World English Bible · Under Rome
Romans 15
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Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, to be building him up. For even Christ didn't please himself. But, as , "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me." For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through and through encouragement of we might have . Now the of and of encouragement grant you to be of the same with one another according to Christ , that with one accord you may with one the and of our . Therefore accept one another, even as Christ also accepted you, to the of . Now I say that Christ has been made a the for the truth of , that he might confirm the promises given to the fathers, and that the might for his mercy. As , "Therefore I will give to you among the and sing to your name." Again he says, "Rejoice, you , with his people." Again, " , all you ! Let all the peoples him." Again, says, "There will be the root of , he who arises to the ; in him the will ." Now may the of fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in in the of . I myself am also persuaded about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others. But I write the more boldly to you in part as reminding you, because of the that was given to me by , that I should be a Christ to the , as a priest of the of , that the up of the might be made acceptable, by . I have therefore my boasting in Christ in things pertaining to . For I will not dare to speak of any things except those which Christ worked through me for the of the , by word and deed, in the of signs and wonders, in the of ; so that from and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the of Christ; yes, making it my aim to preach the , not where Christ was already named, that I might not build on another's foundation. But, as , "They will see, to whom no news of him came. They who haven't heard will understand." Therefore also I was hindered these many times from coming to you, but now, no longer having any place in these regions, and having these many years a to come to you, whenever I travel to Spain, I will come to you. For I to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. But now, I say, I am going to , . For it has been the good pleasure of and to make a certain contribution for among who are at . Yes, it has been their good pleasure, and they are their debtors. For if the have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to them in material things. When therefore I have accomplished this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will go on by way of you to Spain. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the of the of Christ. Now I beg you, brothers, by our and by the love of , that you strive together with me in your prayers to for me, that I may be from those who are in , and that my which I have for may be acceptable to , that I may come to you in joy through the will of , and together with you, find rest. Now the of peace be with you all. .
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.