12. And again, Isaiah says, There will be a root of Jesse, who will also rise to rule the Gentiles. The Gentiles will place their hope in him.
13. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14. My brothers and sisters, I myself am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and are able to teach each other.
15. But I’ve written to you in a sort of daring way, partly to remind you of what you already know. I’m writing to you in this way because of the grace that was given to me by God.
16. It helps me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I’m working as a priest of God’s gospel so that the offering of the Gentiles can be acceptable and made holy by the Holy Spirit.
17. So in Christ Jesus I brag about things that have to do with God.
18. I don’t dare speak about anything except what Christ has done through me to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles. He did it by what I’ve said and what I’ve done,
19. by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit. So I’ve completed the circuit of preaching Christ’s gospel from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum.
20. In this way, I have a goal to preach the gospel where they haven’t heard of Christ yet, so that I won’t be building on someone else’s foundation.
21. Instead, as it’s written, Those who hadn’t been told about him will see, and those who hadn’t heard will understand.
22. That’s why I’ve been stopped so many times from coming to see you.
23. But now, since I don’t have any place to work in these regions anymore, and since I’ve wanted to come to see you for many years,