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.

Paul’s Desire to Visit Rome

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith^[g] is being reported in all the world.^{(Q) 9} For God, whom I serve with my spirit^(R) in telling the good news about His Son, is my witness^(S) that I constantly mention you,^{(T) 10} always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.^{(U) 11} For I want very much to see you,^(V) so I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, ¹² that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

¹³ Now I want you to know,^[h](W) brothers, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now^(X)) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry^[i] among you,^(Y) just as among the rest of the Gentiles. ¹⁴ I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians,^[j](Z) both to the wise and the foolish. ¹⁵ So I am eager to preach the good news^(AA) to you also who are in Rome.

The Righteous Will Live by Faith

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel,^[k](AB) because it is God’s power for salvation^(AC) to everyone who believes, first to the Jew,^(AD) and also to the Greek.^{(AE) 17} For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith,^[l](AF) just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.^[m](AG)[n]

The Guilt of the Gentile World

¹⁸ For God’s wrath^(AH) is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,^{(AI) 19} since what can be known^[o] about God is evident among them,^(AJ) because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world,^(AK) being understood through what He has made.^(AL) As a result, people are without excuse. ²¹ For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened.^{(AM) 22} Claiming to be wise, they became fools^{(AN) 23} and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.^(AO)

²⁴ Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts^(AP) to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth of God for a lie,^(AQ) and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever.^(AR) Amen.

From Idolatry to Depravity

²⁶ This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions.^(AS) For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations^[p] for unnatural ones. ²⁷ The males in the same way also left natural relations^[q] with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males^(AT) and received in their own persons^[r] the appropriate penalty of their error.

²⁸ And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. ²⁹ They are filled with all unrighteousness,^[s] evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,^{(AU) 30} slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful,^(AV) inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,^{(AW) 31} undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving,^[t](AX) and unmerciful. ³² Although they know full well God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die^[u](AY)—they not only do them, but even applaud^[v](AZ) others who practice them.