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15 Los fuertes en la fe debemos apoyar a los débiles, en vez de hacer lo que nos agrada. Cada uno debe agradar al prójimo para su bien, con el fin de edificarlo. Porque ni siquiera Cristo se agradó a sí mismo, sino que, como está escrito: «Sobre mí han recaído los insultos de tus detractores».[a] De hecho, todo lo que se escribió en el pasado se escribió para enseñarnos, a fin de que, alentados por las Escrituras, perseveremos en mantener nuestra esperanza.

Que el Dios que infunde aliento y perseverancia os conceda vivir juntos en armonía, conforme al ejemplo de Cristo Jesús, para que con un solo corazón y a una sola voz glorifiquéis al Dios y Padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.

Por tanto, aceptaos mutuamente, así como Cristo os aceptó a vosotros para gloria de Dios. Os digo que Cristo se hizo servidor de los judíos[b] para demostrar la fidelidad de Dios, a fin de confirmar las promesas hechas a los patriarcas, y para que los gentiles glorifiquen a Dios por su compasión, como está escrito:

«Por eso te alabaré entre las naciones;
    cantaré salmos a tu nombre».[c]

10 En otro pasaje dice:

«Alegraos, naciones, con el pueblo de Dios».[d]

11 Y en otra parte:

«¡Alabad al Señor, naciones todas!
    ¡Pueblos todos, cantadle alabanzas!»[e]

12 A su vez, Isaías afirma:

«Brotará la raíz de Isaí,
    el que se levantará para gobernar a las naciones;
en él los pueblos pondrán su esperanza».[f]

13 Que el Dios de la esperanza os llene de toda alegría y paz a vosotros que creéis en él, para que reboséis de esperanza por el poder del Espíritu Santo.

Pablo, ministro de los gentiles

14 Por mi parte, hermanos míos, estoy seguro de que vosotros mismos rebosáis de bondad, abundáis en conocimiento y estáis capacitados para instruiros unos a otros. 15 Sin embargo, os he escrito con mucha franqueza sobre algunos asuntos, como para refrescaros la memoria. Me he atrevido a hacerlo por causa de la gracia que Dios me dio 16 para ser ministro de Cristo Jesús a los gentiles. Yo tengo el deber sacerdotal de proclamar el evangelio de Dios, a fin de que los gentiles lleguen a ser una ofrenda aceptable a Dios, santificada por el Espíritu Santo.

17 Por tanto, mi servicio a Dios es para mí motivo de orgullo en Cristo Jesús. 18 No me atreveré a hablar de nada sino de lo que Cristo ha hecho por medio de mí para que los gentiles lleguen a obedecer a Dios. Lo ha hecho con palabras y obras, 19 mediante poderosas señales y milagros, por el poder del Espíritu de Dios. Así que, habiendo comenzado en Jerusalén, he completado la proclamación del evangelio de Cristo por todas partes, hasta la región de Iliria. 20 En efecto, mi propósito ha sido predicar el evangelio donde Cristo no sea conocido, para no edificar sobre fundamento ajeno. 21 Más bien, como está escrito:

«Los que nunca habían recibido noticia de él lo verán;
    y entenderán los que no habían oído hablar de él».[g]

22 Este trabajo es lo que muchas veces me ha impedido ir a visitaros.

Pablo piensa visitar Roma

23 Pero ahora que ya no me queda un lugar dónde trabajar en estas regiones, y como desde hace muchos años anhelo veros, 24 tengo planes de visitaros cuando vaya rumbo a España. Espero que, después de que haya disfrutado de vuestra compañía por algún tiempo, me ayudéis a continuar el viaje. 25 Por ahora, voy a Jerusalén para llevar ayuda a los hermanos, 26 ya que Macedonia y Acaya tuvieron a bien hacer una colecta para los hermanos pobres de Jerusalén. 27 Lo hicieron de buena voluntad, aunque en realidad era su obligación hacerlo. Porque, si los gentiles han participado de las bendiciones espirituales de los judíos, están en deuda con ellos para servirles con las bendiciones materiales. 28 Así que, una vez que yo haya cumplido esta tarea y entregado en sus manos este fruto, saldré para España y de paso os visitaré a vosotros. 29 Sé que, cuando os visite, iré con la abundante bendición de Cristo.

30 Os ruego, hermanos, por nuestro Señor Jesucristo y por el amor del Espíritu, que os unáis conmigo en esta lucha y que oréis a Dios por mí. 31 Pedidle que me libre de caer en manos de los incrédulos que están en Judea, y que los hermanos de Jerusalén reciban bien la ayuda que les llevo. 32 De este modo, por la voluntad de Dios, llegaré a vosotros con alegría y podré descansar entre vosotros por algún tiempo. 33 El Dios de paz sea con todos vosotros. Amén.

Footnotes

  1. 15:3 Sal 69:9
  2. 15:8 de los judíos. Lit. de la circuncisión.
  3. 15:9 2S 22:50; Sal 18:49
  4. 15:10 Dt 32:43
  5. 15:11 Sal 117:1
  6. 15:12 Is 11:10
  7. 15:21 Is 52:15

Chapter 15

Patience and Self-Denial. We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves;(A) let each of us please our neighbor for the good, for building up.(B) For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written,(C) “The insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”[a] For whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.(D) May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony[b] with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus,(E) that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s Fidelity and Mercy.[c] Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.(F) For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs,(G) but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles
    and sing praises to your name.”(H)

10 And again it says:(I)

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”[d]

11 And again:

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
    and let all the peoples praise him.”(J)

12 And again Isaiah says:

“The root of Jesse shall come,
    raised up to rule the Gentiles;
in him shall the Gentiles hope.”(K)

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

VII. Conclusion

Apostle to the Gentiles. 14 [e]I myself am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness,[f] filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another. 15 But I have written to you rather boldly in some respects to remind you, because of the grace given me by God(M) 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in performing the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the holy Spirit.(N) 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast in what pertains to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,(O) 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit [of God], so that from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum[g] I have finished preaching the gospel of Christ. 20 Thus I aspire[h] to proclaim the gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another’s foundation,(P) 21 but as it is written:(Q)

“Those who have never been told of him shall see,
    and those who have never heard of him shall understand.”[i]

Paul’s Plans; Need for Prayers. 22 That is why I have so often been prevented from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any opportunity in these regions and since I have desired to come to you for many years,(R) 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain and to be sent on my way there by you, after I have enjoyed being with you for a time.(S) 25 [j]Now, however, I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the holy ones.(T) 26 For Macedonia and Achaia[k] have decided to make some contribution for the poor among the holy ones in Jerusalem;(U) 27 they decided to do it, and in fact they are indebted to them, for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to serve them in material blessings.(V) 28 So when I have completed this and safely handed over this contribution to them, I shall set out by way of you to Spain; 29 and I know that in coming to you I shall come in the fullness of Christ’s blessing.

30 I urge you, [brothers,] by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in the struggle by your prayers to God on my behalf,(W) 31 that I may be delivered from the disobedient in Judea, and that my ministry for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the holy ones, 32 so that I may come to you with joy by the will of God and be refreshed together with you. 33 The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.(X)

Footnotes

  1. 15:3 Liberation from the law of Moses does not make the scriptures of the old covenant irrelevant. Much consolation and motivation for Christian living can be derived from the Old Testament, as in the citation from Ps 69:10. Because this psalm is quoted several times in the New Testament, it has been called indirectly messianic.
  2. 15:5 Think in harmony: a Greco-Roman ideal. Not rigid uniformity of thought and expression but thoughtful consideration of other people’s views finds expression here.
  3. 15:7–13 True oneness of mind is found in pondering the ultimate mission of the church: to bring it about that God’s name be glorified throughout the world and that Jesus Christ be universally recognized as God’s gift to all humanity. Paul here prepares his addressees for the climactic appeal he is about to make.
  4. 15:10 Paul’s citation of Dt 32:43 follows the Greek version.
  5. 15:14–33 Paul sees himself as apostle and benefactor in the priestly service of the gospel and so sketches plans for a mission in Spain, supported by those in Rome.
  6. 15:14 Full of goodness: the opposite of what humanity was filled with according to Rom 1:29–30.
  7. 15:19 Illyricum: Roman province northwest of Greece on the eastern shore of the Adriatic.
  8. 15:20 I aspire: Paul uses terminology customarily applied to philanthropists. Unlike some philanthropists of his time, Paul does not engage in cheap competition for public acclaim. This explanation of his missionary policy is to assure the Christians in Rome that he is also not planning to remain in that city and build on other people’s foundations (cf. 2 Cor 10:12–18). However, he does solicit their help in sending him on his way to Spain, which was considered the limit of the western world. Thus Paul’s addressees realize that evangelization may be understood in the broader sense of mission or, as in Rom 1:15, of instruction within the Christian community that derives from the gospel.
  9. 15:21 The citation from Is 52:15 concerns the Servant of the Lord. According to Isaiah, the Servant is first of all Israel, which was to bring the knowledge of Yahweh to the nations. In Rom 9–11 Paul showed how Israel failed in this mission. Therefore, he himself undertakes almost singlehandedly Israel’s responsibility as the Servant and moves as quickly as possible with the gospel through the Roman empire.
  10. 15:25–27 Paul may have viewed the contribution he was gathering from Gentile Christians for the poor in Jerusalem (cf. 2 Cor 8–9) as a fulfillment of the vision of Is 60:5–6. In confidence that the messianic fulfillment was taking place, Paul stresses in Rom 14–16 the importance of harmonious relationships between Jews and Gentiles.
  11. 15:26 Achaia: the Roman province of southern Greece.