HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1396
RO MA N S 1 6
11 And
yet again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles.
Praise him, all you people of the earth.”*
12 And
in another place Isaiah said,
“The heir to David’s throne* will come,
and he will rule over the Gentiles.
They will place their hope on him.”*
13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill
you completely with joy and peace because you
trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s Reason for Writing
14 I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and
sisters,* that you are full of goodness. You know
these things so well you can teach each other all
about them. 15 Even so, I have been bold enough
to write about some of these points, knowing
that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s
grace, 16 I am a special messenger from Christ
Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News
so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. 17 So
I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ
Jesus has done through me in my service to God.
18 Yet I dare not boast about anything except
what Christ has done through me, bringing the
Gentiles to God by my message and by the way
I worked among them. 19 They were convinced
by the power of miraculous signs and wonders
and by the power of God’s Spirit.* In this way,
I have fully presented the Good News of Christ
from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.*
20 My ambition has always been to preach the
Good News where the name of Christ has never
been heard, rather than where a church has
already been started by someone else. 21 I have
• Pride
R O MA NS 1 5 :1 7
There is little doubt that Paul’s life before
meeting Christ was dominated by pride
(Philippians 3:4-6). As he grew in Christ,
he came to rejoice in his sufferings
because he believed God used them to
keep pride out of his life. But here Paul
allows himself to express a different kind
of pride, not that which leads to sinful
arrogance, but that which glorifies God
through excellence and integrity. Paul
took pride no longer in himself but in
what the Lord Jesus was able to do in
and through him. Recognizing God’s
continual work within you is a good
deterrent of arrogance.
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been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says,
“Those who have never been told about him
will see,
and those who have never heard of him
will understand.”*
22 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so
long because I have been preaching in these
places.
Paul’s Travel Plans
23 But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting,
I am eager to visit you. 24 I am planning to go to
Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome.
And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a
little while, you can provide for my journey.
25 But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to
take a gift to the believers* there. 26 For you see,
the believers in Macedonia and Achaia* have
eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among
the believers in Jerusalem. 27 They were glad to
do this because they feel they owe a real debt to
them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual
blessings of the Good News from the believers
in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in
return is to help them financially. 28 As soon as
I have delivered this money and completed this
good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on
my way to Spain. 29 And I am sure that when I
come, Christ will richly bless our time together.
30 Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in
my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this
because of your love for me, given to you by the
Holy Spirit. 31 Pray that I will be rescued from
those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray
also that the believers there will be willing to
accept the donation* I am taking to Jerusalem.
32 Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come
to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other.
33 And now may God, who gives us his peace,
be with you all. Amen.*
Paul Greets His Friends
I commend to you our sister Phoebe,
who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. 2 Welcome her in the Lord as one who is
worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her
in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful
to many, and especially to me.
3 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila,
16
15:11 Ps 117:1. 15:12a Greek The root of Jesse. David was the
son of Jesse. 15:12b Isa 11:10 (Greek version). 15:14 Greek
brothers; also in 15:30. 15:19a Other manuscripts read the
Spirit; still others read the Holy Spirit. 15:19b Illyricum was
a region northeast of Italy. 15:21 Isa 52:15 (Greek version).
15:25 Greek God’s holy people; also in 15:26, 31. 15:26 Macedonia
and Achaia were the northern and southern regions of Greece.
15:31 Greek the ministry; other manuscripts read the gift.
15:33 Some manuscripts do not include Amen. One very early
manuscript places 16:25-27 here.