Romans 15 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~AD 57, shortly before Paul carried a relief fund to Jerusalem
Location
Written from Corinth to Rome, with Paul planning onward travel to Jerusalem and then to Spain
Audience
Jewish and non-Jewish believers in Rome, divided over food rules and holy days
Situation
Paul urges the stronger group to bear with the weaker and stacks up scripture quotations showing that the nations were always meant to praise God alongside Israel. He then lays out his travel plans, asking the Roman church to help send him to Spain after he delivers a collection to poor believers in Jerusalem.
Key Background
The collection Paul mentions was money gathered from mostly non-Jewish churches in Greece and Asia for the struggling church in Jerusalem, and he treats it as proof that the two halves of the movement belong to one another. Spain was the far western edge of the empire, freshly Romanised and reachable by ship, and a mission there needed a supply base, which is much of why Paul is writing to a church he did not found. Ancient letter writers routinely used travel plans and requests for provisions as the practical business at the close of a letter, so this section is Paul asking Rome to become his sending church.
Those of us who are in our trust need to carry the of those who aren't — not just doing whatever pleases us.
Each of us should try to please our neighbor for their good, to them up.
Because even The didn't live to please himself. Instead, as it's "The insults of those who insulted you fell on me."
Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through and through the encouragement the Scriptures give, we'd hold on to
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same toward each other that The One Jesus had,
so that together, with you'd give to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, The
So each other, just as The One welcomed you, for the glory of God.
What I mean is that The One became a to the Jewish people to demonstrate God's truthfulness — to confirm the promises made to the —
and so that the would give glory to God for his As it's written: "That's why I will praise you among the and sing to your name."
And again it says: "Celebrate, non-Jewish people, along with his people!"
And again: "Praise the all you non-Jewish people! Let all the peoples praise him!"
And Isaiah says: "The of will appear — the one who rises to rule the non-Jewish peoples. The non-Jewish peoples will put their hope in him."
May the of fill you with nothing but and as you trust in him, so that you'd overflow with through the power of the of
I'm personally convinced about you, my and that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and quite capable of instructing each other.
Still, I've written to you rather boldly on some points as a reminder, because of the God gave me
to be a of The One Jesus to the non-Jewish peoples. I serve the of God like a priest, so that the offering of the non-Jewish peoples would be acceptable, own by the Breath of God.
So in The One Jesus I have good reason to be of my work for God.
I wouldn't dare talk about anything except what The One has accomplished through me to bring the non-Jewish peoples into — by what I've said and done,
by the power of and and by the power of the Breath of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to I've fully proclaimed the good news of The One.
It's been my goal to share the good news where The One hasn't been named yet, so I wouldn't be building on someone else's
As it's "Those who were never told about him will see, and those who never heard will understand."
This is exactly why I've been held back so many times from coming to visit you.
But now, since I no longer have room to work in these regions and since I've been longing to visit you for many years,
I hope to see you as I pass through on my way to and to be on my there by you, after I've had the chance to enjoy your company for a while.
Right now, though, I'm heading to Jerusalem to serve there.
Because and were happy to make a for the poor among God's people in Jerusalem.
They were happy to do it, and really, they owe it to them. Because if the non-Jewish peoples have shared in the Jewish believers' then they ought to serve them with their material too.
So when I've completed this task and made sure they've received this I'll head to Spain by way of your city.
And I know that when I come to you, I'll come in the full measure of The One's
I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus, The One, and by the that the to me in my by praying to God for me.
Pray that I'll be from the unbelievers in and that my service in Jerusalem will be welcome to God's people there,
so that by God's will I'll come to you with joy and be together with you.
The God of be with all of you. it be so.