God’s Good News for Rome

1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle^[a](A) and singled out^(B) for God’s good news^(C)— ² which He promised long ago^(D) through His prophets^(E) in the Holy Scriptures— ³ concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David^[b](F) according to the flesh^{(G) 4} and who has been declared to be the powerful^(H) Son of God^(I) by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of holiness.^{[c] 5} We have received grace and apostleship^(J) through Him to bring about^[d] the obedience^(K) of faith^[e] among all the nations,^[f](L) on behalf of His name, ⁶ including yourselves who also belong to Jesus Christ by calling:^(M)

⁷ To all who are in Rome, loved by God,^(N) called^(O) as saints.^(P)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Nativity of the Messiah

¹⁸ The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.^{(A) 19} So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man,^(B) and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.^(C)

²⁰ But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.^{(D) 21} She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus,^[a](E) because He will save His people from their sins.”^(F)

²² Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

which is translated “God is with us.”^(G)

²⁴ When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her^{(H) 25} but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son.^[c] And he named Him Jesus.^(I)