(Romans 15:4-9)

Romans 15:4 Now all that was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Romans 15:5 May the God of perseverance and consolation grant you to have the same feelings towards one another as Christ Jesus had,

Romans 15:6 so that with one heart and one voice you may glorify God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 15:7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ has accepted you, for the glory of God.

Paul wants Christians to know that what was written in the Old Testament serves as our instruction. When Christians learn what happened in the past, they find motivation to persevere, they are comforted in the present, and they look forward to the future with hope. The perseverance and comfort that come from Scripture are those that arise from the faith that every sacrifice we have lived, offered, and lifted up to God will not go unrewarded. This fruit ripens on our perseverance, which must be until the end.

All the sufferings of the present world are worthless in comparison to the glory that God will give us. For this reason, we must always keep alive our hope of the future glory with which we will be clothed. The strength to persevere comes from this hope, and it is necessary to keep it alive; if we lose sight of hope, then we easily fall away from faith and our soul is lost in the small and useless things of this world. Hope is kept alive by conforming our lives to Christ. Outside of this law, all that remains for the Christian is bewilderment, confusion, and abandonment of the path undertaken.

God is the God of perseverance and consolation (v. 5). He is the God of perseverance because he never tires of seeking man for his salvation. The entire Old Testament is sustained by this perseverance of God, who knows no rest. He is the God who perseveres eternally in his love for man and who gives him consolation. God's consolation is that strength that pours out upon us and urges us to persevere to the end. Without God's perseverance, man would have been without hope for a long time. Without God's consolation, no one would have the strength to persevere, to move forward. Without God's consolation, we would have a Christianity of sadness and despair.

Paul raises this prayer to God and asks him to pour out on the Romans and on every other believer, that they may have the same feelings towards one another, following the example of Christ Jesus. Christ is the model that Christians must always be inspired by. Christ is the example to imitate. Christ is the hermeneutical principle of the life of each of his disciples. If Christians are the fruit of God's persevering love, they too must persevere in love for their neighbour. Since Christians have the strength to move forward because the Lord pours out his consolation on their path, Christians too must become instruments of consolation for their brothers and sisters. They must exhort, help and encourage. True communion does not arise from the presumption of a justice due to us, but from the awareness of a guilt that includes everyone, and of a grace that is simply a gift. We think well of our brothers and sisters not because we believe in their goodness, but because we believe in the One who makes us good. It is the awareness of sin and the awareness of grace that gives foundation and stability to fraternal love.

As Christ has welcomed us, so we must welcome one another. Christ welcomed us all when we had nothing but our need for salvation. Christ welcomed us by taking on our flesh and blood, taking upon himself our infirmities, our illnesses, our sins. He welcomed us by loving us to the end. Christ still welcomes us by exercising his eternal priesthood, interceding for us so that we may always find grace with God and be saved and redeemed by him.

Christ did everything for the glory of God. Christians too must welcome their brothers and sisters for the glory of God. God wants each of us to love our brothers and sisters as Jesus Christ loved them. If Christians observe this commandment, great glory rises to God. Christians must be singers of God's glory. They must ensure that the whole world glorifies the heavenly Father for their love towards their brothers and sisters.

We know well that only Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Father's will. By meditating on Christ and examining his life, Christians too can prepare themselves to give glory to the Father, which is the purpose of their lives.  

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Apocalypse – exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers – Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants in comparison – In defence of the faith

 The Church and Israel according to St Paul – Romans 9-11

(Available on Amazon)