PAUL, A MINISTER OF CHRIST JESUS

Passage: Romans 15:14-33

Key verse: 16

NIV

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

14 I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness,(A) filled with knowledge(B) and competent to instruct one another. 15 Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me(C) 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles.(D) He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God,(E) so that the Gentiles might become an offering(F) acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus(G) in my service to God.(H) 18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles(I) to obey God(J) by what I have said and done— 19 by the power of signs and wonders,(K) through the power of the Spirit of God.(L) So from Jerusalem(M) all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.(N) 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel(O) where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.(P) 21 Rather, as it is written:

“Those who were not told about him will see,
    and those who have not heard will understand.”[a](Q)

22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.(R)

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you,(S) 24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain.(T) I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist(U) me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem(V) in the service(W) of the Lord’s people(X) there. 26 For Macedonia(Y) and Achaia(Z) were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem.(AA) 27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.(AB) 28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain(AC) and visit you on the way. 29 I know that when I come to you,(AD) I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

30 I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit,(AE) to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.(AF) 31 Pray that I may be kept safe(AG) from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution(AH) I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people(AI) there, 32 so that I may come to you(AJ) with joy, by God’s will,(AK) and in your company be refreshed.(AL) 33 The God of peace(AM) be with you all. Amen.

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Footnotes
  1. Romans 15:21 Isaiah 52:15 (see Septuagint)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

14 (A)I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,[a] that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with (B)all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, (C)because of the grace given me by God 16 to be (D)a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles (E)in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that (F)the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have (G)reason to be proud of (H)my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except (I)what Christ has accomplished through me (J)to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 (K)by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that (L)from Jerusalem and all the way around (M)to 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, (N)lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,

(O)“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 (P)I 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 (Q)since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go (R)to Spain, and (S)to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, (T)I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For (U)Macedonia 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 (V)they 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,[b] I will leave (W)for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing[c] of Christ.

30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by (X)the love of the Spirit, (Y)to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 (Z)that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that (AA)my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and (AB)be refreshed in your company. 33 May (AC)the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

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Footnotes
  1. Romans 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30
  2. Romans 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit
  3. Romans 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. God's grace to Paul (14-22) God called Paul out of his life of persecuting the Lord. He gave Paul much grace. He made this terrible sinner a minister of Christ Jesus and sent him to bring the good news to the Gentiles. He saw his task as a priestly duty-to make the Gentiles an acceptable offering to the Lord. Because of this, Paul had boldly preached the gospel all over. But he wanted to go and preach somewhere new, where the gospel was unknown. Paul truly wanted to fulfill Jesus' world mission command-to preach the gospel to all nations. We too have been called by God and given His grace to be shepherds. This is our priestly duty. 2. Paul's plan to visit Spain (23-33) Paul really wanted to preach the gospel in Spain, where no one had yet been. He would go through Rome to get support for his journey. But first, he had to visit Jerusalem to deliver an offering to the poor saints there. But there was danger there. So Paul asked for prayer support from the believers in Rome.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see my call as a shepherd to be a priestly duty. Help me to preach the gospel.

One Word: God gave us mercy to be shepherds