Romans 15:5-7 - Exposition

Now the God of patience and comfort (the same word as before, though here in the Authorized Version rendered consolation ) grant you to be like-minded (see on Romans 12:16 ), one with another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one accord with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (so certainly, rather than, as in the Authorized Version, "God, even the Father of," etc.). Wherefore receive ye one another (cf. Romans 14:1 , and note ), even as Christ also received us (or you, which is better supported, and, for a reason to be given below, more likely) to the glory of God. As in Romans 15:3 , the example of Christ is again adduced. The connection of thought becomes plain if we take the admonition, "Receive ye one another," to be mainly addressed to "the strong," and these to consist principally of Gentile believers, the "weak brethren" being (as above supposed) prejudiced Jewish Christians. To the former the apostle says, "Receive to yourselves with full sympathy those Jewish weak ones, even as Christ, though sent primarily to fulfil the ancient promises to the house of Israel only (see Romans 15:8 ), embraced you Gentiles ( ὑμᾶς ) also within the arms of mercy" Thus the sequence of thought in Romans 15:8 , seq. , appears. "Unto the glory of God" means "so as to redound to his glory." Christ's receiving the Gentiles was unto his glory; and it is implied that the mutual receiving of each other by believers would be so too. The idea of God's glory being the end of all runs through the whole passage (cf. Romans 15:6 , Romans 15:9 , Romans 15:11 ).