Romans 14-16 (English Standard Version)

Romans 14

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

 ¹As for^(A) the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. ^2(B) One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. ³Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and^(C) let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. ^4(D) Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master^[a] that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

 ^5(E) One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike.^(F) Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since^(G) he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. ⁷For^(H) none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. ⁸For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then,^(I) whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹For to this end Christ^(J) died and lived again, that he might be Lord both^(K) of the dead and of the living.

 ¹⁰Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For^(L) we will all stand before^(M) the judgment seat of God; ¹¹for it is written,

   ^(N) "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
   and every tongue shall confess^[b] to God."

 ¹²So then^(O) each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Do Not Cause Another to Stumble

 ^13(P) Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide^(Q) never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. ¹⁴I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus^(R) that nothing is unclean in itself,^(S) but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. ¹⁵For if your brother is grieved by what you eat,^(T) you are no longer walking in love.^(U) By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. ^16(V) So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. ^17(W) For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but^(X) of righteousness and^(Y) peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸Whoever thus serves Christ is^(Z) acceptable to God and approved by men. ¹⁹So then let us^(AA) pursue what makes for peace and for^(AB) mutual upbuilding.

 ^20(AC) Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.^(AD) Everything is indeed clean, but^(AE) it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. ^21(AF) It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.^{[c] 22}The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God.^(AG) Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. ²³But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.^[d]

Romans 15

The Example of Christ

 ^1(AH) We who are strong^(AI) have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ^2(AJ) Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. ³For^(AK) Christ did not please himself, but as it is written,^(AL) "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me." ⁴For^(AM) whatever was written in former days was written for our^(AN) instruction, that through endurance and through^(AO) the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. ⁵May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you^(AP) to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, ⁶that together you may with one voice glorify^(AQ) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

 ⁸For I tell you that Christ^(AR) became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order^(AS) to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, ⁹and in order^(AT) that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

   ^(AU) "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
   and sing to your name."

 ¹⁰And again it is said,

   ^(AV) "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."

 ¹¹And again,

   ^(AW) "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
   and let all the peoples extol him."

 ¹²And again Isaiah says,

   ^{(AX) (AY)} "The root of Jesse will come,
   even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
^(AZ) in him will the Gentiles hope."

 ¹³May the God of hope fill you with all^(BA) joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

 ^14(BB) I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,^[e] that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with^(BC) all knowledge and able to instruct one another. ¹⁵But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder,^(BD) because of the grace given me by God ¹⁶to be^(BE) a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles^(BF) in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that^(BG) the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷In Christ Jesus, then, I have^(BH) reason to be proud of^(BI) my work for God. ¹⁸For I will not venture to speak of anything except^(BJ) what Christ has accomplished through me^(BK) to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, ^19(BL) by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that^(BM) from Jerusalem and all the way around^(BN) to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; ²⁰and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named,^(BO) lest I build on someone else’s foundation, ²¹but as it is written,

   ^(BP) "Those who have never been told of him will see,
   and those who have never heard will understand."

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

 ²²This is the reason why^(BQ) I have so often been hindered from coming to you. ²³But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and^(BR) since I have longed for many years to come to you, ²⁴I hope to see you in passing as I go^(BS) to Spain, and^(BT) to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. ²⁵At present, however,^(BU) I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. ²⁶For^(BV) Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. ²⁷For they were pleased to do it, and indeed^(BW) they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. ²⁸When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,^[f] I will leave^(BX) for Spain by way of you. ²⁹I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing^[g] of Christ.

 ³⁰I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by^(BY) the love of the Spirit,^(BZ) to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, ^31(CA) that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that^(CB) my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, ³²so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and^(CC) be refreshed in your company. ³³May^(CD) the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Romans 16

Personal Greetings

 ¹I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant^[h] of the church at^(CE) Cenchreae, ²that you^(CF) may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

 ³Greet^(CG) Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, ⁴who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. ⁵Greet also^(CH) the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was^(CI) the first convert^[i] to Christ in Asia. ⁶Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. ⁷Greet Andronicus and Junia,^[j] my kinsmen and my^(CJ) fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,^[k] and they were in Christ before me. ⁸Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. ⁹Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. ¹⁰Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those^(CK) who belong to the family of Aristobulus. ¹¹Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. ¹²Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. ¹³Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. ¹⁴Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers^[l] who are with them. ¹⁵Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. ^16(CL) Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Final Instructions and Greetings

 ¹⁷I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles^(CM) contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught;^(CN) avoid them. ¹⁸For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but^(CO) their own appetites,^[m] and^(CP) by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. ¹⁹For^(CQ) your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you^(CR) to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. ^20(CS) The God of peace^(CT) will soon crush Satan under your feet.^(CU) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

 ^21(CV) Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

 ²²I Tertius,^(CW) who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

 ^23(CX) Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.^[n]

Doxology

 ^25(CY) Now to him who is able to strengthen you^(CZ) according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,^(DA) according to the revelation of the mystery^(DB) that was kept secret for^(DC) long ages ²⁶but^(DD) has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God,^(DE) to bring about the obedience of faith— ²⁷to^(DF) the only wise God^(DG) be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.