Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 2 · Chapter 15 · Section 1 – Section 3
1. The text with the diuerse readings.
1 We which are strong ought to beare the infirmities (frailnes. B.) of the weake, and not to please our selues. (not to stand in our owne conceits. B.).
2 Therefore let euerie one please his neghbour vntounto good, Be. L. Gr. (rather then in that is good. B. G. S.) to edification.
3 For Christ would not please himselfe, but as it is written: the rebukes of them, which rebuke thee, fell vponupon me.
4 For whatsoeuer things were written aforetime, were written afore for our learning, that thorough patience and comfort of the Scriptures, we might hauehave hope.
5 Now the God of patience and consolation giuegive you, that ye he like minded (like affected. Be. thinks the same thing, V. S. foreign, to minde the same thing.) one toward an other, according to Christ Iesus.
6 That ye with one minde, and one mouth may praise God, euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ.
7 Wherefore receiue ye one an other, as Christ receiued vsus to the glorie of God.
8. Now I say that Iesus Christ, was a Minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirme the promises of the fathers.
9 And that the Gentiles might glorifie God, (let the Gentiles praise God, G.) for his merciemercy, as it is written: For this cause I will confesse thee among the Gentiles, and sing vntounto thy name.
10 And againe he saith, reioyce ye Gentiles with his people.
11 And againe, praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laud ye him all people together.
12 And againe, Esaias saith, there shall be a roote of lesse, and he that shall rise to raigne ouer the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust.
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all ioy, and peace in beleeuing, that ye may abound in hope, (be rich in hope. B.) thorough the power of the holy Ghost.
14 And I my selfe also am perswaded of you my brethren, that ye are also full of goodnes, (louelove. L.) and are able (willing. V.) to admonish one an other.
15 Neuerthelesse brethren, I hauehave somewhat more boldly, after a sort (in part. Gr.) written vntounto you, as one, that putteth you in remembrance, through the grace that is giuen me of God.
16 That I should be the Minister of Iesus Christ toward the Gentiles, ministring (sanctifying. L. foreign. Gr. which signifieth, serving or ministring in holy things) the Gospell of God, that the offring (oblation) of the Gentiles might be acceptable, beeing sanctified by the holy Ghost.
17 I hauehave therefore whereof I may reioyce in Christ Iesus, in those things which pertaine to God.
18 For I dare not speak of any thing (I cannot endure to speak of any thing. Be. see qu. 23.) which Christ hath not wrought by me for the obedience of the Gentiles, in word and deed.
19 With the power of signes and wonders, by the power of the spirit of God, (of the holy Ghost. L.) so that from Hierusalem, and round about vntounto Illyricum, I hauehave (replenished. L. or) fully preached. B. (fulfilled the Gospel. Gr. fulfilled the preaching of the Gospel. S. or the office of preaching. Be. caused to abound. G.) the Gospell of Christ.
20 So putting my selfe forward (endeauouring. V. contending. A. inforcing my selfe. B. G. ambitiously seeking foreign, Gr. B.) to preach the Gospel not where Christ was named, least I should hauehave built on an others foundation.
21 But as it is written, to whom he was not spoken of, they shall see him, and they that heard not, shall vnderstand.
22 Therefore also hauehave I beene oft let to come vntounto you.
23 But now hauing no more place, (no more to doe. B.) in these quarters (climates. Gr.) and hauing beene desirous to come vntounto you many yeares agoe:
24 When I shall take my iourney into Spaine, I will come to you: for I trust as I passe by, (in my iourney. G. B.) to see you, and to be brought on my way, thitherward by you, after I hauehave beene somewhat filled with you, (that is, your companie. G. Be.)
25 But now goe I to Hierusalem to Minister to the Saints.
26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia, to make a certaine cōmon gathering, B. (a distribution. G. foreign, a communiō or communication. Gr.) for the poore Saints, which are at Hierusalem.
27 It hath pleased them indeede, and their debters are they: for if the Gentiles hauehave partaked of their spirituall things, they ought also in carnall things to minister vntounto them.
28 When I hauehave therefore performed this, and hauehave sealed them this fruit, I will go by you into Spaine.
29 And I am sure when I come vntounto you, I shall come with the (in the. Gr.) aboundance of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. (blessing of Christ. L.)
30 Also brethren I beseech you by our Lord Iesus Christ, and for the louelove of the spirit, that you would striue with me (helpe me. B. L.) by prayers to God for me.
31 That I may be deliuered from the vnbeleeuers, L. B. V. (the disobedient, G. B. S. the word foreign, signifieth both: the first rather, for he that beleeueth not, is disobedient, but disobdience hath not alwaies infidelitie accompaning it) in Iudea, and that my seruice which I hauehave to doe at Hierusalem, may be accepted of the Saints.
32 That I may come vntounto you with ioy by the wil of God, & may with you be refreshed.
33 Now the Lord of peace be with you all, Amen.
2. The Argument, methode, and parts.
THe Apostle in this chapter, 1. finisheth his former exhortation to the strong to beare with them that are weake, to vers. 14. 2. the peroration or conclusion of the epistle followeth.
1. The summe of the exhortation is propounded v. 1. then it is confirmed, 1. from the end, wherefore men hauehave receiued their gifts, which is not to please, or seeke themselues, but one to seeke to edifie an other. 2. an other argument is taken from the example of Christ: and it is framed thus: we must be like minded vntounto Christ, v. 5. and the end is expressed v. 6. But Christ did not seeke or please himselfe, which is prooued first by a testimonie of Scripture v. 3. which is amplified by shewing the vse of the Scripture in generall, which is for our learning v. 4. secondly he sheweth that Christ was not for himselfe but for vsus, by a distribution, because he both was a Minister of circumcision to the Iewes v. 8. and he ministred also to the Gentiles, that they might praise God for his merciemercy, as he prooueth by 4. testimonies. v. 10.11.12. and then he concludeth his exhortation with an heartie desire and wish, v. 13.
2. In the peroration: 1. he excuseth his writing vntounto them v. 14. to v. 22. which he doth 1. by the end of his writing, which was not to teach them, whom he knew alreadie to be full of all goodnes v. 14. but to admonish them v. 15. 2. by his office, which was to preach the Gospel vntounto the Gentiles, and therefore vntounto them: the antecedent, namely his office and Apostleship he setteth forth, 1. by the end, to offer the Gentiles by their conuersion vntounto God v. 16. 2. from the efficacie of his Apostleship, in making the Gentiles obedient in word and deed v. 18. this efficacie he amplifieth, 1. by the efficient, the grace of Christ, v. 17. 2. the helping causes, signes and wonders v. 19. 3. by the circumstance of the place, he had preached from Ierusalem to Illyricum, v. 14. 4. from the difficultie, he had preached Christ, where they had not so much as heard of him v. 20. which he doth illustrate by the saying of Isaias 52.2. he maketh promise of his comming vntounto them, which hath beene hitherto letted: and he giueth these reasons, 1. because he had filled all those places with his preaching alreadie. 2. and from his desire v. 23. 3. from the oportunitie of his iourney into Spaine v. 24. 4. then he preventeth and answeareth an obiection, why he cannot ye… come, because he went to carrie the benevolence of Macedonia, and Achaia, to the poore Saints in Ierusalem: which their benevolence he commendeth and setteth forth by the efficient cause, their voluntarie contribution v. 26.2. ab aequo, from the rule of equitie, they were their debters in carnall things, seeing they had receiued their spirituall, v. 27. so he concludeth, that when he had finished this service he would come vntounto them, v. 28. 5. he addeth another reason, ab vtili, from their profit, he doubteth not, but he shall come vntounto them with abundance of blessing, and therefore he will hasten his comming.
3. Then he requesteth them to pray for him v. 30. shewing what they should pray for; namely two things, to be deliuered from the incredulous and refractorie Iewes, and that his service may be accepted of the Saints v. 31. and why. 1. from the end, that he may come with ioy vntounto them, 2. because of his reciprocall prayer, in praying for them. v. 33.
3. The questions and doubts discussed.
Quest. 1. Of the argument and scope of this chapter in generall.
1. Some thinke that the Apostle doth prosequute the same argument, which was handled in the former chapter, touching the vse of things indifferent, which concerned Christian libertie, as Haymo, Tolet, Martyr.
2. Some make this difference, that in the former chapter, the Apostle shewed how the strong should behaue themselues toward the weake, in declinatione mali, in the declining of euill, that is, avoiding of offence: now he teacheth them how to carie themselues, in operatione boni, in the working of that which is good, in seeking the edifying one of an other Lyranus, Gorrhan: But that the Apostle did also before, c. 14.19. let vsus follow these … things, &c. whereby one may edifie an other.
3. But the order and coherence rather is this, the Apostle transfert ad thesin, doth draw vntounto a generall doctrine, the particular rule before prescribed, how the weak should be respected, in the observation of dayes, and difference of meates: that not onelyonly in those things, but in all other the like infirmities, the stronger should support the weake, Pareus: so also Gualter, doctrinam generaliorem subucit de Christiana lenitate. he now supplyeth a more generall doctrine concerning Christian lenitie: so also Osiand.