I do not wantyou to be unaware,brethren,that oftenI have plannedto cometo you (and have been preventedsofar)sothat I may obtainsomefruitamongyou also,evenas amongthe restof the Gentiles.
Nowafterthese thingswere finished,Paulpurposedin the spiritto goto Jerusalemafter he had passed throughMacedoniaand Achaia,saying,"AfterI have beenthere,I mustalsoseeRome."
Not that I seekthe giftitself, but I seekfor the profitwhich increasesto your account.
But the Lordstoodwith me and strengthenedme, sothat throughme the proclamationmight be fully accomplished,and that allthe Gentilesmight hear;and I was rescuedout of the lion'smouth.
But we do not wantyou to be uninformed,brethren,aboutthosewho are asleep,sothat you will not grieveas do the restwho havenohope.
For we wantedto cometo you-- I, Paul,morethanonce--and [yet] Satanhinderedus.
For we do not wantyou to be unaware,brethren,of our afflictionwhich came[to us] in Asia,that we were burdenedexcessively,beyondour strength,sothat we despairedevenof life;
Nowconcerningspiritual[gifts], brethren,I do not wantyou to be unaware.
For I do not wantyou to be unaware,brethren,that our fatherswere allunderthe cloudand allpassed throughthe sea;
which has cometo you, justas in allthe worldalsoit is constantly bearing fruitand increasing,evenas [it has been doing] in you alsosincethe dayyou heard[of it] and understoodthe graceof Godin truth;
For I do not wantyou, brethren,to be uninformedof thismystery--sothat you will not be wisein your own estimation--that a partialhardeninghas happenedto Israeluntilthe fullnessof the Gentileshas comein;
"You did not chooseMe but I choseyou, and appointedyou that you would goand bearfruit,and [that] your fruitwould remain,sothat whateveryou askof the Fatherin My nameHe may giveto you.
"Alreadyhe who reapsis receivingwagesand is gatheringfruitfor lifeeternal;sothat he who sowsand he who reapsmay rejoicetogether.
For the mysteryof lawlessnessis alreadyat work;onlyhe who nowrestrains[will do so] untilhe is takenout of the way.
But thanksbe to God,who alwaysleads us in triumphin Christ,and manifeststhroughus the sweet aromaof the knowledgeof Him in everyplace.
Ifto othersI amnot an apostle,at leastI amto you; for you are the sealof my apostleshipin the Lord.
After he had greetedthem, he [began] to relateone by onethe things whichGodhad doneamongthe Gentilesthroughhis ministry.
Allthe peoplekept silent,and they were listeningto Barnabasand Paulas they were relatingwhatsignsand wondersGodhad donethroughthem amongthe Gentiles.
When they had arrivedand gatheredthe churchtogether,they [began] to reportall thingsthat Godhad donewith them and howHe had openeda doorof faithto the Gentiles.
"Truly,truly,I sayto you, unlessa grainof wheatfallsinto the earthand dies,it remainsalone;but ifit dies,it bearsmuchfruit.
In the days to comeJacobwill takeroot,Israelwill blossomand sprout,And they will fillthe wholeworldwith fruit.
At thistimePeterstoodup in the midstof the brethren(a gatheringof aboutone hundredand twentypersonswas there together),and said,
Therewe found[some] brethren,and were invitedto staywith them for sevendays;and thuswe cameto Rome.
that is, that I may be encouraged togetherwith you [while] amongyou, each of us by the other'sfaith,bothyoursand mine.
Ordo you not know,brethren(for I am speakingto those who knowthe law),that the lawhas jurisdiction overa personas longas he lives?
NowI exhortyou, brethren,by the nameof our LordJesusChrist,that you allagreeand that there be nodivisionsamongyou, but that you be made completein the samemindand in the samejudgment.
Brethren,do not be childrenin your thinking;yetin evilbe infants,but in your thinkingbe mature.
Whatis [the outcome] then,brethren?Whenyou assemble,each onehasa psalm,hasa teaching,hasa revelation,hasa tongue,hasan interpretation.Let all thingsbe donefor edification.
Brethren,I speakin termsof humanrelations:even thoughit is [only] a man'scovenant,yetwhen it has been ratified,no onesets it asideoradds conditionsto it.
The graceof our LordJesusChristbe with your spirit,brethren.Amen.
But if[I am] to live[on] in the flesh,this[will mean] fruitfullaborfor me; and I do not knowwhichto choose.
so that you will walkin a manner worthyof the Lord,to please[Him] in allrespects,bearing fruitin everygoodworkand increasingin the knowledgeof God;
