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Bible chapter guide
Romans 15
The strong should bear with the weak and not please themselves, as Christ did not please himself. Paul speaks of his mission from Jerusalem round to Illyricum, his plan to visit Rome on the way to Spain, and his journey to Jerusalem with the collection for the poor.
Summary written for the Labs; read the chapter itself for the full text.
See it in the Labs
- Paul's RoadsPaul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsSpain? (Later (debated)) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsSpain · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsLater travels (debated) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsRomans · Paul's RoadsOpen
Places
Also in this chapter
The letter: who wrote it, where and when
These questions are debated; the views are shown side by side with how sure each is, as in Paul's Roads.
- Strongly supported
Romans written from Corinth
Written during the three months in Greece (Acts 20:2–3), before taking the collection to Jerusalem (Romans 15:25–26): Phoebe of nearby Cenchreae carries it and Gaius, Paul's host, and Erastus the city treasurer send greetings (16:1, 23).
- Plausible
Romans 16, with its many greetings, belongs to the letter to Rome.
Some have thought chapter 16 was sent to Ephesus, since Paul greets so many people in a city he had not visited, including Priscilla and Aquila, last seen in Ephesus. Most now read it as part of Romans: travellers moved between Rome and the East, and Claudius…
How sure can we be?
- Speculative
If Paul went to Spain, Tarraco is one plausible landfall.
Romans names only 'Spain'. Tarraco was the provincial capital and a main port; the choice is ours, for the map.
- Speculative
Paul reached Spain after his release.
Paul intended to go (Romans 15:24, 28). 1 Clement's 'limit of the west' may mean Spain or simply Rome seen from the east; no Spanish church claims an early, documented link to him.
- Speculative
If Paul went to Spain, he would have sailed from Ostia.
No source describes the voyage; the line goes through the Strait of Bonifacio to Tarraco.