Romans 15
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
Romans chapter 15 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
3 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint John Chrysostom.
Romans 15
1We then who are strong are obligated to bear with the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.Ὀφείλομεν δὲ ἡμεῖς οἱ δυνατοὶ τὰ ἀσθενήματα τῶν ἀδυνάτων βαστάζειν, καὶ μὴ ἑαυτοῖς ἀρέσκειν.
2Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.Ἕκαστος ἡμῶν τῷ πλησίον ἀρεσκέτω εἰς τὸ ἀγαθὸν πρὸς οἰκοδομήν.
3For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those reproaching You fell on Me.”Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ἤρεσεν, ἀλλά, καθὼς γέγραπται, Οἱ ὀνειδισμοὶ τῶν ὀνειδιζόντων σε ἐπέπεσον ἐπ᾽ ἐμέ.
4For as many things as were previously written, were written for our own instruction, that through the patience and encouragement of the Scriptures we may have hope.Ὅσα γὰρ προεγράφη, εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν διδασκαλίαν προεγράφη, ἵνα διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς καὶ διὰ τῆς παρακλήσεως τῶν γραφῶν τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχωμεν.
5Now may the God of patience and encouragement grant you to be like-minded among one another, according to Christ Jesus,Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τῆς ὑπομονῆς καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως δῴη ὑμῖν τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν ἐν ἀλλήλοις κατὰ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν·
6so that you may with one accord and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.ἵνα ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐν ἑνὶ στόματι δοξάζητε τὸν Θεὸν καὶ πατέρα τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
7Therefore receive one another, just as also Christ received you, to the glory of God.Διὸ προσλαμβάνεσθε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς προσελάβετο ὑμᾶς, εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ.
8Now I say that Christ Jesus has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, in order to confirm the promises given to the fathers,Λέγω δέ, Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν διάκονον γεγενῆσθαι περιτομῆς ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας Θεοῦ, εἰς τὸ βεβαιῶσαι τὰς ἐπαγγελίας τῶν πατέρων·
9and that the Gentiles might glorify God on behalf of His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and I will sing praise to Your name.”τὰ δὲ ἔθνη ὑπὲρ ἐλέους δοξάσαι τὸν Θεόν, καθὼς γέγραπται, Διὰ τοῦτο ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι ἐν ἔθνεσι, καὶ τῷ ὀνόματί σου ψαλῶ.
10And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”Καὶ πάλιν λέγει, Εὐφράνθητε, ἔθνη, μετὰ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ.
11And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Praise Him, all you peoples!”Καὶ πάλιν, Αἰνεῖτε τὸν Κύριον πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ ἐπαινέσατε αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ λαοί.
12And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be the root of Jesse; and He that shall rise to rule over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope.”Καὶ πάλιν Ἡσαΐας λέγει, Ἔσται ἡ ῥίζα τοῦ Ἰεσσαί, καὶ ὁ ἀνιστάμενος ἄρχειν ἐθνῶν· ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν.
13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τῆς ἐλπίδος πληρώσαι ὑμᾶς πάσης χαρᾶς καὶ εἰρήνης ἐν τῷ πιστεύειν, εἰς τὸ περισσεύειν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἐλπίδι, ἐν δυνάμει Πνεύματος Ἁγίου.
14Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, having been filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.Πέπεισμαι δέ, ἀδελφοί μου, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ περὶ ὑμῶν, ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὶ μεστοί ἐστε ἀγαθωσύνης, πεπληρωμένοι πάσης γνώσεως, δυνάμενοι καὶ ἄλλους νουθετεῖν.
15And I write more boldly to you brothers, in part, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God,Τολμηρότερον δὲ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, ἀπὸ μέρους, ὡς ἐπαναμιμνῄσκων ὑμᾶς, διὰ τὴν χάριν τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ,
16that I should be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God as a priest, so that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.εἰς τὸ εἶναί με λειτουργὸν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, ἱερουργοῦντα τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα γένηται ἡ προσφορὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν εὐπρόσδεκτος, ἡγιασμένη ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ.
17Therefore I have something to boast of in Christ Jesus in the things pertaining to God.Ἔχω οὖν καύχησιν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν.
18For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ did not work out through me, in word and deed, for the obedience of the Gentiles—Οὐ γὰρ τολμήσω λαλεῖν τι ὧν οὐ κατειργάσατο Χριστὸς δι᾽ ἐμοῦ, εἰς ὑπακοὴν ἐθνῶν, λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ,
19in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.ἐν δυνάμει σημείων καὶ τεράτων, ἐν δυνάμει Πνεύματος Θεοῦ· ὥστε με ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ κύκλῳ μέχρι τοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ πεπληρωκέναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ·
20And so eagerly striving to evangelize not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon the foundation of another,οὕτω δὲ φιλοτιμούμενον εὐαγγελίζεσθαι, οὐχ ὅπου ὠνομάσθη Χριστός, ἵνα μὴ ἐπ᾽ ἀλλότριον θεμέλιον οἰκοδομῶ·
21but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see, and those who have not heard shall understand.”ἀλλά, καθὼς γέγραπται, Οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὄψονται· καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασι συνήσουσι.
22For this reason I also have been hindered many times from coming to you.Διὸ καὶ ἐνεκοπτόμην τὰ πολλὰ τοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς·
23But now no longer having a place in these regions, and having a longing to come to you for many years,νυνὶ δὲ μηκέτι τόπον ἔχων ἐν τοῖς κλίμασι τούτοις, ἐπιποθίαν δὲ ἔχων τοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ πολλῶν ἐτῶν,
24whenever I travel to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope while traveling through to see you, and to be sent forward there by you, if I may be filled in part from you first.ὡς ἐὰν πορεύωμαι εἰς τὴν Σπανίαν, ἐλεύσομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς· ἐλπίζω γὰρ διαπορευόμενος θεάσασθαι ὑμᾶς, καὶ ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν προπεμφθῆναι ἐκεῖ, ἐὰν ὑμῶν πρῶτον ἀπὸ μέρους ἐμπλησθῶ.
25But now I am traveling to Jerusalem, ministering to the saints.Νυνὶ δὲ πορεύομαι εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, διακονῶν τοῖς ἁγίοις.
26For Macedonia and Achaia thought it good to make some contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.Εὐδόκησαν γὰρ Μακεδονία καὶ Ἀχαΐα κοινωνίαν τινὰ ποιήσασθαι εἰς τοὺς πτωχοὺς τῶν ἁγίων τῶν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ.
27For they thought it good, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles shared in spiritual things, they are obligated also to minister to them in material things.Εὐδόκησαν γάρ, καὶ ὀφειλέται αὐτῶν εἰσιν. Εἰ γὰρ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς αὐτῶν ἐκοινώνησαν τὰ ἔθνη, ὀφείλουσι καὶ ἐν τοῖς σαρκικοῖς λειτουργῆσαι αὐτοῖς.
28Therefore, having finished and having sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain.Τοῦτο οὖν ἐπιτελέσας, καὶ σφραγισάμενος αὐτοῖς τὸν καρπὸν τοῦτον, ἀπελεύσομαι δι᾽ ὑμῶν εἰς τὴν Σπανίαν.
29But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.Οἶδα δὲ ὅτι ἐρχόμενος πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν πληρώματι εὐλογίας τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐλεύσομαι.
30Now I beseech you, brothers, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf,Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Πνεύματος, συναγωνίσασθαί μοι ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν·
31that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,ἵνα ῥυσθῶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπειθούντων ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, καὶ ἵνα ἡ διακονία μου ἡ εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ εὐπρόσδεκτος γένηται τοῖς ἁγίοις·
32so that in joy I may come to you through the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.ἵνα ἐν χαρᾷ ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ, καὶ συναναπαύσωμαι ὑμῖν.
33Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν· ἀμήν.
The Fathers on Romans 15
Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Romans 15:8Saint John Chrysostom“Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.”
Read Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans →
On Romans 15:14Saint John Chrysostom“And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” (So most: S. Chrys. “others.”)
Read Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans →
On Romans 15:25–27Open Romans 15 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint John Chrysostom“But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. For it has pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It hath pleased them verily, and their debtors they are.”
Read Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans →