Romans 15: Singing to the Gentiles

Romans 15: Isaiah and Psalm 22 prophesy that Jesus will SING TO THE GENTILES. In all applications of this prophecy, the act is teaching and the singing is in the heart and directed to God.

There is no break between Romans 14 and Romans 15. In Romans 14 Paul outlawed personal habits which would prevent the synagogue or school of the Bible from being held. They were not to DIALOG about their preferences for food or drink or observing days. Not because these were optional but because the assembly was a SCHOOL OF THE BIBLE. They taught what God commanded them to teach and had no mandate to solve all of the problems in the word.

Without dipping his pen into the ink Paul continued to defien the MAJOR religious preference of all of the sectarian groups in Rome. They were all addicted to MUSIC as a means of getting messages from the gods and simplying pleasuring one another with singing. That is why the melody word, Psallo, is used in the EXTERNAL sense only of prostitutes, Sodomites or older males--such as Alexander the Great--who plucked the harp strings to groom young boys who served as "ministers of the gods" for the practice of sodomy.

Therefore, Paul OUTLAWED PLEASURING and that word is diretly facilitated by arousal singing with or without instruments.

You should understand that there is no mu,sic word used in connection with the Old Testament synagogue. That began in the wilderness as the Qahal or "church in the wilderness." Music was outlawed under the word TRIUMPH OVER or ALARM. The "civilian" Israelites were not connected to the national animal sacrifices under the Monarchy. The direct command for some first days and all seventh days was to REST: rest does not mean worship in a religious sense but means to READ or REHEARSE the Word of God.

THIS IS WHAT THE WORDS MEAN

Psalmus , i, m., = psalmos, i. q. psalma,

I. a psalm (eccl. Lat.; cf.: carmen, hymnus), Vulg. Isa. 38, 20.--Esp., the Psalms of David, V

Canto I. Neutr., to produce melodious sounds (by the voice or an instrument), to sound, sing, play (class. in prose and poetry; rare in Cic.)

2. Of the singing pronunciation of an orator, to declaim in a singing tone, to sing, drawl: si cantas, male cantas, si legis, cantas

In the pagan religious sense, singing was always considered sorcery and it worked because it aroused anxiety in people or DREAD of the presence of the gods.

C. Hence, because the oracles were of old uttered in verse, of any mysterious, prophetic, or warning utterance, to predict, warn, point out, indicate, make known, say

III. In the lang. of religion, as v. n. or a., to use enchantments, charms, incantations, to enchant, to charm,

"Hallel, in Jewish ritual, selection from the Psalms, chanted as part of the liturgy during certain festivals. The more frequently used selection includes Psalms 113-118 and is known as the Egyptian Hallel, presumably because Psalm 114 begins, "When Israel went out of Egypt"

It is sung in synagogues on the first two days of Passover, on Shabuoth, on Sukkot, on each morning of the eight days of Hanukkah, and at the close of the Seder.

"The Hallel through the generations, on specific occasions: Pesachim 117a
"Hallel requires a full stomach and a satisfied spirit: Taanis 25b-26a
The reading is beloved to the people, and so they listen closely: Megillah 21b

"The Hallel as an Institution of the Prophets, to use to pray for salvation from danger: Pesachim 117a [2x] Saying the Hallel daily is blasphemous: Shabbos 118b

This is what Paul and others did for the 'synagogue of Christ."

And when he [Barnabus at Tarsus] had found him, he brought him unto Antioch.
............And it came to pass, that a whole year
............they assembled [sunagog] themselves with the church,
............and taught much people.
And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Ac.11:26

This is what Paul Commanded Timothy:

1 Tim 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

1 Tim 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little:
........... but godliness is profitable unto all things,
........... having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

1 Tim 4:9 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation.

1 Tim 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach,
........... because we trust in the living God,
........... who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

1 Tim 4:11 These things command and teach.

1 Tim 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth;
........... but be thou an example of the believers,
........... in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

1 Tim 4:13 Till I come, give attendance
........... to [public] reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

1 Tim 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee,
........... which was given thee by prophecy [teaching],
........... with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

1 Tim 4:15 Meditate upon these things;
........... give thyself wholly to them;
........... that thy profiting may appear to all.

1 Tim 4:16 Take heed unto thyself,
........... and unto the doctrine;
........... continue in them:
........... for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself,
........... and them that hear thee.

This is exactly what the church did: singing as an ACT of worship was first used in about 373. Even then, these songs were to keep the pagan songs from being sung. The church was FAITHFUL to the example of Jesus and the direct command of Paul: they spoke the INSPIRED text one to another.

See Romans 5 as a contrast between Christ who shed blood FOR the Gentiles and David who shed the blood OF the Gentiles with instrumental music which was always a device of the Israelite military.

So far, in the book of Romans, we have looked at worship which takes place in the mind or in the spirit where we connect with Christ through His Word and prayer. Now, we need to see how this worship in spirit expresses itself in outward forms.

In Romans 14 Paul shows that it is acceptable to have "meal fellowship" or even assembly with people who hold different opinions. However, this association does not give wine drinkers or those who keep times and seasons the right to bring "doubtful disputations" into the relationship which would destroy fellowship. Nor, does it give the Dionysians and Orphics the right to bring in MUSIC which was part of almost every convert's heritage into the assembly. The assembly or gathering uses a type of the word '"synagogue" or school of the Bible.

While this is most often used to try to prove that Paul endorsed accepting instrumental music into our worship, chapter 15 proves that Paul was teaching just the opposite.

The pagan rituals involving meats offered to idols or eating only vegetables.

Vegetarianism: Josephus knew certain priests who "supported themselves with figs and nuts." They had been sent to Rome to be tried before Caesar and they rejected all meat because it might have been offered to idols. However, vegetarianism was not always just to guard against idol meat.

"Vegetarianism was a customary religious practice in the first century. It was a characteristic of the Orphic and Phythagorean sects among the Greeks and of the Essenes among the Jews." (Batey, Romans, Sweet, p. 166).

Orphic worship associated with vegetarianism was always associated with lots of instrumental music. Click to see Orphic Music which Paul guarded against in Romans as he implicated Dionysus in Ephesus and Corinth. It was the Dionysus choral dance and song which the Jewish clergy tried to impose on Jesus while they "piped." This would have polluted and prostituted him so that He would be disqualified as the messiah. Saturn and Rhea or Eve or Zoe is a Roman version of the feminist godesses who forced the male gods into musical and theatrical performance. This was implicated in the rise of A Cappella which was to bring sexually stimulating male choirs into the Vatican where instrumental music was forbidden. The singers were castrated in order to enhance the high male voices.

In Romans 15, as well as in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3, Paul uses the word "sing" as fulfillment of prophecy that Christ, even as He groaned in Spirit, would (1) "sing to the Gentiles" or the whole world (2) as He revealed the secrets of His Mind through His words.

The outward service is always seen as sending His Words outward and they would not return empty or void. It is hard to follow Jesus where He did not lead. Therefore, we need to see what Scripture means by "singing." The first question to ask is:

How Did Jesus Sing to the Gentiles as Worship in Spirit?

To learn about singing, Scripture gave both a prophecy of what Jesus would do and what He actually did. The story begins in Isaiah where the Spirit of Christ (1 Pe 1:11) said:

Because truth totally failed (Isaiah 59:15
........... And he saw that there was no man,
........... and wondered that there was no intercessor:
........... therefore his arm (seed or strength) brought salvation unto him;
........... and his righteousness, it sustained him. Isaiah 59:16

The arm of God is the CHRIST OF GOD and not another divine being.

1Co.1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
........... who of God is made unto us wisdom,
........... and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

The Redeemer would come to Zion as God's "Arm" stretched out from the Spiritual into the physical world to "sing" to us:

As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord;
........... My spirit that is upon thee,
........... and my words which I have put in thy mouth,
........... shall not depart out of thy mouth,
........... nor out of the mouth of thy seed,
........... nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed, saith the Lord, f
........... rom henceforth and for ever. Isaiah 59:21. Later, he said:

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light,
........... and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Isaiah 60:3

Paul shows in Hebrews 6 that when we quite speaking CHRIST'S WORDS we have committed the unforgivable sin.

Whatever God delivers to mankind is a TEST to weed out the false teachers or prophets?

Is.8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Remember that God as pure or holy Spirit lives in a Spirit world which we cannot reach. We cannot identify with a Spirit any more than we can see air. However, God "laid aside" His full glory like a robe in order to live in the "tabernacle" of a human:

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith,
........... Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not,
........... but a body hast thou prepared me: Hebrews 10:5

If I cannot live in water and need to extract an expensive watch, what do I do? Why, I reach my arm into the water because it can live there and it can do my work for me. My arm is not another "person." My arm is me. In the same way, it would do no good to our limited minds for pure or Holy (without parts) Spirit to speak to my physical ears. For all of God's speaking through especially qualified prophets in the Old Testament, it turned out that there was no man who could mediate and redeem mankind.

When God sent His own "right Arm" He was both God and man. In this form, He became the "door" or the "gate into the spiritual world." That is, He bridged the gap between humanity and Himself. In the following illustration note that we cannot cross over to the Spirit world or force God into our presence. In this bridge from the Spirit dimension to the Physical dimension, God is both Father and Son:

Spiritual World

God
Great Fixed Gulf
Physical world

Man

Father
As Arm stretched out to mankind
Son

God in man, Christ in man, man in Christ, Citizenship in Heaven

Because mankind was separated from God as full Deity, there was no "agent" who could bridge the gap between the Spirit world and the physical world. To think that He could send a junior member of the "God family" is to minimize the ability of God Who, in His Nature is neither Father nor Son. By "reaching through" the great gulf between the Spirit dimension and physical dimension, God was Father (to relate to the Spirit) and Son (to relate to humanity). He was both "sender" and "sendee." He was the "beginning" of the beam of light and that which was reflected in the face of Jesus and He was the beam.

In the beginning was the beam. The beam was with the light and the beam was the light.

He was the One True Deity and the "vision" or "image" of that Deity. As our mind or spirit is the father of our thoughts and words, God's Mind was the Father of the Words delivered through His breath or Spirit (1 Corinthians 2). These are all symbolic (figurative or spiritual) and cannot be grasped by the carnal mind.

God (full Deity) living in a human body could not cease to be fullly God. By analogy, if I am the king and take off my kingly robes and put on the rags of the beggar, I do not cease to be the king "enfolded" within the beggar's garments. The apostles were dealing with the King of the universe or Father but because He was manifest as a Son or creature, Philip didn't recognize Him:

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?
........... he that hath seen me hath seen the Father;
........... and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? John 14:9

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?
........... the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself:
........... but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. John 14:10

The "king" was in the beggar and the beggar was in the king because the king and the beggar were one and the same being. Paul said,

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Col 2:9

Iesous (g2424) ee-ay-sooce'; of Heb. or. [3091]; Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Isr.: - Jesus.

yÿhowshuwa (h3091) from 3068 and 3467; Jehovah-saved; Jehoshua (i. e. Joshua), the Jewish leader: - Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua. Comp. 1954, 3442

This word is made up of Jehovah and:

Yasha (h3467) yaw-shah'; a prim. root; prop. to be open, wide or free, i. e. (by impl.) to be safe; causat. to free or succor: - * at all, avenging, defend, deliver (-er), help, preserve, rescue, be safe, bring (having) salvation, save (-iour), get victory.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. Zec.9:9

In this image, God comes as both the King who has Salvation with Him. This is why Jesus is Jehovah-Saved. Isaiah understood this:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

In a sense the "Father" had to allow Himself as "Son" to bear the burdens of the sins of the world because only the Son could die.

Jesus never "chickened out" or tried to pray Himself out of doing what He came to do. Therefore, He would "die in the flesh but be alive in the Spirit" to be His own Redeemer, right Arm or right Hand. Jesus quoted the first verse of Psalm 22 as a common way of pointing us to the whole Psalm to show that He would achieve victory and be able to "sing to the Gentiles." His final song was a pathetic cry of:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? Psalm 22:1

O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. Psalm 22:2

Those who could not help the people despised and reproached him. Their laughing was "imitating a foreigner, to speak unintelligibly." The "strong bulls" danced around him in a circle and beset Him which was to crown Him. They pierced His hands and Feet and even stretched him until his bones were out of joint. For all of that, God in human flesh would win the victory and proclaim it to the Gentiles:

I will declare (inscribe with a penknife, tell) thy name unto my brethren:
........... in the midst of the congregation will I praise (by singing to the Gentiles) thee. Psalm 22:22

For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
........... neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. Psalm 22:24

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord:
........... and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. Psa 22:27

For the kingdom is the Lords:
........... and he is the governor among the nations. Psalm 22:28

As God sent His own "Right Arm" or seed as Jesus to be His own Intercessor, He sat down again at the Right Hand of the Glory He gave up to become both Father and Son. John said that the Word was with God and was God. In the same way, my right hand is with me and is me. What we know about Him has been revealed by Him. Using the same figurative language, He has returned to be clothed into the "folds of the garments" of God:

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son,
........... which is in the bosom of the Father,
........... he hath declared him. John 1:18

It is important that we use the words which God demanded not depart from our mouth forever:

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
........... but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud,
........... that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: Isa 55:10

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
........... it shall not return unto me void,
........... but it shall accomplish that which I please,
........... and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

Is.9:8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.

This is why Jesus warned so severely against the teachings which come out of the mind or heart of men -- any man. This would include songs composed by men:

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth,
........... and honoreth me with their lips;
........... but their heart is far from me. Matthew 15:8

But in vain (return the words void) they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Matthew 15:9

This is what Jesus was speaking of in the Ezekiel parallel:

Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people
........... still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses,
........... and speak one to another, every one to his brother,
saying, Come, I pray you,
........... and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. Ezek 33:30

And they come unto thee as the people cometh,
.......... and they sit before thee as my people,
and they hear thy words,
.......... but they will not do them:
for with their mouth they shew much love,
.......... but their heart goeth after their covetousness. Ezek 33:31

And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of
one that hath a pleasant voice,
.......... and can play well on an instrument:
for they hear thy words,
.......... but they do them not. Ezek 33:32

Paul had been guided into all truth by Christ the Spirit. Therefore, he absolutely demanded on the authority of Christ that we:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col 3:16

An Italian writer notes about worship in spirit that:

"Sometimes religion produces suggestive rituals shared by a community to create an atmosphere useful for uplifting one's thoughts and coming to one's senses. There are those who cannot do without such forms of worship. Where, however, the form takes the place of meditation, or conditions it; where human words prevail over the Spirit.. then we are no longer in the presence of true religion.

"The one who uses colours and sounds and forms and movements and other gifts of God under the illusion of creating a stairway to heaven out of his own resources can, even involuntarily and in good faith, be raising an invisible barrier between humanity and God himself. (Davide Melodia, The Lord of Silence)

However, when "worship in spirit" is successful, the natural result will be service to God by serving the poor, weak and untaught. For instance, Paul showed how internal worship spills over into the external:

For God, whom I serve (worship) in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you." Romans 1:9

Paul used a word for worship which applies to both external and internal worship:

Latreuo (g3000) lat-ryoo'-o; from latris, (a hired menial); to minister (to God), i.e. render religious homage: - serve, do the service, worship (-per)

God has always defined worship at some level. Therefore, how we worship is not optional. Nor is it tested by how many people it attracts. Paul used another word, latreåia, and said:

THEN verily the first covenant had also ordinances (rules) of divine service (worship), and a worldly sanctuary (holy, dedicated physical place). Hebrews 9:1

The word worship or service under the law means HARD BONDAGE or Slavery. Jerusalem, Egypt, Hagar and Sodom have the same meaning.

Furthermore, Jesus implied a useful form of worship by defining vain or empty worship with acts.

Isaiah said that God's words are not void or vain only if they return to Him as He delivered them. If we had the words to "bridge" the gap and perform God's work upon mankind then we would not need Him, would we? That is what Jesus said.

"Singing" in Romans Chapter Fifteen

Remember that Luther Burbank said that only 15% of us think anything new, and that thinking is a great torture. However, we cannot understand the Mind of an Infinite God without using the mind He designed for that purpose. Not thinking is vanity.

Melodia notes that forms can actually "raise a barrier" between the ever-present Lord and the thinking worshipper. Indeed, Jesus condemned the Jewish clergy because they deliberately took away the key to knowledge in order to silence thinking.

If we think about it, we will hear Paul using the word "singing" as a way to minister the gospel or all of the good news words of God's "right Arm." Now, here comes the thinking test: read down Paul's first cycle which defines "singing" and compare each verse with the one in the second column.

SELF-PLEASURE and NAKEDNESS as the REPROACHES Christ would suffer all unveil a horrible story for those IMPOSING music for fun and profit:

"WE then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to PLEASE ourselves. Rom 15:1

PLEASE IS: Aresko (g700) ar-es'-ko; prob. from 142 (through the idea of exciting emotions)

AIRO (g142) ah'ee-ro; a prim. verb; to LIFT; by impl. to take up or AWAY; fig. to RAISE THE VOICE, KEEP IN SUSPENSE the MIND

Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. Rom 15:2
For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written,
........... The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. Rom 15:3

Aresko (g700) ar-es'-ko; prob. from 142 (through the idea of exciting emotion); to be agreeable (or by impl. to seek to be so): - please.

Airo (g142) ah'ee-ro; a prim. verb; to lift; by impl. to take up or away; fig. to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind); spec. to sail away (i.e. weigh anchor); by Heb. [comp. 5375] to expiate sin: - away with, bear (up), carry, lift up, loose, make to doubt, put away, remove, take (away, up).

This had the same meaning of EXTERNAL SINGING:

Aoidê 1. art of song, autar aoidên thespesiên, spell, incantation, thing sung, song, whether of joy or sorrow,

Aeidô sing,.hence of all kinds of vocal sounds, crow as cocks, hoot as owls, croak as frogs,; hoi tettiges chamothen aisontai, crowing too soon.

The tettiges are the LOCUSTS which are the MUSES serving Apollo, Abaddon or Apollyo

THIS AGREES WITH THE LATIN TRANSLATION. Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short

YOU DON'T GET A PERSONAL OPINION ABOUT A FAITHFUL ASSEMBLY

Areskô I. of pers. only, make good, make amends, spondas theois aresasthai make full drink-offerings to the gods, please, satisfy, be Lord and Master.

IV. areskei is used impers. to express the opinion or resolution of a public body, also of prevailing opinions; ta areskonta the dogmas of philosophers

please, satisfy, despozô 2. c. gen., to be lord or master of, h.Cer.365, Hdt.3.142 as law-term, to be the legal proprietor,

Heredotus 3. I always disliked it that Polycrates or any other man should lord it over men like himself. Polycrates has fulfilled his destiny, and inviting you to share his power I proclaim equality.

You don't TAKE A VOTE and you don't PERFORM entertainment and you DO NOT let philosophers into your assemblly

Similar Greek:

handanô please, delight, gratify, mostly Ion. and poet., used like hêdomai,

Hêdomai -enjoy oneself, take one's pleasure,

Plato Phaedrus [233e] at private entertainments you ought not to invite your friends, but beggars and those who need a meal; for they will love you and attend you and come to your doors and be most pleased and grateful, and will call down many blessings upon your head. Perhaps, however, you ought not to grant favors to those who beg for them, but to those who are most able to repay you; and not to those who ask merely, but to the most deserving; and not to those

II. in Hdt. handanei expresses the opinion of a body of people,

Romans XV. debemus autem nos firmiores inbecillitates infirmorum sustinere et non nobis placere

Rom 8:1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit

Outlawed: Placeo to please, to be pleasing or agreeable, to be welcome, acceptable, to satisfy (class.).
1. In scenic lang., of players or pieces presented, to please, find favor, give satisfaction: scenico placenti

Outlawed: Scaenicus I. of or belonging to the stage, scenic, dramatic, theatrical

I. Lit.: poëtae, dramatic poets, ludi, stage-plays, theatrical representations, : fabula, a drama, organa, Suet. Ner. 44 : coronae, id. ib. 53 : habitus, id. ib. 38 : gestus, Cic. de Or. 3, 59, 220 : modulatio Comedy. Orator

Poi-êtês II. composer of a poem, author, p. kômôidias Pl.Lg.935e; p. kainôn dramatôn, b. composer of music, 2. author of a speech

Outlawed: Organum Vitr. 10, 1.--Of musical instruments, a pipe,. Gen. 4, 21; id. 2 Par. 34, 12 et saep.--Of hydraulic engines, an organ, water-organ: organa hydraulica,

Gen 4:21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

H8610 manipulate, figuratively to use unwarrantably:--catch, handle, (lay, take) hold (on, over), stop, X surely, surprise, take.

H8608 taphaph to drum, that is, play (as) on the tambourine:taber, play with timbrels.

H8611 tôpheth to'-feth From the base of H8608 ; a smiting, that is, (figuratively) contempt:--tabret. MEANING HELL

Outlawed: Modulatio. In partic., a rhythmical measure, modulation; hence, singing and playing, melody, in poetry and music, Quint. 9, 4, 139: modulatione produci aut corripi (verba), id. 9, 4, 89 : modulatio pedum, id. 1, 6, 2 : scenica, id. 11, 3, 57: vocis, melody, id. 11, 3, 59 : musica, Aus. Ep. 25, 13 .

Clement of Alexandria: "After having paid reverence to the discourse about God, they leave within [at church] what they have heard. And outside they foolishly amuse themselves with impious playing, and amatory quavering (feminine vibrato), occupied with flute-playing, and dancing, and intoxication, and all kinds of trash.

By being filled up with the words of Christ (Colossians 3:16) we can be filled with "spirit" in the sense of having the Mind of Christ. To sing in Romans is to "make melody in your heart" in Ephesians 5:19. To admonish in Romans 15 is the same as to admonish in Colossians 3:16. To make melody in the heart is to sing with grace in the heart where grace means "divine influence or cheerfully."

Now, put on your thinking cap again and see that the statement Paul made to the Romans means what he said to the Ephesians and Colossians:

Cycle One	Cycle Two
WE then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1	And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. Romans 15:10
Romans 15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. Romans 15:3	And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. Romans 15:11
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning (teaching), that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4	And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. Romans 15:12
Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: Romans 15:5	Now the God of hope fill you (not with wine but) with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13
That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify (tell of His works) God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6	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. Romans 15:14
Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister (deacon) of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: Romans 15:8	Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God. Romans 15:15
And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will	(2) that the offering (bloodless sacrifice) up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:16
(1) confess to thee among the Gentiles, and	(1) That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles,
(2) sing unto thy name. Romans 15:9	ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed. Rom 15:18 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Rom 15:19

EPHESIANS 5:17-20KJV	COLOSSIANS 3:16-17
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Eph 5:17 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Eph 5:18	Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; (John 6:63 Words = Spirit)
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,	teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;	singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.	And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name (authority) of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.