Paul Greets the Saints in Rome

1Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called as an Apostle, separated for the Gospel of God, 2which he had promised beforehand, through his Prophets, in the Holy Scriptures, 3about his Son, who was made for him from the offspring of David according to the flesh, 4the Son of God, who was predestined in virtue according to the Spirit of sanctification from the resurrection of the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ, 5through whom we have received grace and Apostleship, for the sake of his name, for the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, 6from whom you also have been called by Jesus Christ:

7To all who are at Rome, the beloved of God, called as saints. Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unashamed of the Gospel

8Certainly, I give thanks to my God, through Jesus Christ, first for all of you, because your faith is being announced throughout the entire world. 9For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit by the Gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I have kept a remembrance of you 10always in my prayers, pleading that in some way, at some time, I may have a prosperous journey, within the will of God, to come to you. 11For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you a certain spiritual grace to strengthen you, 12specifically, to be consoled together with you through that which is mutual: your faith and mine. 13But I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you, (though I have been hindered even to the present time) so that I might obtain some fruit among you also, just as also among the other Gentiles. 14To the Greeks and to the uncivilized, to the wise and to the foolish, I am in debt. 15So within me there is a prompting to evangelize to you also who are at Rome.

16For I am not ashamed of the Gospel. For it is the power of God unto salvation for all believers, the Jew first, and the Greek. 17For the justice of God is revealed within it, by faith unto faith, just as it was written: “For the just one lives by faith.”

God’s Wrath against Sin

18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven over every impiety and injustice among those men who fend off the truth of God with injustice. 19For what is known about God is manifest in them. For God has manifested it to them. 20For unseen things about him have been made conspicuous, since the creation of the world, being understood by the things that were made; likewise his everlasting virtue and divinity, so much so that they have no excuse. 21For although they had known God, they did not glorify God, nor give thanks. Instead, they became weakened in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was obscured. 22For, while proclaiming themselves to be wise, they became foolish. 23And they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of flying things, and of four-legged beasts, and of serpents.

24For this reason, God handed them over to the desires of their own heart for impurity, so that they afflicted their own bodies with indignities among themselves. 25And they exchanged the truth of God for a lie. And they worshipped and served the creature, rather than the Creator, who is blessed for all eternity. Amen.

26Because of this, God handed them over to shameful passions. For example, their females have exchanged the natural use of the body for a use which is against nature. 27And similarly, the males also, abandoning the natural use of females, have burned in their desires for one another: males doing with males what is disgraceful, and receiving within themselves the recompense that necessarily results from their error.

28And since they did not prove to have God by knowledge, God handed them over to a morally depraved way of thinking, so that they might do those things which are not fitting: 29having been completely filled with all iniquity, malice, fornication, avarice, wickedness; full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, spite, gossiping; 30slanderous, hateful toward God, abusive, arrogant, self-exalting, devisers of evil, disobedient to parents, 31foolish, disorderly; without affection, without fidelity, without mercy. 32And these, though they had known the justice of God, did not understand that those who act in such a manner are deserving of death, and not only those who do these things, but also those who consent to what is done.