Romans 15
15
Love Is the Key to Unity
1Now, those who are mature # 15:1 The Aramaic can be translated “powerful.” in their faith can easily be recognized, for they don’t live to please themselves but have learned to patiently embrace others in their immaturity. # 15:1 Or “not just please themselves.” 2Our goal must be to empower others to do what is right and good for them, and to bring them into spiritual maturity. 3For not even the most powerful one of all, the Anointed One, lived to please himself. His life fulfilled the Scripture that says:
All the insults of those who insulted you fall upon me. # 15:3 See Ps. 69:9.
4Whatever was written beforehand is meant to instruct us in how to live. The Scriptures impart to us encouragement and inspiration so that we can live in hope and endure all things.
5Now may God, the source of great endurance and comfort, grace you with unity among yourselves, which flows from your relationship with Jesus, the Anointed One. # 15:5 The Aramaic can be translated “that you may value one another equally in Jesus, the Messiah.” 6Then, with a unanimous rush of passion, you will with one voice glorify God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7You will bring God glory when you accept and welcome one another as partners, just as the Anointed One has fully accepted you and received you as his partner.
The God of Hope for Jews and Non-Jews
8I am convinced that Jesus, the Messiah, was sent as a servant to the Jewish people # 15:8 Or “a servant of the circumcision,” which is a figure of speech for the Jewish people. to fulfill the promises God made to our ancestors and to prove God’s faithfulness. 9And now, because of Jesus, the non-Jewish people of the world can glorify God for his kindness to them, fulfilling the prophecy of Scripture:
Because of this I will proclaim you among the nations
and they will hear me sing praises to your name. # 15:9 See Ps. 18:49.
10And in another place it says:
“You who are not Jewish,
celebrate life right alongside his Jewish people.” # 15:10 See Deut. 32:43.
11And again:
Praise the Lord, all you who are not Jews,
and let all the people of the earth
raise their voices in praises to him. # 15:11 See Ps. 117:1.
12And Isaiah prophesied:
“An heir to David’s throne # 15:12 Or “[a sprout from] the root of Jesse,” which is a Hebrew idiom for King David, the son of Jesse, who was promised to have an heir to his throne who would rule over not only Israel but all the nations. will emerge,
and he will rise up as ruler
over all the non-Jewish nations,
for all their hopes will be met in him.” # 15:12 Or “their hopes will be placed on him.” See Isa. 11:10.
13Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!
Paul’s Ministry and His Plans
14My dear brothers and sisters, I am fully convinced of your genuine spirituality. I know that each of you is stuffed full of God’s goodness, that you are richly supplied with all kinds of revelation-knowledge, and that you are empowered to effectively instruct # 15:14 Or “warn.” one another. 15And because of the outpouring of God’s grace on my life to be his minister and to preach Jesus, the Anointed One, to the non-Jewish people, I have written rather boldly to you on some themes, reminding you of their importance. 16For this grace has made me a servant of the gospel of God, constantly doing the work of a priest, for I endeavor to present an acceptable offering to God; so that the non-Jewish people of the earth may be set apart and made holy by the Spirit of holiness.
17Now then, it is through my union with Jesus Christ, that I enjoy an enthusiasm and confidence in my ministry for God. 18-19And I will not be presumptuous to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me. For many non-Jewish people are coming into faith’s obedience by the power of the Spirit of God, which is displayed through mighty signs and amazing wonders, both in word and deed. Starting from Jerusalem I went from place to place as far as the distant Roman province of Illyricum, # 15:18–19 Illyricum (modern-day Croatia) was the Roman province that comprises parts of the western Balkan Peninsula. It is believed that Paul traveled over 10,000 miles throughout the Roman Empire establishing congregations. fully preaching the wonderful message of Christ. # 15:18–19 The apostle Paul thoroughly preached the good news with much evidence that God was working through him. This resulted in many non-Jewish people coming to faith in Jesus Christ. The signs and wonders were a part of the message, validating Paul’s apostolic mandate to evangelize and plant churches. 20It is my honor and constant passion to be a pioneer who preaches where no one has ever even heard of the Anointed One, instead of building upon someone else’s foundation. 21As the Scriptures say:
Those who know nothing about him will clearly see him,
and those who have not heard will understand. # 15:21 See Isa. 52:15.
Paul’s Intention to Visit Rome
22My pursuit of this mission has prevented me many times from visiting you, 23but there is now nothing left to keep me in these regions. So many years I have longed to come and be with you! 24So on my way to Spain I hope to visit you as I pass through Rome. And after I have enjoyed fellowship with you for a while, I hope that you would help me financially on my journey. 25But now I’m on my way to Jerusalem to encourage God’s people and minister to them.
26I am pleased to inform you that the believers of Macedonia and Greece # 15:26 Or “Achaia,” a region in western Greece. have made a generous contribution for the poor among the holy believers in Jerusalem. 27They were thrilled to have an opportunity to give back to the believers in Jerusalem. For indeed, they are deeply grateful for them and feel indebted because they brought them the gospel. Since the ethnic multitudes have shared in the spiritual wealth of the Jewish people, it is only right that the non-Jewish people share their material wealth with them.
28So, when I have completed this act of worship and safely delivered the offering # 15:28 The Greek word is actually “fruit.” Paul was delivering to them a “spiritual fruit basket.” It is an act of worship every time we consider the poor and serve others. to them in Jerusalem, I will set out for Spain and visit you on my way there. 29I am convinced that when I come to you, I will come packed full and loaded # 15:29 The Greek word pleroma is also used for a cargo ship packed full of people and goods. with the blessings of the Anointed One!
30That’s why I plead with you, because of our union with our Lord Jesus Christ, to be partners with me in your prayers to God. My dear brothers and sisters in the faith, with the love we share in the Holy Spirit, fight alongside me in prayer. # 15:30 Although Paul was an esteemed and powerful apostle of Jesus, he was not too proud to ask other believers to pray for him. 31Ask the Father to deliver me from the danger I face from the unbelievers in Judea. For I want to make sure that the contribution I carry for Jerusalem will be favorably received by God’s holy ones. 32Then he will send me to you with great joy in the pleasure of God’s will, and I will be spiritually refreshed by your fellowship.
33And now may the God who gives us his peace and wholeness # 15:33 Or “May the God who is peace be with you all.” be with you all. Yes, Lord, so let it be!
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Romans 15: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationRomans 15
15
Self-denial on Behalf of Others
1Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. 2Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. 3For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, 6so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. 8For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, 9and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,
“Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles,
And I will sing to Your name.”
10Again he says,
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”
11And again,
“Praise the Lord all you Gentiles,
And let all the peoples praise Him.”
12Again Isaiah says,
“There shall come the root of Jesse,
And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles,
In Him shall the Gentiles hope.”
13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. 15But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. 18For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; 21but as it is written,
“They who had no news of Him shall see,
And they who have not heard shall understand.”
22For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; 23but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you 24whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while— 25but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. 26For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. 28Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. 29I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
30Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, 31that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; 32so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company. 33Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
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