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The infirmity and frailness of the weak should be borne with all love and kindness, after the example of Christ.

15 We who are strong ought to bear the frailness of those who are weak, and not to stand in our own understanding. Let everyone please his neighbour for his wellbeing and encouragement. Christ did not please himself, but, as it is written: The rebukes of those who rebuked you, fell on me. The things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, so that we, through patience and comfort from the scripture, might have hope.

May the God of patience and consolation grant to every one of you to have such a mind towards one another, after the example of Christ Jesus, in order that you all, in harmony together, may with one mouth praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus. So then, receive one another as Christ received us, to the glory of God.

And I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers. And let the Gentiles praise God for his mercy, as it is written: For this cause I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing in your name. 10 And again he says: Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people! 11 And again: Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laud him, all nations! 12 And in another place Isaiah says: The root of Jesse is to come, he who will rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may be rich in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

14 I myself am confident of you, my brethren, that you yourselves are full of goodness, and filled with all knowledge, and are able to exhort one another. 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have somewhat boldly written to you, as one who puts you in mind through the grace that is given to me by God 16 to be the minister of Jesus Christ among the Gentiles, and to minister the glad tidings of God so that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 I have therefore something I can make claim to in Christ Jesus, in those things that pertain to God. 18 For I shrink to speak of anything Christ has not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, with word and deed, 19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and the coasts round about to Illyricum, I have filled all countries with the glad tidings of Christ. 20 Thus have I exerted myself to preach the gospel – not where Christ was already named, lest I should have built on another man’s foundation, 21 but as it is written: People who have not been told of him, they will see, and those who have not heard will understand.

22 For this cause I have often been prevented from going to you all. 23 But now, seeing I have no more to do in these countries, and also having wanted for many years to go to you, 24 when I take my journey into Spain, I will go to you. I trust to see you in my journey, and that you will help me on my way after I have enjoyed your company for a while.

25 Now I am going to Jerusalem, to minister to the saints. 26 For it has pleased the people of Macedonia and Achaia to send aid to the poor saints at Jerusalem. 27 It has genuinely pleased them. And they are their debtors, for if the Gentiles are made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is to minister to them in carnal things. 28 When I have completed this, and have brought them this fruit sealed, I will come back again by you on my way into Spain. 29 And I am sure that when I come, I will come with an abundance of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

30 I beseech you, brethren, for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, to help me in my concerns, with your prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that this my service to Jerusalem may be accepted by the saints, 32 so that I may come to you with joy, by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed. 33 The God of peace be with you. Amen.

Serve One Another As Christ Served You

15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the weaknesses of those who are not strong, and not just to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for the good purpose of building him up. For even Christ did not please himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who are insulting you fell on me.”[a]

Indeed, whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that, through patient endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we would have hope. And may God, the source of patient endurance and encouragement, grant that you agree with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that with one mind, in one voice, you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For this reason, accept one another as Christ also accepted you to the glory of God. For I am saying that Christ became a servant of those who are circumcised for the sake of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs. He also did this so that the Gentiles would glorify God for his mercy, as it is written:

For this reason I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and I will sing to your name.[b]

10 And again it says:

Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.[c]

11 And again:

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples give him praise.[d]

12 And again Isaiah says:
There will be a Root of Jesse,
and he is the one who will rise up to rule the Gentiles;
on him the Gentiles will place their hope.[e]

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with complete joy and peace as you continue to believe, so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s Goal: To Bring Christ’s Name Where It Was Not Known

14 I myself am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are also full of goodness, filled with complete knowledge, and able to instruct one another. 15 But I have written a letter to you (rather boldly at times) as a reminder to you, because of the grace God has given me 16 to be a public minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I am to do the priestly work of proclaiming the gospel of God so that the Gentiles would be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

17 Therefore I have a reason to boast in Christ Jesus about my service to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak about anything except those things Christ accomplished through me that resulted in the Gentiles’ obedience. Christ accomplished them by word and deed, 19 along with the power of signs and wonders done by the power of God’s[f] Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. 20 And so I consider it an honor to proclaim the gospel where Christ’s name is not known, so that I may not build on another man’s foundation. 21 Instead, as it is written:

Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.[g]

Paul Hopes to Come to Rome on His Way to Spain

22 This is also the reason I have been prevented many times from coming to you. 23 But now I no longer have a place to work in these regions, and I have longed for many years to come to you. 24 So when I go to Spain, I hope to visit you on my way. After I have enjoyed being with you for a while, I hope that you will help me on my journey there.

25 Right now I am going to Jerusalem bringing assistance[h] to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 Indeed, they were pleased to do this and, to be sure, they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual things, then the Gentiles owe it to them to serve them with material things.

28 So, after I complete this project by delivering this fruit safely to them, I will set out for Spain and visit you on the way. 29 And I know that when I come to you, I will arrive with the full blessing of Christ.[i]

30 Now I urge you, brothers, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to struggle with me in prayers to God on my behalf. 31 Pray that I may be rescued from those in Judea who are disobedient and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you in joy and be refreshed in your company.

33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 15:3 Psalm 69:9
  2. Romans 15:9 Psalm 18:49
  3. Romans 15:10 Deuteronomy 32:43
  4. Romans 15:11 Psalm 117:1
  5. Romans 15:12 Isaiah 11:10
  6. Romans 15:19 Some witnesses read the Holy.
  7. Romans 15:21 Isaiah 52:15
  8. Romans 15:25 Or ministering to the saints
  9. Romans 15:29 Some witnesses to the text read the full blessing of the gospel of Christ.