Romans 15
We should help the weak instead of only caring about ourselves
Instead of just pleasing our own households, capable people like us have a responsibility for carrying the weaknesses of people who aren’t as capable. We should please our neighbors and build them up for their own good. Even the Chosen One didn’t please himself, but like the verse says:
“People reprimanded you, but their reprimands landed on me (Jesus).”
—Psalm 69:9
Christians should be like-minded
Everything that was written in the past teaches us to have comfort and hope as we wait patiently. Since God is the one who supplies that comfort and patience, I hope he makes you like-minded with each other and aligns you all with the Chosen One. That way, you can all have one mind and one voice as you magnify the God and dad of our Commander, Jesus the Chosen One. So let’s welcome each other in the same way that the Chosen One welcomed us into God’s splendor.
Jesus fulfilled God’s promises to Israel while also including non-Israelites
I think that there are two reasons why the Chosen One served the Israelites on behalf of God’s truth:
so that he could affirm the promises given to the Israelite patriarchs, and
so that the non-Israelites would experience God’s compassion and magnify him.
That’s what these verses were talking about:
“I’ll celebrate you (God) amidst the non-Israelites, and I’ll sing to you”
—2 Samuel 22:50 & Psalm 18:49
“Oh non-Israelites, rejoice together with God’s people!”
—Deuteronomy 32:43
Celebrate the Existing One, all you non-Israelies, and let all the nations express their admiration to him.”
—Psalm 117:1
“Jesse’s root will come, and the non-Israelites will hope in the One who rises to rule over them”
—Isaiah 11:10
Now may the God of hope fill you to the brim with delight and harmony as you entrust him. May the Purest Spirit’s power cause you overflow with hope.
Boldly seek each other’s purification
My fellow believers, I’m convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness and knowledge and are capable of providing constructive criticism for each other. I know I’ve written to you pretty boldly in some portions of this letter. I did that to remind you since God graciously appointed me to serve to the non-Israelites on Jesus’s behalf. I serve God’s good news so that the Purest Spirit might purify the non-Israelites and make them acceptable for the time when they’ll be presented.
Within Jesus the Chosen One, I can brag about godly things. I won’t be so bold to talk about anything else except for what the Chosen One has done through me. He got the non-Israelites to obey God by using my words, my actions, the power of signs and marvels, and the Spirit’s power. I’ve brought the good news about the Chosen One from Jerusalem to places as far as Illyricum (modern day Croatia). I aspired to bring the good news to places where they haven’t heard it so that I wouldn’t be building on anyone else’s foundations, just like it’s written:
“The people who had no report of him will see, and the people who haven’t heard will understand.”
—Isaiah 52:15
Paul hopes to visit them soon
That’s why I’ve been prevented from visiting you so many times. But now there’s nowhere else for me to go in that region, and I’ve been longing to visit you whenever I travel to Spain. I hope to visit you on my way there, and I hope you can give me directions to Spain after I’ve enjoyed your company for a while. But right now I’m going to Jerusalem to tend to God's people. Macedonia and Achaia (modern day Greece) happily made a contribution to God's people in Jerusalem who are poor. Yes, they were happy to do that, and now those Israelites are indebted to them. If the non-Israelites get to share in Israel’s spirituality, then the non-Israelites are indebted to serve Israel with their material goods. So I’ll visit you on my way to Spain after I go to Israel and deliver Macedonia’s fruit. When I visit you I know I’ll come in the Chosen One’s full blessing.
My fellow Christians, both the Commander Jesus and the Spirit’s love compel me as I say this: please join with me in asking God to rescue me from the disobedient Israelites. Also pray that the godly people would find my service to Jerusalem acceptable so that I’ll finally be able to visit you (if God allows) and my spirit can be refreshed in your company. Now may the God of peace be with all of you for sure.