Bible

In the Bible room today, we conclude our reading of the book of Romans with Session 7, the summaries of chapters 15 and 16.

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Romans

Session 7

Chapter 15. Hope

We who are stronger believers should be patient with the weaker,

• Without being pleased with ourselves in doing so;
• For the good of our neighbor, we should try to build him up in
• His faith; Even Christ did nothing to please Himself as He bore
• All the criticism that came to us but fell on Him; We are to
• Learn from the early writings in the Scriptures about
• Perseverance and hope; May the power of God give you the
• Patience to be agreeable with one another, in Christ, that you
• May speak in unity as you, together, lift up the God and Father
• Of our Lord, Jesus Christ; Therefore, accept one another just as
• Christ has accepted us to bring praise to God; Jesus Christ came
• To bring the truth of God to the Jews, and to confirm for them
• The promises given to their fathers; He also came to the
• Gentiles that they might believe in God and accept His mercy
• For them, as it is written: ‘I will sing your name among the
• Gentiles’ and ‘Rejoice, Gentiles, with His people,’ and ‘Praise
• The Lord all you Gentiles,’ and Isaiah says ‘A root of Jesse shall
• Rise over the Gentiles, and give them hope;’ May the God of
• Hope give you joy and peace in your believing, and may the
• Power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope;
• My brothers, I am sure that you are good, and knowledgeable,
• And able to share with others; But I have written to you more
• Boldly concerning these certain issues, that I might, by the
• Grace of God, be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles that
• They could be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit; That
• Gives me a reason to give praise to God in Christ Jesus;
• I speak only of what Christ has accomplished through me to
• Bring the Gentiles to Him, through the signs and wonders of
• God from Jerusalem and over all the region; But I have not
• Preached in areas where Christ has already been accepted,
• Being mindful of the work of others; As it is written: ‘To whom
• He was not preached, they shall understand;’ This is part of the
• Reason I have not come to see you; But since I have no place to
• Live in this area, I am planning a trip to Spain, and I hope to see
• You along the way so you can help me to make the journey;
• Now, I am heading back to Jerusalem to serve the saints there,
• And to deliver to the poor among them the contributions I
• Have received from the saints in Macedonia and Achaia; For if
• The Gentiles have received spiritual help from them, it is their
• Duty to help them with material things; So, after I have been
• There and delivered these offerings, I shall start my trip to
• Spain and stop to see you on my way; I know that when I get
• There it will be with the full blessing of Christ;
• My brothers, I am asking you through the Lord Jesus Christ,
• And the love of the Spirit, that you join in prayer for me; Pray
• For my safety while I travel through unbelieving people in
• Judea; And pray that my work among the saints in Jerusalem
• Will be accepted, and that the will of God may enable me to
• Come to you with gladness, and we will encourage each other;
• Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Chapter 16. Mystery

I recommend our sister, Phoebe, to you, from the church in Cenchrea,

• That you treat her kindly, and provide her with any assistance
• She may need as she works for the church; She has been a great
• Help to me and to many others serving the Lord; Give my
• Regards to Priscilla and Aquilla, who have labored with me in
• Serving Christ Jesus; They have risked their lives to save mine
• And I give them my thanks, along with all the other Gentile
• Churches; Also, give my greeting to the church that meets in
• Their house, especially Epaenetus, who was the first to come to
• Christ in Asia; Greet Mary for me as she has helped us so much;
• And greet all these who have worked with me, and whom I
• Love: Andronicus and Junia, early believers before me, who are
• Well-respected by the apostles, and spent time with me in
• Prison; Also, Amplias, Urbanus, Stachys, Apelles, those in the
• House of Aristobulus, Herodion my kinsman, all the believers
• In the house of Narcissus, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, Rufus
• And his mother and mine, Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas,
• Patrobas, Hermes and his group of believers, Philologus and
• Julia, Nereus and his sister, Olympas and the believers with
• Them; Everyone share a holy kiss for me, and all the churches
• Of Christ send their greetings;
• Brothers, I urge you to avoid anyone who causes divisions,
• As you have heard from me before; Those are not true
• Believers in Christ, as they are there just for free food; By
• Flattering words, they deceive the unlearned; Your strong faith
• Has become known everywhere, and for that I am pleased for
• You; I want you to be always good, but be wary, yet innocent,
• Of evil forces; The God of peace will trample Satan under your
• Feet in due time;
• The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
• I also send greetings to you from Timothy, who works with me,
• And Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen;
• I am Tertius, I penned this letter, and I send greetings to you
• In the Lord; Our host, Gaius, also the host of the entire church,
• Sends greetings, along with Erastus, the city treasurer, and
• Quartus, a fellow believer; The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
• Be with you all. Amen.
• Now to Him who will keep you in your faith, according to the
• Good news of Jesus Christ, and the revealing of the mystery
• Kept secret since the creation of the world, but now ordered by
• God to be exposed in the Scriptures to those who will believe,
• We give Him glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

End of Session 7 of the book of Romans.

(This concludes our summary of the book of Romans.)