Romans 15:1-3

Here, according to M. Renan, we return to the text of the copy addressed to the church of Rome; for, according to him, chap. 15 formed the conclusion of the Epistle destined for this church. If this view were well grounded, the first verse of chap. 15 must have immediately followed the last of chap. 11; for chaps. 12, 13, and 14 only belonged to the copies intended for other churches. Is this hypothesis probable? What connection is there between the end of chap. 11, celebrating the wisdom of God in the course of history, and this distinction between the strong and the weak with which chap. 15 begins? This contrast fits in, on the contrary, in the closest possible way to the subject of chap. 14. Schultz feels this so much, that though sharing Renan's opinion in regard to the three preceding Chapter s, up to a certain point, he still makes the first six verses of chap. 15 the continuation and conclusion of the passage chap. 14, and not till Romans 15:7 does he find the resumption of the true Epistle to the Romans, which closed, according to him, with our Romans 15:13. Thus in the apostolic copy it was Romans 15:7: “Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received you,” which immediately followed the close of chap. 11. But this sudden transition to a hortatory application, after so vast a development as that of chap. 11, is somewhat too abrupt to be probable; and especially when we recognize, as this author does, the close connection between the first six verses of chap. 15 and the whole development of chap. 14, it must also be seen that the exhortation: “Wherefore receive ye one another” (Romans 15:7), is only the resumption of that which began chap. 14 in these terms: “Receive ye him that is weak in faith.” Not only is it in both cases the same verb that is used: προσλαμβάνεσθαι, to take to oneself. But, moreover, the following words of Romans 15:7: “As Christ took you to Himself,” reproduce exactly the end of Romans 14:3: “For God hath taken him to Himself,” (thy brother, weak or strong). Our Romans 15:7 is therefore the close of the cycle of teaching opened Romans 14:1-3; and Paul sums up in Romans 15:7 the general exhortation to connect with it the invitation to union between the two parts of the church which forms the subject of Romans 15:8-13. Thus is closed the practical part begun in chap. 12. Everything is so strongly compacted, and forms so fine a whole, that it is hard to understand how it should have entered the mind of intelligent commentators to break such an organism.

We have already said that with chap. 15 there begins, according to Baur, the unauthentic part of our Epistle. We shall examine step by step the objections to which the composition of these two Chapter s by the Apostle Paul seems to him to be exposed. We shall have to study likewise the reasons which have led a great number of critics, such as Semler, Griesbach, Eichhorn, Reuss, Schultz, Ewald, and others to dispute, not the apostolic origin of the whole or part of the last two Chapter s, but their original connection with the Epistle to the Romans. As we have stated these very diverse opinions in the Introduction, vol. i. pp. 66-69, we think it unnecessary to reproduce them here.

From the particular question which has just occupied the apostle, he now passes to a more general subject, that of the perfect union which, notwithstanding the difference between the two elements of which it is composed, ought to unite the whole church in a common song of praise to the God of salvation. The goodwill with which all, Jews and Gentiles, have been received by God, ought to make them, as it were, one heart and one mouth to magnify the Lord, while awaiting patiently the consummation of the work He has begun. Such are the contents of this passage, which admirably crowns the practical part. It is really impossible to understand Baur's affirmation: “This piece contains nothing which had not been much better said before,” or that of M. Renan, who, adhering to this judgment, thus expresses himself: “These verses repeat and weakly sum up what precedes.” The particular question treated in chap. 14 broadens; the point of view rises, and the tone is gradually heightened even to the elevation of a hymn, as at the end of all the great parts preceding (chap. Romans 5:12 et seq., Romans 8:31 et seq., Romans 11:33 et seq.).

Paul first exhorts, by the example of Christ, to mutual condescension, Romans 15:1-3; he points out, Romans 15:4-7, as an end to be reached the common adoration to which such conduct will bring the church; finally, Romans 15:8-13, he indicates the special part given to Jews and to Gentiles in this song of the whole redeemed race. He has not before expressed anything like this.