Bible Reading Plan

Chapter 12

A Living Sacrifice

¹ Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you^(a) to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,^(b) holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.^{[a] 2} Do not be conformed^(c) to this age,^(d) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,^(e) so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will^(f) of God.

Many Gifts but One Body

³ For by the grace^(g) given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think.^(h) Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith⁽ⁱ⁾ to each one. ⁴ Now as we have many parts in one body,^(j) and all the parts do not have the same function, ⁵ in the same way we who are many^(k) are one body in Christ^(l) and individually members of one another. ⁶ According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts:^(m)

Christian Ethics

⁹ Love must be without hypocrisy.^(u) Detest evil;^(v) cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Show family affection to one another with brotherly love.^(w) Outdo one another in showing honor.^{(x) 11} Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit;^(y) serve the Lord.^{(z) 12} Rejoice in hope;^(aa) be patient in affliction;^(ab) be persistent in prayer.^{(ac) 13} Share with the saints in their needs;^(ad) pursue hospitality.^{(ae) 14} Bless those who persecute you;^(af) bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice;^(ag) weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be in agreement with one another.^(ah) Do not be proud;^(ai) instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.^{(aj) 17} Do not repay anyone evil for evil.^(ak) Try to do what is honorable^(al) in everyone's eyes. ¹⁸ If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.^{(am) 19} Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His^[c] wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, ^(an)[d] says the Lord. ²⁰ But

²¹ Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Chapter 13

A Christian's Duties to the State

¹ Everyone must submit to the governing authorities,^(a) for there is no authority except from God,^(b) and those that exist are instituted by God. ² So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God's command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers are not a terror^(c) to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. ⁴ For government is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God's servant, an avenger^(d) that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. ⁵ Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience.^{(e) 6} And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God's public servants, continually attending to these tasks.^{[a] 7} Pay your obligations^(f) to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes,^(g) tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect,^(h) and honor to those you owe honor.

Love, Our Primary Duty

⁸ Do not owe anyone anything,^[b] except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.^{(i) 9} The commandments:

and whatever other commandment—all are summed up by this: Love your neighbor as yourself. ^(k)[e]

¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.

Put On Christ

¹¹ Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour^(l) for you^[f] to wake up from sleep,^(m) for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.^{(n) 12} The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near,^(o) so let us discard the deeds of darkness^(p) and put on the armor of light.^{(q) 13} Let us walk with decency,^(r) as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness;^(s) not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,^(t) and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.^(u)

Chapter 14

The Law of Liberty

¹ Accept^(a) anyone who is weak in faith,^[a](b) but don't argue about doubtful issues. ² One person believes he may eat anything,^(c) but one who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat,^(d) and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does,^(e) because God has accepted him.^{(f) 4} Who are you to criticize^(g) another's household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand. For the Lord is able^[b] to make him stand.

⁵ One person considers one day to be above another day.^(h) Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind.^{(i) 6} Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord.^[c] Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God;^(j) and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, yet he thanks God. ⁷ For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.^{(k) 8} If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.^{(l) 9} Christ died and came to life^(m) for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living.^{(n) 10} But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the tribunal of God.^{[d](o) 11} For it is written:

¹² So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.^(r)

The Law of Love

¹³ Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another.^(s) Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother's way.^{(t) 14} (I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.^(u) Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.^(v)) ¹⁵ For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love.^(w) Do not destroy that one Christ died for by what you eat.^{(x) 16} Therefore, do not let your good be slandered,^{(y) 17} for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,^(z) but righteousness, peace, and joy^(aa) in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ Whoever serves Christ^(ab) in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.^(ac)

¹⁹ So then, we must pursue what promotes peace^(ad) and what builds up one another.^{(ae) 20} Do not tear down God's work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats.^{(af) 21} It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble.^{[f] 22} Do you have a conviction?^[g] Keep it to yourself before God. The man who does not condemn himself by what he approves is blessed.^{(ag) 23} But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats,^(ah) because his eating is not from a conviction,^[h] and everything that is not from a conviction^[i] is sin.

Chapter 15

Pleasing Others, Not Ourselves

¹ Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength,^(a) and not to please ourselves. ² Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.^{(b) 3} For even the Messiah did not please Himself.^(c) On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me. ^{(d)[a] 4} For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction,^(e) so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. ⁵ Now may the God who gives^[b] endurance and encouragement^(f) allow you to live in harmony with one another,^(g) according to the command of Christ Jesus, ⁶ so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ^(h) with a united mind and voice.

Glorifying God Together

⁷ Therefore accept one another,⁽ⁱ⁾ just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory of God. ⁸ For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised^[c] on behalf of God's truth,^(j) to confirm the promises to the fathers,^{(k) 9} and so that Gentiles^(l) may glorify God for His mercy.^(m) As it is written:

¹⁰ Again it says: Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people! ^{(o)[e] 11} And again:

¹² And again, Isaiah says:

¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him^(s) so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.^(t)

From Jerusalem to Illyricum

¹⁴ My brothers, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness,^(u) filled with all knowledge,^(v) and able to instruct one another. ¹⁵ Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points^[h] because of the grace given me by God^{(w) 16} to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,^(x) serving as a priest of God's good news.^(y) My purpose is that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable,^(z) sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷ Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus^(aa) regarding what pertains to God.^{(ab) 18} For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me^(ac) to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, ¹⁹ by the power of miraculous signs and wonders,^(ad) and by the power of God's Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the good news about the Messiah from Jerusalem^(ae) all the way around to Illyricum.^{[i](af) 20} My aim is to evangelize where Christ has not been named,^(ag) so that I will not build on someone else's foundation,^{(ah) 21} but, as it is written:

Paul's Travel Plans

²² That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you.^{(aj) 23} But now I no longer have any work to do in these provinces,^[k] and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you^{(ak) 24} whenever I travel to Spain.^[l] For I hope to see you when I pass through, and to be assisted by you for my journey there,^(al) once I have first enjoyed your company^(am) for a while. ²⁵ Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem^(an) to serve the saints,^{(ao) 26} for Macedonia^(ap) and Achaia^[m](aq) were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. ²⁷ Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits,^(ar) then they are obligated to minister to Jews in material needs. ²⁸ So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds^[n] to them,^(as) I will visit you on the way to Spain. ²⁹ I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing^[o] of Christ.

³⁰ Now I appeal to you, brothers, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit,^(at) to join with me in fervent prayers to God on my behalf.^{(au) 31} Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea,^(av) that the gift I am bringing to^[p] Jerusalem^(aw) may be acceptable to the saints,^{(ax) 32} and that, by God's will,^(ay) I may come to you with joy^(az) and be refreshed together with you.

³³ The God of peace be with all of you.^(ba) Amen.