^15:1But we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not just please ourselves.¹^15:2Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up. ^15:3For even Christ did not please himself, but just as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”²^15:4For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope. ^15:5Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another³ in accordance with Christ Jesus, ^15:6so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Exhortation to Mutual Acceptance

^15:7Receive one another, then, just as Christ also received you, to God’s glory. ^15:8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised⁴ on behalf of God’s truth to confirm the promises made to the fathers,⁵^15:9and thus the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy.⁶ As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.”⁷^15:10And again it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”⁸^15:11And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.”⁹^15:12And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, and the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope.”¹⁰^15:13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him,¹¹ so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s Motivation for Writing the Letter

^15:14But I myself am fully convinced about you, my brothers and sisters,¹² that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. ^15:15But I have written more boldly to you on some points so as to remind you, because of the grace given to me by God ^15:16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I serve¹³ the gospel of God¹⁴ like a priest, so that the Gentiles may become an acceptable offering,¹⁵ sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

^15:17So I boast¹⁶ in Christ Jesus about the things that pertain to God. ^15:18For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience¹⁷ of the Gentiles, by word and deed, ^15:19in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. ^15:20And in this way I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, ^15:21but as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”¹⁸

Paul’s Intention of Visiting the Romans

^15:22This is the reason I was often hindered from coming to you. ^15:23But now there is nothing more to keep me¹⁹ in these regions, and I have for many years desired²⁰ to come to you ^15:24when I go to Spain. For I hope to visit you when I pass through and that you will help me²¹ on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.

^15:25But now I go to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. ^15:26For Macedonia and Achaia are pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. ^15:27For they were pleased to do this, and indeed they are indebted to the Jerusalem saints.²² For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are obligated also to minister to them in material things. ^15:28Therefore after I have completed this and have safely delivered this bounty to them,²³ I will set out for Spain by way of you, ^15:29and I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of Christ’s blessing.

^15:30Now I urge you, brothers and sisters,²⁴ through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to join fervently with me in prayer to God on my behalf. ^15:31Pray²⁵ that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea and that my ministry in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, ^15:32so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. ^15:33Now may the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.²⁶

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Footnotes

1 Grk “and not please ourselves.” NT Greek negatives used in contrast like this are often not absolute, but relative: “not so much one as the other.”
2 A quotation from Ps 69:9.
3 Grk “grant you to think the same among one another.”
4 Grk “of the circumcision”; that is, the Jews.
5 Or “to the patriarchs.”
6 There are two major syntactical alternatives which are both awkward: (1) One could make “glorify” dependent on “Christ has become a minister” and coordinate with “to confirm” and the result would be rendered “Christ has become a minister of circumcision to confirm the promises … and so that the Gentiles might glorify God.” (2) One could make “glorify” dependent on “I tell you” and coordinate with “Christ has become a minister” and the result would be rendered “I tell you that Christ has become a minister of circumcision … and that the Gentiles glorify God.” The second rendering is preferred.
7 A quotation from Ps 18:49.
8 A quotation from Deut 32:43.
9 A quotation from Ps 117:1.
10 A quotation from Isa 11:10.
11 Grk “in the believing” or “as [you] believe,” with the object “him” supplied from the context. The referent could be God (15:13a) or Christ (15:12).
12 Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in .
13 Grk “serving.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but in keeping with contemporary English style, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
14 The genitive in the phrase τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ (to euangelion tou theou, “the gospel of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or an objective genitive (“the gospel about God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ; M. Zerwick, , §§36–39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself.
15 Grk “so that the offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable.” This could be understood to refer to an offering belonging to the Gentiles (a possessive genitive) or made by the Gentiles (subjective genitive), but more likely the phrase should be understood as an appositive genitive, with the Gentiles themselves consisting of the offering (so J. D. G. Dunn, Romans [ 38], 2:). The latter view is reflected in the translation “so that the Gentiles may become an acceptable offering.”
16 After οὖν (oun), several important Alexandrian and Western (B C D F G 81 365 ) have τήν (tēn). The article is lacking in א A Ψ 33 1739 1881 𝔐 however. 𝔓46 supplies a relative pronoun and has a different reading entirely (“which I have [as a] boast”). Articles were frequently introduced to clarify the meaning of the text. In this instance, since the word modified (καύχησιν, kauchēsin) is third declension, a visual oversight (resulting in omission) is less likely. Hence, the shorter reading is probably original. The difference in translation between these first two options is negligible (“I have the boast” or “I have a boast”). puts the article in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity. Grk “Therefore I have a boast.”
17 Grk “unto obedience.”
18 A quotation from Isa 52:15.
19 Grk “now no longer having a place … I have.”
20 Grk “but having a desire … for many years.”
21 Grk “and to be helped by you.” The passive construction was changed to an active one in the translation.
22 Grk “to them”; the referent (the Jerusalem saints) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
23 Grk “have sealed this fruit to them.”
24 Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in .
25 Verses 30–31 form one long sentence in the Greek but have been divided into two distinct sentences for clarity in English.
26 Some lack the word “Amen” here, one of them (𝔓46) also inserting 16:25–27 at this point. See the note at for more information.