Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
the God.
Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Psalm 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
consolation.
2 Corinthians 1:3,4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; …
2 Corinthians 7:6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
grant.
Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
2 Chronicles 30:12 Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD.
Jeremiah 32:39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
according to.
Romans 15:3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Philippians 2:4,5 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others…
grant you harmony with one another
The call for harmony among believers is a recurring theme in Paul's letters. In the early church, there were often tensions between Jewish and Gentile Christians, as seen in Acts 15 and Galatians 2. Paul emphasizes the importance of unity, which is a reflection of the unity within the body of Christ. This harmony is not just the absence of conflict but a deep, spiritual unity that mirrors the relationship within the Trinity. Ephesians 4:3-6 also speaks to the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, underscoring the importance of maintaining harmony through the Spirit's work.
in Christ Jesus
The phrase "in Christ Jesus" is central to Paul's theology, signifying the believer's union with Christ. This union is the foundation for all Christian life and community. It is through Christ that believers receive the ability to live in harmony, as He is the ultimate example of selfless love and unity. This concept is echoed in John 17:21, where Jesus prays for His followers to be one, just as He and the Father are one. The unity in Christ transcends cultural, social, and ethnic barriers, creating a new identity for believers as members of the body of Christ.
Paul turns a doctrinal letter into a personal blessing. He addresses “the God” as the living, active Lord who hears and answers. Earlier he wrote, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace” (Romans 15:13), showing that every spiritual need is met by Him. Similarly, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times” (2 Thessalonians 3:16). This opening invites us to look immediately to God as the source rather than to ourselves.
God is the Giver, not merely an example of perseverance.
• He supplies the strength to keep running “with endurance the race set out for us” (Hebrews 12:1).
• He speaks courage into weary hearts, the way He comforted Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:9-10).
• His Word “was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
Whether through Scripture, the Holy Spirit, or the fellowship of believers, God continually pours resilience and comfort into His people.
“Grant” reminds us that unity is a gift we receive, not an achievement we boast in. Harmony is having “the same mind toward one another” (Romans 12:16). It reflects the prayer, “make my joy complete by being of the same mind” (Philippians 2:2). The Lord bestows:
• A shared perspective on His glory
• A shared submission to His Word
• A shared commitment to serve
The phrase grounds harmony in practical, everyday relationships. Scripture insists, “Above all, love one another deeply” (1 Peter 4:8). Living out this verse means:
• Bearing with differences in preferences (Romans 14:1-3)
• Forgiving as the Lord forgave us (Colossians 3:13)
• Showing mutual affection that proves discipleship (John 13:35)
Unity is located “in Christ,” never in human similarity or compromise. He Himself “is our peace, who has made the two one” (Ephesians 2:14). Because each believer is “baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13), we share:
• One identity—belonging to Him
• One power—His indwelling Spirit
• One purpose—His glory and gospel
Romans 15:5 blesses the church with a prayer that the God who continually supplies perseverance and comfort will also give believers a Spirit-wrought unity, expressed in daily relationships, all anchored in their shared life in Christ Jesus.
(5) Now the God of patience and consolation.--Such, then, should be the temper of the Roman Christians. The Apostle prays that along with the spirit of steadfast endurance God will also give them that spirit of unanimity which proceeds from singleness of aim. There seems, at first sight, to be little or no connection between the God of "patience and consolation" and the being "likeminded." They are connected, however, through the idea of singleness of purpose. He who is wholly self-dedicated to Christ, and who in the strength of that self-dedication is able to endure persecution, will also have a close bond of union with all who set before themselves the same object.Consolation. . . .--The same word as "comfort" in the previous verse.
To be likeminded. . . .--To have the same thoughts, feelings, sentiments, hopes, and aims.
According to Christ Jesus.--The conforming to that "spirit of Christ" which it is to be assumed that all who call themselves Christians have put on.
Verses 5-7. - Now the God of patience and comfort (the same word as before, though here in the Authorized Version rendered consolation) grant you to be like-minded (see on Romans 12:16), one with another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one accord with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (so certainly, rather than, as in the Authorized Version, "God, even the Father of," etc.). Wherefore receive ye one another (cf. Romans 14:1, and note), even as Christ also received us (or you, which is better supported, and, for a reason to be given below, more likely) to the glory of God. As in ver. 3, the example of Christ is again adduced. The connection of thought becomes plain if we take the admonition, "Receive ye one another," to be mainly addressed to "the strong," and these to consist principally of Gentile believers, the "weak brethren" being (as above supposed) prejudiced Jewish Christians. To the former the apostle says, "Receive to yourselves with full sympathy those Jewish weak ones, even as Christ, though sent primarily to fulfil the ancient promises to the house of Israel only (see ver. 8), embraced you Gentiles (ὑμᾶς) also within the arms of mercy" Thus the sequence of thought in ver. 8, seq., appears. "Unto the glory of God" means "so as to redound to his glory." Christ's receiving the Gentiles was unto his glory; and it is implied that the mutual receiving of each other by believers would be so too. The idea of God's glory being the end of all runs through the whole passage (cf. vers. 6, 9, 11).