Bearing Others’ Burdens

15 We ^(A)then who are strong ought to bear with the ^[a]scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ^2 (B)Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to ^[b]edification. ^3 (C)For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ^(D)“The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” ⁴ For ^(E)whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the ^[c]patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. ^5 (F)Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, ⁶ that you may ^(G)with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Glorify God Together

⁷ Therefore ^(H)receive one another, just ^(I)as Christ also received ^[d]us, to the glory of God. ⁸ Now I say that ^(J)Jesus Christ has become a ^[e]servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, ^(K)to confirm the promises made to the fathers, ⁹ and ^(L)that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written:

¹⁰ And again he says:

¹¹ And again:

¹² And again, Isaiah says:

¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all ^(Q)joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

From Jerusalem to Illyricum

¹⁴ Now ^(R)I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, ^(S)filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish ^[f]one another. ¹⁵ Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, ^(T)because of the grace given to me by God, ¹⁶ that ^(U)I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the ^(V)offering ^[g]of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷ Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus ^(W)in the things which pertain to God. ¹⁸ For I will not dare to speak of any of those things ^(X)which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, ^(Y)to make the Gentiles obedient— ^19 (Z)in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. ²⁰ And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, ^(AA)lest I should build on another man’s foundation, ²¹ but as it is written:

Plan to Visit Rome

²² For this reason ^(AC)I also have been much hindered from coming to you. ²³ But now no longer having a place in these parts, and ^(AD)having a great desire these many years to come to you, ²⁴ whenever I journey to Spain, ^[h]I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, ^(AE)and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may ^(AF)enjoy your company for a while. ²⁵ But now ^(AG)I am going to Jerusalem to ^[i]minister to the saints. ²⁶ For ^(AH)it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. ²⁷ It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For ^(AI)if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, ^(AJ)their duty is also to minister to them in material things. ²⁸ Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them ^(AK)this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. ^29 (AL)But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing ^[j]of the gospel of Christ.

³⁰ Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and ^(AM)through the love of the Spirit, ^(AN)that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, ^31 (AO)that I may be delivered from those in Judea who ^[k]do not believe, and that ^(AP)my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, ^32 (AQ)that I may come to you with joy ^(AR)by the will of God, and may ^(AS)be refreshed together with you. ³³ Now ^(AT)the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Sister Phoebe Commended

16 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in ^(AU)Cenchrea, ^2 (AV)that you may receive her in the Lord ^(AW)in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.

Greeting Roman Saints

³ Greet ^(AX)Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, ⁴ who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. ⁵ Likewise greet ^(AY)the church that is in their house.

Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is ^(AZ)the firstfruits of ^[l]Achaia to Christ. ⁶ Greet Mary, who labored much for us. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the ^(BA)apostles, who also ^(BB)were in Christ before me.

⁸ Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. ¹⁰ Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. ¹¹ Greet Herodion, my ^[m]countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

¹² Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, ^(BC)chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. ¹⁵ Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

^16 (BD)Greet one another with a holy kiss. ^[n]The churches of Christ greet you.

Avoid Divisive Persons

¹⁷ Now I urge you, brethren, note those ^(BE)who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and ^(BF)avoid them. ¹⁸ For those who are such do not serve our Lord ^[o]Jesus Christ, but ^(BG)their own belly, and ^(BH)by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. ¹⁹ For ^(BI)your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be ^(BJ)wise in what is good, and ^[p]simple concerning evil. ²⁰ And ^(BK)the God of peace ^(BL)will crush Satan under your feet shortly.

^(BM)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Greetings from Paul’s Friends

^21 (BN)Timothy, my fellow worker, and ^(BO)Lucius, ^(BP)Jason, and ^(BQ)Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you.

²² I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.

^23 (BR)Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. ^(BS)Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. ^24 (BT)The^[q] grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Benediction

^25 [r]Now ^(BU)to Him who is able to establish you ^(BV)according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, ^(BW)according to the revelation of the mystery ^(BX)kept secret since the world began ²⁶ but ^(BY)now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for ^(BZ)obedience to the faith— ²⁷ to ^(CA)God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(A)an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and ^(B)Timothy our brother,

To the church of God which is at Corinth, ^(C)with all the saints who are in all Achaia:

^2 (D)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Comfort in Suffering

^3 (E)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who ^(F)comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any ^[a]trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as ^(G)the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our ^[b]consolation also abounds through Christ. ⁶ Now if we are afflicted, ^(H)it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. ⁷ And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that ^(I)as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

Delivered from Suffering

⁸ For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of ^(J)our ^[c]trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. ⁹ Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should ^(K)not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, ^10 (L)who delivered us from so great a death, and ^[d]does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, ¹¹ you also ^(M)helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on ^[e]our behalf ^(N)for the gift granted to us through many.

Paul’s Sincerity

¹² For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in ^[f]simplicity and ^(O)godly sincerity, ^(P)not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. ¹³ For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end ¹⁴ (as also you have understood us in part), ^(Q)that we are your boast as ^(R)you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Sparing the Church

¹⁵ And in this confidence ^(S)I intended to come to you before, that you might have ^(T)a second benefit— ¹⁶ to pass by way of you to Macedonia, ^(U)to come again from Macedonia to you, and be helped by you on my way to Judea. ¹⁷ Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan ^(V)according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? ¹⁸ But as God is ^(W)faithful, our ^[g]word to you was not Yes and No. ¹⁹ For ^(X)the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, ^(Y)Silvanus, and ^(Z)Timothy—was not Yes and No, ^(AA)but in Him was Yes. ^20 (AB)For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. ²¹ Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and ^(AC)has anointed us is God, ²² who ^(AD)also has sealed us and ^(AE)given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

²³ Moreover ^(AF)I call God as witness against my soul, ^(AG)that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. ²⁴ Not ^(AH)that we ^[h]have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for ^(AI)by faith you stand.

Paul Urges Forgiveness

2 But I determined this within myself, ^(AJ)that I would not come again to you in sorrow. ² For if I make you ^(AK)sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me?

Forgive the Offender

³ And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, ^(AL)I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, ^(AM)having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. ⁴ For out of much ^[i]affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, ^(AN)not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.