Please Others, Not Yourselves

15 Now we who are strong ought to be patient with the weaknesses of those who are not strong and must stop pleasing ourselves. ² Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building him up. ³ For even the Messiah^[a] did not please himself. Instead, as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”^{[b] 4} For everything that was written long ago was written to instruct us, so that we might have hope through the endurance and encouragement that the Scriptures give us.^[c]

⁵ Now may God, the source of endurance and encouragement, allow you to live in harmony with each other as you follow the Messiah^[d] Jesus,^{[e] 6} so that with one mind and one voice you might glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.^[f]

⁷ Therefore, accept one another, just as the Messiah^[g] accepted you,^[h] for the glory of God. ⁸ For I tell you that the Messiah^[i] became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth in order to confirm the promises given to our ancestors, ⁹ so that the gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

¹⁰ Again he says,^[l]

¹¹ And again,

¹² And again, Isaiah says,

¹³ Now may God, the source 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.

Paul’s Desire to Take the Gospel to the Whole World

¹⁴ I myself am convinced,^[s] my brothers, that you yourselves are filled with goodness and full of all the knowledge you need to be able to instruct each other. ¹⁵ However, on some points I have written to you rather boldly, both as a reminder to you and because of the grace given me by God ¹⁶ to be a minister of the Messiah^[t] Jesus to the gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering brought by gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

¹⁷ Therefore, in the Messiah^[u] Jesus I have the right to boast about my work for God. ¹⁸ For I am bold enough to tell you only about what the Messiah^[v] has accomplished through me in bringing gentiles to obedience. By my words and actions, ¹⁹ by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit,^[w] I have fully proclaimed the gospel of the Messiah^[x] from Jerusalem as far as Illyricum. ²⁰ My one ambition is to proclaim the gospel where the name of the Messiah^[y] is not known, so I don’t^[z] build on someone else’s foundation. ²¹ Rather, as it is written,

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

²² This is why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. ²³ But now, having no further opportunities in these regions, I want to come to you, as I’ve desired to do for many years. ²⁴ Now that I am on my way to Spain, I hope to see you when I come your way and, after I have enjoyed your company for a while, to be sent on by you.

²⁵ Right now, however, I’m going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints, ²⁶ because the believers in^[ab] Macedonia and Achaia have been eager to share their resources with the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. ²⁷ Yes, they were eager to do this, and in fact they are obligated to help them, for if the gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to be of service to them in material things.

²⁸ So when I have completed this task and have put my seal on this contribution of theirs, I will visit you on my way to Spain. ²⁹ And I know that when I come to you I will come with the full blessing of the Messiah.^[ac]

³⁰ Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,^[ad] and by the love that the Spirit produces, to join me in my struggle, earnestly praying to God for me ³¹ that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, ³² and that if it’s God’s will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you.

Doxology

³³ Now may the God who grants^[ae] peace be with all of you! Amen.