Romans 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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Romans 15

1Some of us have no problem with these things. So we should be patient with those who are not so strong and have doubts. We should not do what pleases us 2but do what pleases them and is for their good. We should do whatever helps everyone grow stronger in faith. 3Even Christ did not live trying to please himself. As the Scriptures say about him, “Those people who insulted you have also insulted me.”#Quote from Ps. 69:9. 4Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. Those things were written so that we could have hope. That hope comes from the patience and encouragement that the Scriptures give us. 5All patience and encouragement come from God. And I pray that God will help you all agree with each other, as Christ Jesus wants. 6Then you will all be joined together. And all together you will give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other. This will bring honor#15:7 honor Or “glory.” See “glory” in the Word List. to God. 8I tell you that Christ became a servant of the Jews to show that God has done what he promised their great ancestors. 9Christ also did this so that the non-Jewish people could praise God for the mercy he gives to them. The Scriptures say,

“So I will give thanks to you among the people of other nations;

I will sing praise to your name.” Psalm 18:49

10And the Scriptures say,

“You people of other nations should be happy together with God’s people.” Deuteronomy 32:43

11The Scriptures also say,

“Praise the Lord all you people of other nations;

all people should praise the Lord.” Psalm 117:1

12And Isaiah says,

“Someone will come from Jesse’s family.#15:12 Jesse’s family Jesse was the father of David, king of Israel. Jesus was from their family.

He will come to rule over the nations,

and they will put their hope in him.” Isaiah 11:10

13I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul Talks About His Work

14My brothers and sisters, I know without a doubt that you are full of goodness and have all the knowledge you need. So you are certainly able to counsel each other. 15But I have written to you very openly about some things that I wanted you to remember. I did this because God gave me this special gift: 16to be a servant of Christ Jesus for those who are not Jews. I serve like a priest whose duty it is to tell God’s Good News. He gave me this work so that you non-Jewish people could be an offering that he will accept—an offering made holy by the Holy Spirit.

17That is why I feel so good about what I have done for God in my service to Christ Jesus. 18I will not talk about anything I did myself. I will talk only about what Christ has done with me in leading the non-Jewish people to obey God. They have obeyed him because of what I have said and done. 19And they obeyed him because of the power of the miraculous signs and wonders that happened—all because of the power of God’s Spirit. I have told people the Good News about Christ in every place from Jerusalem to Illyricum. And so I have finished that part of my work. 20I always want to tell the Good News in places where people have never heard of Christ. I do this because I don’t want to build on the work that someone else has already started. 21But as the Scriptures say,

“Those who were not told about him will see,

and those who have not heard about him will understand.” Isaiah 52:15

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

22That’s what has kept me so busy and prevented my coming to see you even though I have wanted to come many times.

23Now I have finished my work in these areas. And for many years I have wanted to visit you. 24So I will visit you when I go to Spain. Yes, I hope to visit you while I am traveling to Spain, and I will stay and enjoy being with you. Then you can help me continue on my trip.

25Now I am going to Jerusalem to help God’s people there. 26Some of them are poor, and the believers in Macedonia and Achaia wanted to help them. So they gathered some money to send them. 27They were happy to do this. And it was like paying something they owed them, because as non-Jews they have been blessed spiritually by the Jews. So now they should use the material blessings they have to help the Jews. 28I am going to Jerusalem to make sure the poor get this money that has been given for them.

After I finish that, I will leave for Spain and stop to visit you on the way. 29And I know that when I visit you, I will bring you Christ’s full blessing.

30Brothers and sisters, I beg you to help me in my work by praying to God for me. Do this because of our Lord Jesus and the love that the Spirit gives us. 31Pray that I will be saved from those in Judea who refuse to accept our message. And pray that this help I am bringing to Jerusalem will please God’s people there. 32Then, if God wants me to, I will come to you. I will come with joy, and together you and I will have a time of rest. 33The God who gives peace be with you all. Amen.

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