Romans 15:4. Whatsoever things were written afore-time, by Moses and the prophets concerning Christ, and the calling of the gentiles, were written in order to afford us the greatest comfort, by demonstrating the care of providence over the church in the accomplishment of the promises. John 10:16. St. Paul brings in four quotations of those promises, in Romans 15:9-12; and of course the believing jews were evidently too far transported with zeal in their attempts to force the Hebrew yoke on the Roman saints.
Romans 15:18. I will not dare to speak, unless it be of those things which Christ hath wrought by me. We find this turn given to the text by Chrysostom and Theophylact. The apostle always felt a delicacy in speaking in the first person.
Romans 15:23. Having no more place in these parts the Grecian provinces. Eusebius says that the apostles ordained the first fruits of their ministry to be presbyters, evangelists, and deacons. They found in the synagogues pious men, and mighty in the scriptures, who, like Paul at Damascus, began on their conversion to preach Christ, that he is the Son of God. Providence having provided those resources, the apostles could proceed to other cities. Our poor missionaries have not these aids; they have first to conquer gross superstition, stubborn habits, and to teach the first elements of knowledge.
Romans 15:24. Whensoever I take my journey into Spain. On Acts 8:4, we have cited authorities, that exiles from Judea, on the massacres that followed Stephen's persecution, had settled in Spain. These had long waited to see the first trophy of grace, the terrible wolf, now become the first pastor of the flock.
Romans 15:25. Now I go unto Jerusalem, not knowing, as he says, the things that shall befal me there. Acts 20:22. He knew in general, that bonds and afflictions awaited him: such indeed was the issue. After sustaining bonds for two years in Rome, and being delivered from Nero, out of the mouth of the lion, he visited Spain, as is intimated by the testimony of St. Clement, that “he preached to the utmost boundaries of the west,” as stated in the introduction to this epistle.
Romans 15:29. I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Not only as a well-instructed scribe, not only as having a fountain of eloquence in his own breast, but as possessing power to confer spiritual endowments for the edification of the church. Such an effusion of glory and grace attended his ministry, that those who once fairly gave him audience could not resist the power of his word.
REFLECTIONS.
How admirable, in this and in the preseding chapter, is the spirit of charity which the apostle excites in the church. How opportunely he introduces the example of Christ, who pleased not himself, but lived and died, and rose again, to be Lord both of the living and of the dead, by which he made the church one body. Why then should the judaizing christian grieve his gentile brother about ceremonial rites, which are done away in Christ? How often also is the church now rent with dry speculative opinions, instead of seeking to be filled with all peace and joy through believing.