Romans 15:4 — How Do the Scriptures Give Endurance and Hope?

The Reason Paul Turns to the Earlier Scriptures

Paul tells the Christians in Rome that what was written in former days was written for their instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures they might have hope (Romans 15:4). The verse follows a specific appeal to believers who understood their freedom in matters of food and other disputed practices. Paul required those with strength to bear with the weaknesses of others and to seek their good for the purpose of building them up (Romans 15:1–2). In the preceding discussion, one believer ate freely while another ate only vegetables, and Paul addressed the temptation for one to despise and the other to judge (Romans 14:2–4). He also warned that a person could harm a brother over food by pressing him beyond what his conscience allowed (Romans 14:15, 20–23). Paul’s appeal to Scripture therefore came at the point where Christians needed strength to restrain themselves for the sake of another person. The hope of Romans 15:4 belongs in that setting of daily patience, where a believer may already know what he is free to do and still need to learn how love governs the use of that freedom. Paul grounds this duty in Christ’s conduct before explaining the continuing value of the earlier Scriptures.

Romans 15:3 says that Christ did not please Himself, and Paul quotes Psalm 69:9 concerning the reproaches directed against God falling upon the speaker. In the psalm, the afflicted speaker appeals to God while describing the cost of his zeal and the shame he has borne for God’s sake (Psalm 69:6–12). Paul brings that language to bear on Christ’s willingness to endure reproach, giving the Roman Christians a pattern of service with a cost. A believer who voluntarily limits his conduct for a brother’s good may experience inconvenience or feel that his freedom has been misunderstood. Christ’s conduct puts that cost in proportion and gives the believer a concrete reason to carry it patiently. The action is especially clear at a shared meal, where a host who can eat a particular food without concern can serve something his guest can also eat in good conscience. The issue is the spiritual welfare of the person at the table, and the choice of a dish is one ordinary means of caring for him. In that circumstance, the encouragement of Scripture reaches into the believer’s conduct through the example Paul has just placed before him.

The Earlier Writings Retain Their Historical Setting

The words “for our instruction” in Romans 15:4 teach that the earlier Scriptures continue to benefit Christians, and the way Paul uses them shows how to draw on them. Psalm 69 had a setting of its own, and its description of reproach could be read and understood in that setting. Paul’s use directs attention to an identifiable feature of the passage, suffering endured on account of loyalty to God. A reader who studies an account of Israel in the same way can identify the people involved, the word Jehovah gave them, and the conduct or outcome recorded. He can then see what that account teaches about Jehovah’s character and the response of people who heard Him. In Numbers 14:6–9, for example, Joshua and Caleb urged Israel to trust Jehovah in the face of resistance, and the circumstances included a specific promise of land. The Christian reader who faces pressure to abandon a biblical conviction can learn from their confidence and courage while keeping the promise tied to the people to whom Jehovah made it. That approach allows the historical account to furnish genuine instruction and keeps an application from claiming an outcome that Scripture never promises to the present reader.

Later in the chapter, Paul reinforces his point by drawing together passages that speak of the nations praising God and hoping in the root of Jesse (Romans 15:8–12). He places these quotations after saying that Christ served the circumcision to confirm the promises given to the fathers and that the Gentiles glorify God for His mercy. Deuteronomy 32:43 and Psalm 117:1 contribute explicit calls for the nations to rejoice or praise, while Isaiah 11:10 supplies the language of Gentile hope. The scriptural basis for welcoming one another therefore extends beyond a rule of courtesy. In a congregation with Jewish and Gentile believers, their common worship reflected mercy that God had spoken of in the earlier Scriptures. Someone tempted to treat a fellow believer’s background as a reason for contempt could see how poorly that attitude fit the purpose for which Christ had welcomed both (Romans 15:7–9). For a present-day congregation, this reasoning can bear on whom members choose to sit with, whom they welcome into their homes, and whose concerns they take time to hear. The texts Paul cites give content to the unity for which he prays.

Endurance When Faithfulness Takes Time

The endurance Paul names in Romans 15:4 is steadfastness sustained over time. His prayer in Romans 15:5 asks the God who gives endurance and comfort to grant believers a common disposition according to Christ Jesus. The proximity of the two verses shows how the Scriptures supply encouragement within a life directed toward God. A person who has repeatedly borne with a relative’s slow progress may need more than one reminder to speak with patience. The same is true of a believer whose work or family responsibilities leave him weary and whose fatigue makes it easier to answer sharply. Hebrews 10:35–36 speaks to Christians who needed endurance after showing courage in earlier sufferings, because they still needed to do God’s will and receive what He promised. That passage recognizes that earlier faithfulness can be followed by a season in which continued faithfulness requires real effort. Reading it can help a person identify the duty immediately before him, such as keeping a commitment or answering an unfair accusation truthfully, while remembering the larger promise for which endurance is required.

Biblical encouragement can also provide words for a difficulty that has lasted beyond what a person expected. Psalm 77:1–9 records the distress of a worshiper whose troubles kept him from sleep and led him to ask painful questions. In Psalm 77:10–20, his attention turns to remembering the mighty works of Jehovah, including His leading of Israel through the sea. The account of deliverance supplies definite grounds for remembering Jehovah’s power and His past dealings with His people. A believer caring for an ill family member can learn from the psalm by giving honest expression to his weariness and by recalling what God has actually revealed about His care and the resurrection. He can do this while arranging the next appointment, asking for assistance, or taking his turn through another difficult night. The psalm’s value rests in its ability to direct thought beyond the immediate distress toward God’s known acts and character. Romans 15:4 locates encouragement in those written truths, which can be read, remembered, and shared even when the immediate circumstances remain difficult.

Hope That Shapes Conduct Before the Outcome Is Seen

The hope Paul speaks of has a definite object, as Romans 15:12–13 shows when he connects the hope of the nations with Christ and addresses God as the giver of hope. It belongs to the believer’s confidence in the promises God fulfills through His Son. Romans 8:24–25 explains why hope involves waiting for what is still unseen, and Romans 8:18 places present sufferings alongside future glory. These connections guard a reader against making the resolution of a particular financial difficulty, illness, or family conflict the measure of whether scriptural hope has any worth. A Christian who hopes in God can still prepare for an uncertain work decision or grieve someone who has died. When grief is involved, 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 directs believers to Christ’s death and resurrection and to the promised resurrection of those who have died in Him. The encouragement Paul instructs believers to give one another rests on those stated events and promises. It allows the person who visits a grieving friend to speak gently about a specific reason for hope while giving the friend time to speak about the loss.

Romans 15:1–7 gives this hope a setting in the life of a congregation, where believers may have to welcome the same person again and again. A Christian who easily understands a disputed practice may find it frustrating when another brother still has questions after several discussions. Paul’s instruction gives him a better aim for their next conversation, the neighbor’s good and growth. He can ask which passage troubles the brother, open it with him, and decline to press him into conduct his conscience condemns. When a matter involves an explicit command of God, instruction will address that command directly, as Paul himself does when he distinguishes sin from the proper use of freedom (Romans 14:14–23). When a matter involves liberty, a willingness to forego a preference can allow peace and growth to continue. Hope supplies a reason for that patient choice because the two believers look to the same God and expect the same Christ to bring His promises to fulfillment. Their common expectation becomes audible when people who once judged or despised one another learn to glorify God together with one voice (Romans 15:5–6).

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