Romans 15:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Patience and hope are drawn from Scripture." Hope is a meek messenger of heaven, founded on the word of God. It gives wings to our soul and raises it to heaven above all life's misfortunes and sorrows. It makes the soul expect help not from men, but from the Lord Himself. Such hope will not put the believer to shame. It is free from superstitions and filled with true faith in the almighty and all-good God the Father. In ancient times it gave Abraham strength to wait long for the fulfillment of the promises. It stirred him to offer his son in sacrifice for the Lord's sake. It upheld righteous Job amid his terrible sufferings. Can hope in God now be powerless? No, no!

This is so that we may become wise, know the ways of God, and keep before our eyes the accounts and lives concerning them. As animate and living images, they were taken as an example. Others walked their path and became like them. O how sweet are the divine words to a soul of good understanding! They are to the soul what food is to the body, strengthening it. Accounts of the righteous are as desirable to the hearing of the meek as constant watering is to a newly planted shoot.

" the Apostle adds, "that Jesus Christ became a minister to the circumcised, for the truth of God, to fulfill the promises made to the fathers, and to the Gentiles, out of mercy, that they might glorify God," as the prophets foretold. The Apostle Paul himself gave a living example of how one should bear the infirmities of the weak. As Chrysostom observes, "he himself circumcised, cut his hair, offered a Jewish sacrifice, and so on." Or, as the Apostle says of himself: "I became all things to all men," certainly in indifferent matters, "that by all means I might save some" (1 Cor 9:22).

God is well pleased by the inner disposition: faith, fear of God, devotion to God, heartfelt cleaving to Him, and hope. Nearly all our outward activity comes into contact with the brethren, and here lies the chief matter: not to please oneself, not to seek one's own, whatever the subject may be. It may seem that by this you will be ruined or crushed. In reality, only by this is the good of each and all firmly built. Whence comes the strength for this? From love, which counts everything belonging to the brethren as its own, for it loves them as itself. Opposed to it is self-pleasing, the source of every evil and of all disorders among us, great and small. As soon as someone is drawn toward pleasing himself, harm at once comes to another. From this comes displeasure, and then discord. The Apostle mentioned the suppression of self-pleasing because he is speaking about abstaining from foods so as not to scandalize a brother. Turning away from yourself, direct your gaze toward your neighbor, as he says elsewhere: 'Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others' (Phil 2:4), or: 'Let no one seek his own good, but each one the good of his neighbor' (1 Cor 10:24). The Apostle himself always acted in this way, and therefore offered himself as an example: 'Just as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many. That they may be saved' (1 Cor 10:33)." "Therefore," Chrysostom concludes, "whether you are rich or clothed with authority, do not please yourself, but the poor man and the one in need. Through this you will gain true glory and bring much benefit. Worldly glory quickly passes away, but spiritual glory remains forever, if you do this for edification. Christ Himself acted in this way: He did not please Himself." Then, explaining the words of verse 4, Chrysostom says: "Many struggles lie before us, inward and outward. Their inevitability has been appointed so that, drawing strength and consolation from the Scriptures, we may show patience. By living in patience, we may abide in hope. One disposes toward the other: patience toward hope, and hope toward patience. Patience and hope are drawn from Scripture."

Every point of Christian teaching can find its prefiguration there, either manifest or hidden. Perhaps, in saying this, the Apostle intended to suggest to the weak Jew this thought. If, according to the spirit of Christianity, there is no need to keep the distinction of foods as some condition of salvation, then this teaching is not some peculiarity foreign to the former Scriptures. It is contained there also. Seek, and you will find.

As the purpose of Scripture is expressed generally, so its beneficial action is also indicated in general outline: "that through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope." The chief point here is: "that we might have hope."

This hope is the hope of salvation. It is the unshaken assurance that, by believing as we believe, living as we live, and being sanctified by the mysteries as we are sanctified, we unquestionably work out our salvation.

The support of this hope is our Lord Jesus Christ. If the very Son of God and God came, was incarnate, suffered, died, rose, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father, then what can be uncertain or unstable in our hope?

Yet, with all this, thoughts may come that shake hope. What should be done then? Turn to Scripture. There you will find comfort and draw from it assurances that will quiet the turmoil of thoughts rising within.

If the troubling thought comes, whether we did well to set our hope on Christ, look into Scripture. There you will find that He is the expectation of the nations, and that, as it is said, the nations shall hope in Him. We see this being fulfilled. You will find that He is the Father of the age to come, which is now the present age, and the mighty God.

If the thought comes whether we do well to follow His commandments, see what Moses commanded: when He comes, listen to Him. If the thought comes whether it is new that through the mysteries we receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, read the Prophets. You will find that it was long ago foretold: "In those days I will pour out of My Spirit" (Joel 2:29).

Thus every other thought that may come can be dispersed by the comfort drawn from the Scriptures. It will leave our hope in peace and strength. From what has been said, it is clear how the comfort of the Scriptures affects the firmness of our hope.

But how does patience relate to these spiritual manifestations? In the text it stands on the same line as the comfort of Scripture. Everything was written beforehand for our instruction, so that through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope. This means that we might stand in it, be firm, and not fall (cf. Chrysostom).

How the comfort of the Scriptures affects the firmness of hope is evident. How does patience affect it? Let us state it separately: everything was written beforehand for our instruction, that through patience we might have hope.

Instruction from what was written beforehand gives patience, and hope is preserved by patience. By patience one does not always mean the endurance of sorrows, but sometimes constancy in accepted rules. It may be taken in this meaning in the present case as well.

The meaning will be this: instruction drawn from what was written beforehand gives birth to constancy in the rules of faith, life, and sanctification by grace. This constancy supports hope. Hope truly weakens as soon as any omission or deviation is allowed in faith, life, or the sanctifying order of the Church.

Constant faithfulness to all this gives hope boldness and inspiration. How what was written beforehand can nurture such constancy requires no explanation. But patience may also be taken here in the sense of enduring sorrows.

Sorrows are inseparable from faith and from life according to faith. Scripture, everywhere preaching this inseparability, inspires one to patience both by the word of instruction and by examples of patience. Patience enlivens hope and gives it firmness. The latter is witnessed by experiences found everywhere.

Chrysostom says: "Many and various contests lie before us, both inward and outward, and this inevitability was written beforehand. Therefore, drawing strengthening and comfort from the Scriptures, we should show patience. Living in patience, we should abide in hope. One disposes toward the other, patience toward hope and hope toward patience. Patience and hope are drawn from Scripture."