The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans

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- Chapter 1 -

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called as an Apostle, separated for the Gospel of God,

which he had promised beforehand, through his Prophets, in the Holy Scriptures,

about his Son, who was made for him from the offspring of David according to the flesh,

the Son of God, who was predestined in virtue according to the Spirit of sanctification from the resurrection of the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ,(a)

through whom we have received grace and Apostleship, for the sake of his name, for the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles,

from whom you also have been called by Jesus Christ:

To all who are at Rome, the beloved of God, called as saints. Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unashamed of the Gospel

Certainly, I give thanks to my God, through Jesus Christ, first for all of you, because your faith is being announced throughout the entire world.

For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit by the Gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I have kept a remembrance of you

always in my prayers, pleading that in some way, at some time, I may have a prosperous journey, within the will of God, to come to you.

For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you a certain spiritual grace to strengthen you,

specifically, to be consoled together with you through that which is mutual: your faith and mine.

But I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you, (though I have been hindered even to the present time) so that I might obtain some fruit among you also, just as also among the other Gentiles.

To the Greeks and to the uncivilized, to the wise and to the foolish, I am in debt.

So within me there is a prompting to evangelize to you also who are at Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel. For it is the power of God unto salvation for all believers, the Jew first, and the Greek.

For the justice of God is revealed within it, by faith unto faith, just as it was written: “For the just one lives by faith.”

God’s Wrath against Sin

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven over every impiety and injustice among those men who fend off the truth of God with injustice.

For what is known about God is manifest in them. For God has manifested it to them.

For unseen things about him have been made conspicuous, since the creation of the world, being understood by the things that were made; likewise his everlasting virtue and divinity, so much so that they have no excuse.

For although they had known God, they did not glorify God, nor give thanks. Instead, they became weakened in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was obscured.

For, while proclaiming themselves to be wise, they became foolish.

And they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of flying things, and of four-legged beasts, and of serpents.

For this reason, God handed them over to the desires of their own heart for impurity, so that they afflicted their own bodies with indignities among themselves.

And they exchanged the truth of God for a lie. And they worshipped and served the creature, rather than the Creator, who is blessed for all eternity. Amen.

Because of this, God handed them over to shameful passions. For example, their females have exchanged the natural use of the body for a use which is against nature.(b)

(c)

And similarly, the males also, abandoning the natural use of females, have burned in their desires for one another: males doing with males what is disgraceful, and receiving within themselves the recompense that necessarily results from their error.

And since they did not prove to have God by knowledge, God handed them over to a morally depraved way of thinking, so that they might do those things which are not fitting:

having been completely filled with all iniquity, malice, fornication, avarice, wickedness; full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, spite, gossiping;

slanderous, hateful toward God, abusive, arrogant, self-exalting, devisers of evil, disobedient to parents,

foolish, disorderly; without affection, without fidelity, without mercy.

And these, though they had known the justice of God, did not understand that those who act in such a manner are deserving of death, and not only those who do these things, but also those who consent to what is done.

Footnotes

(a)1:4 Predestinated, etc:Christ as man, was predestinated to be the Son of God: and declared to be so (as the apostle here signifies) first, by power, that is, by his working stupendous miracles; secondly, by the spirit of sanctification, that is, by his infinite sanctity; thirdly, by his ressurection, or raising himself from the dead.(Challoner)

(b)1:26 The term ‘naturalem usum’ is a way of referring discreetly to natural sexual relations. The word ‘naturalem’ refers to what is natural, but it is also used to refer to the body, or even specifically to the genitals. The earlier reference to ‘shameful passions’ provides a context indicating that ‘naturalem’ does not merely refer to what is natural in general, but specifically to the natural use of the genitals, that is, to natural sexual intercourse.(Conte)

(c)1:26 God delivered them up:Not by being author of their sins, but by withdrawing his grace, and so permitting them, in punishment of their pride, to fall into those shameful sins.(Challoner)

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,(a) called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God,

which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,

concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring(b) of David according to the flesh,

who was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations for his name’s sake;

among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ;

to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unashamed of the Gospel

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.

For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers,

requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you.

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established;

that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Now I don’t desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (and was hindered so far), that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish.

So as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.

For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”(c)

God’s Wrath against Sin

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them.

For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity, that they may be without excuse.

Because knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things.

Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves;

who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature.

Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error.

Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers,

backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful;

who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 “Christ” means “Anointed One”.

(b)1:3 or, seed