Romans 15:1-21

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Pleasing Others, Not Ourselves

15 Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength,^(A) and not to please ourselves. ²Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.^(B) ³For even the Messiah did not please Himself.^(C) On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.^(D)^[a] ⁴For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction,^(E) so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. ⁵Now may the God who gives^[b] endurance and encouragement^(F) allow you to live in harmony with one another,^(G) according to the command of Christ Jesus, ⁶so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ^(H) with a united mind and voice.

Glorifying God Together

⁷Therefore accept one another,^(I) just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory of God. ⁸For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised^[c] on behalf of God’s truth,^(J) to confirm the promises to the fathers,^(K) ⁹and so that Gentiles^(L) may glorify God for His mercy.^(M) As it is written:

Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles,
and I will sing psalms to Your name.^(N)^[d]

¹⁰Again it says: Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people!^(O)^[e] ¹¹And again:

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
all the peoples should praise Him!^(P)^[f]

¹²And again, Isaiah says:

The root of Jesse^(Q) will appear,
the One who rises to rule the Gentiles;
the Gentiles will hope in Him.^(R)^[g]

¹³Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him^(S) so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.^(T)

From Jerusalem to Illyricum

¹⁴My brothers, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness,^(U) filled with all knowledge,^(V) and able to instruct one another. ¹⁵Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points^[h] because of the grace given me by God^(W) ¹⁶to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,^(X) serving as a priest of God’s good news.^(Y) My purpose is that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable,^(Z) sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus^(AA) regarding what pertains to God.^(AB) ¹⁸For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me^(AC) to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, ¹⁹by the power of miraculous signs and wonders,^(AD) and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the good news about the Messiah from Jerusalem^(AE) all the way around to Illyricum.^[i]^(AF) ²⁰My aim is to evangelize where Christ has not been named,^(AG) so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation,^(AH) ²¹but, as it is written: