The Meaning of Romans 15:14 Explained

Romans 15:14

KJV: And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

YLT: And I am persuaded, my brethren -- I myself also -- concerning you, that ye yourselves also are full of goodness, having been filled with all knowledge, able also one another to admonish;

Darby: But I am persuaded, my brethren, I myself also, concerning you, that yourselves also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

ASV: And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  I  myself  also  am persuaded  of  you,  my  brethren,  that  ye  also  are  full  of goodness,  filled  with all  knowledge,  able  also  to admonish  one another. 

What does Romans 15:14 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Paul"s knowledge of the church in Rome had come to him through sources other than personal observation ( Romans 15:22-24).
"Goodness" is moral excellence that comes through the working of God"s Spirit ( Galatians 5:22; cf. Romans 6:13). Goodness is necessary to apply the truth to life, as is knowledge. This was primarily a self-taught church ( Romans 6:17), and the believers were able to instruct one another. "Admonish" or "instruct" means to inculcate (cf. Colossians 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:14).
"Morally, they were "full of goodness," intellectually they were "complete in knowledge," and functionally they were "competent to instruct one another."" [1]

Context Summary

Rom 15:14-21 - A Preacher Who Found His Own Field
A superficial judge of the Apostle's life at the time to which he refers might have supposed him to be a mere Jewish traveler, hurrying to and fro, under circumstances of extreme poverty and with no special results. But, in fact he was laying the foundations of the Christian commonwealth. His one ambition was to present the Gentiles as a whole burnt-offering to God; see Romans 15:16. The phrase there is suggestive of the supreme sacrifice which was nobly realized in the strength of purpose that led those churches, shortly afterward, to yield holocausts of martyrs under Nero's persecutions.
All this was due to Christ working through the Apostle. Anything that was not wrought through the power of the indwelling Christ was not worth recounting. The work which really told was not what Paul did for Christ, but what Christ did through Paul. It is noticeable how careful Paul was to break up new ground. This is especially characteristic of all the best and highest forms of work. It is a poor and mean church which recruits itself from the labors of others, but has no power to secure converts from the world! [source]

Chapter Summary: Rom 15

1  The strong must bear with the weak
2  We must not please ourselves;
3  for Christ did not so;
7  but receive one another, as Christ did us all;
8  both Jews and Gentiles;
15  Paul excuses his writing;
28  and promises to see them;
30  and requests their prayers

Greek Commentary for Romans 15:14

I myself also [και αυτος εγω]
See note on Romans 7:25 for a like emphasis on himself, here in contrast with “ye yourselves” The argument of the Epistle has been completed both in the main line (chapters 1-8) and the further applications (9:1-15:13). Here begins the Epilogue, the personal matters of importance. [source]
Full of goodness [μεστοι αγατοσυνης]
See note on 2 Thessalonians 1:11; Galatians 5:22 for this lxx and Pauline word (in ecclesiastical writers also) made from the adjective αγατος — agathos good, by adding -συνη — sunē (common ending for words like δικαιοσυνη — dikaiosunē). See Romans 1:29 for μεστος — mestos with genitive and πεπληρωμενοι — peplērōmenoi (perfect passive participle of πληροω — plēroō as here), but there with instrumental case after it instead of the genitive. Paul gives the Roman Christians (chiefly Gentiles) high praise. The “all knowledge” is not to be pressed too literally, “our Christian knowledge in its entirety” (Sanday and Headlam). To admonish (νουτετειν — nouthetein). To put in mind (from νουτετης — nouthetēs and this from νους — nous and τιτημι — tithēmi). See note on 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:14. “Is it laying too much stress on the language of compliment to suggest that these words give a hint of St. Paul‘s aim in this Epistle?” (Sanday and Headlam). The strategic position of the church in Rome made it a great centre for radiating and echoing the gospel over the world as Thessalonica did for Macedonia (1 Thessalonians 1:8). [source]
To admonish [νουτετειν]
To put in mind (from νουτετης — nouthetēs and this from νους — nous and τιτημι — tithēmi). See note on 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:14. “Is it laying too much stress on the language of compliment to suggest that these words give a hint of St. Paul‘s aim in this Epistle?” (Sanday and Headlam). The strategic position of the church in Rome made it a great centre for radiating and echoing the gospel over the world as Thessalonica did for Macedonia (1 Thessalonians 1:8). [source]
[]
d Here the Epilogue of the Epistle begins. Bengel says: “As one street often leads men, leaving a large city, through several gates, so the conclusion of this Epistle is manifold.” [source]
Goodness [ἀγαθωσύνης]
See on Romans 3:12. [source]
To admonish [νουθετεῖν]
See on Acts 20:31. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 15:14

1 Thessalonians 5:12 Admonish [νουθετοῦντας]
Only in Acts and Paul. See on Acts 20:31, and comp. 1 Thessalonians 5:14; Romans 15:14; 1 Corinthians 4:14; Colossians 1:28. [source]

What do the individual words in Romans 15:14 mean?

I am persuaded now brothers of me also myself I concerning you that you yourselves full are of goodness being filled with all - knowledge being able one another to admonish
Πέπεισμαι δέ ἀδελφοί μου καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ περὶ ὑμῶν ὅτι αὐτοὶ μεστοί ἐστε ἀγαθωσύνης πεπληρωμένοι πάσης τῆς γνώσεως δυνάμενοι ἀλλήλους νουθετεῖν

Πέπεισμαι  I  am  persuaded 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐπισείω 
Sense: persuade.
δέ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἀδελφοί  brothers 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
μου  of  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
αὐτὸς  myself 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
περὶ  concerning 
Parse: Preposition
Root: περί 
Sense: about, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
αὐτοὶ  you  yourselves 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
μεστοί  full 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: μεστός  
Sense: full.
ἀγαθωσύνης  of  goodness 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ἀγαθωσύνη  
Sense: uprightness of heart and life, goodness, kindness.
πεπληρωμένοι  being  filled 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: πληρόω  
Sense: to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full.
πάσης  with  all 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
τῆς  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
γνώσεως  knowledge 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: γνῶσις  
Sense: knowledge signifies in general intelligence, understanding.
δυνάμενοι  being  able 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: δύναμαι  
Sense: to be able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom.
ἀλλήλους  one  another 
Parse: Personal / Reciprocal Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀλλήλων  
Sense: one another, reciprocally, mutually.
νουθετεῖν  to  admonish 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: νουθετέω  
Sense: to admonish, warn, exhort.