Romans 15:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,

NIV: For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed

NASB: For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision in behalf of the truth of God, to confirm the promises given to the fathers,

CSB: For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers,

NLT: Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors.

KJV: Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

NKJV: Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,

Paul is addressing Christ's unique relationship with the Jews and the Gentiles. First, Christ, during His time on earth and continuing even now, became a servant to the circumcised. Israel's identity was closely associated with circumcision. Christ, then, became in His earthly life and ministry a servant to the Jewish people.

Jesus said something similar in Matthew 15:24, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Paul echoes this idea about Jesus' purpose in Galatians 4:4–5, "God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law."

It's not that Jesus' work on earth did not also benefit non-Jewish people, as the following verse will state clearly. It's that in Jesus, God was keeping all His promises to Abraham and the patriarchs. In sending Jesus as the Messiah, God was proven to be a keeper of His promises to Israel.

Romans 15:8–13 shows that Christ came to serve the Jewish people as the fulfillment of all of God's promises to them. In doing so, He also became the hope of the Gentile peoples around the world. The Old Testament prophesies reveal that God's plan was always to receive praise from the Gentiles and to make it possible for them to be included in His grace. Paul prays a blessing of hope, joy, peace, and power for his Roman readers.

Romans 15 begins with Paul's encouragement to those strong in faith: to please other Christians before themselves so the church can be unified. Christ came to fulfill God's promises to Israel and about the Gentiles. Paul is satisfied with the faith and practice of the Roman Christians. His work of taking the gospel to unreached regions of Gentiles in his part of the world is completed, and he longs to come see them. First, he must deliver financial aid to Jerusalem, a trip about which he asks them to pray along with him.

Romans 15 concludes Paul's teaching that those strong in faith ought to sacrifice their own desires to live in harmony with other believers. Paul shows that God always planned to welcome the Gentile nations, and his mission is to introduce Gentiles to the message of salvation by faith in Christ. He longs to visit the Christians in Rome and plans to do so as soon as he delivers financial aid to poor Christian Jews in Jerusalem. He begins Romans 16 by greeting many friends and acquaintances in Rome by name, as part of a drawn-out ending to this letter.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.

Accessed 5/8/2024 8:29:57 AM