Romans 15:7– As Christ also

Wherefore be taking one another to  yourselves according as Christ also took you to Himself, for the glory of God.

With the above sentence, Paul closes the subject with which he started in chapter 14 verse 1. He began in it with “Now the infirm in the faith be taking to yourself”. And with a similar exhortation, he also closes the subject. With the difference that he now addresses not only the strong but one another’. So each other, that is, mutually. Earlier we noted that “taking” (proslambano; Str. 4355) is often stronger than just “accepting” as it is usually translated. The Greek word is also used for taking in food and drink (Acts 27:33,36).

Taking the basis of each other is not based on sympathy or belonging to the same club. Nor in sharing the same ideas and opinions. No, the motive Paul mentions is that Christ took us to Himself. He had just shown (:3) how far that goes. Christ bore all reproach to prove that God’s love defies all enmity. For through Christ God reconciles a hostile world to Himself so that enmity gives way to peace. Christ is proof of God’s unconditional love and is therefore “for the glory of God”!

Delen: