Romans 15

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2Let each one of us please his neighbour for that which is good, to be building him up. 3For even AL-MASIH1 didn’t please himself. But, as it is written, 

“The reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen on me.” 2

4For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through patience and through encouragement of Al-Kitab3 we might have hope. 5Now the God4 of patience and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to AL-MASIH ‘ISA5, 6that with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord ‘ISA AL-MASIH.

7Therefore receive one another, even as AL-MASIH also received you, to the glory of God. 8Now I say that AL-MASIH has been made a servant of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given to the fathers, 9and that the nations might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore will I give thanks to you among the nations, And will sing praises to your Name.” 6

10Again he says,

“Rejoice, you nations, with his people.” 7

11Again,

“Praise the LORD,8 all you nations! Praise him, all you peoples!” 9

12Again, Shaya says,

“The Root of Jesse, who will arise to rule over the peoples, on him will the nations hope.” 10

13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit. 14I myself am also persuaded about you, my brothers,11 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others. 15But I write the more boldly to you in part, as reminding you, because of the grace that was given to me by God, 16that I should be a servant of AL-MASIH ‘ISA to the nations, ministering as a priest the Injil12 of God, that the offering up of the nations might be made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17I have therefore my boasting in AL-MASIH ‘ISA in things pertaining to God. 18For I will not dare to speak of any things except those which AL-MASIH worked through me, for the obedience of the nations, by word and deed, 19in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Injil of AL-MASIH; 20yes, making it my aim to preach the Injil, not where AL-MASIH was already named, that I might not build on another’s foundation. 21But, as it is written,

“They will see, to whom no news of him came. They who haven’t heard will understand.” 13

22Therefore also I was hindered these many times from coming to you, 23but now, no longer having any place in these regions, and having these many years a longing to come to you, 24whenever I journey to Spain, I will come to you. For I hope 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. 25But now, I say, I am going to Jerusalem, serving the saints. 26For it has been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are at Jerusalem. 27Yes, it has been their good pleasure, and they are their debtors. For if the nations have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to serve them in fleshly things. 28When therefore I have accomplished this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will go on by way of you to Spain. 29I know that, when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of the Injil of AL-MASIH.

30Now I beg you, brothers, by our Lord ‘ISA AL-MASIH, and by the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, 31that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints; 32that I may come to you in joy through the will of God, and together with you, find rest. 33Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

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  1. 15:3 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH.  Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
  2. 15:3 Quoting the Zabur 69:9, which says, “Zeal for your house has consumed me. The reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen on me.” ↩︎
  3. 15:4 Al-Kitab, is an Arabic-derived term for “the Scriptures.” It is related to the Aramaic ketab and Hebrew terms ketab, miktab, and ktb. The same meaning of “the Scriptures” is expressed in Greek by graphe. In this verse, Al-Kitab refers to the Hebrew scriptures, including the Taurat, the Zabur, and the writings of the Prophets. ↩︎
  4. 15:5 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
  5. 15:5 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
  6. 15:9 Quoting the Taurat (2 Samuel 22:50) and the Zabur 18:49, which both say, “Therefore I will give thanks to you, YAHWEH, among the nations, And will sing praises to your Name.” ↩︎
  7. 15:10 Quoting the Taurat, Deuteronomy 32:43, “Rejoice, you nations, with his people: For he will avenge the blood of his servants, Will render vengeance to his adversaries, Will make expiation for his land, for his people.” ↩︎
  8. 15:11 LORD, the use of all capital letters means that the original Hebrew text quoted here uses God’s Name, YAHWEH, which God-fearing Jews to this day do not say out of respect. YAHWEH is the Name God revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.” ↩︎
  9. 15:11 Quoting the Zabur 117:1, “Praise YAHWEH, all you nations! Praise him, all you peoples!” ↩︎
  10. 15:12 Quoting the prophet Shaya 11:10 in the Taurat, which says, “It shall happen in that day, that the Root of Jesse, who will stand as a banner for the peoples, to him will the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious.” ↩︎
  11. 15:14 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.” ↩︎
  12. 15:16 Injil, this Arabic word is derived from Euangel (Greek) and means “good news” or “Gospel” (old English for ‘good news’). Depending on context, Injil can refer to, 
    1. the whole Christian New Testament containing 27 books, 
    2. the first 4 books of the New Testament, that is, the Injil according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, or,
    3. the message or “good news” of forgiveness of sins through ‘ISA AL-MASIH. ↩︎
  13. 15:21 Quoting the Taurat, from Shaya 52:13-15, which predicts the coming of the servant of YAHWEH, ‘ISA AL-MASIH, “Behold, my servant shall deal wisely, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. Just as many were astonished at you (his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men), so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths at him: for they will see what they were not told; what they had not heard, they will understand.” ↩︎