Rom 15-16 | ESV | STEP | We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak , and not to please ourselves .

1 ^aWe who are strong ^bhave an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 ^cLet each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For ^dChrist did not please himself, but as it is written, ^e“The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For ^fwhatever was written in former days was written for our ^ginstruction, that through endurance and through ^hthe encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you ⁱto live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify ^jthe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

8 For I tell you that Christ ^kbecame a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order ^lto confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order ^mthat the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

ⁿ“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name.”
10 And again it is said,

^o“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
11 And again,

^p“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him.”
12 And again Isaiah says,

^q, ^r“The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
^sin him will the Gentiles hope.”
13 May the God of hope fill you with all ^tjoy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

14 ^uI myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30} that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with ^wall knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, ^xbecause of the grace given me by God 16 to be ^ya minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles ^zin the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that ^aathe offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have ^abreason to be proud of ^acmy work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except ^adwhat Christ has accomplished through me ^aeto bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 ^afby the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that ^agfrom Jerusalem and all the way around ^ahto Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, ^ailest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written,

^aj“Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.”

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

22 This is the reason why ^akI have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and ^alsince I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go ^amto Spain, and ^anto be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, ^aoI am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For ^apMacedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed ^aqthey 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. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, ^{▼▼Greek sealed to them this fruit} I will leave ^asfor Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing ^{▼▼Some manuscripts insert of the gospel} of Christ.

30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by ^authe love of the Spirit, ^avto strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 ^awthat I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that ^axmy service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and ^aybe refreshed in your company. 33 May ^azthe God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Romans 16

Personal Greetings

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant ^{▼▼Or deaconess} of the church at ^bbCenchreae, 2 that you ^bcmay welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

3 Greet ^bdPrisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also ^bethe church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was ^bfthe first convert ^{▼▼Greek firstfruit} to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, ^{▼▼Or Junias} my kinsmen and my ^bifellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, ^{▼▼Or messengers} and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those ^bkwho belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17} who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 ^bmGreet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Final Instructions and Greetings

17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles ^bncontrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; ^boavoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but ^bptheir own appetites, ^{▼▼Greek their own belly} and ^brby smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For ^bsyour obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you ^btto be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 ^buThe God of peace ^bvwill soon crush Satan under your feet. ^bwThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

21 ^bxTimothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

22 I Tertius, ^bywho wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

23 ^bzGaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. ^{▼▼Some manuscripts insert verse 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.}

Doxology

25 ^cbNow to him who is able to strengthen you ^ccaccording to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, ^cdaccording to the revelation of the mystery ^cethat was kept secret for ^cflong ages 26 but ^cghas now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, ^chto bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to ^cithe only wise God ^cjbe glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.