The Gospel of God for Rome

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle^[a](A) and set apart^(B) for the gospel of God^(C)— ² which he promised beforehand^(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 was appointed to be the powerful^(H) Son of God^(I) according to the Spirit of holiness^[c] by the resurrection of the dead. ⁵ Through him we have received grace and apostleship^(J) to bring about^[d] the obedience^(K) of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles,^{[e](L) 6} including you who are also called by Jesus Christ.^(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^[f] is being reported in all the world.^{(Q) 9} God is my witness,^(R) whom I serve with my spirit^(S) in telling the good news about his Son—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 that 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 don’t want you to be unaware,^(W) brothers and sisters, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now^(X)) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry^[g] among you,^(Y) just as I have had among the rest of the Gentiles. ¹⁴ I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians,^[h](Z) both to the wise and the foolish. ¹⁵ So I am eager to preach the gospel^(AA) to you also who are in Rome.

The Righteous Will Live by Faith

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

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^[m] 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 worthless, and their senseless hearts 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 desires 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 what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever.^(AR) Amen.

From Idolatry to Depravity

²⁶ For this reason God delivered them over to disgraceful passions.^(AS) Their women^[n] exchanged natural sexual relations^[o] for unnatural ones. ²⁷ The men^[p] in the same way also left natural relations with women and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men^(AT) and received in their own persons^[q] the appropriate penalty of their error.

²⁸ And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. ²⁹ They are filled with all unrighteousness,^[r] 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} senseless, untrustworthy, unloving,^[s](AX) and unmerciful. ³² Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die^[t](AY)—they not only do them, but even applaud^[u](AZ) others who practice them.

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore, every one of you^[v](BA) who judges is without excuse.^(BB) For when you judge another,^(BC) you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. ² Now we know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. ³ Do you think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴ Or do you despise the riches of his kindness,^(BD) restraint,^(BE) and patience,^(BF) not recognizing^[w] that God’s kindness^(BG) is intended to lead you to repentance? ⁵ Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath^(BH) for yourself in the day of wrath,^(BI) when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. ⁶ He will repay each one according to his works:^{[x](BJ) 7} eternal life^(BK) to those who by persistence in doing good^(BL) seek glory, honor,^(BM) and immortality;^{(BN) 8} but wrath and anger to those who are self-seeking^(BO) and disobey the truth^(BP) while obeying unrighteousness. ⁹ There will be affliction and distress^(BQ) for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek;^{(BR) 10} but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. ¹¹ For there is no favoritism with God.^(BS)

¹² For all who sin without the law^(BT) will also perish without the law, and all who sin under^[y] the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For the hearers of the law^(BU) are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.^{[z] 14} So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law,^(BV) do^[aa] what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the work of the law^[ab] is written on their hearts.^(BW) Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them^{[ac] 16} on the day when God judges^(BX) what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.^(BY)

Jewish Violation of the Law

¹⁷ Now if^[ad] you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the law,^(BZ) and boast in God, ¹⁸ and know his will, and approve the things that are superior,^(CA) being instructed from the law, ¹⁹ and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and truth^(CB) in the law— ²¹ you then, who teach another,^(CC) don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? ²² You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples?^{(CD) 23} You who boast in the law,^(CE) do you dishonor God by breaking the law?^{[ae] 24} For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.^[af](CF)

Circumcision of the Heart

²⁵ Circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.^{(CG) 26} So if an uncircumcised^(CH) man keeps the law’s requirements,^(CI) will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? ²⁷ A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who keeps the law, will judge you^(CJ) who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. ²⁸ For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly,^(CK) and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. ²⁹ On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly,^(CL) and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter.^[ag](CM) That person’s praise is not from people but from God.^(CN)

Paul in Macedonia

20 After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying farewell, departed to go to Macedonia.^{(A) 2} And when he had passed through those areas and offered them many words of encouragement, he came to Greece ³ and stayed three months. The Jews plotted against him when he was about to set sail for Syria, and so he decided to go back through Macedonia.^{(B) 4} He was accompanied^[a] by Sopater son of Pyrrhus^[b] from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy,^(C) and Tychicus^(D) and Trophimus^(E) from the province of Asia. ⁵ These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas,^{(F) 6} but we sailed away from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread.^(G) In five days we reached them at Troas, where we spent seven days.

Eutychus Revived at Troas

⁷ On the first day of the week, we assembled to break bread.^(H) Paul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he kept on talking until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were assembled, ⁹ and a young man named Eutychus was sitting on a window sill and sank into a deep sleep as Paul kept on talking. When he was overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰ But Paul went down, bent over him, embraced him, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, because he’s alive.”^{(I) 11} After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, Paul talked a long time until dawn. Then he left. ¹² They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.

From Troas to Miletus

¹³ We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul on board, because these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land. ¹⁴ When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went on to Mitylene. ¹⁵ Sailing from there, the next day we arrived off Chios. The following day we crossed over to Samos, and^[c] the day after, we came to Miletus.^{(J) 16} For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, for the day of Pentecost.^(K)

Farewell Address to the Ephesian Elders

¹⁷ Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church. ¹⁸ When they came to him, he said to them, “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,^{(L) 19} serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.^{(M) 20} You know that I did not hesitate to proclaim anything to you that was profitable and to teach you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God^(N) and faith in our Lord Jesus.^(O)

²² “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit,^[d] not knowing what I will encounter there,^{(P) 23} except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.^{(Q) 24} But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course^[e] and the ministry^(R) I received from the Lord Jesus,^(S) to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

²⁵ “And now I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will ever see me again. ²⁶ Therefore I declare to you this day that I am innocent^[f] of the blood of all of you,^{(T) 27} because I did not avoid declaring to you the whole plan of God.^{(U) 28} Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock^(V) of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers,^(W) to shepherd the church of God,^[g] which he purchased with his own blood.^{(X) 29} I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them.^{(Y) 31} Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I never stopped warning each one of you with tears.^(Z)

³² “And now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace,^(AA) which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance^(AB) among all who are sanctified. ³³ I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.^{(AC) 34} You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me.^{(AD) 35} In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

³⁶ After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them.^{(AE) 37} There were many tears shed by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, ³⁸ grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.^(AF)