18. I will not talk about anything I did myself. I will talk only about what Christ has done through me in leading the non-Jewish people to obey God. They have obeyed God because of what I have said and done.
19. And they have obeyed God because of the power of miracles and the great things they saw, and the power of the Holy Spirit. I preached the Good News from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. And so I have finished that part of my work.
20. I always want to preach the Good News in places where people have never heard of Christ. I do this because I do not want to build on the work that someone else has already started.
21. But it is written in the Scriptures:“Those who were not told about him will see,and those who have not heard about him will understand.” Isaiah 52:15
22. That is why many times I was stopped from coming to you.
23. Now I have finished my work here. Since for many years I have wanted to come to you,
24. I hope to visit you on my way to Spain. I will enjoy being with you, and you can help me on my trip.
25. Now I am going to Jerusalem to help God’s people.
26. The believers in Macedonia and Southern Greece were happy to give their money to help the poor among God’s people at Jerusalem.
27. They were happy to do this, and really they owe it to them. These non-Jews have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings. So they should use their material possessions to help the Jews.