15 1 The stronger must employ their strength to strengthen the weak. 5 By Christ’s example, 7 who received 8 not only the Jews, 10 but also the Gentiles. 15 The cause why he wrote this Epistle.
1 We [a]which are strong, ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to [b]please ourselves.
2 Therefore let every man please his neighbor in that that is [c]good to edification.
3 [d]For Christ also would not please himself, but as it is written, (A)The rebukes of them which rebuke thee, fell on me.
4 [e]For whatsoever things are written [f]aforetime, are written for our learning, that we through patience, and comfort of the [g]Scriptures might have hope.
5 [h]Now the God of patience and consolation give you that ye be (B)like-minded one towards another, according to Christ Jesus,
6 That ye with one mind, and with one mouth may praise God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also [i]received us to the glory of God.
8 [j]Now I say, that Jesus Christ was a minister of the [k]circumcision, for the [l]truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.
9 [m]And let the Gentiles praise God, for his mercy, as it is written, (C)For this cause I will [n]confess thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy Name.
10 And again he saith, (D)Rejoice, ye Gentiles with his people.
11 And again, (E)Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laud ye him all people together.
12 And again Isaiah saith, (F)There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust.
13 [o]Now the God of [p]hope fill you with [q]all joy, and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the holy Ghost.
14 [r]And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that [s]ye also are full of goodness, and filled with all knowledge, and are able to admonish one another.
15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have somewhat boldly after a sort written unto you, as one that putteth you in remembrance, through the grace that is given me of God,
16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ toward the Gentiles, ministering the Gospel of God, that the [t]offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the holy Ghost.
17 [u]I have therefore whereof I may rejoice in Christ Jesus in those things which pertain to God.
18 For I dare not speak of anything, which [v]Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deed,
19 With the [w]power of signs and wonders, by the power of the spirit of God: so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have caused to abound the Gospel of Christ.
20 Yea, so I enforced myself to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should have built on another man’s foundation.
21 But as it is written, (G)To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see him, and they that heard not, shall understand him.
22 (H)[x]Therefore also I have been oft let to come unto you:
23 But now seeing I have no more place in these quarters, and also have (I)been desirous many years agone to come unto you,
24 When I shall take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, after that I have been somewhat filled with your company.
25 But now go I to Jerusalem, to [y]minister unto the Saints.
26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia, to make a certain distribution unto the poor Saints which are at Jerusalem.
27 [z]For it hath pleased them, and their debtors are they: (J)for if the Gentiles be made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to [aa]minister unto them in carnal things.
28 When I have therefore performed this, and have [ab]sealed them this [ac]fruit, I will pass by you into Spain.
29 [ad]And I know when I come, that I shall come to you with abundance of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ.
30 Also brethren, I beseech you for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the [ae]love of the spirit, that ye would strive with me by prayers to God for me,
31 That I may be delivered from them which are disobedient in Judea, and that my service which I have to do at Jerusalem, may be accepted of the Saints,
32 That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.
33 Thus the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Footnotes
- Romans 15:1 Now the Apostle reasoneth generally of tolerating or bearing with the weak by all means, so far forth as may be for their profit.
- Romans 15:1 And despise others.
- Romans 15:2 For his profit and edification.
- Romans 15:3 A confirmation taken of the example of Christ, who suffered all things to bring not only the weak, but also his most cruel enemies, overcoming them with patience, to his Father.
- Romans 15:4 The preventing of an objection: Such things as are cited out of the examples of the ancients, are propounded unto us to this end and purpose, that according to the example of our Fathers, we should in patience and hope bear one with another.
- Romans 15:4 By Moses and the Prophets.
- Romans 15:4 The Scriptures are said to teach and comfort, because God useth them to teach and comfort his people withall.
- Romans 15:5 We must take an example of patience, of God that both the weak and the strong serving God with a mutual consent, may bring one another to God, as Christ also received us unto himself, although we were never so unworthy.
- Romans 15:7 He did not disdain us, but received us of his own accord, to make us partakers of God’s glory.
- Romans 15:8 An applying of the example of Christ to the Jews, whom he vouchsafed this honor for the promises which he made unto their fathers, although they were never so unworthy, that he executed the office of a minister amongst them with marvelous patience. Therefore much less ought the Gentiles despise them for certain faults, whom the Son of God so much esteemed.
- Romans 15:8 Of the circumcised Jews, for as long as he lived, he never went out of their quarters.
- Romans 15:8 That God might be seen to be true.
- Romans 15:9 An applying of the same to the Gentiles, whom also the Lord of his incomprehensible goodness had regard of, so that they are not to be condemned of the Jews as strangers.
- Romans 15:9 I will openly profess, and set forth thy Name.
- Romans 15:13 He sealeth up as it were all the former treatise with prayers, wishing all that to be given them of the Lord, that he had commanded them.
- Romans 15:13 In whom we hope.
- Romans 15:13 Abundantly and plentifully.
- Romans 15:14 The conclusion of the Epistle, wherein he first excuseth himself, that he hath written somewhat at large unto them, rather to warn them, than to teach them, and that of necessity, by reason of his vocation, which bindeth him peculiarly to the Gentiles.
- Romans 15:14 Of your own accord, and of yourselves.
- Romans 15:16 By the offering up of the Gentiles, he meaneth the Gentiles themselves, whom he offered to God as a sacrifice.
- Romans 15:17 He commendeth his Apostleship highly by the effects, but yet so that moreover and besides that he speaketh all things truly, he giveth all the glory to God as the only author: and doth not properly respect himself, but this rather: that men might less doubt of the truth of the doctrine which he propoundeth unto them.
- Romans 15:18 Christ was so with me in all things, and by all means, that if I would never so fain, yet I cannot say, what he hath done by me to bring the Gentiles to obey the Gospel.
- Romans 15:19 In the first place this word, Power, signifieth the force, and working of the wonders in piercing men’s minds: and in the latter, it signifieth God’s mighty power which was the worker of those wonders.
- Romans 15:22 He writeth at large to the Romans, and that familiarly, his singular good will towards them, and the state of his affairs, but so, that he swerveth not an iota from the end of Apostolical doctrine: for he declareth nothing but that which appertaineth to his office, and is godly: and commending by a little digression as it were, the liberality of the Churches of Macedonia, he provoketh them modestly to follow their godly deed.
- Romans 15:25 Doing, his duty for the Saints, to carry them that money which was gathered for their use.
- Romans 15:27 Alms are voluntary, but yet such as we owe by the law of charity.
- Romans 15:27 To serve the turns.
- Romans 15:28 Performed it faithfully, and sealed it as it were with my ring.
- Romans 15:28 This money which was gathered for the use of the poor: which alms is very fitly called fruit.
- Romans 15:29 He promiseth them through the blessing of God, not to come empty unto them: and requiring of them the duty of prayers, he showeth what thing we ought chiefly to rest upon in all difficulties and adversities.
- Romans 15:30 For that mutual communion, wherewith the holy Ghost hath tied our hearts and minds together.