Receiving One Another: The Call of Romans 15:7

When Welcoming Transforms Lives

"Hospitality is not about inviting people to our perfect home, but about inviting imperfect people to our imperfect home." — Dave Willis

I vividly remember a Sunday morning, years ago, when I first arrived at a new church. I was going through a tough time: I had just moved to an unfamiliar city, far from family and friends. I sat alone in the back pew, feeling invisible among that crowd of smiling faces that seemed to have known each other for years.

Then, an elderly lady named Dona Marta simply sat down next to me. She didn’t ask my name right away, didn’t try to "evangelize" or find out my story. She just smiled, gently touched my arm, and said, "It’s so good to have you here with us today." After the service, she invited me for coffee at her home, where I met others who became my spiritual family.

That simple gesture of welcome completely changed my trajectory in that city.

And you? When was the last time you felt truly welcomed? Or better yet: when was the last time you welcomed someone in a genuine way? More importantly: have you ever stopped to think about what it really means to receive someone as Christ received us?

This is the radical proposal that Paul presents to us in Romans 15:7.

The Context That Changes Everything

To understand the depth of this verse, we need to go back to the setting of the church in Rome in the first century. Imagine the tension: on one side, Jewish Christians who had grown up with the traditions of the Mosaic law, observing the Sabbath, dietary laws, and purification rituals. On the other, converted Gentiles who had never set foot in a synagogue, who ate anything and saw no problem with it.

These were two completely different worlds trying to coexist under the same roof of faith in Christ.

Paul was not writing abstract theological theory. He was diving into real conflicts, palpable tensions, divisions that threatened to tear apart the fabric of the Christian community. The epistle to the Romans is, among other things, a practical manual on how radically different people can live in genuine unity.

By the time we reach chapter 15, Paul had already built an entire argument about salvation by grace, unity in Christ, and life in the Spirit. Now, he distills all of this into a practical and direct instruction:

"Therefore, welcome one another, just as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God." (Romans 15:7)

The Acceptance That Defines Us

Let’s be honest: it’s easy to welcome people who are like us. People who think similarly, vote similarly, dress similarly, share our musical tastes and culinary preferences. This requires no effort — it’s just natural affinity.

But Christ welcomed us when we were completely different from Him.

Think about that for a moment. When Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross, were you there living a holy and blameless life? Had you earned the right to be accepted because of your exemplary character? I certainly wasn’t. Paul wasn’t either — he was persecuting the church! And the disciples? Peter would deny Jesus three times. Thomas would doubt. They would all flee when the cross approached.

Christ welcomed us despite our flaws, not because of our merits. He embraced us when we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). He didn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up first, to become presentable, to deserve His love.

This is the foundation — and also the standard — of how we should welcome one another.

The Glory Revealed in Welcoming

But why does Paul add that final phrase: "for the glory of God"? Because our mutual welcoming is not just about us. It is a living testimony of God’s character.

When we open our hearts, our homes, and our lives to people different from us, we are painting a portrait of God Himself. We are telling the world: "Look how generous, inclusive, loving, and gracious our Father is!"

Think about how many people have distanced themselves from the church — not because they rejected Christ, but because they were rejected by Christians. How many wounded, how many excluded, how many who never felt "good enough" to belong?

When we genuinely welcome one another, we are reflecting the glory of a God who does not exclude but includes. Who does not reject but embraces.

Beyond Tolerance: Active Love

The word Paul uses here for "welcome" is proslambanō in the original Greek. It doesn’t just mean to tolerate or endure someone. It literally means "to take to oneself," "to embrace," "to warmly welcome." It is an active, warm, genuine acceptance.

There is a huge difference between tolerating and welcoming.

To tolerate is to say: "Okay, you can stay, as long as you don’t bother me too much."

To welcome is to say: "What a joy to have you here! You belong in this place. Your presence enriches us."

It’s the difference between a hotel and a home. In a hotel, you are a temporary guest who pays for the privilege of being there. In a home, you are family — with all the rights, responsibilities, and affection that entails.

The church of Christ should be more like a home than a hotel.

Breaking Invisible Barriers

When Paul wrote about Jews and Gentiles welcoming one another, he was dealing with the most insurmountable barrier of his time. Today, our barriers take other forms:

• Social class
• Educational level
• Political position
• Secondary theological preferences
• Generation (young vs. older)
• Marital status
• Life history

Be honest: how many of these barriers exist, even if subtly, in your heart?

I know of a church where a successful businessman became a close friend of a former inmate. They have lunch together weekly. Their families interact. The businessman helped his friend find a job; the former inmate taught the businessman about resilience and faith amid suffering.

When asked how that friendship began, the businessman replied: "I realized that Christ saw no difference between us when He saved us. Who am I to see?"

This is receiving one another as Christ received us.

Putting It Into Practice: Concrete Steps

All of this sounds nice on paper, but how do we live this reality in our daily lives? Let me suggest some practical and specific applications:

1. Practice Radical Hospitality in Your Home

Don’t wait until you have the perfect house, gourmet food, or ideal timing. Invite that person from church who is always alone. Make space at your table for the neighbor you barely know. Organize a dinner and ask each person to bring someone outside their usual circle.

Hospitality is not about impressing — it’s about connecting. Some of the deepest conversations I’ve ever had happened around a simple table, eating frozen pizza.

2. Engage in Active Welcoming Ministries

Does your church have any ministry focused on immigrants? Refugees? Homeless people? Single mothers? Ex-offenders trying to reintegrate into society?

If it does, get involved. If it doesn’t, maybe you are the one God is calling to start it.

A friend of mine started a support group for women who suffered domestic abuse. She is not a professional therapist — she’s just a woman who decided to open her heart and her home once a week. Three years later, dozens of women have been transformed by that safe space of welcome.

3. Promote Intentional Inclusion in the Community

Look at your church events: do they always favor the same type of person? The music, the timing, the language, the style — all of this communicates who is welcome and who is not.

Advocate for diversity. If you are in a leadership position, ask questions: "Who is feeling excluded? What barriers are we creating without realizing it?"

If you are not in leadership, be the person who sits next to the awkward visitor. Who translates evangelical jargon for those who don’t understand. Who introduces the newcomer to others.

Small acts of inclusion have a huge impact.

4. Respond to Conflicts with Love, Not Rejection

This is perhaps the hardest. It’s easy to welcome those who agree with us. But what about that brother who voted differently? That person who has different theological convictions on secondary issues? Someone who hurt you?

Romans 15:7 doesn’t say "welcome one another when you agree." It simply says: welcome.

This doesn’t mean agreeing with everything or not having healthy boundaries. But it means choosing love over rejection. Seeking understanding before judging. Keeping the doors of dialogue open.

Reflect for a moment: is there someone you need to welcome but have been resisting? What is holding you back? Fear? Pride? Hurt? Prejudice?

5. Cultivate Gratitude for Your Own Acceptance

When I forget how Christ accepted me freely, I start creating lists of requirements to accept others. That’s why staying grateful is essential.

Consider starting a journal where you record:

• Moments when you felt welcomed
• Times when Christ demonstrated unconditional acceptance
• Ways you can reciprocate that welcome to others

When we constantly remember where we came from and the grace we received, it becomes much easier to extend it to others.

Biblical Voices That Echo the Same Call

Romans 15:7 is not an isolated verse. It is part of a chorus of biblical voices that sing the same melody of inclusion and unity:

Paul wrote to the Galatians: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). The categories that divide the world have no power in the community of Christ.

To the Ephesians, he instructed: "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Ephesians