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Romans 15
Easy-to-Read Version

15 Some of us have no problem with these things. So we should be patient with those who are not so strong and have doubts. We should not do what pleases us 2 but do what pleases them and is for their good. We should do whatever helps everyone grow stronger in faith. 3 Even Christ did not live trying to please himself. As the Scriptures say about him, “Those people who insulted you have also insulted me.”[a] 4 Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. Those things were written so that we could have hope. That hope comes from the patience and encouragement that the Scriptures give us. 5 All patience and encouragement come from God. And I pray that God will help you all agree with each other, as Christ Jesus wants. 6 Then you will all be joined together. And all together you will give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other. This will bring honor[b] to God. 8 I tell you that Christ became a servant of the Jews to show that God has done what he promised their great ancestors. 9 Christ also did this so that the non-Jewish people could praise God for the mercy he gives to them. The Scriptures say,

“So I will give thanks to you among the people of other nations;
    I will sing praise to your name.” (A)

10 And the Scriptures say,

“You people of other nations should be happy together with God’s people.” (B)

11 The Scriptures also say,

“Praise the Lord all you people of other nations;
    all people should praise the Lord.” (C)

12 And Isaiah says,

“Someone will come from Jesse’s family.[c]
    He will come to rule over the nations,
and they will put their hope in him.” (D)

13 I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul Talks About His Work

14 My brothers and sisters, I know without a doubt that you are full of goodness and have all the knowledge you need. So you are certainly able to counsel each other. 15 But I have written to you very openly about some things that I wanted you to remember. I did this because God gave me this special gift: 16 to be a servant of Christ Jesus for those who are not Jews. I serve like a priest whose duty it is to tell God’s Good News. He gave me this work so that you non-Jewish people could be an offering that he will accept—an offering made holy by the Holy Spirit.

17 That is why I feel so good about what I have done for God in my service to Christ Jesus. 18 I will not talk about anything I did myself. I will talk only about what Christ has done with me in leading the non-Jewish people to obey God. They have obeyed him because of what I have said and done. 19 And they obeyed him because of the power of the miraculous signs and wonders that happened—all because of the power of God’s Spirit. I have told people the Good News about Christ in every place from Jerusalem to Illyricum. And so I have finished that part of my work. 20 I always want to tell the Good News in places where people have never heard of Christ. I do this because I don’t want to build on the work that someone else has already started. 21 But as the Scriptures say,

“Those who were not told about him will see,
    and those who have not heard about him will understand.” (E)

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

22 That’s what has kept me so busy and prevented my coming to see you even though I have wanted to come many times.

23 Now I have finished my work in these areas. And for many years I have wanted to visit you. 24 So I will visit you when I go to Spain. Yes, I hope to visit you while I am traveling to Spain, and I will stay and enjoy being with you. Then you can help me continue on my trip.

25 Now I am going to Jerusalem to help God’s people there. 26 Some of them are poor, and the believers in Macedonia and Achaia wanted to help them. So they gathered some money to send them. 27 They were happy to do this. And it was like paying something they owed them, because as non-Jews they have been blessed spiritually by the Jews. So now they should use the material blessings they have to help the Jews. 28 I am going to Jerusalem to make sure the poor get this money that has been given for them.

After I finish that, I will leave for Spain and stop to visit you on the way. 29 And I know that when I visit you, I will bring you Christ’s full blessing.

30 Brothers and sisters, I beg you to help me in my work by praying to God for me. Do this because of our Lord Jesus and the love that the Spirit gives us. 31 Pray that I will be saved from those in Judea who refuse to accept our message. And pray that this help I am bringing to Jerusalem will please God’s people there. 32 Then, if God wants me to, I will come to you. I will come with joy, and together you and I will have a time of rest. 33 The God who gives peace be with you all. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 15:3 Quote from Ps. 69:9.
  2. Romans 15:7 honor Or “glory.” See “glory” in the Word List.
  3. Romans 15:12 Jesse’s family Jesse was the father of David, king of Israel. Jesus was from their family.
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Romans 15
New English Translation

Exhortation for the Strong to Help the Weak

15 But we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not just please ourselves.[a] 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself, but just as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”[b] 4 For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope. 5 Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another[c] in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Exhortation to Mutual Acceptance

7 Receive one another, then, just as Christ also received you, to God’s glory. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised[d] on behalf of God’s truth to confirm the promises made to the fathers,[e] 9 and thus the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy.[f] As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.”[g] 10 And again it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”[h] 11 And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.”[i] 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, and the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope.”[j] 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him,[k] so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s Motivation for Writing the Letter

14 But I myself am fully convinced about you, my brothers and sisters,[l] that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. 15 But I have written more boldly to you on some points so as to remind you, because of the grace given to me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I serve[m] the gospel of God[n] like a priest, so that the Gentiles may become an acceptable offering,[o] sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

17 So I boast[p] in Christ Jesus about the things that pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience[q] of the Gentiles, by word and deed, 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And in this way I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, 21 but as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”[r]

Paul’s Intention of Visiting the Romans

22 This is the reason I was often hindered from coming to you. 23 But now there is nothing more to keep me[s] in these regions, and I have for many years desired[t] to come to you 24 when I go to Spain. For I hope to visit you when I pass through and that you will help me[u] on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.

25 But now I go to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia are pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do this, and indeed they are indebted to the Jerusalem saints.[v] For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are obligated also to minister to them in material things. 28 Therefore after I have completed this and have safely delivered this bounty to them,[w] I will set out for Spain by way of you, 29 and I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of Christ’s blessing.

30 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters,[x] through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to join fervently with me in prayer to God on my behalf. 31 Pray[y] that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea and that my ministry in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 Now may the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.[z]

Footnotes

  1. Romans 15:1 tn Grk “and not please ourselves.” NT Greek negatives used in contrast like this are often not absolute, but relative: “not so much one as the other.”
  2. Romans 15:3 sn A quotation from Ps 69:9.
  3. Romans 15:5 tn Grk “grant you to think the same among one another.”
  4. Romans 15:8 tn Grk “of the circumcision”; that is, the Jews.
  5. Romans 15:8 tn Or “to the patriarchs.”
  6. Romans 15:9 tn There are two major syntactical alternatives which are both awkward: (1) One could make “glorify” dependent on “Christ has become a minister” and coordinate with “to confirm” and the result would be rendered “Christ has become a minister of circumcision to confirm the promises…and so that the Gentiles might glorify God.” (2) One could make “glorify” dependent on “I tell you” and coordinate with “Christ has become a minister” and the result would be rendered “I tell you that Christ has become a minister of circumcision…and that the Gentiles glorify God.” The second rendering is preferred.
  7. Romans 15:9 sn A quotation from Ps 18:49.
  8. Romans 15:10 sn A quotation from Deut 32:43.
  9. Romans 15:11 sn A quotation from Ps 117:1.
  10. Romans 15:12 sn A quotation from Isa 11:10.
  11. Romans 15:13 tn Grk “in the believing” or “as [you] believe,” with the object “him” supplied from the context. The referent could be God (15:13a) or Christ (15:12).
  12. Romans 15:14 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.
  13. Romans 15:16 tn Grk “serving.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but in keeping with contemporary English style, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  14. Romans 15:16 tn The genitive in the phrase τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ (to euangelion tou theou, “the gospel of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or an objective genitive (“the gospel about God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself.
  15. Romans 15:16 tn Grk “so that the offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable.” This could be understood to refer to an offering belonging to the Gentiles (a possessive genitive) or made by the Gentiles (subjective genitive), but more likely the phrase should be understood as an appositive genitive, with the Gentiles themselves consisting of the offering (so J. D. G. Dunn, Romans [WBC 38], 2:860). The latter view is reflected in the translation “so that the Gentiles may become an acceptable offering.”
  16. Romans 15:17 tc ‡ After οὖν (oun), several significant Alexandrian and Western mss (B C D F G 81 365) have τήν (tēn). The article is lacking in א A Ψ 33 1175 1241 1505 1739 1881 M however. P46 supplies a relative pronoun and has a different reading entirely (“which I have [as a] boast”). Articles were frequently introduced to clarify the meaning of the text. In this instance, since the word modified (καύχησιν, kauchēsin) is third declension, a visual oversight (resulting in omission) is less likely. Hence, the shorter reading is probably earlier. The difference in translation between these first two options is negligible (“I have the boast” or “I have a boast”). NA28 puts the article in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.tn Grk “Therefore I have a boast.”
  17. Romans 15:18 tn Grk “unto obedience.”
  18. Romans 15:21 sn A quotation from Isa 52:15.
  19. Romans 15:23 tn Grk “now no longer having a place…I have.”
  20. Romans 15:23 tn Grk “but having a desire…for many years.”
  21. Romans 15:24 tn Grk “and to be helped by you.” The passive construction was changed to an active one in the translation.
  22. Romans 15:27 tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the Jerusalem saints) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  23. Romans 15:28 tn Grk “have sealed this fruit to them.”
  24. Romans 15:30 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.
  25. Romans 15:31 tn Verses 30-31 form one long sentence in the Greek but have been divided into two distinct sentences for clarity in English.
  26. Romans 15:33 tc Some mss lack the word “Amen” here, one of them (P46) also inserting 16:25-27 at this point. See the tc note at 16:25 for more information.
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