15
“ ‘Sing for Joy, You Gentiles, with His People!’ ”
1 Now, we who are strong in faith are under obligation to bear patiently with the sensitivities of those who are weak, and not do what serves ourselves.
2 It is our neighbor whom each of us is to serve, for his good, to build him up.
3 Even the Messiah, you see, did not live to serve himself. On the contrary, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”+
4 Everything that was written in the past was written, you see, for our own instruction, so that, through patient endurance and through the exhortation of the Scriptures, we may have hope.
5 Now may the God who enables you to endure and who exhorts and strengthens you, grant you the same kind of humble attitude toward one another in keeping with the example of Messiah Jesus,
6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah together in unity, with one voice.
7 That is why you must welcome one another, just as the Messiah welcomed you, to bring glory to God.
8 For I tell you this: The Messiah has become a servant, to the uncircumcised, to show that God is faithful to his word, confirming the truth and reliability of the promises made to the patriarchs,
9 while the Gentiles glorify God for showing them such great mercy. As it is written:
“That is the reason why I will praise you among the Gentiles;
it is to your name that I will sing praises.”+
10 And again it says:
“Sing for joy, you Gentiles, with his people!”+
11 And again:
“Give praise, all you Gentiles, to the LORD!
Let all the peoples praise him!”+
12 And again Isaiah says,
“The Root of Jesse will appear,
the one who will arise to rule over the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles will put their hope.”+
13 Now may the God who gives hope fill you with complete joy and peace as you continually place your faith in him, so that you may be rich in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“I Have Fully Proclaimed the Gospel of the Messiah”
14 Now I am convinced, brothers and sisters, indeed I myself with regard to you, that you yourselves, too, are indeed full of concern for others’ good, filled with all understanding, capable, as well, of giving one another admonishment and warning.
15 Even so, I have written to you on some points rather boldly, as a reminder to you, because of the task and authority of the gift entrusted to me by God,
16 to be a servant of Messiah Jesus to the Gentiles, doing the work of a priest in regard to the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles may be an offering that is acceptable, set apart to belong specially and exclusively to God as holy by the Holy Spirit.
17 Therefore, I have reason to speak confidently in union with Messiah Jesus with respect to my service to God.
18 Yet I will bring myself to speak confidently only in reference to what the Messiah has accomplished through me to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles—through my message and example,
19 through the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of the Messiah from Jerusalem all the way around to the province of Illyricum,
20 thus desiring, more than anything else, to proclaim the gospel in places where people still haven’t heard about the Messiah, so that it isn’t someone else’s foundation on which I am building.
21 Rather, as it is written:
“Those who have not been told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.”+
22 That is also why I have been prevented so many times from coming to visit you.
23 Now, however, since I have in these regions finished my work, and having had for many years such a strong desire to visit you,
24 I am hoping to come and see you, whenever I travel to Spain, while passing through, and from you to receive some help to get there, after your company, first, I have spent some time enjoying.
25 Presently, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem to deliver a gift to the Lord’s holy people.
26 The believers in Macedonia and Achaia gladly decided to share of their own resources, you see, as a generous sign of fellowship, to help the poor among the Lord’s holy people in Jerusalem.
27 Indeed, they were glad to do this, and in fact owe it to them. If the Gentiles have come to share, you see, in the very blessings of the Spirit belonging to them, they have an obligation to serve them in the blessing, indeed, of life’s everyday necessities.
28 This matter, therefore, having seen to a successful finish, and having safely handed over to them all the money that has been collected, I will set out for Spain and stop and visit you on the way.
29 And I know that when I come to you, it will be with an abundance of blessing from the Messiah that I do so.
30 Now I beg you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus the Messiah and by the love produced by the Spirit, to please help me in this fierce contest by lifting me up in your prayers to God.
31 Please ask him to rescue me from those in Judea who refuse to believe, and to cause the gift I am bringing to Jerusalem to be welcomed by the Lord’s holy people with great gladness and favor,
32 so that, having come to you with a heart full of joy, if God makes a way according to his will, I may enjoy a refreshing visit to you.
33 Now may the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.