to interact with them in a way that is for their good, not just to make ourselves feel good.
Romans 15:4-5
When it comes to the effort required to extend love in the way that God desires for us and the church, perseverance is needed.
Loving others isn’t an effortless act that comes naturally to someone as soon as they place their faith in Jesus. On the contrary, loving others requires the continual choice to spend ourselves on behalf of others, as Christ calls us to.
In this way, we are following him and taking up our own cross. Choosing obedience to the Father and laying down our lives for those around us.
This does not mean mindless people-pleasing or yielding to the most demanding and unhealthy voices in our lives, which could suck us dry in an instant. On the contrary, it means yielding to the form-fitting yoke of Christ, moving through life with the question continually in our mind of, “How could I please Jesus right now, trusting he wants good for those around me?”
(I talk more about this in the free resource, Cultivating Quiet. Download here.)
Let his love pour over you and spill through you. Not emptying yourself and coming up dry, but letting the depth of his goodness wash over you and rush out of you for the benefit of all those around you.
With this in mind, how can we walk with endurance as we seek to glorify God in this way?
These verses comes to mind:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV
There is a race marked out for us. To fulfill the purposes God has for us, we are to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We see the way he moved towards God’s divine purposes for his life, willing to endure pain, shame, and even crucifixion, and ended wrapped in the glory of Heaven.
We fix our eyes on Jesus himself, the hope of Heaven, and the stories in Scripture of all those who walked through trial and came out the other side. We keep our mind focused on the end-game so that we can have perseverance to get through all that our daily moments require of us.
Hebrews 11 lays out in detail the many (real-life) characters that persevered in faith to fulfill all that God had in store for their lives. Peek through it if you want further encouragement in the matter, and be encouraged also to know that God has plans for your life as well.
Ephesians 2:10 is a verse-of-my-life. Encouraging me continually as my heart finds rest and purpose in the truth that God designed me, values me, and calls me to do good for the sake of his name. I hope it does similar in your life as you read it today:
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 NIV
May we walk equipped by faith stories, enveloped in the love and example of Christ, and encouraged to live our one life for the glory of our God—who loves us, made us, and strengthens us every step of the way.
Romans 15:6-12
There is a purpose to our endurance. As we persevere in love towards others and obedience to God, there is a beautiful unity that develops.
God loves a unified church. One that isn’t split-up and divided by needless turmoil, but that is wrapped-up and worshipful for the sake of His glory.
I imagine a well-orchestrated band. Where the flutes, harps, and harmonicas all work together so that with one melody, they may create a sound so pleasant and enchanting that all those who encounter it marvel at the conductor. May God be our conductor, and as we stay in step with his cues, may his glory be shown in the church and in our lives.
His desire for unity goes deeper and further than we could ever imagine. It is the crescendo towards which he has always been building.
Romans 3:21-24 describes the build-up:
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:21-24 NIV
Jesus is the great unifier. It is because of him that all people—all who place their faith in his name—can come together and sing praises to God. Jew or Gentile. It’s the beauty to which all of God’s Word has pointed, and it’s the beauty which has come to fruition in Christ and is to be continually sought-after in the church as we lay our own lives down and persevere in blessed endurance to be a peaceful, unified body expanding his mission until Christ returns.
And when he returns, this incredible plan will be brought to fullness.
…he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. Ephesians 1:9-10 NIV
At the fulfillment of all things, there will be a fullness of unity. May we reflect God’s heart for the church day-to-day as we pursue others-focused unity, by the vehicle of benevolent love.
Romans 15:13
This scripture feels worthy of its very own section. It’s one of those verses that—once it’s tucked into your back pocket—feels relevant to take out at a moment’s notice, in all kinds of circumstances.
(In fact, I’ve created a free little printable so you can post this Scripture up around your home as you’d like. It’s attached at the bottom of those page for you to save and print as you’d like!)
This scripture is a great reminder of how steadfast hope sources our joy and peace. We see this truth described in Isaiah 26:3, and isn’t it lovely:
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3 NIV
Hope is a supernatural gift, that is only possible by the working of God and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. May we take hold of every glimmer of hope held out to us, grasping it as the lifeline it is for our faith journeys.
There is abundant goodness promised to us as the children of God, and keeping our minds fixed on the hope of all that presently is, and all that is to come, infuses us with a joy of heart and peace of mind that transcends the circumstances of this world.
We see the connection between joy, hope, and peace laid out again in Philippians 4, where we are invited to rejoice in the Lord. (I have a whole Bible study surrounding this topic if you want to check out how our faith influences our joy! It’s titled, “The Joy of the Lord” if you’d like to check it out.)
Here’s the scripture in view:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 NIV
As we remember the Lord’s nearness, and as we stay connected to him in hope, our lives become characterized by a divine joy and peace. It’s the fruit of our faith, and isn’t it sweet!
Romans 15:14-16
I love the way Paul views his calling: boldly, yet humbly. He acknowledges the gifts and abilities displayed in the church: that they are full of goodness, filled with knowledge, and competent to instruct one another. (Romans 15:14)
But knowing their competency doesn’t keep Paul from keeping his eyes boldly fixed on Christ’s calling for his life. He is confident that God has called him to priesthood, to nourish the full church with the gospel of God, and so he doesn’t back down from the hard work required of speaking some of the more difficult points to the Romans, walking in his purpose.
How beautiful would the church today be if we acted similarly? If we didn’t cower in our gifting but courageously moved forward. Not arrogantly—assuming others don’t have anything to offer—but if we saw God’s goodness in them, even as we moved forward in God’s calling for us.
God’s grace is with his church. Poured out on different people, in varied ways, for the common good. (Ephesians 4:1-16)
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. Ephesians 4:7 NIV
Paul doesn’t just want them—specifically the Gentiles—to believe in Jesus. But he wants them to grow up in maturity, being sanctified by the power of God through the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:16)
As Paul describes his willingness to “write boldly”, I am reminded of the call we have as believers to speak truth to one another. Wrapped up in a heart of love, so that we all may grow in our sanctification as God desires:
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:15 NIV
He has given us callings and duties, to accomplish his own beautiful purposes through us—that we might all be transformed more and more fully into the image of his Son.
Romans 15:17-22
Paul explained in Romans 15:16 that God had given him the duty of proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles so that they might become sanctified by the Holy Spirit, living their lives as acceptable offerings to the living God. (Romans 12:1)
Here, Paul continues to share about this work. He acknowledges that it is only by the power of God that anything could be accomplished through him, and yet there is a sense of him being proud of his service. When verse 17 tells us that he glories “in Christ Jesus in his service to God”, this isn’t to say he is feeling arrogant or puffed up, but rather giving appropriate acknowledgement to God’s ability to work through people. And he is proud of that work!
We already chatted earlier about God’s ability to have good works prepared for people to do. (Ephesians 2:10) We are his masterpieces—whom he creates, calls, and equips for his purposes.
May we glorify God by acknowledging the good that is at work in and through us, but not fall to the trap of wanting to be glorified by people in a way that shuts God out and steals the worship belongs to him alone.
This concept of giving glory where glory is due is an important one. There is a juxtaposition that really struck me once as I was reading the book of Acts. In that book, we see two instances in which people wanted to worship human beings—giving them glory and praise instead of God. In these two instances, the individuals responded in very different ways.
First there was King Herod in Acts 12. The people called him a god, and he didn’t deny it. He didn’t direct the praises to God, and well… I’ll let you read about what happened next:
On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. Acts 12:21-23 NIV
Blech. If that doesn’t encourage you to give proper praise to God, I’m not sure what will! Here’s a contrasting story where we see some of the apostles resisting folks who were trying to call them gods, from Acts 14:11-15:
When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.
But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them”. Acts 14:11-15 NIV
Here, when others tried to call Barnabas and Paul gods, they made it clear that, there was one true God who created all things. May we follow suit, not wanting others to view us as “gods”—but may all that we do to point to the glory of the One True God!
Giving glory to God doesn’t mean we count ourselves worthless—because we know we have incredible value, worth, skills, and gifts as God’s handiwork, and as his beloved children. When we do good work, we should be happy about that—rejoicing over it, glorying in it—while we acknowledge at the same time that every good works flows from the hand of the Father.
In this fifteenth chapter of Romans, we see Paul proclaim all that God has done in his priestly service. Here’s a piece of what he says:
Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God… Romans 15:17-19 NIV
It’s about what God has done through him. And evidently, God had done a lot through him. Miraculous signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit. An evangelistic ministry spreading from Jerusalem to modern-day Albania! (blueletterbible.org)
Paul desired to preach the gospel in places that no one had yet heard the good news. He stepped into the beautiful mission of proclaiming peace and salvation far and wide.
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! Isaiah 52:7 NLT
Paul accomplished incredible and wonderful things in his ministry. Things to be proud of. And it was all due to the fact that he was saved by Jesus—and eager to share that very salvation.
Romans 15:22-29
This missional work was so important to him (as he explains in verses 22 and 23) that, while he wanted to visit Rome, he was hindered because of all God had called him to.
I love the priorities Paul had in place. God’s purposes for his life took the number one spot.
Even so, it wasn’t with a coldness that he communicated this reality, but he warmly explained to the Romans that he longed to visit them. And he hoped that there was finally an opening in his ministry travel to do just that:
I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. Romans 15:24 NIV
Paul doesn’t shy away from letting the church know that he hopes for their support in his ministry, while also communicating how he looks forward to enjoying their company.
For those in ministry, there is a lot to take from these passages:
The work you are doing for the Lord is valuable and good; it is worth rejoicing in!
At times, it may keep you from seeing all the people you long to see.
Your work is worth supporting; it’s pouring out the good news of the Gospel for so many in need.
In the midst of describing when he will stop by Rome, Paul also provides insight into the other ministry work he is doing. He is delivering funds to the poor church members in Jerusalem—generous donations from some other spots in Macedonia and Achaia.
And I love how he reveals the humble, grateful spirit of the Gentile believers who acknowledge all the spiritual blessings that are now theirs in Christ Jesus. They were eager and happy to pass funds along to the Jews in need in light of all they received spiritually:
They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. Romans 15:27 NIV
Continuing in verse 29, Paul expresses that he will visit Rome “in the full measure of the blessing of Christ”.
After explaining how ministry had kept him from visiting for quite some time—because God had called him to work elsewhere—Paul shows his confidence that when he finally does come, that it will be in the fullness of Christ’s blessing.
Jesus will be with him, and it will be a beautiful time indeed.
Romans 15:30-33
In this prayer request, Paul asks the believers in Rome to continue to pray for him. And in doing so, there are some subtle implications we can take hold of.
Did you notice that Paul both acknowledged that our prayer makes a difference and also, that it is accomplished by the love of the Spirit and by the Lord Jesus Christ?
It is because of Jesus that we are able to approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, to find help in our time of need:
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 NIV
We have the support of the Holy Spirit in our prayers:
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our heartsknows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26-27 NIV
And that the Spirit produces a depth of love in us that wants good for our Christian brothers and sisters!
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
I will never tire of exploring the divine mystery of prayer. The Holy Spirit’s transformative work in our hearts gives us a desire to love others as we pray for them—and his power carries our prayers along when we don’t know the words to speak.
It is because of Jesus that we are able to approach God confidently, knowing his grace and mercy rest on us in accordance with Christ’s atoning sacrifice on our behalf.
God’s power gives us the desire and ability to pray, and it’s his power that answers our prayers, and yet—even understanding the grandeur of his goodness and power, we—human beings—are invited to step into the story and pray. To keep praying.
And evidently, our prayers make a difference in the grand scheme of things. Isn’t it incredible?!
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18 NIV
Here in Romans 15, Paul sees the urgency of their prayers and the value of their intercession for the sake of his safety, and that his ministry will be well-received. May we continue to intercede for those in ministry—and for all things in life—knowing that our prayers matter, even as they are empowered by God and the Holy Spirit.
Paul wants his trip to go well so that he can once again be reunited with the Romans in person, and be refreshed by their support and companionship. He wishes them peace as he carries onto the close of his letter, up next!
Beauty in the Book
In this chapter, we see how the power of God infuses the day-to-day life of the church—offering encouragement where it’s needed, perseverance in love, and power in prayer.
Paul encourages the church in unity, knowing that as each person lays down their lives on behalf of others, that the result is the body of Christ coming together and lifting the name of Jesus high with one beautiful voice. We see how God himself empowers and encourages this unity, as he holds all things together for his beloved people. (Colossians 1:17, Romans 15:5-6)
In Christ’s body, each person plays a special role. And while we each may glory—or rejoice in—our service to God, we maintain the understanding that it’s only by his magnificent power that good, lasting, and enteral work is accomplished.
May we understand—as we see displayed in this beautiful chapter—that God’s mission for mankind is moved forward through everyday people and partnerships. As we lay our lives down in love, may we see all that Christ can accomplish in our blessed unity—for the glory of his name.
