Accept One Another

June 13th, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Romans 15:7-9 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. 8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises to the fathers, 9 and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy…

So it is clear that strong Christians, realizing their freedom in Jesus Christ, recognize their freedom to eat any food, drink any drink, and celebrate any day without feeling guilty that they are somehow sinning against God and the OT Law. It is also clear that weak Christians have not yet come to the point of understanding their freedom in Christ and are still struggling with food, drink, days, etc. In spite of this, both kinds are to “accept one another” (v. 7). To “accept” (Gr. proslambanō) is to receive—the strong receiving the weak, the weak receiving the strong, lovingly and without judgment “just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.” They are of course not to accept blatant sinful practices, for freedom in Christ is not a license to sin; it is freedom to not sin. So no Christian is to live in adultery, hate, theft, etc., sins from which Christ saved His people. These sins are thus never to be tolerated. A true Christian lives for two commands: love God, love others. Doing so fulfills the law of God in its entirety.

Verse 8 explains v. 7, namely that the Christ who accepts all is the model for how His people are to accept one another. Jesus Christ, who has existed for all eternity, departed from heaven (cf. John 17:5) and became a “servant” (Gr. diakonos), first, to the circumcised—the Jews. The reason was “on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises to the fathers” (cf. 11:29). The “fathers,” or patriarchs, were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen. 12-50), for God promised them the land of Canaan (Palestine/Israel), a seed (the nation of Israel and Christ), and eternal blessing. God later promised King David, from the lineage of the patriarchs, a perpetual kingdom, house, and throne (2 Sam. 7:12-16). Hence, God showed Himself faithful to the patriarchs through His Son Jesus Christ by becoming a servant to their offspring—Jews. For the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first (1:16).

But the gospel is not exclusive to the Jews; it is also “for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy”: “to the Jew first and also to the Greek,” (1:16), or nations (Gentiles). The Gentiles were never an after-thought to God, as Scripture indicates. Paul quotes four passages to prove this in vv. 9-12, and in each passage “Gentile” (Gr. ethnē) features prominently:

In v. 9, from Psalm 18:49 and 2 Samuel 22:50, depicting King David praising God for his triumphs in the midst of the nations, or Gentiles, that have become subject to him.
In v. 10, from Deuteronomy 32:43 which includes Gentiles participating together with Israel in the praise of Yahweh.
In vv. 11-12, from Psalm 117:1 and Isaiah 11:10 respectively, depicting the Gentiles praising Yahweh in their own right, hoping in “the Root of Jesse” (Christ) whom God has raised up to rule over them too. The Gentiles therefore find their salvation in Yahweh, the God of Israel who promised Israel an eternal land, seed, and blessing.
Note that all three sections of the Hebrew Bible (Law, Writings, and Prophets) are quoted to confirm that God had planned to include the Gentiles all along.

How can Gentiles inherit the same eternal promises of Israel? By receiving the ultimate seed promised to Israel, coming from Israel—Christ. By receiving Christ, we become Abraham’s children, heirs according to God’s promise to the fathers (Gal. 3:16, 29; cf. Eph. 2:11-22).

Food For Thought
Paul’s finishing touch on this section is a benedictory prayer in v. 13 where he speaks of the “God of hope,” not the God of wishful thinking but of confident assurance of His truthfulness in fulfilling what He promised. May this God of hope “fill you with all joy and peace in believing,” an ongoing task for God in His people as we grow in our faith, in our joy and peace. This is so that we, as the people of the God of hope, will “abound in hope”—that we will overflow with confident assurance that what God has promised He will fulfill. All of this will come “by the power of the Holy Spirit,” He that indwells every believer in Jesus Christ (cf. 8:9-11).