Romans 15:1–16:27

PLEASING OTHERS, NOT OURSELVES

15Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength,^al and not to please ourselves. ²Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.^{am 3}For even Christ did not please himself.^an On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.^{Cao 4}For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction,^ap so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. ⁵Now may the God who gives^D endurance and encouragement^aq grant you to live in harmony with one another,^ar according to Christ Jesus, ⁶so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ^as with one mind and one voice.

GLORIFYING GOD TOGETHER

⁷Therefore welcome one another,^at just as^E Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God. ⁸For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised^F on behalf of God’s truth,^au to confirm the promises to the fathers,^{av 9}and so that Gentiles^aw may glorify God for his mercy.^a As it is written,

Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,

and I will sing praise to your name.^Gb

¹⁰Again it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people!^{Hc 11}And again,

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;

let all the peoples praise him!^Id

¹²And again, Isaiah says,

The root of Jesse^e will appear,

the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;

the Gentiles will hope in him.^Jf

¹³Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe^g so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.^h

FROM JERUSALEM TO ILLYRICUM

¹⁴My brothers and sisters, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness,ⁱ filled with all knowledge,^j and able to instruct one another. ¹⁵Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points^K because of the grace given me by God^{k 16}to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,^l serving as a priest of the gospel of God.^m God’s purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering,ⁿ sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus^o regarding what pertains to God.^{p 18}For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me^q by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles, ¹⁹by the power of miraculous signs and wonders,^r and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem^s all the way around to Illyricum.^{At 20}My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named,^u so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation,^{v 21}but, as it is written,

Those who were not told about him will see,

and those who have not heard will understand.^Bw

PAUL’S TRAVEL PLANS

²²That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you.^{x 23}But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions,^C and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you^{y 24}whenever I travel to Spain.^D For I hope to see you when I pass through and to be assisted by you for my journey there,^z once I have first enjoyed your company^aa for a while. ²⁵Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem^ab to serve the saints,^{ac 26}because Macedonia^ad and Achaia^ae were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. ²⁷Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits,^af then they are obligated to minister to them in material needs. ²⁸So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds^E to them,^Fag I will visit you on the way to Spain. ²⁹I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing^G of Christ.

³⁰Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit,^ah to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf.^{ai 31}Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea,^aj that my ministry to^H Jerusalem^ak may be acceptable to the saints,^{al 32}and that, by God’s will,^am I may come to you with joy^an and be refreshed together with you.

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

PAUL’S COMMENDATION OF PHOEBE

16I commend to you^ap our sister Phoebe, who is a servant^I of the church in Cenchreae.^{aq 2}So you should welcome her in the Lord^ar in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever matter she may require your help. For indeed she has been a benefactor of many—and of me also.

GREETING TO ROMAN CHRISTIANS

³Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila,^as my coworkers in^at Christ Jesus,^{au 4}who risked their own necks for my life. Not only do I thank them, but so do all the Gentile churches. ⁵Greet also the church that meets in their home.^av Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who is the first convert^Aaw to Christ from Asia.^{Bax 6}Greet Mary,^C who has worked very hard for you.^{D 7}Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews^Ea and fellow prisoners.^b They are noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles,^F and they were also in Christ before me. ⁸Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. ⁹Greet Urbanus, our coworker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. ¹⁰Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.^{c 11}Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.^G Greet those who belong to the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. ¹²Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord. ¹³Greet Rufus,^d chosen in the Lord; also his mother—and mine. ¹⁴Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. ¹⁵Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.^{e 16}Greet one another with a holy kiss.^f All the churches of Christ send you greetings.

WARNING AGAINST DIVISIVE PEOPLE

¹⁷Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned.^g Avoid them,^{h 18}because such people do not serve our Lord Christⁱ but their own appetites.^Hj They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.^k

PAUL’S GRACIOUS CONCLUSION

¹⁹The report of your obedience has reached everyone.^l Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil.^{m 20}The God of peaceⁿ will soon crush Satan^o under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.^p

²¹Timothy,^q my coworker, and Lucius,^r Jason,^s and Sosipater,^t my fellow countrymen, greet you.

²²I, Tertius, who wrote this letter,^u greet you in the Lord.^I

²³Gaius,^v who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus,^w the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus greet you.

GLORY TO GOD

²⁵Now to him who is able to strengthen you^x according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ,^y according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent^z for long ages^{aa 26}but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures,^ab according to the command of the eternal God to advance the obedience of faith^ac among all the Gentiles—²⁷to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to him be the glory forever!^ad Amen.