Romans 14-16 (Contemporary English Version)

Romans 14

Don't Criticize Others

 ¹Welcome all the Lord's followers, even those whose faith is weak. Don't criticize them for having beliefs that are different from yours. ²Some think it is all right to eat anything, while those whose faith is weak will eat only vegetables. ³But you should not criticize others for eating or for not eating. After all, God welcomes everyone. ⁴What right do you have to criticize someone else's servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right, and the Lord will make sure that they do right.

    ⁵Some of the Lord's followers think one day is more important than another. Others think all days are the same. But each of you should make up your own mind. ⁶Any followers who count one day more important than another day do it to honor their Lord. And any followers who eat meat give thanks to God, just like the ones who don't eat meat.

    ⁷Whether we live or die, it must be for God, rather than for ourselves. ⁸Whether we live or die, it must be for the Lord. Alive or dead, we still belong to the Lord. ⁹This is because Christ died and rose to life, so that he would be the Lord of the dead and of the living. ¹⁰Why do you criticize other followers of the Lord? Why do you look down on them? The day is coming when God will judge all of us. ¹¹In the Scriptures God says,

   "I swear by my very life

   that everyone will kneel down

   and praise my name!"

    ¹²And so, each of us must give an account to God for what we do.

   

Don't Cause Problems for Others

 ¹³We must stop judging others. We must also make up our minds not to upset anyone's faith. ¹⁴The Lord Jesus has made it clear to me that God considers all foods fit to eat. But if you think some foods are unfit to eat, then for you they are not fit.

    ¹⁵If you are hurting others by the foods you eat, you are not guided by love. Don't let your appetite destroy someone Christ died for. ¹⁶Don't let your right to eat bring shame to Christ. ¹⁷God's kingdom isn't about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸If you serve Christ in this way, you will please God and be respected by people. ¹⁹We should try ^[a] to live at peace and help each other have a strong faith. ²⁰Don't let your appetite destroy what God has done. All foods are fit to eat, but it is wrong to cause problems for others by what you eat. ²¹It is best not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that causes problems for other followers of the Lord. ²²What you believe about these things should be kept between you and God. You are fortunate, if your actions don't make you have doubts. ²³But if you do have doubts about what you eat, you are going against your beliefs. And you know that is wrong, because anything you do against your beliefs is sin.

   

Romans 15

Please Others and Not Yourself

 ¹If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord's followers whose faith is weak. We should try to please them instead of ourselves. ²We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. ³Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, "The people who insulted you also insulted me." ⁴And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope. ⁵God is the one who makes us patient and cheerful. I pray that he will help you live at peace with each other, as you follow Christ. ⁶Then all of you together will praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

   

The Good News Is for Jews and Gentiles

 ⁷Honor God by accepting each other, as Christ has accepted you. ⁸I tell you that Christ came as a servant of the Jews to show that God has kept the promises he made to their famous ancestors. Christ also came, ⁹so that the Gentiles would praise God for being kind to them. It is just as the Scriptures say,

   "I will tell the nations

   about you,

   and I will sing praises

   to your name."

    ¹⁰The Scriptures also say to the Gentiles, "Come and celebrate with God's people."

    ¹¹Again the Scriptures say,

   "Praise the Lord,

   all you Gentiles.

   All you nations, come

   and worship him."

    ¹²Isaiah says,

   "Someone from David's family

   will come to power.

   He will rule the nations,

   and they will put their hope

   in him."

    ¹³I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.

   

Paul's Work as a Missionary

 ¹⁴My friends, I am sure that you are very good and that you have all the knowledge you need to teach each other. ¹⁵But I have spoken to you plainly and have tried to remind you of some things. God was so kind to me! ¹⁶He chose me to be a servant of Christ Jesus for the Gentiles and to do the work of a priest in the service of his good news. God did this so that the Holy Spirit could make the Gentiles into a holy offering, pleasing to him.

    ¹⁷Because of Christ Jesus, I can take pride in my service for God. ¹⁸In fact, all I will talk about is how Christ let me speak and work, so that the Gentiles would obey him. ¹⁹Indeed, I will tell how Christ worked miracles and wonders by the power of the Holy Spirit. I have preached the good news about him all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum. ²⁰But I have always tried to preach where people have never heard about Christ. I am like a builder who doesn't build on anyone else's foundation. ²¹It is just as the Scriptures say,

   "All who haven't been told

   about him

   will see him,

   and those who haven't heard

   about him

   will understand."

   

Paul's Plan To Visit Rome

 ²²My work has always kept me from coming to see you. ²³Now there is nothing left for me to do in this part of the world, and for years I have wanted to visit you. ²⁴So I plan to stop off on my way to Spain. Then after a short, but refreshing, visit with you, I hope you will quickly send me on.

    ^25-26I am now on my way to Jerusalem to deliver the money that the Lord's followers in Macedonia and Achaia collected for God's needy people. ²⁷This is something they really wanted to do. But sharing their money with the Jews was also like paying back a debt, because the Jews had already shared their spiritual blessings with the Gentiles. ²⁸After I have safely delivered this money, I will visit you and then go on to Spain. ²⁹And when I do arrive in Rome, I know it will be with the full blessings of Christ.

    ³⁰My friends, by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that comes from the Holy Spirit, I beg you to pray sincerely with me and for me. ³¹Pray that God will protect me from the unbelievers in Judea, and that his people in Jerusalem will be pleased with what I am doing. ³²Ask God to let me come to you and have a pleasant and refreshing visit. ³³I pray that God, who gives peace, will be with all of you. Amen.

   

Romans 16

Personal Greetings

 ¹I have good things to say about Phoebe, who is a leader in the church at Cenchreae. ²Welcome her in a way that is proper for someone who has faith in the Lord and is one of God's own people. Help her in any way you can. After all, she has proved to be a respected leader for many others, including me.

    ³Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila. They have not only served Christ Jesus together with me, ⁴but they have even risked their lives for me. I am grateful for them and so are all the Gentile churches. ⁵Greet the church that meets in their home.

   Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who was the first person in Asia to have faith in Christ.

    ⁶Greet Mary, who has worked so hard for you.

    ⁷Greet my relatives ^[b] Andronicus and Junias, ^[c] who were in jail with me. They are highly respected by the apostles and were followers of Christ before I was. ⁸Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend whose faith is in the Lord.

    ⁹Greet Urbanus, who serves Christ along with us.

   Greet my dear friend Stachys.

    ¹⁰Greet Apelles, a faithful servant of Christ.

   Greet Aristobulus and his family.

    ¹¹Greet Herodion, who is a relative ^[d] of mine. Greet Narcissus and the others in his family, who have faith in the Lord.

    ¹²Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who work hard for the Lord.

   Greet my dear friend Persis. She also works hard for the Lord.

    ¹³Greet Rufus, that special servant of the Lord, and greet his mother, who has been like a mother to me.

    ¹⁴Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, and Hermas, as well as our friends who are with them.

    ¹⁵Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all of God's people who are with them.

    ¹⁶Be sure to give each other a warm greeting.

   All of Christ's churches greet you.

    ¹⁷My friends, I beg you to watch out for anyone who causes trouble and divides the church by refusing to do what all of you were taught. Stay away from them! ¹⁸They want to serve themselves and not Christ the Lord. Their flattery and fancy talk fool people who don't know any better. ¹⁹I am glad that everyone knows how well you obey the Lord. But still, I want you to understand what is good and not have anything to do with evil. ²⁰Then God, who gives peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet. I pray that our Lord Jesus will be kind to you.

    ²¹Timothy, who works with me, sends his greetings, and so do my relatives, ^[e] Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater. ²²I, Tertius, also send my greetings. I am a follower of the Lord, and I wrote this letter. ^{[f] 23-24}Gaius welcomes me and the whole church into his home, and he sends his greetings.

   Erastus, the city treasurer, and our dear friend Quartus send their greetings too. ^[g]

Paul's Closing Prayer

 ²⁵Praise God! He can make you strong by means of my good news, which is the message about ^[h] Jesus Christ. For ages and ages this message was kept secret, ²⁶but now at last it has been told. The eternal God commanded his prophets to write about the good news, so that all nations would obey and have faith. ²⁷And now, because of Jesus Christ, we can praise the only wise God forever! Amen. ^[i]