The Gospel of God for Rome

1 Paul, a ser?vant 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 bound 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 worshipped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised for ever.^(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 worth while 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 practise such things deserve to die^[t](AY) – they not only do them, but even applaud^[u](AZ) others who practise them.