Romans 15
15
Pleasing Others, Not Ourselves
1Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength,#Rm 14:1; Gl 6:2; 1Th 5:14 and not to please ourselves. 2Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.#1Co 9:22; 10:24,33; 2Co 13:9 3For even Christ did not please himself.#2Co 8:9 On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.#15:3Ps 69:9#Ps 69:9 4For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction,#Rm 4:23; 2Tm 3:16 so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. 5Now may the God who gives#15:5 Lit God of endurance and encouragement#2Co 1:3 grant you to live in harmony with one another,#Rm 12:16 according to Christ Jesus, 6so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ#Rv 1:6 with one mind and one voice.
Glorifying God Together
7Therefore welcome one another,#Rm 14:1 just as#15:7 Or because Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God. 8For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised#15:8 The Jews on behalf of God’s truth,#Mt 15:24; Ac 3:26 to confirm the promises to the fathers,#Rm 4:16; 2Co 1:20 9and so that Gentiles#Rm 3:29; 11:30 may glorify God for his mercy.#Mt 9:8 As it is written,
Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and I will sing praise to your name. # 15:9 2Sm 22:50; Ps 18:49 #
2Sm 22:50; Ps 18:49
10Again it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people!#15:10Dt 32:43#Dt 32:43 11And again,
Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples praise him! # 15:11 Ps 117:1 #
Ps 117:1
12And again, Isaiah says,
The root of Jesse #
Rv 5:5; 22:16 will appear,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
the Gentiles will hope in him. # 15:12 Is 11:10 #
Is 11:10; Mt 12:21
13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe#Rm 14:17 so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.#1Co 2:4; 1Th 1:5
From Jerusalem to Illyricum
14My brothers and sisters, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness,#Eph 5:9; 2Th 1:11 filled with all knowledge,#1Co 1:5; 8:1,7,10; 12:8; 13:2 and able to instruct one another. 15Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points#15:15 Other mss add brothers because of the grace given me by God#Rm 12:3 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,#Ac 9:15; Rm 11:13 serving as a priest of the gospel of God.#Rm 1:1 God’s purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering,#Rm 12:1; Eph 5:2; Php 2:17 sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus#Php 3:3 regarding what pertains to God.#Heb 2:17; 5:1 18For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me#Ac 15:12; 21:19; Rm 1:5; 2Co 3:5 by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles, 19by the power of miraculous signs and wonders,#Jn 4:48 and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem#Ac 22:17–21 all the way around to Illyricum.#15:19 A Roman province northwest of Greece on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea#Ac 20:1 20My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named,#Rm 1:15; 10:15 so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation,#1Co 3:10; 2Co 10:15–16 21but, as it is written,
Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand. # 15:21 Is 52:15 #
Is 52:15
Paul’s Travel Plans
22That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you.#Rm 1:13; 1Th 2:18 23But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions,#15:23 Lit now, having no longer a place in these parts and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you#Ac 19:21; Rm 1:10 24whenever I travel to Spain.#15:24 Other mss add I will come to you. For I hope to see you when I pass through and to be assisted by you for my journey there,#Ac 15:3 once I have first enjoyed your company#Rm 1:12 for a while. 25Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem#Ac 19:21 to serve the saints,#Ac 24:17 26because Macedonia#Ac 16:9; 1Co 16:5; 2Co 1:16; 2:13; 7:5; 8:1; 9:2,4; 11:9; Php 4:15; 1Th 1:7; 4:10; 1Tm 1:3 and Achaia#Ac 18:12; 19:21 were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits,#1Co 9:11 then they are obligated to minister to them in material needs. 28So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds#15:28 Lit delivered this fruit to them,#15:28 Or and placed my seal of approval on this fruit for them#Jn 3:33 I will visit you on the way to Spain. 29I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing#15:29 Other mss add of the gospel of Christ.
30Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit,#Gl 5:22; Col 1:8 to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf.#2Co 1:11; Col 4:12 31Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea,#2Co 1:10; 2Th 3:2; 2Tm 3:11; 4:17 that my ministry to#15:31 Lit that my service for Jerusalem#2Co 8:4; 9:1 may be acceptable to the saints,#Ac 9:13; Rm 15:15 32and that, by God’s will,#Ac 18:21; Rm 1:10 I may come to you with joy#Rm 15:23 and be refreshed together with you.
33May the God of peace be with all of you.#Rm 16:20; 2Co 13:11; Php 4:9; 1Th 5:23; 2Th 3:16; Heb 13:20 Amen.
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Romans 15: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Romans 15
15
1So those of us who have a strong ⌞faith⌟ must be patient with the weaknesses of those whose ⌞faith⌟ is not so strong. We must not think only of ourselves. 2We should all be concerned about our neighbor and the good things that will build his faith. 3Christ did not think only of himself. Rather, as Scripture says, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”
God Gives Us Unity
4Everything written long ago was written to teach us so that we would have confidence through the endurance and encouragement which the Scriptures give us. 5May God, who gives you this endurance and encouragement, allow you to live in harmony with each other by following the example of Christ Jesus. 6Then, having the same goal, you will praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Therefore, accept each other in the same way that Christ accepted you. He did this to bring glory to God. 8Let me explain. Christ became a servant for the Jewish people to reveal God’s truth. As a result, he fulfilled God’s promise to the ancestors of the Jewish people. 9People who are not Jewish praise God for his mercy as well. This is what the Scriptures say,
“That is why I will give thanks to you among the nations
and I will sing praises to your name.”
10And Scripture says again,
“You nations, be happy together with his people!”
11And again,
“Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Praise him, all you people of the world!”
12Again, Isaiah says,
“There will be a root from Jesse.
He will rise to rule the nations,
and he will give the nations hope.”
13May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in him. Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s Desire to Tell the Good News to the World
14I’m convinced, brothers and sisters, that you, too, are filled with goodness. I’m also convinced that you have all the knowledge you need and that you are able to instruct each other. 15However, I’ve written you a letter, parts of which are rather bold, as a reminder to you. I’m doing this because God gave me the gift 16to be a servant of Christ Jesus to people who are not Jewish. I serve as a priest by spreading the Good News of God. I do this in order that I might bring the nations to God as an acceptable offering, made holy by the Holy Spirit. 17So Christ Jesus gives me the right to brag about what I’m doing for God. 18I’m bold enough to tell you only what Christ has done through me to bring people who are not Jewish to obedience. By what I have said and done, 19by the power of miraculous and amazing signs, and by the power of God’s Spirit, I have finished spreading the Good News about Christ from Jerusalem to Illyricum.
20My goal was to spread the Good News where the name of Christ was not known. I didn’t want to build on a foundation which others had laid. 21As Scripture says,
“Those who were never told about him will see,
and those who never heard will understand.”
22This is what has so often kept me from visiting you. 23But now I have no new opportunities for work in this region. For many years I have wanted to visit you. 24Now I am on my way to Spain, so I hope to see you when I come your way. After I have enjoyed your company for a while, I hope that you will support my trip to Spain.
25Right now I’m going to Jerusalem to bring help to the Christians there. 26Because the believers in Macedonia and Greece owe a debt to the Christians in Jerusalem, they have decided to take up a collection for the poor among the Christians in Jerusalem. 27These Macedonians and Greeks have shared the spiritual wealth of the Christians in Jerusalem. So they are obligated to use their earthly wealth to help them.
28When the collection is completed and I have officially turned the money over to the Christians in Jerusalem, I will visit you on my way to Spain. 29I know that when I come to you I will bring the full blessing of Christ.
30Brothers and sisters, I encourage you through our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that the Spirit creates, to join me in my struggle. Pray to God for me 31that I will be rescued from those people in Judea who refuse to believe. Pray that God’s people in Jerusalem will accept the help I bring. 32Also pray that by the will of God I may come to you with joy and be refreshed when I am with you.
33May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
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