Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

Unity: modeled by the Messiah, encouraged by scripture

15 We, the “strong” ones, should bear with the frailty of the “weak,” and not please ourselves. ² Each one of us should please our neighbor for his or her good, to build them up.

³ The Messiah, you see, did not please himself. Instead, as the Bible says, “the reproaches of those who reproached you are fallen on me.” ⁴ Whatever was written ahead of time, you see, was written for us to learn from, so that through patience, and through the encouragement of the Bible, we might have hope. ⁵ May the God of patience and encouragement grant you to come to a common mind among yourselves, in accordance with the Messiah, Jesus, ⁶ so that, with one mind and one mouth, you may glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

United praise under the Messiah’s universal rule

⁷ Welcome one another, therefore, as the Messiah has welcomed you, to God’s glory. ⁸ Let me tell you why: the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised people in order to demonstrate the truthfulness of God—that is, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs, ⁹ and to bring the nations to praise God for his mercy. As the Bible says:

¹⁰ And again it says,

¹¹ And again,

¹² And Isaiah says once more:

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the holy spirit.

Coming to Rome at last

¹⁴ When I think of you, my dear family, I myself am thoroughly convinced that you are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and well able to give one another instruction. ¹⁵ But I have written to you very boldly at some points, calling things to your mind through the grace which God has given me ¹⁶ to enable me to be a minister of Messiah Jesus for the nations, working in the priestly service of God’s good news, so that the offering of the nations may be acceptable, sanctified in the holy spirit.

¹⁷ This is the glad confidence I have in Messiah Jesus, and in God’s own presence. ¹⁸ Far be it from me, you see, to speak about anything except what the Messiah has accomplished through me for the obedience of the nations, in word and deed, ¹⁹ in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s spirit. I have completed the announcement of the Messiah’s good news from Jerusalem round as far as Illyricum. ²⁰ My driving ambition has been to announce the good news in places where the Messiah has not been named, so that I can avoid building on anyone else’s foundation. ²¹ Instead, as the Bible says,

²² That’s why I have faced so many obstacles to stop me coming to you. ²³ But now, finding myself with no more room in these regions, I have a great longing to come to you now at last after so many years, ²⁴ and so to make my way to Spain. You see, I’m hoping to see you as I pass through, and to be sent on my way there by you, once I have been refreshed by you for a while.

Aid for Jerusalem

²⁵ Now, though, I am going to Jerusalem to render service to God’s people there. ²⁶ Macedonia and Achaea, you see, have happily decided to enter into partnership with the poor believers in Jerusalem. ²⁷ They were eager to do this, and indeed they owe them a debt. If the nations have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, it is right and proper that they should minister to their earthly needs. ²⁸ So when I have completed this, and tied up all the loose ends, I will come via you to Spain. ²⁹ And I know that when I come to you I shall come with the full blessing of the Messiah.

³⁰ I urge you, my dear family, through our Lord Jesus the Messiah and through the love of the spirit: fight the battle for me in your prayers to God on my behalf, ³¹ so that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judaea, and so that my service for Jerusalem may be welcomed gladly by God’s people. ³² If this happens, I will come to you in joy, through the will of God, and be refreshed by being with you. ³³ May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Commending Phoebe, greeting friends

16 Let me introduce you to our sister Phoebe. She is a deacon in the church at Cenchreae. ² I want you to welcome her in the Lord, as is proper for one of God’s people. Please give her whatever practical assistance she may need from you. She has been a benefactor to many people, myself included.

³ Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Messiah Jesus. ⁴ They put their lives on the line for me. It isn’t only me, but all the Gentile churches, that owe them a debt of gratitude. ⁵ Greet the church in their house as well.

Greet my dear Epainetus; he was the first fruits of the Messiah’s harvest in Asia. ⁶ Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and fellow prisoners, who are well known among the apostles, and who were in the Messiah before I was. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in the Messiah, and my dear Stachys. ¹⁰ Greet Apelles, who has proved his worth in the Messiah. Greet the people from the Aristobulus household.

¹¹ Greet my relative Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the household of Narcissus. ¹² Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard in the Lord. Greet dear Persis, who has done a great deal of work in the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, one of the Lord’s chosen, and also his mother—my mother too, in effect! ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the family with them.

¹⁵ Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, Olympas too, and all God’s people who are with them. ¹⁶ Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the Messiah’s churches send you greetings.

Warnings and greetings

¹⁷ I urge you, my dear family, to watch out for those who cause divisions and problems, contrary to the teaching you learned. Avoid them. ¹⁸ People like that are serving their own appetites instead of our Lord the Messiah. They deceive the hearts of simple-minded people with their smooth and flattering speech. ¹⁹ Your obedience, you see, is well known to all, and so I am rejoicing over you. But I want you to be wise when it comes to good, and innocent when it comes to evil. ²⁰ The God of peace will quickly crush the satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

²¹ Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you greetings, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives. ²² I, Tertius, the scribe for this letter, greet you in the Lord. ²³ Gaius, who is host to me and the whole church, sends you greetings. Erastus the city treasurer sends you greetings, as does another brother, Quartus.

Final blessing

²⁵ Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel, the proclamation of Jesus the Messiah, in accordance with the unveiling of the mystery kept hidden for long ages ²⁶ but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings, according to the command of the eternal God, for the obedience of faith among all the nations— ²⁷ to the only wise God, through Jesus the Messiah, to whom be glory to the coming ages! Amen.