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Scripture • World English Bible
Romans 15:1–13
1Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, to be building him up.
3For even Christ didn’t please himself. But, as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
4For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through perseverance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5Now the God of perseverance and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,
6that with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Therefore accept one another, even as Christ also accepted you, to the glory of God.
8Now I say that Christ 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 Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
10Again he says,
11Again,
12Again, Isaiah says,
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.
World English Bible (WEB) • Public Domain
Reflection
Paul writes directly to a messy, mixed church—and he writes to you and me. Some in the congregation were stronger in faith and freer in conscience; others were scrupulous and easily offended. The way forward is not to crush those who stumble or to flaunt our freedoms. The strong are called to bear the weak’s burdens rather than cater to their own comfort.
To bear someone’s weakness is not the same as excusing sin. It means patiently walking with a brother or sister through struggle, choosing for the good of the other when liberty would harm them, and refusing the self-centered impulse to insist on our rights. It also means using our freedom to build up others: adjusting, explaining, serving, and encouraging so that faith grows rather than fractures.
Paul points us to Jesus as the example: Christ did not live to please himself. He took on the dishonor and reproach so that God’s promises would be fulfilled and so that both Jew and Gentile might glorify God together. That humility is the model for how a diverse body of believers holds together—a unity shaped by Christ’s self-giving love, not by uniformity of opinion.
Scripture itself becomes a means of endurance and encouragement. The stories and promises written long ago train us to hope. That hope is not wishful thinking but a confident expectation rooted in God’s faithfulness. Paul prays that the God of perseverance and encouragement would give us the same mind—so we might with one heart glorify God. Unity here is not sameness of taste or politics; it is a shared commitment to Christ and to displaying his mercy to the world.
Finally, Paul’s benediction gives us a picture of Christian life lived in the Spirit: joy and peace that come through believing, and hope that overflows by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we accept one another as Christ accepted us, our acceptance becomes an offering that honors God. When the Spirit fills us with joy and peace, our hope pours out into patient service, courageous witness, and sacrificial love.
If you lead, read, or gather with others who differ from you, remember these priorities: put the good of your neighbor first, follow Christ’s humility, and depend on the Spirit to produce hope that overflows into the lives of those around you. This is how imperfect people become a compelling sign of God’s faithfulness.
Putting Faith Into Action
- When you feel justified to insist on your preferences, ask: Will this build up my brother or sister? If not, choose the course that strengthens their faith—whether that’s yielding a right, changing a habit, or speaking gently.
- Practice acceptance with concrete steps: listen first (no interruption), name what you understand about the other person’s struggle, and offer one practical help (a prayer, a meal, a resource) that shows you’re bearing their burden.
- Cultivate overflowing hope by daily inviting the Holy Spirit to fill you with joy and peace in believing: memorize Romans 15:13, share a short testimony of God’s faithfulness with someone this week, and pray regularly for those in your church who feel weak or excluded.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you bore what we could not bear and welcomed us when we were weak. Help me to lay down my rights, to prefer others, and to accept people as you accepted me. Fill me with joy and peace as I trust you, and overflow my life with hope by your Spirit so I may encourage and build up those around me. Amen.
Memory Verse
Romans 15:13 — Now 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. (WEB)
“Now 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.”
Bible Context
Read all of Romans 15
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Bible Context
Read all of Romans 15
Romans 15
World English Bible • WEB
1Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, to be building him up.
3For even Christ didn’t please himself. But, as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
4For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through perseverance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5Now the God of perseverance and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,
6that with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Therefore accept one another, even as Christ also accepted you, to the glory of God.
8Now I say that Christ 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 Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
10Again he says,
11Again,
12Again, Isaiah says,
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, 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 Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the Good News of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17I have therefore my boasting in Christ Jesus in things pertaining to God.
18For I will not dare to speak of any things except those which Christ worked through me for the obedience of the Gentiles, 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 Good News of Christ;
20yes, making it my aim to preach the Good News, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build on another’s foundation.
21But, as it is written,
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 travel 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 Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to serve them in material 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 Good News of Christ.
30Now I beg you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ 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.
World English Bible (WEB) • Public Domain
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