Outline
- Introduction (1:1-15)
- Theme: Righteousness from God (1:16-17)
- The Unrighteousness of All People (1:18;3:20)
- Righteousness Imputed: Justification (3:21;5:21)
- Righteousness Imparted: Sanctification (chs. 6-8)
- Freedom from Sin's Tyranny (ch. 6)
- Freedom from the Law's Condemnation (ch. 7)
- Life in the Power of the Holy Spirit (ch. 8)
- God's Righteousness Vindicated: The Justice of His Way with Israel (chs. 9-11)
- Righteousness Practiced (12:1;15:13)
- Conclusion (15:14-33)
- Commendation, Greetings and Doxology (ch. 16)
Romans 15
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 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.
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.
Romans 16
1 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, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus.
4 In fact, they once risked their lives
for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches.
5Also give my greetings to the church that
meets in their home. Greet my dear friend Epenetus. He was the first person
from the province of Asia to become a follower of Christ.
6 Give my greetings to Mary, who has
worked so hard for your benefit.
7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow
Jews, who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles
and became followers of Christ before I did.
8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the
Lord.
9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ,
and my dear friend Stachys.
10Greet Apelles, a good man whom Christ
approves. And give my greetings to the believers from the household of
Aristobulus.
11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet the
Lord’s people from the household of Narcissus.
12 Give my greetings to Tryphena and
Tryphosa, the Lord’s workers, and to dear Persis, who has worked so hard for
the Lord.
13 Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to
be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has been a mother to me.
14 Give my greetings to Asyncritus,
Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who meet with
them.
15 Give my greetings to Philologus, Julia,
Nereus and his sister, and to Olympas and all the believers who meet with
them.
16 Greet each other with a sacred kiss. All
the churches of Christ send you their greetings.
17 And now I make one more appeal, my dear
brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset
people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay
away from them.
18 Such people are not serving Christ our
Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing
words they deceive innocent people.
19 But everyone knows that you are obedient
to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and
to stay innocent of any wrong.
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan
under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his
greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.
22 I, Tertius, the one writing this letter
for Paul, send my greetings, too, as one of the Lord’s followers.
23Gaius says hello to you. He is my host and
also serves as host to the whole church. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you
his greetings, and so does our brother Quartus.
24
25 Now all glory to God, who is able to
make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has
revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of
time.
26 But now as the prophets foretold and as
the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles
everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him.
27 All glory to the only wise God, through
Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.
