15 We who are strong in faith should help those who are weak. We should help them with their weaknesses, and not please only ourselves. ² Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to help him be stronger in faith. ³ Even Christ did not live to please himself. It was as the Scriptures said: “When people insult you, it hurts me.”^{[a] 4} Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that we could have hope. That hope comes from the patience and encouragement that the Scriptures give us. ⁵ Patience and encouragement come from God. And I pray that God will help you all agree with each other the way Christ Jesus wants. ⁶ Then you will all be joined together, and 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 glory to God. ⁸ I tell you that Christ became a servant of the Jews. This was to show that God’s promises to the Jewish ancestors are true. ⁹ And he also did this so that the non-Jews could give glory to God for the mercy he gives to them. It is written in the Scriptures:

¹⁰ The Scripture also says,

¹¹ Again the Scripture says,

¹² And Isaiah says,

¹³ I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace while you trust in him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul Talks About His Work

¹⁴ My brothers, I am sure that you are full of goodness. I know that you have all the knowledge you need and that you are able to teach 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 minister of Christ Jesus to the non-Jewish people. I served God by teaching his Good News, so that the non-Jewish people could be an offering that God would accept—an offering made holy by the Holy Spirit.

¹⁷ So I am proud of what I have done for God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁸ I will not talk about anything I did myself. I will talk only about what Christ has done through me in leading the non-Jewish people to obey God. They have obeyed God because of what I have said and done. ¹⁹ And they have obeyed God because of the power of miracles and the great things they saw, and the power of the Holy Spirit. I preached the Good News from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. And so I have finished that part of my work. ²⁰ I always want to preach the Good News in places where people have never heard of Christ. I do this because I do not want to build on the work that someone else has already started. ²¹ But it is written in the Scriptures:

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

²² That is why many times I was stopped from coming to you. ²³ Now I have finished my work here. Since for many years I have wanted to come to you, ²⁴ I hope to visit you on my way to Spain. I will enjoy being with you, and you can help me on my trip. ²⁵ Now I am going to Jerusalem to help God’s people. ²⁶ The believers in Macedonia and Southern Greece were happy to give their money to help the poor among God’s people at Jerusalem. ²⁷ They were happy to do this, and really they owe it to them. These non-Jews have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings. So they should use their material possessions to help the Jews. ²⁸ I must be sure that the poor in Jerusalem get the money that has been given for them. After I do this, 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.

³⁰ Brothers, I beg you to help me in my work by praying for me to God. Do this because of our Lord Jesus and the love that the Holy Spirit gives us. ³¹ Pray that I will be saved from the non-believers in Judea. And pray that this help I bring 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.