To what does Romans 15:27 refer?

Question

What is he discussing?

[Rom 15:7 CSB] (7) Therefore accept one another, just as Christ also accepted you, to the glory of God.

Answer 1

Paul had had plans to visit Rome but something came up and he had to put off his trip indefinitely. Paul's letter to the Romans is addressed primarily to gentile believers in Rome to assure them that his change of plans were not because he did not love them and nothing to do with their being gentiles.

[Rom 1:5-17 NLT] (5) Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. (6) And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. (7) I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. (8) Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. (9) God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. (10) One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. (11) For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. (12) When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. (13) I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. (14) For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. (15) So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News. (16) For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes--the Jew first and also the Gentile. (17) This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."

It may be that there were no Jews in Rome at that time there because the Jews were for a period of years evicted from Rome by the Emperor. Another possible scenario is that when the Jews were readmitted to Rome, the Jewish believers made an issue of the gentiles not being circumcised and beholden to Torah. Either way the Roman gentiles had concern that perhaps Paul also did not consider the gentile believers to be "real Christians".

At same time, the gentiles were tempted to despise Jews as a people rejected by God and from whom the kingdom had been taken away. They were the branches that were broken off so that they could be grafted in. They were hardened to the gospel and the enemy of the be

His admonition to "receive one another" is essentially telling the Jews to not look down on the gentile believers because they lack the Sinai covenant and telling the gentiles to not reject the Jewish saints as being rejected by God because God still has a faithful remnant.

[Rom 11:17-36 NLT] (17) But some of these branches from Abraham's tree--some of the people of Israel--have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree. (18) But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. (19) "Well," you may say, "those branches were broken off to make room for me." (20) Yes, but remember--those branches were broken off because they didn't believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don't think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. (21) For if God did not spare the original branches, he won't spare you either. (22) Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. (23) And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. (24) You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong. (25) I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. (26) And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, "The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. (27) And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins." (28) Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (29) For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. (30) Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. (31) Now they are the rebels, and God's mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God's mercy. (32) For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone. (33) Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! (34) For who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? (35) And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? (36) For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

So when Paul say to "receive one another" he is saying, "This is not a competition. The LORD is not a respecter of persons. Welcome each other as brothers and sisters and do not look down on one another because you are all complete in Christ:

[Rom 15:5-13 NLT] (5) May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. (6) Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (7) Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. (8) Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. (9) He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: "For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name." (10) And in another place it is written, "Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles." (11) And yet again, "Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles. Praise him, all you people of the earth." (12) And in another place Isaiah said, "The heir to David's throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him." (13) I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.