Romans 15:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Since the Apostle offered his exhortation, presented the deeds of Christ as an example, and brought testimony from Scripture, he now shows that God, Who gave Scripture, Himself also gives patience. Therefore he said: "Now may the God of patience and consolation grant you to be of the same mind toward one another in Christ Jesus." For it is proper to love to think of another what each one also thinks of himself. Then the Apostle again shows that he does not demand love in a simple sense, and adds: "in Christ Jesus." He always acts in this way, because there is also another love. What, then, is the fruit of concord? Verse 6. "That with one mind," he says, "and one mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

He shows that together with the Scriptures God gives us patience and consolation. Therefore he calls Him the God of patience and consolation, as the giver and cause of these good things. He also asks Him to grant us concord with one another. For it belongs to love to think the same of one's neighbor as one thinks of oneself. Since there is also a worldly love, he added, "in Christ Jesus," that is, according to the teaching of Jesus Christ. Think what is pleasing to Jesus Christ.

The Apostle desires good for the Romans, praying God to grant them concord according to the teaching of Jesus Christ, and that they be wise in His teaching. Then they will be able to please God by following the example of the Lord, who says, "Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (Jn 15:13). Thus with one mind and one mouth they may glorify God and the Father in Christ.

Again, by adding the words "in Christ Jesus," he makes known that he does not desire them to be in concord without qualification. Rather, he asks God for pious agreement. In mentioning patience and consolation, he also introduced a word about love, so that, adorned with it, they might bear their neighbor's deficiencies. By counsel and consolation they would guide them toward perfection.

In this place, "the God of patience" means the Holy Spirit.

The all-praised Apostle of the Lord wishes for the Romans, to whom he wrote this epistle, and in their person for all believers in Christ, that the God of patience and consolation send down to them the gift of being of one mind. Then all, with one heart and one mouth, may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. But why did he call God the God of patience and consolation? Either because He is the giver of patience and consolation, or because He dwells in those people who are patient and who find true consolation in Holy Scripture amid all their sorrowful circumstances. We are of one mind when our thoughts agree and have one and the same aim.

"To be of the same mind toward one another"; in Russian, "to be in concord among yourselves." Concord is a beautiful means of supporting one another in patience and comforting one another in misfortunes. Calling down upon Christians the grace of God the Comforter, the Apostle desires concord for them. In this concord he also indicates the best means of glorifying God.

Finally, justice itself requires that the strong adapt themselves to the weak, and not the reverse (Rom 15:1-13). "We who are strong," that is, who understand the true meaning of food and drink, "ought to bear the infirmities of the weak," that is, of those not raised to such understanding, "and not to please ourselves. For Christ also did not please Himself." Therefore Christians from the Jews, still weakened by attachment to Old Testament ritual, and Christians from the Gentiles, free from this attachment, must receive one another. They must do this "that with one mind and one mouth they may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." They must not estrange themselves, but have communion with one another, "as Christ also received" both groups "to the glory of God." "I mean.

To his persuasion the Apostle adds a prayer, in which he asks the Lord to strengthen Christians in oneness of mind. Then they may harmoniously, with one mouth, glorify God the Father. According to the well-known teaching of the Lord, it is impossible to pray while one is in disagreement and strife (Mt 8:4). Chrysostom says: "God is especially glorified when we are fenced about by one another. Therefore, if you are grieved by disagreement with you and begin a quarrel with your brother, consider that by laying aside anger you will glorify your Master. Be reconciled with your brother, if not for his own sake, then for the glory of God. Christ Himself repeated this continually. When speaking with the Father, He said: By this all will know that Thou hast sent Me, if My disciples are one (Jn 17:21)."

Again he interrupts the flow of speech with prayer and directs it toward removing discord among the Romans. Though the discord concerned a minor matter, it nevertheless disturbed mutual peace. God is the God of patience and consolation because both patience and consolation proceed from Him. They appear in their true form and true power only in those to whom God gives them. The Apostle defines God here by these terms according to the flow of his speech, because just before this he spoke of patience and consolation. Or better, he does so because among those addressed, some needed patience and others consolation. The strong needed patience. The weak needed consolation, for the very consciousness of weakness already caused them sorrow, especially if some reproach from the strong was added.