Romans 15

Comment:

The 15th chapter of Romans is too long to copy here—and difficult to summarize in a brief response. The Letter to the Romans is a carefully constructed introduction Paul sends to a group in Rome he hopes to visit in the near future as he continues his work of carrying the message of Jesus Christ throughout the Roman Empire. Since he did not establish this Roman congregation himself, he wants to be sure they understand his personal views on the significance and message of Jesus Christ. It is this careful exposition of basic principles that has made Romans so important—and so frequently misunderstood—in the centuries since it was written.

Central to Paul is the idea that in his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus transcended the limitations of Jewish custom and belief. The many religious laws Jews were expected to obey had the purpose of leading us through obedience to the point that Jesus' message could take hold—a message based not in obedience to the law, but in acceptance of divine grace. He says in Chapter 5 that the law served only the limited purpose of helping us deal with the dominion of sin; Jesus demonstrates a grace that frees us from that dominion, lifting us to a higher spiritual consciousness than mere obedience to the law could accomplish.

In this chapter, Paul explains that this higher spiritual consciousness requires us to be at least as concerned with the well-being of others as of ourselves. This new 'kingdom of heaven' consciousness that Jesus taught and demonstrated in his ministry requires that we work together on our collective faith, rather than merely concerning ourselves with our own personal needs and challenges. 

Blessings!

Rev. Ed