SEV Biblia, Chapter 15:4
Porque las cosas que antes fueron escritas, para nuestra enseanza fueron escritas; para que por el padecer con paciencia, y por la consolacin de las Escrituras, tengamos esperanza.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 15:4
Verse 4. For whatsoever things were written aforetime] This refers not only to the quotation from the 69th Psalm, but to all the Old Testament scriptures; for it can be to no other scriptures that the apostle alludes. And, from what he says here of them, we learn that God had not intended them merely for those generations in which they were first delivered, but for the instruction of all the succeeding generations of mankind. That we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures-that we, through those remarkable examples of patience exhibited by the saints and followers of God, whose history is given in those scriptures, and the comfort which they derived from God in their patient endurance of sufferings brought upon them through their faithful attachment to truth and righteousness, might have hope that we shall be upheld and blessed as they were, and our sufferings become the means of our greater advances in faith and holiness, and consequently our hope of eternal glory be the more confirmed. Some think that the word paraklhsiv, which we translate comfort, should be rendered exhortation; but there is certainly no need here to leave the usual acceptation of the term, as the word comfort makes a regular and consistent sense with the rest of the verse.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. For whatsoever things were written aforetime , etc..] In the books of the Old Testament; the apostle says this, to vindicate the pertinency of the above citation, and to prevent any objection that might be made against it; since whatsoever was written in that psalm did not belong personally to David, but to Christ; and what is written concerning him, is designed for the use and instruction of his people; yea, whatever is written anywhere in the sacred Scriptures, were written for our learning ; to instruct in the knowledge of Christ, of his person, offices, grace, righteousness, obedience, sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension; and of the great salvation and redemption he came to obtain, and has obtained; and to teach us the doctrines of grace, of pardon through the blood of Christ, atonement by his sacrifice, justification by his righteousness, acceptance in his person, and eternal life through him; as also to inform us of our duty, and how we ought to behave both towards God and men: that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope ; the Scriptures are not only written for our present instruction, but for the ingenerating, encouraging, and establishing, an hope of eternal Life in another world; which they are the means of, under the influence of divine grace; since they give us a clear account of eternal life; of the promise of it in Christ; of its being procured by him, and secured in him; of the means of enjoying it, through his blood and righteousness; of the declarations of God's free grace and mercy to sinners, and of the various instances of persons who have been made partakers of it; all which encourage to hope in the Lord, and to rejoice in hope of the glory of God; believing we also may have and enjoy the thing hoped for, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures; both which are encouraged thereby: the patience of the Scriptures is not a stoical apathy, a stupid indolence; and is of a different kind from that patience the writings of the Heathen philosophers define and recommend: the Scripture gives an account of the true nature of patience, in bearing all sorts of evils for Christ's sake; of the excellency and usefulness of it; and do strongly exhort unto it upon the best principles, and with the best motives; and are full of promises to the exercise of it, and furnish out the best examples of suffering affliction, and patience: the comfort of the Scriptures is such as is not to be met with elsewhere.
These writings abound with exceeding great and precious promises, and excellent doctrines, big with consolation to the saints; and both serve much to cherish, support, and maintain an hope of eternal happiness; all which prove the divine authority, excellency, and usefulness of the sacred writings, and recommend the reading of them by us, and the hearing of them explained by others.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - Christian liberty was allowed, not for our pleasure, but for the glor of God, and the good of others. We must please our neighbour, for the good of his soul; not by serving his wicked will, and humouring him in a sinful way; if we thus seek to please men, we are not the servants of Christ. Christ's whole life was a self-denying, self-displeasing life And he is the most advanced Christian, who is the most conformed to Christ. Considering his spotless purity and holiness, nothing could be more contrary to him, than to be made sin and a curse for us, and to have the reproaches of God fall upon him; the just for the unjust. He bore the guilt of sin, and the curse for it; we are only called to bea a little of the trouble of it. He bore the presumptuous sins of the wicked; we are called only to bear the failings of the weak. And shoul not we be humble, self-denying, and ready to consider one another, wh are members one of another? The Scriptures are written for our use an benefit, as much as for those to whom they were first given. Those ar most learned who are most mighty in the Scriptures. That comfort whic springs from the word of God, is the surest and sweetest, and the greatest stay to hope. The Spirit as a Comforter, is the earnest of ou inheritance. This like-mindedness must be according to the precept of Christ, according to his pattern and example. It is the gift of God and a precious gift it is, for which we must earnestly seek unto him Our Divine Master invites his disciples, and encourages them by showin himself as meek and lowly in spirit. The same disposition ought to mar the conduct of his servants, especially of the strong towards the weak The great end in all our actions must be, that God may be glorified nothing more forwards this, than the mutual love and kindness of thos who profess religion. Those that agree in Christ may well agree amon themselves.
Greek Textus Receptus
οσα 3745 K-NPN γαρ 1063 CONJ προεγραφη 4270 5648 V-2API-3S εις 1519 PREP την 3588 T-ASF ημετεραν 2251 S-1APF διδασκαλιαν 1319 N-ASF προεγραφη 4270 5648 V-2API-3S ινα 2443 CONJ δια 1223 PREP της 3588 T-GSF υπομονης 5281 N-GSF και 2532 CONJ της 3588 T-GSF παρακλησεως 3874 N-GSF των 3588 T-GPF γραφων 1124 N-GPF την 3588 T-ASF ελπιδα 1680 N-ASF εχωμεν 2192 5725 V-PAS-1P
Robertson's NT Word Studies
15:4 {Were written aforetime} (proegraph). Second aorist passive indicative of prografw, old verb, in N.T. only here, #Ga 3:1 (which see); #Eph 3:3; Jude 1:4. {For our learning} (eis ten hemeteran didaskalian). "For the instruction of us." Objective sense of possessive pronoun hmeteros. See #Mt 15:9; 2Ti 3:16 for didaskalian (from didaskw, to teach). {We might have hope} (tn elpida ecwmen). Present active subjunctive of ecw with hina in final clause, "that we might keep on having hope." One of the blessed uses of the Scriptures.
