Romans

Greeting

From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, an apostle called and set apart for God’s gospel—

namely the promises he made through his prophets in the holy scriptures

regarding his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,

and recognized as the Son of God in power by the spirit of holiness through the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

For the sake of his name, we received grace and a commission to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles,

including all of you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ—the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy:

To all God’s beloved in Rome, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Desire to Visit the Community in Rome

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

And God, whom I serve in spirit by proclaiming the Good News of his Son, is my witness that I always remember you in my prayers.

I pray constantly that, if it is his will, he allows me to visit you.

I long to see you and share some spiritual blessings to strengthen you.

In this way, we will encourage each other through our shared faith.

You must understand, brothers and sisters, that I have often made plans to visit you, but up to now, I have been prevented.

I would like to gather some fruits from among you, as I have done with other nations. Whether Greeks or foreigners, educated or uneducated, I feel responsible to all.

Therefore, I am eager to share the gospel with you also who are in Rome.

Forgiveness and Punishment: Program

For I am not ashamed at all of this Good News; it is God’s power, saving those who believe, first the Jews, and then the Greeks.

This Good News reveals the saving justice of God; a justice that saves solely through faith, as the scripture says: The upright one shall live by faith.

For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice, of those who have silenced the truth by their wicked ways.

Guilty Humanity

For everything that could have been known about God was clear to them: God himself made it plain,

because his invisible attributes—his everlasting power and divinity—are made visible to reason through his works since the creation of the world. So they have no excuse,

for they knew God but did not glorify him as they should; nor did they thank him. On the contrary, they lost themselves in their reasoning, and darkness filled their minds.

Believing they were wise, they became foolish:

they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal human beings, birds, animals, and reptiles.

Because of this, God handed them over to their own desires; they engaged in shameful acts and dishonored their bodies.

They exchanged God’s truth for a lie; they honored and worshiped created things instead of the Creator, to whom be praise forever, Amen!

As a result, God handed them over to disgraceful passions: their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.

Similarly, men who abandon natural relations with women are lustful toward each other: they engage in shameful acts with men, bringing upon themselves the punishment they deserve for their wickedness.

And because they did not consider God worth knowing, he abandoned them to their foolish minds so they could commit all kinds of wickedness.

And so, they are filled with injustice, perversity, greed, and evil; they are full of jealousy, murder, strife, deceit, malicious intent, and gossip.

They engage in slander, offend God, and are arrogant; they are proud, dishonest, and skilled at doing evil.

They rebel against their parents, are senseless, disloyal, cold-hearted, and ruthless.

They know God’s judgment, which calls for death for anyone living this way; yet not only do they do all these things, but they also applaud anyone who acts the same.