ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER

Romans 15:1-13 / Keywords 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

15:1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”[a] 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews[b] on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;

    I will sing the praises of your name.”[c]

10 Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”[d]

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;

    let all the peoples extol him.”[e]

12 And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,

    one who will arise to rule over the nations;

    in him the Gentiles will hope.”[f]

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Footnotes

a. Romans 15:3 Psalm 69:9

b. Romans 15:8 Greek circumcision

c. Romans 15:9 2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49

d. Romans 15:10 Deut. 32:43

e. Romans 15:11 Psalm 117:1

f. Romans 15:12 Isaiah 11:10 (see Septuagint)

1. Jesus wants us to edify and to build up one another. Those who are strong may think, “We have no reason to suffer for those who are weak.” But this passage mentions that those who are strong must bear with the failing of the weak. In our practical and ever competing society, this may sound wrong. We may say, those who are weak should take care of themselves, and those who are strong must gain whatever they deserve. But Jesus showed us personally that he bore our weakness. Verse 3 says, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” All the insult that we should receive because of all our sins and weaknesses, which we should bear, has fallen on Jesus. Jesus is God himself and the sinless Son of God. Jesus had no reason to be insulted. However, he took all our insults because he loved us. Jesus wants us to have the same mind and attitude for one another so we may glorify God.

 

2. Since Jesus, who is God himself, accepted us ugly sinners, we must accept one another no matter what. Because of Jesus’ love and mercy, even all Gentiles were accepted in God’s family. We, who are Gentiles, have hope of the kingdom of God because of Jesus’ one-sided love for us.

 

Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins even though we are Gentiles. Help us to accept one another and to build up the body of Christ and glorify your name.

One Word Accept one another in Christ