Romans 15:2–25

^2uLet each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. ³For ^vChrist did not please himself, but as it is written, ^w“The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” ⁴For ^xwhatever was written in former days was written for our ^yinstruction, that through endurance and through ^zthe encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. ⁵May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you ^ato live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, ⁶that together you may with one voice glorify ^bthe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

⁸For I tell you that Christ ^cbecame a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order ^dto confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, ⁹and in order ^ethat the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

^f“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,

and sing to your name.”

¹⁰And again it says,

^g“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

¹¹And again,

^h“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,

and let all the peoples extol him.”

¹²And again Isaiah says,

^ij“The root of Jesse will come,

even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;

^kin him will the Gentiles hope.”

¹³May the God of hope fill you with all ^ljoy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

^14mI myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,¹ that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with ⁿall knowledge and able to instruct one another. ¹⁵But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, ^obecause of the grace given me by God ¹⁶to be ^pa minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles ^qin the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that ^rthe offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷In Christ Jesus, then, I have ^sreason to be proud of ^tmy work for God. ¹⁸For I will not venture to speak of anything except ^uwhat Christ has accomplished through me ^vto bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, ^19wby the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that ^xfrom Jerusalem and all the way around ^yto Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; ²⁰and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, ^zlest I build on someone else’s foundation, ²¹but as it is written,

^a“Those who have never been told of him will see,

and those who have never heard will understand.”

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

²²This is the reason why ^bI have so often been hindered from coming to you. ²³But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and ^csince I have longed for many years to come to you, ²⁴I hope to see you in passing as I go ^dto Spain, and ^eto be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. ²⁵At present, however, ^fI am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints.