Nedzīvojiet par patikšanu sev, bet citiem!
1 Mums, stiprajiem, pienākas nest to vājības, kas ir nespēcīgi, nevis censties patikt sev pašiem. 2 Ikviens lai cenšas būt patīkams savam tuvākajam – viņam par labu, lai viņu celtu. 3 Jo arī Kristus nav izpaticis sev pašam, bet kā ir rakstīts:
tavu nievātāju nievas ir kritušas uz mani.
4 Bet, kas iepriekš rakstīts, ir rakstīts mūsu pamācīšanai, lai mēs caur izturību un mierinājumu, ko sniedz Raksti, iegūtu cerību. 5 Bet izturības un mierinājuma Dievs lai dod jums savstarpēju vienprātību, kas pamatota Kristū Jēzū, 6 tā ka jūs vienprātīgi vienā mutē pagodinātu Dievu un mūsu Kunga Jēzus Kristus Tēvu.
Evaņģēlijs gan jūdiem, gan pagāniem
7 Tādēļ pieņemiet cits citu, kā arī Kristus mūs ir pieņēmis Dievam par godu. 8 Un es saku, ka Kristus ir padarīts par kalpu apgraizītajiem Dieva patiesības dēļ, lai apstiprinātu tēviem dotos apsolījumus 9 un lai pagāni pagodinātu Dievu par viņa žēlastību, kā ir rakstīts:
tādēļ es apliecināšu tevi starp citām tautām
un dziedāšu tavam vārdam.
10 Un vēl ir sacīts:
tautas, priecājieties kopā ar viņa tautu,
11 un vēl ir sacīts:
visas tautas, slavējiet Kungu,
un visi viņa ļaudis, uzgavilējiet viņam!
12 Arī Jesaja saka:
reiz Jišaja sakne dos dzinumu,
un celsies tas, kas valdīs pār tautām,
un tautas cerēs uz viņu.
13 Lai cerības Dievs jūs piepilda ar prieku un mieru ticībā un jūs Svētā Gara spēkā kļūtu pārpilni šajā cerībā.
Pāvila misijas uzdevums
14 Es, brāļi, esmu pārliecināts par jums – ka esat bagāti labestībā, pilnīgi zināšanā un spējīgi cits citu pamācīt. 15 Varbūt, dažas lietas jums atgādinādams, esmu rakstījis pārdroši tās žēlastības dēļ, kuru man devis Dievs – 16 lai priesteriskā kalpošanā pie Dieva evaņģēlija es būtu Kristus Jēzus darba veicējs citām tautām, lai tās kļūtu par tīkamu upurdāvanu, kas svētīta Svētajā Garā. 17 Tad nu es varu lepoties Dieva lietās Kristū Jēzū, 18 jo es neiedrošinos mācīt neko tādu, ko Kristus nebūtu paveicis caur mani gan vārdos, gan darbos, lai vestu paklausībā pagānus – 19 Dieva Gara spēkā caur zīmēm un brīnumiem, tā ka no Jeruzālemes visapkārt līdz pat Illīrikai esmu piepildījis Kristus evaņģēlija sludināšanu. 20 Tā man ir goda lieta – pasludināt evaņģēliju tur, kur Kristus vārds vēl nav ticis piesaukts, lai man nebūtu jāceļ uz pamata, ko licis kāds cits; 21 bet kā ir rakstīts:
kam nebija par viņu pasludināts, tie redzēs
un, kas nav dzirdējuši, tie sapratīs.
Pāvila nodoms apmeklēt Romu
22 Tādēļ daudzkārt biju aizkavēts nākt pie jums, 23 bet tagad šajos apgabalos vairs nav vietas, kur darboties. Un, tā kā jau daudzus gadus esmu ilgojies nākt pie jums, 24 ceru, ka, dodoties uz Spāniju, pa ceļam redzēšu arī jūs un jūs mani izvadīsiet tālākā ceļa, kad būšu pie jums vispirms šo ilgošanos pa daļai piepildījis. 25 Bet tagad, kalpodams svētajiem, es dodos uz Jeruzālemi, 26 jo Maķedonijas un Ahajas ļaudis ir bijuši labprātīgi un savākuši kādu ziedojumu nabagajiem Jeruzālemes svēto vidū. 27 Tie ir darījuši to labprātīgi un arī kā pienākumu pret viņiem; jo, ja citas tautas ir kļuvušas līdzdalīgas viņiem garīgajās lietās, tad tām pienākas pakalpot viņiem arī laicīgajās. 28 Un, tad šīs lietas paveicis un šo dāvanu viņiem droši nodevis rokās, es pa ceļam uz Spāniju iegriezīšos pie jums. 29 Es zinu, ka, ierazdamies pie jums, es būšu ieradies ar Kristus svētības pilnību. 30 Brāļi, es jūs lūdzu caur mūsu Kungu Jēzu Kristu un Svētā Gara mīlestību: cīnieties man līdzi, lūdzot Dievu par mani, 31 ka es tiktu izglābts no nepakļāvīgajiem, kas ir Jūdejā, un lai mana kalpošana Jeruzālemē būtu svētajiem tīkama. 32 Lai es ar prieku varētu nākt pie jums un pēc Dieva prāta kopā ar jums veldzētos. 33 Miera Dievs ar jums visiem! Āmen!
Please Others, Not Yourselves
1 We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak to carry their burdens. We should not please ourselves. 2 Instead, we should all please other believers for their own good, in order to build them up in the faith. 3 For Christ did not please himself. Instead, as the scripture says, “The insults which are hurled at you have fallen on me.” 4 Everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement which the Scriptures give us. 5 And may God, the source of patience and encouragement, enable you to have the same point of view among yourselves by following the example of Christ Jesus, 6 so that all of you together may praise with one voice the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel to the Gentiles
7 Accept one another, then, for the glory of God, as Christ has accepted you. 8 For I tell you that Christ's life of service was on behalf of the Jews, to show that God is faithful, to make his promises to their ancestors come true, 9 and to enable even the Gentiles to praise God for his mercy. As the scripture says,
“And so I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing praises to you.”
10 Again it says,
“Rejoice, Gentiles, with God's people!”
11 And again,
“Praise the Lord, all Gentiles;
praise him, all peoples!”
12 And again, Isaiah says,
“A descendant of Jesse will appear;
he will come to rule the Gentiles,
and they will put their hope in him.”
13 May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul's Reason for Writing So Boldly
14 My friends: I myself feel sure that you are full of goodness, that you have all knowledge, and that you are able to teach one another. 15 But in this letter I have been quite bold about certain subjects of which I have reminded you. I have been bold because of the privilege God has given me 16 of being a servant of Christ Jesus to work for the Gentiles. I serve like a priest in preaching the Good News from God, in order that the Gentiles may be an offering acceptable to God, dedicated to him by the Holy Spirit. 17 In union with Christ Jesus, then, I can be proud of my service for God. 18 I will be bold and speak only about what Christ has done through me to lead the Gentiles to obey God. He has done this by means of words and deeds, 19 by the power of miracles and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. And so, in traveling all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum, I have proclaimed fully the Good News about Christ. 20 My ambition has always been to proclaim the Good News in places where Christ has not been heard of, so as not to build on a foundation laid by someone else. 21 As the scripture says,
“Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.”
Paul's Plan to Visit Rome
22 And so I have been prevented many times from coming to you. 23 But now that I have finished my work in these regions and since I have been wanting for so many years to come to see you, 24 I hope to do so now. I would like to see you on my way to Spain, and be helped by you to go there, after I have enjoyed visiting you for a while. 25 Right now, however, I am going to Jerusalem in the service of God's people there. 26 For the churches in Macedonia and Achaia have freely decided to give an offering to help the poor among God's people in Jerusalem. 27 That decision was their own; but, as a matter of fact, they have an obligation to help them. Since the Jews shared their spiritual blessings with the Gentiles, the Gentiles ought to use their material blessings to help the Jews. 28 When I have finished this task and have turned over to them all the money that has been raised for them, I shall leave for Spain and visit you on my way there. 29 When I come to you, I know that I shall come with a full measure of the blessing of Christ.
30 I urge you, friends, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that the Spirit gives: join me in praying fervently to God for me. 31 Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to God's people there. 32 And so I will come to you full of joy, if it is God's will, and enjoy a refreshing visit with you. 33 May God, our source of peace, be with all of you. Amen.
