Romans 15

¹Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those who are not strong, and not to please ourselves.

²Each one of us is to please his neighbor for their good, to build them up.

³For even Christ did not please himself, but as it is written: The insults of those who insult you fell on me.

⁴For whatever was written previously was written to teach us, so that through perseverance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we would have hope.

⁵Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be like-minded with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus,

⁶so that in one accord and with one mouth you can glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted you, to the glory of God.

⁸For I say that Christ has become a servant to the Circumcised for the sake of the truth of what God spoke, in order to confirm the promises made to the Fathers,

⁹and so that the Gentiles glorify God for the sake of his mercy. As it is written: Therefore, I will acknowledge you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name.

¹⁰And again it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, along with his people.

¹¹And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! And let all the peoples praise him!

¹²And again, Isaiah says, The root from Jesse will come, the one who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles will hope.

¹³Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you continue to believe, so that you abound in hope by the power of holy spirit.

¹⁴My brothers and sisters, I myself am convinced about you, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another.

¹⁵Nevertheless, I have written quite boldly to you on some points, so as to remind you again because of the grace that was given to me by God

¹⁶to be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving like a priest in proclaiming the good news of God, in order that my offering—the Gentiles—would be acceptable, having been made holy by the holy spirit.

¹⁷Therefore, I have a reason to boast in Christ Jesus about these things pertaining to God.

¹⁸For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ accomplished through me to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles by my words and deeds

¹⁹that I did by the power of signs and wonders and by the power of God’s spirit. As a result, I have fulfilled my calling to proclaim the good news of Christ from Jerusalem and all around as far as Illyricum.

²⁰And so now I make it my aim to proclaim the good news where Christ has not already been named, so as to not build on someone else’s foundation,

²¹but as it is written: Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.

²²That is the reason why I was so often hindered from coming to you.

²³But now I no longer have any place to evangelize in these regions, and for many years I have had a longing to come to you

²⁴when I travel to Spain. For I am hoping to see you while I am traveling through and to be sent off well-supplied by you as I journey there, after I have first enjoyed your company for a while.

²⁵But right now, I am traveling to Jerusalem to serve the holy ones.

²⁶For those in Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the holy ones who are in Jerusalem.

²⁷Indeed, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For since the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they also have an obligation to serve them in their material needs.

²⁸Therefore, when I have accomplished this and have securely delivered to them this contribution, I will travel on to Spain after visiting you.

²⁹But I know that when I come to you, I will come with the full blessing of Christ.

³⁰Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the spirit, that you join me in fighting the battle by your prayers to God on my behalf,

³¹so that I will be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service to those in Jerusalem is acceptable to the holy ones,

³²so that by the will of God I can come to you with joy and be refreshed by being together with you.

³³May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.