Study Desk

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle^[a](a) and singled out^(b) for God's good news^(c)—

which He promised long ago^(d) through His prophets^(e) in the Holy Scriptures—

concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David^[b](f) according to the flesh^(g)

and who has been declared to be the powerful^(h) Son of God⁽ⁱ⁾ by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of holiness.^[c]

We have received grace and apostleship^(j) through Him to bring about^[d] the obedience^(k) of faith^[e] among all the nations,^[f](l) on behalf of His name,

including yourselves who also belong to Jesus Christ by calling:^(m)

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.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith^[g] is being reported in all the world.^(q)

For God, whom I serve with my spirit^(r) in telling the good news about His Son, is my witness^(s) that I constantly mention you,^(t)

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)

For I want very much to see you,^(v) so I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you,

that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.

Now I want you to know,^[h](w) brothers, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now^(x)) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry^[i] among you,^(y) just as among the rest of the Gentiles.

I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians,^[j](z) both to the wise and the foolish.

So I am eager to preach the good news^(aa) to you also who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel,^[k](ab) because it is God's power for salvation^(ac) to everyone who believes, first to the Jew,^(ad) and also to the Greek.^(ae)

For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith,^[l](af) just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith. ^[m](ag)[n]

For God's wrath^(ah) is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,^(ai)

since what can be known^[o] about God is evident among them,^(aj) because God has shown it to them.

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.

For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened.^(am)

Claiming to be wise, they became fools^(an)

and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.^(ao)

Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts^(ap) to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves.

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie,^(aq) and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever.^(ar) Amen.

This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions.^(as) For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations^[p] for unnatural ones.

The males in the same way also left natural relations^[q] with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males^(at) and received in their own persons^[r] the appropriate penalty of their error.

And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong.

They are filled with all unrighteousness,^[s] evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,^(au)

slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful,^(av) inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,^(aw)

undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving,^[t](ax) and unmerciful.

Although they know full well God's just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die^[u](ay)—they not only do them, but even applaud^[v](az) others who practice them.