Romans 15:15

But I write the more boldly unto you in some measure, as putting you again in remembrance, because of the grace that was given me of God.

This is a continuation of the tactful remarks begun in Romans 15:14 and allows for the fact that the Romans might be assumed already to know many of the things he had written; but he justified his writing on the ground that he desired to refresh their memory of those things. The same device was employed by Peter who wrote:

This is now, beloved, the second epistle that I have written unto you and in both of them I stir up your pure mind by putting you in remembrance, etc. (2 Peter 3:1f).

In some measure ... is capable of two meanings: (1) that of declaring such portions of the epistle as that dealing with weak brethren (14:1-15:15) were bold, and (2) that of suggesting that he had boldly gone beyond the information they already had. As Thomas observed, however:

Whichever view we take of this expression, we again notice St. Paul's courtesy and modesty. His boldness, as we shall see in a moment, is due to his position as the apostle to the Gentiles, but he was fully aware that the discussion of truths already familiar was only part of his design. The Epistle records some of the profoundest thoughts ever expressed by the human mind, and this also was "in part" his aim in writing. Yet, of this, he says nothing, for he is more than content to let them discover for themselves that in writing as he has they have unwittingly, but really, obtained unfathomable treasures of Christian truth.[7]