15
Summary
1 Now we who are strong ought to bear with the limitations of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please the neighbor with a view to what is good for edifying. 3 Because even the Christ did not please Himself; rather, as it is written: “The revilings of those reviling you fell on me.”* 4 Whatever things were written before were so written for our instruction, so that through the fortitude and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 Now may the God of that fortitude and that encouragement grant you to be of the same mind† among yourselves according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one heart and voice.
Glorify
7 Therefore accept one another, just as the Christ also accepted us,‡ to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Christ Jesus§ has become a minister to the circumcised on behalf of God's truth, in order to confirm the promises to the fathers; 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy,* as it is written:
“For this reason I will give praise to you among the Gentiles,
O Lord,† and will sing psalms to your name.”‡
10 And again He says:
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”§
11 And again:
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and laud Him, all you peoples!”*
12 And again, Isaiah says:
“The Root of Jesse will appear,
even He who rises up to rule over the nations;
the Gentiles will place their hope on Him.”†
13 Now may the God of the hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,‡ so that you may abound in that hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.§
Paul's mission
14 Now I myself am really confident about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others.* 15 Nevertheless I have written to you quite boldly on some points, brothers, as a reminder to you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I should be a minister of Jesus Christ to the nations, serving the Gospel of God as a priest so that the Gentiles might become an acceptable offering,† sanctified by Holy Spirit. 17 So in Christ Jesus I do have a boast in things pertaining to God; 18 because I do not presume to speak of anything except those things that Christ has accomplished through me to make the Gentiles obedient—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of God's Spirit, so that I have fully proclaimed‡ the Gospel of the Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum.§ 20 It has always been my aim to evangelize where Christ has not been named, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation; 21 rather, as it is written:
“Those to whom He was not announced will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.”*
A visit to Rome
22 That is why I have been hindered these many times from coming to you. 23 But now, no longer having a place in these parts, and having a longing these many years to come to you, 24 whenever I travel to Spain I will come to you.† Because I hope to see you while passing through, and to be sent on my way there by you, if I may first enjoy your company for a while.
25 Now, however, I am traveling to Jerusalem, serving the saints. 26 Because Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 Yes, they were pleased, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are also obligated to minister to them in physical things. 28 So when I have finished this and have sealed to them this ‘fruit’, I will go by way of you to Spain.‡ 29 And I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel§ of the Christ.
30 Now I implore you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf,* 31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service to Jerusalem may be well received by the saints; 32 so that I may come to you with joy by the will of God and be refreshed together with you. 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
* 15:3 See Psalm 69:9. † 15:5 It is only as a group of people are habitually exposed to the same Scriptures that ‘the same mind’ has much chance. ‡ 15:7 Perhaps 40% of the Greek manuscripts read ‘you’, but the 60% includes the best line of transmission. The verb I have rendered as ‘accept’ can also mean ‘receive’. § 15:8 “Jesus” is omitted by perhaps 4% of the Greek manuscripts, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding. * 15:9 We generally do not even trust someone who does not keep his promises, much less ‘glorify’ him. So it was necessary to fulfill the promises made to the patriarchs. † 15:9 Less than a third of the Greek manuscripts have “O Lord”, but that third includes the best line of transmission, that follows the Hebrew Text of both 2 Samuel 22:50 and Psalm 18:49. ‡ 15:9 See 2 Samuel 22:50 and Psalm 18:49. § 15:10 See Deuteronomy 32:43. * 15:11 See Psalm 117:1. † 15:12 See Isaiah 11:10. ‡ 15:13 If one stops and thinks about it, ‘joy’ and ‘peace’ depend on believing—when we begin to doubt we lose both. Also, if you are filled with hope, you tend to have more ‘bounce’, you work with greater enthusiasm. § 15:13 To abound by the power presumably means that we are to be doing things by that power. One does not ‘abound’ by sitting still doing nothing. * 15:14 Instead of “others”, some 7% of the Greek manuscripts read ‘one another’, as in most versions. † 15:16 The concept is interesting: Paul is a priest, and the nations are his offering. I habitually present my own work to God as an offering. ‡ 15:19 Note the ‘word and deed’, the ‘signs and wonders’. Can someone who has only ‘word’ claim to have ‘fully proclaimed’ the Gospel? § 15:19 Illyricum lies to the north of Macedonia, in what used to be Yugoslavia (a few decades ago). * 15:21 See Isaiah 52:15. † 15:24 “I will come to you” is omitted by 4.1% of the Greek manuscripts, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding. ‡ 15:28 I am not aware of any record that Paul ever got to Spain. § 15:29 “Of the Gospel” is omitted by 3.7% of the Greek manuscripts, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding. * 15:30 If Paul needed prayer, how about us?