¹⁵ So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.

²⁰ My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.

¹⁷ If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust.

¹⁵ Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended. ¹⁶ Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory.

¹³ But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.”

⁸ She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time.

³⁸ So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

⁸ Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

¹⁸ But the Lord told him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good,

¹² Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.