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The Gospel of God for Rome

¹ Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle^(F1)(C1) and set apart^(C2) for the gospel of God^(C3)— ² which he promised beforehand^(C1) through his prophets^(C2) in the Holy Scriptures— ³ concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David^(F1)(C1) according to the flesh^{(C2) 4} and was appointed to be the powerful^(C1) Son of God^(C2) according to the Spirit of holiness^(F1) by the resurrection of the dead. ⁵ Through him we have received grace and apostleship^(C1) to bring about^(F1) the obedience^(C2) of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles,^{(F2)(C3) 6} including you who are also called by Jesus Christ.^(C1)

⁷ To all who are in Rome, loved by God,^(C1) called^(C2) as saints.^(C3)

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^(F1) is being reported in all the world.^{(C1) 9} God is my witness,^(C1) whom I serve with my spirit^(C2) in telling the good news about his Son—that I constantly mention you,^{(C3) 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.^{(C1) 11} For I want very much to see you,^(C1) 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,^(C1) brothers and sisters, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now^(C2)) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry^(F1) among you,^(C3) just as I have had among the rest of the Gentiles. ¹⁴ I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians,^(F1)(C1) both to the wise and the foolish. ¹⁵ So I am eager to preach the gospel^(C1) to you also who are in Rome.

The Righteous Will Live by Faith

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel,^(F1)(C1) because it is the power of God for salvation^(C2) to everyone who believes, first to the Jew,^(C3) and also to the Greek.^{(C4) 17} For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith,^(F1)(C1) just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.^(F2)(F3)(C2)

The Guilt of the Gentile World

¹⁸ For God’s wrath^(C1) is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,^{(C2) 19} since what can be known^(F1) about God is evident among them,^(C1) 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,^(C1) being understood through what he has made.^(C2) 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.^{(C1) 22} Claiming to be wise, they became fools^{(C1) 23} and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.^(C1)

²⁴ Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts^(C1) to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth of God for a lie,^(C1) and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever.^(C2) Amen.

From Idolatry to Depravity

²⁶ For this reason God delivered them over to disgraceful passions.^(C1) Their women^(F1) exchanged natural sexual relations^(F2) for unnatural ones. ²⁷ The men^(F1) 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^(C1) and received in their own persons^(F2) 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,^(F1) evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,^{(C1) 30} slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful,^(C1) inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,^{(C2) 31} senseless, untrustworthy, unloving,^(F1)(C1) and unmerciful. ³² Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die^(F1)(C1)—they not only do them, but even applaud^(F2)(C2) others who practice them.