The Gospel Exalted

1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, ^[a](A)called as an apostle, ^(B)set apart for ^(C)the gospel of God, ² which He ^(D)promised beforehand through His ^(E)prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³ concerning His Son, who was born ^(F)of a ^[b]descendant of David ^(G)according to the flesh, ⁴ who was declared ^(H)the Son of God with power according to the ^[c]Spirit of holiness ^[d]by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, ⁵ through whom we have received grace and ^(I)apostleship ^[e]to bring about the ^(J)obedience of faith among ^(K)all the Gentiles in behalf of His name, ⁶ among whom you also are the ^(L)called of Jesus Christ;

⁷ to all who are ^(M)beloved of God in Rome, called as ^[f](N)saints: ^(O)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁸ First, ^(P)I thank my God through Jesus Christ ^[g]for you all, because ^(Q)your faith is being proclaimed throughout the world. ⁹ For ^(R)God, whom I ^(S)serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly ^(T)I make mention of you, ¹⁰ always in my prayers requesting if perhaps now, at last by ^(U)the will of God, I will succeed in coming to you. ¹¹ For ^(V)I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be ^[h]established; ¹² that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. ^13 (W)I do not want you to be unaware, ^(X)brothers and sisters, that often I ^(Y)have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some ^(Z)fruit among you also just as among the rest of the Gentiles. ^14 (AA)I am ^[i]under obligation both to Greeks and to the ^[j](AB)uncultured, both to the wise and to the foolish. ¹⁵ So, for my part, I am eager to ^(AC)preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

¹⁶ For I am not ^(AD)ashamed of the gospel, for ^(AE)it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the ^(AF)Jew first and also to ^(AG)the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it ^(AH)the righteousness of God is revealed ^[k]from faith to faith; as it is written: “^[l](AI)But the righteous one will live by faith.”

Unbelief and Its Consequences

¹⁸ For ^(AJ)the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who ^(AK)suppress the truth ^[m]in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because ^(AL)that which is known about God is evident ^[n]within them; for God made it evident to them. ²⁰ For ^(AM)since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ^(AN)being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. ²¹ For even though they knew God, they did not ^[o]honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became ^(AO)futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. ^22 (AP)Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and they ^(AQ)exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and ^[p]crawling creatures.

²⁴ Therefore ^(AR)God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be ^(AS)dishonored among them. ²⁵ For they exchanged the truth of God for ^[q](AT)falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, ^(AU)who is blessed ^[r]forever. Amen.

²⁶ For this reason ^(AV)God gave them over to ^(AW)degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature, ²⁷ and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations ^[s]with women and burned in their desire toward one another, ^(AX)males with males committing ^[t]shameful acts and receiving in ^[u]their own persons the due penalty of their error.

²⁸ And just as they did not see fit ^[v]to acknowledge God, ^(AY)God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, ²⁹ people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are ^(AZ)gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, ^[w](BA)haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, ^(BB)disobedient to parents, ³¹ without understanding, untrustworthy, ^(BC)unfeeling, and unmerciful; ³² and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of ^(BD)death, they not only do the same, but also ^(BE)approve of those who practice them.

Children and Parents

6 ^(A)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ^2 (B)Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), ³ so that it may turn out well for you, and that you may live long on the earth.

^4 (C)Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but ^(D)bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

^5 (E)Slaves, be obedient to those who are your ^[a]masters according to the flesh, with ^(F)fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, ^(G)as to Christ; ^6 (H)not ^[b]by way of ^[c]eye-service, as ^(I)people-pleasers, but as ^(J)slaves of Christ, ^(K)doing the will of God from the ^[d]heart. ⁷ With goodwill ^[e]render service, ^(L)as to the Lord, and not to people, ^8 (M)knowing that ^(N)whatever good thing each one does, he will receive this back from the Lord, ^(O)whether slave or free.

⁹ And masters, do the same things to them, and ^(P)give up threatening, knowing that ^(Q)both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is ^(R)no partiality with Him.

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, ^(S)be strong in the Lord and in ^(T)the strength of His might. ^11 (U)Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the ^(V)schemes of the devil. ¹² For our ^(W)struggle is not against ^[f](X)flesh and blood, but ^(Y)against the rulers, against the powers, against the ^(Z)world forces of this ^(AA)darkness, against the ^(AB)spiritual forces of wickedness in ^(AC)the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore, take up ^(AD)the full armor of God, so that you will be able to ^(AE)resist on ^(AF)the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, ^(AG)having belted your waist with truth, and having ^(AH)put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having ^(AI)strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; ^16 [g]in addition to all, taking up the ^(AJ)shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the ^(AK)flaming arrows of ^(AL)the evil one. ¹⁷ And take ^(AM)the helmet of salvation and the ^(AN)sword of the Spirit, which is ^(AO)the word of God.

^18 [h]With every ^(AP)prayer and request, ^[i](AQ)pray at all times ^(AR)in the Spirit, and with this in view, ^[j](AS)be alert with all ^(AT)perseverance and every ^(AU)request for all the ^[k]saints, ¹⁹ and ^(AV)pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me ^(AW)in the opening of my mouth, to make known with ^(AX)boldness ^(AY)the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ^(AZ)ambassador ^(BA)in ^[l]chains; that ^[m]in proclaiming it I may speak ^(BB)boldly, ^(BC)as I ought to speak.

^21 (BD)Now, so that you also may know about my circumstances as to ^[n]what I am doing, ^(BE)Tychicus, ^(BF)the beloved brother and faithful ^[o]servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you. ^22 [p](BG)I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know ^[q]about us, and that he may ^(BH)comfort your hearts.

^23 (BI)Peace be to the brothers and sisters, and ^(BJ)love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ ^[r]with incorruptible love.

²⁷ So God created man ^(A)in His own image, in the image of God He created him; ^(B)male and female He created them.

^24 (A)For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

⁵ And ^(A)you shall love the Lord your God ^(B)with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ^6 (C)These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. ⁷ And ^(D)you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.

⁴ I have no greater joy than ^[a]this, to hear of ^(A)my children ^(B)walking in the truth.