Home
Romans Chapter 15

Romans Chapter 15

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Note: this glossary is currently a work in progress; entries that do not expand will be added as time permits

Ages/of ages
“ages” and “of ages” are the Greek words “αἰών” (aión, noun form) and “αἰώνιος” (aiónios, adjective form) respectively.  The adjective form is typically translated “eternal”, as in “eternal life”. The noun form refers to a whole time period, (Keizer, “Life Time Entirety”) such as a person’s lifetime (an older Greek sense), an age/epoch (e.g., 2 Cor 4:4), or even time in its entirety, making its meaning similar to “forever” (e.g., John 14:16). The adjective form is similarly context-dependent, and the New Testament context often dictates a meaning similar to “forever” (but not always: e.g. 2 Tim 1:9).  Alternately or additionally, it can indicate the quality of a time period — indicating greatness/severity — like the English idiom “of ages” (e.g. “battle of the ages”). Thus, “of ages” was chosen for the adjective form so that both the time and quality senses remain visible.

Clean/unclean

Covenant

Faith

Flesh

Forgive/forgiveness

Grace
The Greek word is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace”, “gift”, or “thanks”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful” by giving thanks in this way. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. New Testament usage typically casts God the Father as a Heavenly Patron, to whom Christians should be grateful and faithful because of the gifts He has given us. (e.g. salvation, provision, protection, etc.)

Holy

Justification

Law (Torah)

Make purification

Pure/Impure

Purification offering
In the Old Testament, this is typically the Hebrew “חַטָּ֖את” (khat-tat); in the New Testament, it’s typically “περὶ ἁμαρτίας” (peri hamartias), which is what the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek) used to translate the Hebrew. It’s traditionally translated “sin offering”, but that translation has less support in high-level scholarship. The Hebrew word can mean “sin”, but it can also mean “purification” (e.g. Numbers 8:7). This offering was used to purify uncleanness, whether or not a sin was committed. Thus, it was required even when no sin was committed, such as after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8), for certain diseases (Leviticus 14), etc. High-level, peer-reviewed scholarship dedicated to the field (e.g. Milgrom, Levine, Gane, Sklar, Wright, Gorman, etc.) is largely united on the “purification offering” understanding. The BOS Bible has aligned itself with that high-level, peer-reviewed scholarship in its translation.

Ransom

Redemption

Repent/repentance

Righteous/righteousness

Salvation/save

Soul
“soul” is the Greek word “ψυχή/psuché” and Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. The BOS Bible translates these words as “soul” for consistency, and so the full meaning of “soul” isn’t obscured by different translations in different places. They closely overlap in meaning and are typically translated “soul” or “life”. They refer to the animating force of a living thing, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Revelation 8:9 and Genesis 1). They are frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has significant overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). The adjective forms of soul and spirit are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; see also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Sin

Click to Collapse the Glossary
The weaker brother (continued)

(Parallel teachings: 1 Corinthians 8:1–13; 1 Corinthians 10:23–11:1; Galatians 6:1–2)

  • 1 Now, we (the strong) ought to bear with the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
  • 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, for building him up.
  • 3 For even the Anointed didn’t please Himself, but just as it’s *written: “The insults of the men insulting you fell on Me.”fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 69:9 (also quoted/alluded to by John 2:17)
  • 4 For whatever was previously written, it was [all] written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures, we might have hope.
  • 5 And may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another in accordance with Jesus the Anointed,
  • 6 so that single-mindedly and with one mouth you might glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed.
  • 7 Therefore, welcome one another just as the Anointed also welcomed [you],fn“you” some later manuscripts have “us” here instead. to the glory of God.
The work of the Anointed

(Parallel teachings: Galatians 2:7–9; Ephesians 3:1–13)

  • 8 For I say that the Anointed has become a servant to the men of circumcision for the sake of the truth of God, in order to confirm the promises given to the forefathers,
  • 9 and a servant to the gentiles for the sake of mercy, to glorify God.  Just as it’s *written:
    • “Because of this, I will confess praise to you among the gentiles,
    • and I will sing to your name.”fnquotation/allusion to 2 Samuel 22:50 and Psalm 18:49
  • 10 And again it says:
    • “You gentiles, rejoice with His people.”fnquotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 32:43 (also quoted/alluded to by Heb 1:6)
  • 11 And again:
    • “Praise the Lord all you gentiles,
    • and exalt Him all peoples.”fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 117:1
  • 12 And again, Isaiah says:
    • “There will be the root of Jesse,
    • and the One arising to rule over the gentiles;
    • on Him the gentiles will hope.”fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 11:10
  • 13 And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, for you to overflow in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • 14 And my brothers, I myself am also *convinced concerning you, that you yourselves are also full of goodness, *filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another.
  • 15 And [brothers,] I wrote to you more boldly, in part as one again reminding you because of the grace which was given to me by God,
  • 16 for me to be a minister of Jesus the Anointed to the gentiles, ministering as a priest of the good news of God so that the offering of the gentiles might become acceptable, having been *made holy by the Holy Spirit.
  • 17 Therefore in Jesus the Anointed, I have a reason for boasting of the things related to God.
  • 18 For I won’t dare to speak of anything exceptfn“except” is literally “not” what the Anointed accomplished through me for the obedience of the gentiles in word and deed,
  • 19 by the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit [of God], in order for me to have fulfilled the proclamation of the good news of the Anointed from Jerusalem, and all around as far as Illyricum.
Paul’s travel plans

(Parallel accounts: 1 Corinthians 16:5–9; 2 Corinthians 1:15–24; Acts 19:21–22, 20:1–3)
(Parallel teachings: 2 Corinthians 10:13-16)

  • 20 And so I’m earnestly striving to proclaim the good news where the Anointed wasn’t named, so that I won’t build on another man’s foundation.
  • 21 But just as it’s *written:
    • “To whom it wasn’t reported concerning Him, they will see;
    • and men who haven’t heard will understand.”fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 52:15
  • 22 And because of that, I was often being hindered from coming to you.
  • 23 But now, no longer having a place in these regions, and having a yearning to come to you for many years,
  • 24 for I hope to see you while passing through when I travel into Spain,fnMany late manuscripts have “I will come to you” here. and to be helped onward by you there, if I might first be satisfied in part by your company.
Contribution to the holy ones in Jerusalem

(Parallel accounts: 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1–9:15, and likely Acts 24:17)

  • 25 But now I travel to Jerusalem, ministering to the holy ones.
  • 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution to the poor holy ones in Jerusalem.
  • 27 For they were pleased and they are their debtors.  For if the gentiles shared in their spiritual things, they ought to minister to them in fleshly things also.
  • 28 Therefore, having accomplished this and having sealed this fruit for them, I will depart through you into Spain.
  • 29 And I *know that when coming to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of [the good news of]fnThis textual variant is present in the majority of later manuscripts, but absent from the earliest manuscripts. the Anointed.
  • 30 And brothers, I urge you through our Lord Jesus the Anointed and through the ^love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God for me,
  • 31 so that I might be rescued from the men in Judea refusing to believe, and so that my service for Jerusalem might be acceptable to the holy ones,
  • 32 so that having come to you with joy through the will of God, I might be refreshed with you.
  • 33 And the God of peace be with you all.  Amen.

 

Next: Romans chapter 16

Previous: Romans chapter 14

Up: The Book of Romans

Up: BOS Bible Index

 

Note: If you think a word, phrase, or passage could be better translated - or is wrong - then Please Say Something. This is an open source Bible that's accountable to all Christians. See this link for details.

Legal Use: Please feel free to quote the BOS Bible, but follow the guidelines on the Legal Use page when doing so. They are easy and mostly common sense.