Romans 15:7

Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) Received us.—There is again a division of the best authorities, the Vatican and Claromontane MSS. reading “us,” while the Sinaitic, Alexandrine, Paris rescript, and others, read “you.” The latter is, perhaps, to be preferred, but with no real difference to the sense. The word “received” is the same as that at the beginning of Romans 14, the subject of which chapter is still continued, and is now taken up for the last time. The duty of Christians to show cordiality to each other is now based upon the comprehensiveness of the love of Christ, whose mission was directed with the same impartiality towards Jews and Gentiles. To the Jews He came to confirm and fulfil His promises; to the Gentiles He came to bring joys and hopes from which they had been hitherto excluded.

To the glory of God.—That God might be glorified by the admission into the Church of Gentiles as well as Jews; a parenthetic remark without direct bearing on the argument.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

15:1-7 Christian liberty was allowed, not for our pleasure, but for the glory of God, and the good of others. We must please our neighbour, for the good of his soul; not by serving his wicked will, and humouring him in a sinful way; if we thus seek to please men, we are not the servants of Christ. Christ's whole life was a self-denying, self-displeasing life. And he is the most advanced Christian, who is the most conformed to Christ. Considering his spotless purity and holiness, nothing could be more contrary to him, than to be made sin and a curse for us, and to have the reproaches of God fall upon him; the just for the unjust. He bore the guilt of sin, and the curse for it; we are only called to bear a little of the trouble of it. He bore the presumptuous sins of the wicked; we are called only to bear the failings of the weak. And should not we be humble, self-denying, and ready to consider one another, who are members one of another? The Scriptures are written for our use and benefit, as much as for those to whom they were first given. Those are most learned who are most mighty in the Scriptures. That comfort which springs from the word of God, is the surest and sweetest, and the greatest stay to hope. The Spirit as a Comforter, is the earnest of our inheritance. This like-mindedness must be according to the precept of Christ, according to his pattern and example. It is the gift of God; and a precious gift it is, for which we must earnestly seek unto him. Our Divine Master invites his disciples, and encourages them by showing himself as meek and lowly in spirit. The same disposition ought to mark the conduct of his servants, especially of the strong towards the weak. The great end in all our actions must be, that God may be glorified; nothing more forwards this, than the mutual love and kindness of those who profess religion. Those that agree in Christ may well agree among themselves.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Wherefore - In view of all the considerations tending to produce unity and love, which have been presented. He refers to the various arguments in this and the preceding chapter.

Receive ye one another - Acknowledge one another as Christians, and treat one another as such, though you may differ in opinion about many smaller matters; see Romans 14:3.

As Christ also received us - That is, received us as his friends and followers; see Romans 14:3.

To the glory of God - In order to promote his glory. He has redeemed us, and renewed us, in order to promote the honor of God; compare Ephesians 1:6. As Christ has received us in order to promote the glory of God, so ought we to treat each other in a similar manner for a similar purpose. The exhortation in tiffs verse is to those who had been divided on various points pertaining to rites and ceremonies; to those who had been converted from among "Gentiles" and "Jews;" and the apostle here says that Christ had received "both." In order to enforce this, and especially to show the "Jewish" converts that they ought to receive and acknowledge their "Gentile" brethren, he proceeds to show, in the following verses, that Christ had reference to "both" in his work. He shows this in reference to the "Jews" Romans 15:8, and to the "Gentiles" Romans 15:9-12. Thus, he draws all his arguments from the work of Christ.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7. Wherefore—returning to the point

receive ye one another … to the glory of God—If Christ received us, and bears with all our weaknesses, well may we receive and compassionate one with another, and by so doing God will be glorified.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Wherefore receive ye one another: see Romans 14:1,3. He ends this discourse with the same terms in which he began it. Before, the strong only were charged to receive the weak, but here both are charged alike; the strong must receive the weak, and the weak the strong; they must all have communion one with another, continuing in brotherly love, accounting one another for brethren, exercising mutual forbearance and long-suffering.

As Christ also received us; i.e. after the example of Christ, who beareth with the infirmities of his followers, putting no difference betwixt Jews and Gentiles. The particle as noteth quality, not equality; there is no proportion betwixt the infinite love of Christ and the scanty charity of man. See the like, Matthew 5:48 Ephesians 5:2.

To the glory of God; some join this with the former clause, that we should receive one another to the glory of God: God is glorified by that brotherly love and concord that is amongst his people. Others join it with the latter clause, that Christ hath

received us to the glory of God; i.e. to make us partakers of the glory of God, or to declare and manifest the glory of God’s truth to the Jews, and mercy to the Gentiles, as he showeth in the following verses.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Wherefore receive ye one another,.... Into your hearts and affections; embrace one another cordially, the Jew the Gentile, the Gentile the Jew, the strong brother the weak, the weak the strong:

as Christ also received us. The Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, read "you". Both Jews and Gentiles, as appears from the following verses. Christ received all the chosen ones into his heart's love and affection from eternity; he received them in the council of peace, and when the covenant of grace was made at his Father's hands, in the most tender manner, in order to take the care of them, preserve and save them; he assumed their nature, took upon him their sins, and sustained their persons in time, when he became incarnate, and suffered and died for them; and he receives them in the effectual calling on their coming to him, which he encourages by assuring them, that he will in no wise cast them out; so far is he from it, that he embraces them with open arms, and in the most affectionate manner receives them, though sinners, and eats with them; and notwithstanding all their unworthiness, sins, and transgressions:

to the glory of God: that is, either in order to bring them to the enjoyment of eternal life and happiness; which is sometimes so called, because of the glory that shall be beheld by the saints, be revealed in them, and put upon them, both in soul and body; and which is all of God's preparing and bestowing, and will lie in the vision and enjoyment of him: for this they were chosen in Christ, given to him, and received by him before the world began; and that they might enjoy it, Christ came into this world, took on him their persons, and died in their stead; and to this they are called by his grace with an holy calling; and when he has guided them with his counsel through this world, he will receive them to this glory: or else by "the glory of God" is meant the glorifying of God, the perfections of God, as his wisdom, power, faithfulness, truth, justice, holiness, love, grace, and mercy, and the like; which is done by Christ's becoming the surety, and Mediator of the new covenant, Hebrews 7:22, by his assumption of human nature, by his obedience, sufferings, and death, and by obtaining redemption for his people: and the force of the apostle's exhortation and argument is, that as Christ has received his people both in eternity and time, in so tender a manner, though unworthy, whereby he has glorified God, which was the principal end in view, and next to that the glorifying of them; so it becomes them to be like minded to one another, Romans 15:5, and affectionately receive and embrace each other, that so they may join together in glorifying the God and Father of Christ also, Romans 15:6.

Geneva Study Bible

Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also {e} received us to the glory of God.

(e) He did not shun us, but received us of his own accord, to make us partakers of God's glory.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Romans 15:7. Διό] in order, namely, that this object, Romans 15:6, may be attained, that its attainment may not be hindered on your part.[14]

προσλαμβ.] See on Romans 14:1. That not the strong alone (Hofmann), but both parties, and thus the readers collectively, are addressed, and that subsequently ὑμᾶς refers to both (not merely or principally to the Gentile-Christians, as Rückert and Reiche think), follows from ἈΛΛΉΛΟΥς; and see Romans 15:8-9.

ΠΡΟΣΕΛΆΒΕΤΟ] “sibi sociavit,” Grotius. Comp. Romans 14:3.

εἰς ΔΌΞΑΝ ΘΕΟῦ] belongs to ΠΡΟΣΕΛΆΒ. ὙΜᾶς, beside which it stands, and to which, in accordance with Romans 15:8-9 ff., it is alone suitable. Hence it is not to be connected with ΠΡΟΣΛΑΜΒ. ἈΛΛΉΛ. (Chrysostom, Oecumenius, Erasmus, and others); and just as little with the latter immediately, but with προσελάβ. ὑμᾶς only mediately (as Hofmann splits the reference). But it means: that God might be thereby glorified, not: “ut aliquando divinae gloriae cum ipso simus (sitis) participes,” Grotius (so also Beza, Piscator, Calovius, Klee, Benecke, Glöckler), which is condemned by Romans 15:8-9 ff. as opposed to the context. Comp. Php 2:11; Ephesians 1:12.

[14] Hofmann incorrectly (in accordance with his incorrect reference of ver. 1 ff. to Romans 16:25-27) renders: “for the sake of the hope,” which you may learn from Scripture.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Romans 15:7. διὸ προσλαμβάνεσθε ἀλλήλους: διὸ = that such praise may be possible. For προσλαμβ. see Romans 14:1-3. καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς προσελάβετο ὑμᾶς. ὑμᾶς covers both parties in the Church, however they are to be distinguished; if Christ received both, they are bound to receive each other. The last words, εἰς δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ, are probably to be construed with προσλαμβάνεσθε ἀλλήλους; they resume the idea of Romans 15:6 (ἵνα … δοξάζητε); the διὸ with which Romans 15:7 begins starts from that idea of glorifying God, and looks on to it as the end to be attained when all Christians in love receive each other. But the clause has of course a meaning even if attached to what immediately precedes: ὁ Χριστὸς προσελ. ὑμᾶς. Cf. Php 2:11, Ephesians 1:12-14. Christ’s reception of the Jews led to God’s being glorified for His faithfulness; His reception of the Gentiles to God’s being glorified for His mercy. So Weiss, who argues that in what follows we have the expansion and proof of the idea that God’s glory (the glory of His faithfulness and of His mercy) is the end contemplated by Christ’s reception alike of Jew and Gentile.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. receive ye, &c.] See on Romans 14:1. Cp. Colossians 3:13.

as Christ also received us] “He receiveth sinners,” to be His “brethren.”—Better, perhaps, received you.

to the glory of God] Christ received us “to the praise of the glory of His Father’s grace;” Ephesians 1:6. But possibly a comma should stand after “received us:” q. d., “receive one another, (as Christ received us;) for this will, by its holy effects, bring praise to God.” This certainly fits the context somewhat more closely; see Romans 15:6.

Bengel's Gnomen

Romans 15:7. ὑμᾶς, you[153]) who were formerly weak, Jews and Greeks without distinction.—εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ, to the glory of God) It is construed with received, comp. Romans 15:6; Romans 15:8-9.

[153] ACD corrected later, Gg Vulg. read ὑμᾶς. Rec. Text reads ἡμᾶς with BD early corrected, f.—ED.

Romans 15:7