15:14
Paul has given a lot of teaching to the Roman Christians. Here he reassures them that he has a positive attitude towards them. He believes that they are “full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another”. These words tend to count against the view that Paul was writing to address a serious situation of disunity that had broken out between Jewish and Gentile believers.
15:15-17
Paul acknowledges that he has written to them “very boldly”. It is better to give strong teaching before an issue arises, than having to do it in the midst of an issue that has come to a head. We may be tempted to relax when everything seems to be ticking along nicely. This is not a wise course to take. Paul does so “because of the grace given me by God”. Most of us are naturally reluctant to address thorny issues, but there are times when we need to do so, and we can only do so effectively by the grace of God. Paul said these things to the church in Rome because he had been appointed as an apostle to the Gentiles, to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to them.
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