The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans

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- Chapter 1 -

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God.

This is the gospel that he promised beforehand by his prophets in the holy scriptures.

It is about his Son, who was born from the descendants of David according to the flesh.

By resurrection from the dead, he was declared to be the powerful Son of God by the Spirit of holiness-Jesus Christ our Lord.

Through him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations, for the sake of his name.

Among these nations, you also have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.

This letter is to all who are in Rome, the beloved of God, who are called to be holy people. May grace be to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unashamed of the Gospel

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.

For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, of how continually I make mention of you.

I always request in my prayers that by any means I may at last be successful now by the will of God in coming to you.

For I desire to see you, that I may give you some spiritual gift, in order to strengthen you.

That is, I long to be mutually encouraged among you, through each other’s faith, yours and mine.

Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I often intended to come to you, but I was hindered until now. I wanted this in order to have some fruit among you just as also among the rest of the Gentiles.

I am a debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish.

So, as for me, I am ready to proclaim the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and for the Greek.

For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, as it has been written, “The righteous will live by faith.”

God’s Wrath against Sin

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people, who through unrighteousness hold back the truth.

This is because that which is known about God is visible to them. For God has enlightened them.

For his unseen aspects have been clearly visible since the creation of the world. They are understood through the created things. These aspects are his everlasting power and divine nature. As a result, these people are without excuse.

This is because, although they knew about God, they did not glorify him as God, nor did they give him thanks. Instead, they became foolish in their thoughts, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

They claimed to be wise, but they became foolish.

They exchanged the glory of the imperishable God for the likenesses of an image of perishable man, of birds, of four-footed beasts, and of creeping things.

Therefore, God gave them over to the lusts of their hearts for uncleanness, for their bodies to be dishonored among themselves.

It is they who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and who worshiped and served the creation instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to dishonorable passions, for their women exchanged their natural functions for what is against nature.

Likewise, the males also left their natural function with women and burned in their lust for one another. These were males who did with males what is indecent, and who received in themselves the penalty that was due their perversion.

Because they did not approve of having God in their awareness, he gave them up to a depraved mind, for them to do those things that are not proper.

They have been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, and malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and evil intentions.

They are gossips, slanderers, and God-haters. They are violent, arrogant, and boastful. They are inventors of evil things, and they are disobedient to their parents.

They have no understanding; they are untrustworthy, without natural affections, and unmerciful.

They understand the regulations of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death. But not only do they do these things, they also approve of others who do them.

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,(a) called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God,

which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,

concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring(b) of David according to the flesh,

who was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations for his name’s sake;

among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ;

to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unashamed of the Gospel

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.

For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers,

requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you.

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established;

that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Now I don’t desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (and was hindered so far), that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish.

So as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.

For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”(c)

God’s Wrath against Sin

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them.

For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity, that they may be without excuse.

Because knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things.

Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves;

who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature.

Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error.

Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers,

backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful;

who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 “Christ” means “Anointed One”.

(b)1:3 or, seed