Romans 15
Expanded Bible
15 We who are ·strong in faith [L strong] should ·help [bear with; be patient with] the weak with their ·weaknesses [failings; struggles], and not please only ourselves. 2 Let each of us please our neighbors for their good, to ·help them be stronger in faith [edify them; build them up]. 3 [L For] Even Christ did not live to please himself. It was as the Scriptures said: “·When people insult you, it hurts me [L The insults of those who insulted you have fallen on me; Ps. 69:9].” 4 [L For] Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us ·patience [endurance] and encouragement so that we can have hope. 5 May ·the patience and encouragement that come from God [L the God of patience and encouragement] ·allow you to live in harmony with each other the way Christ Jesus wants [or grant you the same attitude with each other that Christ Jesus had]. 6 ·Then [L …so that] ·you will all be joined together and [L together with one voice/mouth] you will give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept each another, just as Christ accepted you. ·This will bring glory to God [or In this way Christ brought glory to God; L …to the glory of God]. 8 [L For] I tell you that Christ became a servant of the ·Jews [L circumcised] to ·show [confirm] that God’s promises to the ·Jewish ancestors [patriarchs; fathers] are true. 9 And he also did this so that the Gentiles could give glory to God for the mercy he gives to them. [L Just as] It is written in the Scriptures:
“So I will ·praise [confess] you among the ·Gentiles [nations].
I will sing ·praises [psalms] to your name [Ps. 18:49].”
10 ·The Scripture also [L And again it] says,
“·Be happy [Rejoice; Celebrate], you ·Gentiles [nations], together with his people [Deut. 32:43].”
11 ·Again the Scripture says [L And again],
“All you ·Gentiles [nations], praise the Lord.
All you people, sing praises to him [Ps. 117:1].”
12 And [L again] Isaiah says,
“·A new king will come from the family of Jesse [The root of Jesse will come/sprout; C Jesse was the father of King David].
He will ·come [rise up] to rule over the ·Gentiles [nations],
and they will ·have hope because of [put their hope in] him [Is. 11:10].”
13 I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with ·much [L all] joy and peace ·while you trust [because you trust; through your faith] in him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul Talks About His Work
14 My brothers and sisters, I am ·sure [fully convinced] that you are [indeed] full of goodness. I know that you ·have all the knowledge you need [L are filled with all knowledge] and that you are able to ·teach [instruct; admonish; warn] each other. 15 But I have written to you very ·openly [boldly] about some ·things [points; L parts] I wanted you to remember. I did this because ·God gave me this special gift [or of the grace God gave me]: 16 to be a ·minister [servant] of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I ·served God [or perform priestly service] ·by teaching his Good News [for the Good News/Gospel of/about God], so that the Gentiles could be an offering that God would accept—an offering ·made holy [sanctified; purified] by the Holy Spirit.
17 So I ·am proud [have a reason to boast] of what I have done for God in Christ Jesus. 18 I will not [dare] talk about anything except what Christ has done through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God. They have obeyed God because of what I have said and done, 19 because of the power of ·miracles [signs] and ·the great things they saw [wonders; marvels], ·and because of [or acccomplished through] the power of the Spirit of God. I have ·finished my work of preaching [fulfilled my commission to preach; or fully preached] the ·Good News [Gospel] from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum [C a Roman province northwest of Macedonia; modern Albania, Serbia and Montenegro]. 20 [So; In this way] I always ·want [or try; make it my ambition] to preach the ·Good News [Gospel] in places where ·people have never heard of Christ [L Christ has not been named], ·because I do not want [or in order not] to build on the ·work someone else has already started [L foundation of others]. 21 But [L as; just as] it is written in the Scriptures:
“Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard about him will understand [Is. 52:15].”
Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome
22 This is the reason I was ·stopped [hindered; or delayed] many times from coming to you. 23 [L But] Now I have ·finished my work here [L no more place (to work) in these regions]. Since for many years I have wanted to come to you, 24 I hope to visit you [while passing through] on my way to Spain. After I enjoy being with you for a while, I hope you can ·help [assist; support] me on my trip. 25 Now I am going to Jerusalem to ·help [minister to; provide a service for] ·God’s people [T the saints]. 26 The believers in Macedonia [C northern Greece] and Achaia [C southern Greece] were ·happy [pleased; or resolved] to ·give their money to help [make a contribution to; 1 Cor. 16:1–4; 2 Cor. 8—9] the poor among ·God’s people [T the saints] at Jerusalem. 27 They were ·happy [pleased; or resolved] to do this, and really they ·owe it [L are debtors] to them. These Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, so they should use their material ·possessions [or blessings] to ·help the Jews [L render service to them]. 28 [L Therefore] After I have completed this collection and ·delivered the money safely to them [L sealed this fruit for them; C uncertain idiom, likely indicating secure packaging or safe arrival of cargo], I will leave for Spain and stop and visit you. 29 I know that when I come to you ·I will bring Christ’s full blessing [or Christ will richly bless our time together; L I will come in the fullness of Christ’s blessing].
30 Brothers and sisters, I ·beg [urge; encourage] you to ·help [join; strive together with] me in my work by praying to God for me. Do this because of our Lord Jesus and the love ·that the Holy Spirit gives us [L of the Spirit]. 31 Pray that I will be ·saved [rescued; delivered] from the nonbelievers in Judea and that ·this help I bring [my ministry/service] to Jerusalem will ·please [be acceptable to; be well received by] ·God’s people [T the saints] there. 32 Then, ·if God wants me to [by God’s will], I will come to you with joy, and together you and I will ·have a time of rest [be refreshed]. 33 [Now may] The God who gives peace be with you all. Amen.
Romans 15
Amplified Bible
Self-denial on Behalf of Others
15 Now we who are strong [in our convictions and faith] ought to [patiently] put up with the weaknesses of those who are not strong, and not just please ourselves. 2 Let each one of us [make it a practice to] please his [a]neighbor for his good, to build him up spiritually. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written [in Scripture], “The reproaches of those who reproached You (the Father) fell on Me (the Son).”(A) 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope and overflow with confidence in His promises. 5 Now may the God who gives endurance and who supplies encouragement grant that you be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify and praise and honor the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Therefore, [continue to] accept and welcome one another, just as Christ has accepted and welcomed us to the glory of [our great] God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant and a minister to the circumcision (Jews) on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm and verify the promises made to the fathers, 9 and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy [to them, since God had no covenant with them]. As it is written and forever remains written,
“Therefore I praise You among the Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your name.”(B)
10 Again it says,
“Rejoice and celebrate, O Gentiles, along with His people.”(C)
11 And again,
“Praise the Lord all you Gentiles,
And let all the peoples praise Him!”(D)
12 Again Isaiah says,
“There shall be a root of [b]Jesse,
He who arises to rule [as King] over the Gentiles,
In Him shall the Gentiles hope.”(E)
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.
14 Personally I am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, amply filled with all [spiritual] knowledge, and competent to admonish and counsel and instruct one another. 15 Still, on some points I have written to you very boldly and without reservation to remind you [about them] again, because of the grace that was given to me from God, 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I minister as a priest the gospel of God, in order that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable [to Him], sanctified [made holy and set apart for His purpose] by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have found [legitimate] reason for boasting in things related [to my service] to God. 18 For I will not [even] presume to speak of anything except what Christ has done through me [as an instrument in His hands], resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles [to the gospel], by word and deed, 19 with the power of signs and wonders, [and all of it] in the power of the Spirit. So [starting] from Jerusalem and as far away as [c]Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel [faithfully preaching the good news] of Christ [where it had not before been preached]. 20 Accordingly I set a goal to preach the gospel, not where Christ’s name was already known, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; 21 but [instead I would act on this goal] as it is written [in Scripture],
“They who had no news of Him shall see,
And they who have not heard [of Him] shall understand.”(F)
22 This [goal—my commitment to this principle] is the reason why I have often been prevented from coming to you [in Rome]. 23 But now, with no further place for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you— 24 whenever I go [on my trip] to Spain—I hope to see you as I pass through [Rome], and to be helped on my journey there by you, after I have first enjoyed your company for a little while. 25 But for now, I am going to Jerusalem to serve the saints (Jewish believers). 26 For [Gentile believers in] [d]Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints (Jewish believers) in Jerusalem. 27 They were pleased to do it, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual things, then they are indebted to serve them also in [tangible] material things. 28 Therefore, when I have finished this [mission] and have safely given to them what has been raised, I will go on by way of you to Spain. 29 I know that when I do come to you, I will come in the abundant blessing of Christ.
30 I urge you, believers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join together with me in your prayers to God in my behalf, 31 [and pray] that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints (Jewish believers) there; 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and find rest in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all! Amen.
Footnotes
- Romans 15:2 I.e. all those with whom we have contact.
- Romans 15:12 Jesse was the father of David the king, and Jesus (the Messiah) was a descendant of David.
- Romans 15:19 Located nearly 1,400 miles from Jerusalem, Illyricum was a Roman province of economic and strategic importance. It was a large region north of Macedonia located between the Adriatic Sea and the Danube River, and was known for its commercial seaports and gold mines. The great Roman road, Via Egnatia, started in Illyricum and ran eastward to Byzantium.
- Romans 15:26 In addition to Macedonia and Achaia some churches in Asia Minor also contributed to this offering.
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