Svatko neka ugađa bližnjima
1Zato mi koji smo jaki u vjeri i čvrsta uvjerenja moramo nositi slabosti slabih i biti obzirni prema njima. Ne smijemo ih sablažnjavati onime što je nama slobodno samo zato da bismo sebi ugodili. 2Svatko od nas neka ugađa bližnjima na dobro, izgrađujući ih. 3Jer ni Krist nije sebi ugađao. Kao što piše u Svetome pismu: “Pogrde onih koji tebe ruže pale su na mene.”15:3 Psalam 69:10. 4To je nekoć zapisano nama za pouku, da nas utješi i ohrabri u nadi.
5Neka vam Bog, koji daje strpljenje i ohrabrenje, pomogne da međusobno živite u potpunoj slozi i da jedni prema drugima postupate prema Kristovu uzoru. 6Tada ćete jednodušno moći slaviti Boga, Oca našega Gospodina Isusa Krista.
7Srdačno prigrlite jedni druge kao što je Krist vas prigrlio, Bogu na slavu. 8Jer, kažem vam da je Krist postao slugom Židovima da pokaže kako je Bog vjeran obećanjima koja je dao njihovim praocima. 9Došao je da također i pogani mogu proslaviti Boga zbog njegova milosrđa prema njima. Na to je psalmist mislio kad je napisao:
“Slavit ću te među poganima
i pjevati hvalospjeve tvojem imenu.”15:9 2 Samuelova 22:50; Psalam 18:50.
10Na drugom pak mjestu kaže:
“Radujte se, narodi, skupa s njegovim narodom!”15:10 Ponovljeni zakon 32:43.
11I još:
“Slavite Gospodina, svi puci;
slavite ga, svi narodi na zemlji!”15:11 Psalam 117:1.
12Prorok Izaija je napisao:
“Pojavit će se Davidov nasljednik15:12 U grčkome: izdanak iz korijena Jišajeva. da vlada nad poganima.
U njega će polagati svoje nade.”15:12 Izaija 11:10.
13Neka vas Bog, koji daje nadu, ispuni radošću i mirom po vjeri u njega, da obilujete u nadi silom Svetoga Duha.
Pavlova služba
14Uvjeren sam, draga braćo, da ste puni čestitosti. Sve ovo vrlo dobro znate i sposobni ste jedni druge urazumljivati. 15Pa ipak sam uzeo tu slobodu da vas podsjetim na to što već znate. Jer Božjom milošću 16služim Isusu Kristu među poganima. Donosim Božje evanđelje kako bi pogani postali ugodnom žrtvom Bogu, posvećeni Svetim Duhom.
17Mogu se zato pohvaliti onime što je Isus Krist učinio kroz moju službu Gospodinu. 18Ničim se drugim ne usuđujem hvaliti osim onime što je Krist kroz moje propovijedanje i djela učinio za obraćenje pogana 19snagom čudesnih znakova, silom Božjega Duha. Tako sam potpuno ispunio svoju dužnost propovijedanja Radosne vijesti od Jeruzalema pa uokolo sve do Ilirika.15:19 Pokrajina koja je u prvome stoljeću obuhvaćala područje današnje Slovenije, Hrvatske, Bosne i Hercegovine, Crne Gore, Makedonije, Srbije i dijela Madžarske.
20Uvijek sam se trudio propovijedati Radosnu vijest gdje se Krist još nije spominjao, a ne gdje su već drugi položili temelj propovijedanju 21da se ostvari što piše u Svetome pismu:
“Vidjet će ga oni kojima nije naviješten,
razumjet će ga oni koji nikada nisu za njega čuli.”15:21 Izaija 52:15.
22Zbog toga što sam ondje propovijedao, i nisam dosad mogao doći k vama.
Pavao se sprema na put
23Ali sad sam završio s radom u tim krajevima, a već godinama žarko želim doći k vama. 24Kanim otići u Španjolsku, pa ću se na putu zaustaviti u Rimu. Pošto barem malo vremena provedem s vama, možete me opet otpraviti na put.
25Ali prije toga moram do Jeruzalema da svetima odnesem milodar 26jer su vjernici u Makedoniji i u Ahaji skupili pomoć za siromašne svete u Jeruzalemu. 27To su rado učinili jer se osjećaju njihovim dužnicima. Jer ako su pogani postali dionicima njihovih duhovnih dobara, onda su im dužni poslužiti i u tjelesnim dobrima. 28Čim im predam taj novac te tako dovršim njihovo dobro djelo, krenut ću u Španjolsku i usput doći k vama. 29Siguran sam da ću k vama stići s puninom Kristova blagoslova.
30Draga braćo, zaklinjem vas u imenu našega Gospodina Isusa Krista da mi se pridružite u borbi moleći se Bogu za mene, zbog ljubavi prema meni koju vam je dao Sveti Duh. 31Molite se da u Judeji umaknem nevjernicima i da svetima u Jeruzalemu bude po volji pomoć koju im nosim 32kako bih, po Božjoj volji, mogao radosno doći k vama i tu se odmoriti.
33Neka Bog, izvor mira, bude sa svima vama. Amen.
1We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2Each of us should please our neighbours for their good, to build them up. 3For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: ‘The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.’15:3 Psalm 69:9 4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind towards each other that Christ Jesus had, 6so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews15:8 Greek circumcision on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:
‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.’15:9 2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49
10Again, it says,
‘Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.’15:10 Deut. 32:43
11And again,
‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples extol him.’15:11 Psalm 117:1
12And again, Isaiah says,
‘The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.’15:12 Isaiah 11:10 (see Septuagint)
13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul the minister to the Gentiles
14I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. 15Yet I have written to you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done – 19by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way round to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. 21Rather, as it is written:
‘Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.’15:21 Isaiah 52:15 (see Septuagint)
22This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.
Paul’s plan to visit Rome
23But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you, 24I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and that you will assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there. 26For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. 27They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 28So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. 29I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.
30I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favourably received by the Lord’s people there, 32so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. 33The God of peace be with you all. Amen.
