Accepted!

Verse 7 serves a strategic purpose in Romans 15. It both concludes and introduces. It concludes Paul's discussion of how to handle differences between those who are strong and those who are weak in faith concerning disputable matters, and it opens the door to a wider application to the differences that exist between believers of different racial, national and cultural origins. In vss 7-13, Paul tells us (1) to accept one another; (2) that including the Gentiles in the people of God has always been God's purpose; and (3) that accepting others is easier said than done...