The Example of Christ

¹sWe who are strong thave an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 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 is said,

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. ²⁶For gMacedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. ²⁷For they were pleased to do it, and indeed hthey owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. ²⁸When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,2 I will leave ifor Spain by way of you. ²⁹I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing3 of Christ.

³⁰I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by jthe love of the Spirit, kto strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, ³¹lthat I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that mmy service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, ³²so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and nbe refreshed in your company. ³³May othe God of peace be with you all. Amen.