Now we who are strong in our convictions and faith ought to patiently put up with the weaknesses of athose who are not strong, and not just please ourselves.Rom 14:1; Gal 6:2; 1 Thess 5:14 2 Let each one of us make it a practice to aplease his 1neighbor for his good, to bbuild him up spiritually.I.e. all those with whom we have contact.1 Cor 9:22; 10:24, 33; 2 Cor 13:9Rom 14:19; 1 Cor 10:23; 14:3f, 26; 2 Cor 12:19; Eph 4:12, 29 3 For even aChrist did not please Himself; but as it is written in Scripture, “bTHE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME .” Ps 69:92 Cor 8:9Ps 69:9 4 For awhatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.Rom 4:23f; 2 Tim 3:16 5 Now may the aGod who gives endurance and who supplies encouragement grant that you bbe of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,2 Cor 1:3Rom 12:16 6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify and praise and honor athe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.Rev 1:6
7 Therefore, continue to aaccept and welcome one another, just as Christ has accepted and welcomed us to the glory of our great God.Rom 14:1 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant and a minister to athe circumcision on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm and verify bthe promises made to the fathers,Matt 15:24; Acts 3:26Rom 4:16; 2 Cor 1:20 9 and for athe Gentiles to bglorify God for His mercy to them, since God had no covenant with them. As it is written and forever remains written,“cTHEREFORE I PRAISE YOU AMONG THE GENTILES,AND SING PRAISES TO YOUR NAME.” Ps 18:49Rom 3:29; 11:30fMatt 9:82 Sam 22:50; Ps 18:49 10 Again it says,“aREJOICE and CELEBRATE, O GENTILES, ALONG WITH HIS PEOPLE.” Deut 32:43Deut 32:43 11 And again,“aPRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU GENTILES,AND LET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM!” Ps 117:1Ps 117:1 12 Again Isaiah says,“aTHERE SHALL BE bA ROOT OF 1JESSE,HE WHO ARISES TO RULE as King OVER THE GENTILES,cIN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE.” Is 11:1, 10; Rev 5:5; 22:16Jesse was the father of David the king, and Jesus (the Messiah) was a descendant of David.Is 11:10Rev 5:5; 22:16Matt 12:21 13 May the God of hope fill you with all ajoy and peace in believing through the experience of your faith that bby the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.Rom 14:17Rom 15:19; 1 Cor 2:4; 1 Thess 1:5
14 Personally I am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of agoodness, amply filled with ball spiritual knowledge, and competent to admonish and counsel and instruct one another.Eph 5:9; 2 Thess 1:111 Cor 1:5; 8:1, 7, 10; 12:8; 13:2 15 Still, on some points I have written to you very boldly and without reservation to remind you about them again, because of athe grace that was given to me from God,Rom 12:3 16 to be aa minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I minister as a priest the bgospel of God, in order that my coffering of the Gentiles may become acceptable to Him, sanctified made holy and set apart for His purpose by the Holy Spirit.Acts 9:15; Rom 11:13Rom 1:1; 15:19, 20Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2; Phil 2:17 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have found legitimate areason for boasting in bthings related to my service to God.Phil 3:3Heb 2:17; 5:1 18 For I will not even presume to speak of anything except what aChrist has done through me as an instrument in His hands, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles to the gospel, by word and deed,Acts 15:12; 21:19; Rom 1:5; 2 Cor 3:5 19 with the power of asigns and wonders, and all of it bin the power of the Spirit. So starting cfrom Jerusalem and as dfar away as 1Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel faithfully preaching the good news of Christ where it had not before been preached.Located nearly 1,400 miles from Jerusalem, Illyricum was a Roman province of economic and strategic importance. It was a large region north of Macedonia located between the Adriatic Sea and the Danube River, and was known for its commercial seaports and gold mines. The great Roman road, Via Egnatia, started in Illyricum and ran eastward to Byzantium.John 4:48Rom 15:13; 1 Cor 2:4; 1 Thess 1:5Acts 22:17-21Acts 20:1f 20 Accordingly I set a goal to apreach the gospel, not where Christ’s name was already known, bso that I would not build on another man’s foundation;Rom 1:15; 10:15; 15:161 Cor 3:10; 2 Cor 10:15f 21 but instead I would act on this goal as it is written in Scripture,“aTHEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE,AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD of Him SHALL UNDERSTAND.” Is 52:15Is 52:15
22 This goal—my commitment to this principle is the reason why aI have often been prevented from coming to you in Rome.Rom 1:13; 1 Thess 2:18 23 But now, with no further place for work in these regions, and since I ahave longed for many years to come to you—Acts 19:21; Rom 1:10f; 15:29, 32 24 whenever I ago on my trip to Spain—I hope to see you as I pass through Rome, and to be bhelped on my journey there by you, after I have first cenjoyed your company for a little while.Rom 15:28Acts 15:3Rom 1:12 25 But for now, aI am going to Jerusalem to bserve the saints .Acts 19:21Acts 24:17 26 For Gentile believers in 1aMacedonia and bAchaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.In addition to Macedonia and Achaia some churches in Asia Minor also contributed to this offering.Acts 16:9; 1 Cor 16:5; 2 Cor 1:16; 2:13; 7:5; 8:1; 9:2, 4; 11:9; Phil 4:15; 1 Thess 1:7f; 4:10; 1 Tim 1:3Acts 18:12; 19:21 27 They were pleased to do it, and they are indebted to them. For aif the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual things, then they are indebted to serve them also in tangible material things.1 Cor 9:11 28 Therefore, when I have finished this mission and ahave safely given to them what has been raised, I will bgo on by way of you to Spain.John 3:33Rom 15:24 29 I know that when aI do come to you, I will come in the abundant blessing of Christ.Acts 19:21; Rom 1:10f; 15:23, 32
30 I urge you, believers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by athe love of the Spirit, to bjoin together with me in your prayers to God in my behalf,Gal 5:22; Col 1:82 Cor 1:11; Col 4:12 31 and pray that I may be arescued from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my bservice for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the csaints there;2 Cor 1:10; 2 Thess 3:2; 2 Tim 3:11; 4:17Rom 15:25f; 2 Cor 8:4; 9:1Acts 9:13, 15 32 so that by aGod’s will bI may come to you with joy and find rest in your company.Rom 15:23Acts 18:21; Rom 1:10 33 May athe God of peace be with you all! Amen.Rom 16:20; 2 Cor 13:11; Phil 4:9; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Thess 3:16; Heb 13:20