Advent Season · Second Sunday of Advent · Year A
Romans 15:4-13
The Weak and the Strong
December 7, 2025
Overview & Insights
“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7)
In the past, some scholars have contended that Romans 14:1–15:13 is parenetic material that Paul includes in his letter at this point but that has no real connection to the churches at Rome.1According to this view, Paul rewrites and generalizes his earlier instructions in 1 Corinthians 8:1–11:1 in Romans 14:1–15:13.2To be sure, there are similarities between Romans 14:1–15:13 and 1 Corinthians 8:1–11:1: both address the “weak” (in faith); both center on the controversy of whether Christians should abstain from certain foods; both admonish believers in their decisions regarding that matter not to become stumbling blocks to their fellow believers.3 Most interpreters today argue instead that Romans 14:1–15:13 focuses on a divisive situation in the Roman congregations—whether to eat meat, drink wine, observe certain days as holy—with Paul ultimately answering, “Love one another.
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Take it further: Romans 15:4-13
Commentary
Commentary on Romans 15:4-13Commentary on Rom 15:4-13 Working Preacher
Argues Paul relocates 'steadfastness and encouragement' from Scripture onto God himself, so Advent hope for Christ's return rests on the same God who already kept his first promise.
Romans 15:4-13 CommentaryRom 15:4-13 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching
Reformed commentary on the December 7, 2025 (Advent 2A) reading tracing Paul's argument that Christ became 'a servant of the Jews' so that the promises to the patriarchs would be confirmed and the Gentiles could join in hope.
Romans 15 Commentary: The Root and Offspring of JesseRom 15 Commentary: The Root and Offspring of Jesse Enduring Word (David Guzik)
Verse-by-verse commentary on Paul's call to bear with the weak and welcome one another, tying Romans 15:12 directly back to the 'root of Jesse' in Isaiah 11.
Romans 15 ResourcesRom 15 Resources Precept Austin
Reference hub of devotional and expository resources on Romans 15, including material on Christ's example of welcoming others for the sake of unity.
Romans 15 CommentariesRom 15 Commentaries BibleHub
Aggregates classic verse-by-verse commentaries (Barnes, Ellicott, Meyer and others) on Romans 15:4, giving multiple older readings of Paul's appeal to Scripture's steadfastness.
Background & Word Study
Welcoming - Living Peacefully with Different Values and Opinions (Romans 14:1-15:13)Welcoming - Living Peacefully with Different Values and Opinions (Rom 14:1-15:13) Theology of Work
Explains Paul's Greek term proslambano ('welcome one another') as reconciliation-in-practice, applying the passage's call for unity across disagreement to real community life.
Book of Romans Summary: Romans 5-16Book of Rom Summary: Rom 5-16 BibleProject
Second of BibleProject's two Romans overview videos, tracing how Paul's argument builds toward chapter 15's vision of Jew and Gentile praising God together.
Questions preachers ask
What has welcoming one another to do with Advent?
Paul reaches for the root of Jesse who rises to rule the Gentiles, and draws a practical conclusion from it: if the Messiah comes for Jew and Gentile alike, then a congregation divided over food and days has not yet understood who is arriving.
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