Introduction
1
📚Paul✭, a servant✭ of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle✭, set apart✭ for the gospel of God 2 📚✭(which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 📚✭concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David, according to the flesh, 4 📚and declared with power to be the Son of God, according to the Spirit of holiness✭, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 📚✭Through him we have received grace and apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith✭ among all nations, for his name’s sake, 6 📚among whom you too are called✭ by Jesus Christ):7 📚✭To all who are in Rome, dearly loved by God, called to be saints✭: Grace✭ to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 📚✭First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9 📚For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit✭ in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 📚asking that by some means at last by the will of God I might have a good opportunity to come to you✭. 11 📚For I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift✭ so you can be strengthened; 12 📚✭that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by our mutual faith. 13 📚Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I planned to come to you (but was hindered until now) so that I might have some fruit✭ among you also, even as among other Gentiles✭.
14 📚✭I am debtor both to Greeks and to other peoples✭, both to the wise and to the unwise. 15 📚✭So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are at Rome also.
The theme
16 📚✭For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew✭, and also to the Greek. 17 📚For in it the righteousness✭ of God is revealed✭ from faith to faith. As it is written✭,
“The righteous will live by faith”.
Man’s need of the gospel
18 📚For the wrath✭ of God is revealed from heaven✭ against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress✭ the truth in unrighteousness, 19 📚✭because what may be known about God is evident among them, for God has showed it to them. 20 📚For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes are clearly seen, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, being understood by the things that are made, so that they are without excuse.
Man’s sinful condition
21 📚✭Because, when they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, and were not thankful, but became futile in their reasonings, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 📚✭Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 📚✭and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping animals.
24 📚✭Therefore God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their bodies between themselves. 25 📚✭They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 📚✭For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. Even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 📚Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men committing shameful acts with other men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 📚✭And since they did not regard it as worthwhile to keep God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a depraved mind to do improper things. 29 📚✭They are filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, greed, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, depravity. They are slanderers, 30 📚backbiters, haters of God✭, insolent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 📚without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful. 32 📚✭Knowing the judgment of God, that those who commit such things are worthy of death, they not only do them, but take pleasure in those who do them.