MSB ROM Chapter 1

Paul Greets the Saints in Rome

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,[fn] called [to be] [an] apostle, [and] set apart for [the] gospel of God—2 [the gospel] He promised beforehand through His prophets in [the] Holy Scriptures, 3 regarding His Son, who was a descendant of David according to [the] flesh, 4 [and] who through [the] Spirit of holiness was declared with power [to be the] Son of God by [His] resurrection [from the] dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

5 Through [Him] [and] on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all [those] among the Gentiles [to the] obedience that comes from faith. 6 [And] you also are among those who are called [to belong to] Jesus Christ.

7 To all in Rome who are loved by God [and] called to be saints:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.

Unashamed of the Gospel

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my spirit[fn] in {preaching} the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times, asking that now at last by God’s will I may succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, 12 that is, [that] you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, how often I planned to come to you ([but] have been prevented [from visiting][fn] until now), in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as [I have had] among the other Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks,[fn] both to [the] wise and [the] foolish. 15 That is why I am [so] eager to preach the gospel also to you who [are] in Rome.

16 I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,[fn] because it is [the] power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to [the] Jew, then to [the] Greek. 17 For [the gospel] reveals [the] righteousness of God [that comes] by faith [from start] to [finish],[fn] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”[fn]

God’s Wrath against Sin

18 [The] wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all [the] godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by [their] wickedness. 19 For [what may be] known [about] God is plain to them, because God has made [it] plain to them. 20 For since [the] creation of [the] world [God’s] invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that [men] are without excuse.

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified [Him] as God [nor] gave thanks [to Him], but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged[fn] the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with [one another]. 25 [They] exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise![fn] Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural [ones]. 27 Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women [and] burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent [acts] with [other] men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, [He] gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, sexual immorality,[fn] evil, greed, [and] depravity. [They are] full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, [and] malice. [They are] gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, [and] boastful. [They] invent [new] forms of evil; they disobey [their] parents. 31 [They are] senseless, faithless, heartless, unforgiving,[fn] merciless.

32 [Although they] know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, {they} not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice [them].