Romans 15
15
1Those of us who are spiritually strong ought to support those who are spiritually weak. We shouldn't just please ourselves. 2We should all encourage others to do what's morally right, building them up. 3Christ didn't live to please himself, but as Scripture says of him, “The insults of those who abused you have fallen on me.”#15:3. Quoting Psalms 69:9. 4These Scriptures were written down in the past to help us understand, and to encourage us so that we could wait patiently in hope.
5May the God who gives patience and encouragement help you to be in full agreement among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that you can with one mind and with one voice together glorify God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
7So accept one another, just as Christ accepted you, and give God the glory. 8I maintain that Christ came as a servant to the Jews#15:8. Literally, “of circumcision.” to show God tells the truth, keeping the promises he made to their forefathers. 9He also came that foreigners could praise God for his mercy, as Scripture says, “Therefore I will praise you among the foreigners; I will sing praises to your name.”#15:9. Quoting Psalms 18:49. 10And also: “Foreigners, celebrate with his people!”#15:10. Quoting Deuteronomy 32:43. 11And again: “All you foreigners, praise the Lord, let all peoples praise him.”#15:11. Quoting Psalms 117:1. 12And again, Isaiah says, “Jesse's descendant will come to rule the nations, and foreigners will put their hope in him.”#15:12. Quoting Isaiah 11:10. “Jesse's descendant.” This refers to Jesse, the father of King David, who was the beginning of the royal line.
13May the God of hope completely fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you will overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit! 14I'm convinced that you, my brothers and sisters, are full of goodness, and that you are filled with every kind of knowledge, so you are well able to teach one another. 15I've been blunt in the way I have written to you about some of these things, but this is just to remind you. For God gave me grace 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the foreigners, like a priest sharing God's good news, so that they could become an acceptable offering, made holy by the Holy Spirit.
17So even though I have something to boast about because of my service for God, 18(I wouldn't dare talk about any of this except as Christ has done it through me), I have led foreigners to obedience through my teaching and demonstration, 19through the power of signs and miracles done with the Holy Spirit's power. From Jerusalem all the way over to Illyricum, everywhere I've shared fully the good news of Christ. 20In fact I was keen to spread the good news in places that hadn't heard the name of Christ, so that I wouldn't be building on what others have done. 21As Scripture says, “Those who haven't been told the good news will discover him, and those who haven't heard will understand.”#15:21. Quoting Isaiah 52:15
22That's why I was prevented so many times from coming to see you. 23But now, as there's nowhere left here to work, and since I've looked forward to visiting you for many years, 24when I go to Spain I hope to see you when I pass through. Maybe you can give me some help for my journey once we've enjoyed some time together. 25At the moment I'm on my way to Jerusalem to help the believers there, 26because the believers in Macedonia and Achaia thought it was a good idea to send a contribution to the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. 27They were happy to do this because they're in their debt.#15:27. Meaning that the foreigners are indebted to the Jews for sharing the good news of God. This particular instance applies specifically to the believers in Jerusalem, so the foreigners are happy to send a gift to help them. Now that foreigners are sharing their spiritual benefits, they owe it to the Jewish believers#15:27. Implied. to help them in material things. 28So once I've done this, and have safely delivered this contribution to them, I'll visit you on my way to Spain. 29I know that when I come, Christ will give us his full blessing.
30I want to encourage you, my brothers and sisters through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to join together in praying hard for me. 31Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea. Pray that my work in Jerusalem will be welcomed by the believers there. 32Pray that I will come to you with gladness, as God wills, so we can enjoy one another's company. 33May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
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Romans 15
15
1We who have strong faith should help the weak with their problems. We should not please only ourselves. 2Each of us should please our neighbors. Let us do what is good for them in order to build them up. 3Even Christ did not please himself. It is written, “The bad things people have said about you have been aimed at me also.” (Psalm 69:9) 4Everything written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us strength to go on. They encourage us and give us hope.
5Our God is a God who strengthens and encourages you. May he give you the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had. 6Then you can give glory to God with one mind and voice. He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Christ has accepted you. So accept one another in order to bring praise to God. 8I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews. He teaches us that God is true. He shows us that God will keep the promises he made to the founders of our nation. 9Jesus became a servant of the Jews. He did this so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercy. It is written,
“I will praise you among the Gentiles.
I will sing the praises of your name.” (2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49)
10Again it says,
“You Gentiles, be full of joy.
Be joyful together with God’s people.” (Deuteronomy 32:43)
11And again it says,
“All you Gentiles, praise the Lord.
Let all the nations sing praises to him.” (Psalm 117:1)
12And Isaiah says,
“The Root of Jesse will grow up quickly.
He will rule over the nations.
The Gentiles will put their hope in him.” (Isaiah 11:10)
13May the God who gives hope fill you with great joy. May you have perfect peace as you trust in him. May the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.
Paul Serves the Gentiles
14My brothers and sisters, I am sure that you are full of goodness. You are filled with knowledge and able to teach one another. 15But I have written to you very boldly about some things. I wanted to remind you of them again. The grace of God has allowed me 16to serve Christ Jesus among the Gentiles. I have the duty of a priest to preach God’s good news. Then the Gentiles will become an offering that pleases God. The Holy Spirit will make the offering holy.
17Because I belong to Christ Jesus, I can take pride in my work for God. 18I will speak about what Christ has done through me. I won’t try to speak about anything else. He has been leading the Gentiles to obey God. He has been doing this by what I have said and done. 19He has given me power to do signs and wonders. I can do these things by the power of the Spirit of God. From Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum I have finished preaching. In those places, I preached the good news about Christ. 20I have always wanted to preach the good news where Christ was not known. I don’t want to build on what someone else has started. 21It is written,
“Those who were not told about him will understand.
Those who have not heard will know what it all means.” (Isaiah 52:15)
22That’s why I have often been kept from coming to you.
Paul Plans to Visit Rome
23Now there is no more place for me to work in those areas. For many years I have wanted to visit you. 24So I plan to see you when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while I am passing through. And I hope you will help me on my journey there. But first I want to enjoy being with you for a while. 25Now I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve the Lord’s people there. 26The believers in Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to take an offering. It was for those who were poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. 27They were happy to do it. And of course they owe it to them. The Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings. So the Gentiles should share their earthly blessings with the Jews. 28I want to finish my task. I want to make sure that the poor in Jerusalem have received this offering. Then I will go to Spain. On my way I will visit you. 29I know that when I come to you, I will come with the full blessing of Christ.
30Brothers and sisters, I ask you to join me in my struggle. Join me by praying to God for me. I ask this through the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for me with the love the Holy Spirit provides. 31Pray that I will be kept safe from those in Judea who do not believe. I am taking the offering to Jerusalem. Pray that it will be welcomed by the Lord’s people there. 32Then I will come to you with joy just as God has planned. We will be renewed by being together. 33May the God who gives peace be with you all. Amen.
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