16. to be a servant of Christ Jesus to people who are not Jewish. I serve as a priest by spreading the Good News of God. I do this in order that I might bring the nations to God as an acceptable offering, made holy by the Holy Spirit.
17. So Christ Jesus gives me the right to brag about what I’m doing for God.
18. I’m bold enough to tell you only what Christ has done through me to bring people who are not Jewish to obedience. By what I have said and done,
19. by the power of miraculous and amazing signs, and by the power of God’s Spirit, I have finished spreading the Good News about Christ from Jerusalem to Illyricum.
20. My goal was to spread the Good News where the name of Christ was not known. I didn’t want to build on a foundation which others had laid.
21. As Scripture says,“Those who were never told about him will see,and those who never heard will understand.”
22. This is what has so often kept me from visiting you.
23. But now I have no new opportunities for work in this region. For many years I have wanted to visit you.
24. Now I am on my way to Spain, so I hope to see you when I come your way. After I have enjoyed your company for a while, I hope that you will support my trip to Spain.
25. Right now I’m going to Jerusalem to bring help to the Christians there.
26. Because the believers in Macedonia and Greece owe a debt to the Christians in Jerusalem, they have decided to take up a collection for the poor among the Christians in Jerusalem.
27. These Macedonians and Greeks have shared the spiritual wealth of the Christians in Jerusalem. So they are obligated to use their earthly wealth to help them.
28. When the collection is completed and I have officially turned the money over to the Christians in Jerusalem, I will visit you on my way to Spain.