Romans 15:2–25

²Instead, we should all please our brothers and sisters for their own good, in order to build them up in the faith. ^3*For Christ did not please himself. Instead, as the scripture says, “The insults which are hurled at you have fallen on me.” ⁴Everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement which the Scriptures give us. ⁵And may God, the source of patience and encouragement, enable you to have the same point of view among yourselves by following the example of Christ Jesus, ⁶so that all of you together may praise with one voice the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Good News for the Gentiles

⁷Accept one another, then, for the glory of God, as Christ has accepted you. ⁸For I tell you that Christ’s life of service was on behalf of the Jews, to show that God is faithful, to make his promises to their ancestors come true, ^9*and to enable even the Gentiles to praise God for his mercy. As the scripture says:

“And so I will praise you among the Gentiles;

I will sing praises to you.”

^10*Again it says,

“Rejoice, Gentiles, with God’s people!”

^11*And again,

“Praise the Lord, all Gentiles;

praise him, all peoples!”

^12*And again, Isaiah says,

“A descendant of Jesse will appear;

he will come to rule the Gentiles,

and they will put their hope in him.”

¹³May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s Reason for Writing So Boldly

¹⁴My brothers and sisters, I myself feel sure that you are full of goodness, that you have all knowledge, and that you are able to teach one another. ¹⁵But in this letter I have been quite bold about certain subjects of which I have reminded you. I have been bold because of the privilege God has given me ¹⁶of being a servant of Christ Jesus to work for the Gentiles. I serve like a priest in preaching the Good News from God, in order that the Gentiles may be an offering acceptable to God, dedicated to him by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷In union with Christ Jesus, then, I can be proud of my service for God. ¹⁸I will be bold and speak only about what Christ has done through me to lead the Gentiles to obey God. He has done this by means of words and deeds, ¹⁹by the power of miracles and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. And so, in travelling all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum, I have proclaimed fully the Good News about Christ. ²⁰My ambition has always been to proclaim the Good News in places where Christ has not been heard of, so as not to build on a foundation laid by someone else. ^21*As the scripture says:

“Those who were not told about him will see,

and those who have not heard will understand.”

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

^22*And so I have been prevented many times from coming to you. ²³But now that I have finished my work in these regions and since I have been wanting for so many years to come to see you, ²⁴I hope to do so now. I would like to see you on my way to Spain, and be helped by you to go there, after I have enjoyed visiting you for a while. ^25*Just now, however, I am going to Jerusalem in the service of God’s people there.