Romans 15

¹Now we who are powerful are obligated to carry the frailties of the powerless, and not simply please ourselves. ²Let each of us please our neighbor for what is good, for the purpose of building them up. ³For even the Christ did not please himself; rather, as it is written: “The insults of those who insulted you have fallen upon me.” ⁴For whatever was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through tenacious endurance and through the comforting encouragement of the Scriptures we might hold onto hope.

⁵Now may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you a shared mindset among one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, ⁶so that with one accord and with one mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷Therefore, welcome one another into your circle, just as the Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.

⁸For I tell you that Christ has become a servant-minister of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, in order to confirm the promises made to the fathers, ⁹and so that the nations might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Because of this I will acknowledge you among the nations, and I will sing praises to your name.” ¹⁰And again it says: “Rejoice, O nations, along with his people.” ¹¹And again: “Praise the Lord, all you nations, and let all the peoples extol him.” ¹²And again, Isaiah says: “The Root of Jesse will come, even the one who rises up to rule the nations; in him the nations will place their hope.” ¹³Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in the act of trusting, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

¹⁴I myself am convinced concerning you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to counsel one another. ¹⁵But I have written to you rather boldly on some points, as if to remind you again, because of the grace given to me by God ¹⁶to be a sacred official of Christ Jesus to the nations. I am performing the priestly service of the Gospel of God, so that the offering of the nations might become acceptable, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

¹⁷I have, therefore, my reason for boasting in Christ Jesus regarding the things that pertain to God. ¹⁸For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring about the obedience of the nations—by word and deed, ¹⁹by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit. The result is that from Jerusalem and in a circle as far as Illyricum, I have fulfilled the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. ²⁰In this way, I make it my ambition to preach the Gospel where Christ has not already been named, so that I do not build on someone else’s foundation, ²¹but as it is written: “Those who were told nothing about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”

²²This is why I have been prevented so many times from coming to you. ²³But now, since I no longer have a place for work in these regions, and since I have had an intense longing to come to you for many years, ²⁴whenever I travel to Spain, I hope to see you as I pass through and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have first enjoyed your company for a little while. ²⁵At the moment, however, I am traveling to Jerusalem to minister to the holy ones. ²⁶For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a certain shared contribution for the poor among the holy ones in Jerusalem. ²⁷They were pleased to do it, and indeed they are in their debt. For if the nations have shared in their spiritual things, they are obligated to serve them in material things. ²⁸So when I have completed this and have safely delivered this fruit to them, I will set out for Spain by way of you. ²⁹And I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of Christ’s blessing.

³⁰Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to struggle along with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, ³¹so that I may be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to believe, and that my ministry for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the holy ones, ³²so that by God’s will I may come to you in joy and find rest together with you. ³³Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.