Please Others, Not Yourselves
1 We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak to carry their burdens. We should not please ourselves. 2 Instead, we should all please other believers 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.” 4 Everything 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. 5 And 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, 6 so that all of you together may praise with one voice the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel to the Gentiles
7 Accept one another, then, for the glory of God, as Christ has accepted you. 8 For 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.”
13 May 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
14 My friends: I myself feel sure that you are full of goodness, that you have all knowledge, and that you are able to teach one another. 15 But 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 16 of 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. 17 In union with Christ Jesus, then, I can be proud of my service for God. 18 I 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, 19 by the power of miracles and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. And so, in traveling all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum, I have proclaimed fully the Good News about Christ. 20 My 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. 23 But 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, 24 I 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 Right now, however, I am going to Jerusalem in the service of God's people there. 26 For the churches in Macedonia and Achaia have freely decided to give an offering to help the poor among God's people in Jerusalem. 27 That decision was their own; but, as a matter of fact, they have an obligation to help them. Since the Jews shared their spiritual blessings with the Gentiles, the Gentiles ought to use their material blessings to help the Jews. 28 When I have finished this task and have turned over to them all the money that has been raised for them, I shall leave for Spain and visit you on my way there. 29 When I come to you, I know that I shall come with a full measure of the blessing of Christ.
30 I urge you, friends, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that the Spirit gives: join me in praying fervently to God for me. 31 Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to God's people there. 32 And so I will come to you full of joy, if it is God's will, and enjoy a refreshing visit with you. 33 May God, our source of peace, be with all of you. Amen.
1 We which are strong, ought to beare the infirmities of the weake, and not to please our selues. 2 Therefore let euery man please his neighbour in that that is good to edification. 3 For Christ also would not please himselfe, but as it is written, The rebukes of them which rebuke thee, fell on me. 4 For whatsoeuer things are written aforetime, are writte for our learning, that we through patience, and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation giue you that ye be like minded one towards another, according to Christ Iesus, 6 That ye with one minde, and with one mouth may prayse God, euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receiue ye one another, as Christ also receiued vs to the glory of God. 8 Nowe I say, that Iesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision, for the trueth of God, to confirme the promises made vnto the fathers. 9 And let the Gentiles prayse God, for his mercie, as it is written, For this cause I wil confesse thee among the Gentiles, and sing vnto thy Name. 10 And againe he saith, Reioyce, ye Gentiles with his people. 11 And againe, Prayse the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laude ye him, all people together. 12 And againe Esaias sayth, There shall be a roote of Iesse, and hee that shall rise to reigne ouer the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust. 13 Nowe the God of hope fill you with all ioye, and peace in beleeuing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the holy Ghost. 14 And I my selfe also am perswaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodnes, and filled with all knowledge, and are able to admonish one another. 15 Neuerthelesse, brethren, I haue somewhat boldly after a sort written vnto you, as one that putteth you in remembrance, through the grace that is giuen me of God, 16 That I should be the minister of Iesus Christ toward the Gentiles, ministring the Gospel of God, that the offering vp of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the holy Ghost. 17 I haue therefore whereof I may reioyce in Christ Iesus in those things which pertaine to God. 18 For I dare not speake of any thing, which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient in worde and deede, 19 With the power of signes and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God: so that from Hierusalem, and round about vnto Illyricum, I haue caused to abound the Gospel of Christ. 20 Yea, so I enforced my selfe to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should haue built on another mans foundation. 21 But as it is written, To whome hee was not spoken of, they shall see him, and they that heard not, shall vnderstand him. 22 Therefore also I haue bene oft let to come vnto you: 23 But nowe seeing I haue no more place in these quarters, and also haue bene desirous many yeeres agone to come vnto you, 24 When I shall take my iourney into Spaine, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my iourney, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, after that I haue bene somewhat filled with your company. 25 But now go I to Hierusalem, to minister vnto the Saints. 26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia, to make a certaine distribution vnto the poore Saints which are at Hierusalem. 27 For it hath pleased them, and their detters are they: for if the Gentiles be made partakers of their spirituall things, their duetie is also to minister vnto them in carnall things. 28 When I haue therefore performed this, and haue sealed them this fruite, I will passe by you into Spaine. 29 And I knowe when I come, that I shall come to you with abundance of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. 30 Also brethren, I beseeche you for our Lord Iesus Christes sake, and for the loue of the spirit, that ye would striue with me by prayers to God for me, 31 That I may be deliuered from them which are disobedient in Iudea, and that my seruice which I haue to doe at Hierusalem, may be accepted of the Saintes, 32 That I may come vnto you with ioy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed. 33 Thus the God of peace be with you all. Amen.