Pleasing Others, Not Ourselves

¹Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves.[#15:1 Rm 14:1; Gl 6:2; 1Th 5:14]

²Each one of us is to please his neighbour for his good, to build him up.[#15:2 1Co 9:22; 10:24,33; 2Co 13:9]

³For even Christ did not please himself. On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. ,[#15:3 2Co 8:9; #15:3 Ps 69:9; #15:3 Ps 69:9]

⁴For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.[#15:4 Rm 4:23; 2Tm 3:16]

⁵Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus,[#15:5 Lit God of; #15:5 2Co 1:3; #15:5 Rm 12:16]

⁶so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.[#15:6 Rv 1:6]

Glorifying God Together

⁷Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God.[#15:7 Rm 14:1; #15:7 Or because]

⁸For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers,[#15:8 The Jews; #15:8 Mt 15:24; Ac 3:26; #15:8 Rm 4:16; 2Co 1:20]

⁹and so that Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,[#15:9 Rm 3:29; 11:30; #15:9 Mt 9:8]

¹⁰Again it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people! ,[#15:10 Dt 32:43; #15:10 Dt 32:43]

¹¹And again,

¹²And again, Isaiah says,

¹³Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.[#15:13 Rm 14:17; #15:13 1Co 2:4; 1Th 1:5]

From Jerusalem to Illyricum

¹⁴My brothers and sisters, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.[#15:14 Eph 5:9; 2Th 1:11; #15:14 1Co 1:5; 8:1,7,10; 12:8; 13:2]

¹⁵Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points because of the grace given me by God[#15:15 Other mss add brothers; #15:15 Rm 12:3]

¹⁶to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the gospel of God. God’s purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.[#15:16 Ac 9:15; Rm 11:13; #15:16 Rm 1:1; #15:16 Rm 12:1; Eph 5:2; Php 2:17]

¹⁷Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God.[#15:17 Php 3:3; #15:17 Heb 2:17; 5:1]

¹⁸For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles,[#15:18 Ac 15:12; 21:19; Rm 1:5; 2Co 3:5]

¹⁹by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. ,[#15:19 Jn 4:48; #15:19 Ac 22:17–21; #15:19 A Roman province northwest of Greece on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea; #15:19 Ac 20:1]

²⁰My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation,[#15:20 Rm 1:15; 10:15; #15:20 1Co 3:10; 2Co 10:15–16]

²¹but, as it is written,

Paul’s Travel Plans

²²That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you.[#15:22 Rm 1:13; 1Th 2:18]

²³But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you[#15:23 Lit now, having no longer a place in these parts; #15:23 Ac 19:21; Rm 1:10]

²⁴whenever I travel to Spain. For I hope to see you when I pass through and to be assisted by you for my journey there, once I have first enjoyed your company for a while.[#15:24 Other mss add I will come to you.; #15:24 Ac 15:3; #15:24 Rm 1:12]

²⁵At the moment I am travelling to Jerusalem to serve the saints,[#15:25 Ac 19:21; #15:25 Ac 24:17]

²⁶because Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.[#15:26 Ac 16:9; 1Co 16:5; 2Co 1:16; 2:13; 7:5; 8:1; 9:2,4; 11:9; Php 4:15; 1Th 1:7; 4:10; 1Tm 1:3; #15:26 Ac 18:12; 19:21]

²⁷Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits, then they are bound to minister to them in material needs.[#15:27 1Co 9:11]

²⁸So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds to them, , I will visit you on the way to Spain.[#15:28 Lit delivered this fruit; #15:28 Or and placed my seal of approval on this fruit for them; #15:28 Jn 3:33]

²⁹I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.[#15:29 Other mss add of the gospel]

³⁰Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf.[#15:30 Gl 5:22; Col 1:8; #15:30 2Co 1:11; Col 4:12]

³¹Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,[#15:31 2Co 1:10; 2Th 3:2; 2Tm 3:11; 4:17; #15:31 Lit that my service for; #15:31 2Co 8:4; 9:1; #15:31 Ac 9:13; Rm 15:15]

³²and that, by God’s will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you.[#15:32 Ac 18:21; Rm 1:10; #15:32 Rm 15:23]

³³May the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.[#15:33 Rm 16:20; 2Co 13:11; Php 4:9; 1Th 5:23; 2Th 3:16; Heb 13:20]