Beginning

The weak ought not to be held in disdain. No person should occasion harm to another’s conscience. Again, no one should condemn another for outward things.

14 Him who is weak in the faith, receive to yourselves – not in disputing and troubling his conscience. ² One believes that he may eat all things; another, who is weak, eats vegetables. ³ Let not him who eats look down on him who does not. And let not him who abstains judge one who eats, for God has received him. ⁴ Who are you, to judge another man’s servant? Whether he stands or falls pertains to his master; yea, he will stand, because God is able to make him stand.

⁵ This man distinguishes between day and day, another counts all days alike. See to it that no one wavers in his own purpose: ⁶ he who observes one day over another does it for the Lord’s pleasure, and he who does not observe one day over another does it also to please the Lord. He who eats does it to please the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat abstains to please the Lord at the same time, and gives God thanks. ⁷ For none of us lives as his own servant, and neither does any of us die his own servant. ⁸ If we live, we live to be at the Lord’s will, and if we die, we die at the Lord’s will. Therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ It is for this that Christ died and rose up and recovered life: to be Lord of both the dead and the living.

¹⁰ But why do you then judge your brother? Or, why do you despise your brother? We shall all be brought before the judgment seat of Christ. ¹¹ For it is written: As surely as I live, says the Lord, all knees will bow to me, and all tongues will acknowledge God. ¹² So then, every one of us will give an account of himself to God. ¹³ Therefore let us not judge one another any more, but determine rather that no one shall put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. ¹⁴ For I know and am fully assured in the Lord Jesus that there is nothing common of itself. But for him who judges it to be common, to him it is common. ¹⁵ If your brother is grieved by your food, now you are not walking charitably. Do not destroy by your food a person for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Give no reason for your treasure to be ill spoken of. ¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ For whosoever serves Christ in these things, pleases God well, and is commended by men. ¹⁹ Let us follow those things that make for peace, and things whereby one may support another.

²⁰ Do not undo the work of God for the sake of a little food. All these things are pure, but it is wrong for that person who eats with harm to his conscience. ²¹ It is good not to eat flesh, nor drink wine, nor do anything whereby your brother stumbles, or falls, or is made weak. ²² Do you have faith? Have it within yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself by what he allows. ²³ For he who makes conscience is guilty if he eats, because he does not do it of faith. For whatsoever is not of faith, that same is sin.

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. ² Let everyone please his neighbour for his wellbeing and encouragement. ³ Christ did not please himself, but, as it is written: The rebukes of those who rebuked you, fell on me. ⁴ The things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, so that we, through patience and comfort from the scripture, might have hope.

⁵ 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, ⁶ in order that you all, in harmony together, may with one mouth praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus. ⁷ So then, receive one another as Christ received us, to the glory of God.

⁸ 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. ⁹ 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.

A chapter of greetings. He warns them to beware of false teachers who bring men’s doctrine, and commends to them certain godly men and women who were friends and brethren in the truth.

16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who ministered to the congregation of Cenchrea. ² Receive her in the Lord as is worthy of a saint, and assist her in whatever way she needs your help. For she has assisted many, including me.

³ Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus, ⁴ who have for my life laid down their own necks – to whom not only I give thanks, but also the congregation of the Gentiles. ⁵ Likewise, greet the congregation that is in their house.

Greet my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the first fruit among those of Achaia. ⁶ Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour upon us.

⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, who were prisoners with me also, who are well regarded among the apostles, and were in Christ before me. ⁸ Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our helper in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. ¹⁰ Greet Apelles, tried and true in Christ. Greet those of Aristobulus’ household. ¹¹ Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

¹² Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, which women did labour in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who laboured much in the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, also a mother to me. ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. ¹⁵ Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. ¹⁶ Greet one another with a holy kiss. The congregations of Christ send greetings to you.

¹⁷ I beseech you, brethren, to mark those who cause division and give occasion to evil, contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught, and avoid them. ¹⁸ For such people do not serve the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own interests, and with sweet preaching and flattering words deceive the hearts of the simple and unlearned. ¹⁹ For your duty to listen extends to all men. Without question I am pleased with you, but still, I want you to be wise in that which is good, and to be innocent concerning evil.

²⁰ May the God of peace tread Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

²¹ Timothy my work-fellow, and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen, greet you. ²² I, Tertius, who wrote this letter in the Lord, greet you. ²³ Gaius, my host and the host of all the congregations, greets you. Erastus, the chamberlain of the city, greets you. And Quartus, a brother, greets you. ²⁴ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

²⁵ Now to him who is of power to establish you by my gospel and preaching of Jesus Christ, whereby is revealed the mystery that was kept secret since the world began, ²⁶ but now is shown by the scriptures of prophecy, at the commandment of the everlasting God, to stir up obedience to the faith proclaimed among all nations – ²⁷ to the same God, who alone is wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

To the Romans. Sent from Corinth by
the hand of Phoebe, she who
ministered to the
congregation at
Cenchrea.