I thank God that people everywhere are talking about how you believers in Rome are trusting Jesus Christ. I pray that God will permit me to visit you soon. I want you to know that I have longed to visit you, but things have always prevented me from doing that. I am eager to proclaim the gospel to you who are living at Rome also.

Romans 1:8-15

8 As I begin this letter, I thank my God for all you believers in Rome. It is because of what Jesus Christ has done for us that I am able to do that. I thank him because your trusting in Jesus Christ is something that people all over the Roman Empire [HYP] are talking about. 9 God, whom I devotedly serve as I proclaim to people the gospel concerning his Son, knows that I tell the truth when I say that I always mention you whenever [DOU] I pray to God [HYP]. 10 I especially ask God that if he desires me to visit you, somehow at last I shall be able to do so. 11 I pray this because I long to visit you to help you spiritually, in order that you will become stronger spiritually. 12 I long to visit you in order that you and I might encourage each other by means of our sharing with each other how each of us trusts in Jesus. 13 My fellow believers, many times I planned to visit you. I certainly want you to know [LIT] that. But I have not been able to come to you because I have been hindered {things have always prevented me} until the present time. I have wanted to come in order that I might help you to mature spiritually [IDM], as I have helped people to mature spiritually in many other non-Jewish groups [HYP]. 14 I feel obliged to proclaim the gospel to all non-Jewish people, specifically to people who know the Greek language and culture and to those who do not know it, to people who are educated and to those who are uneducated. 15 So what I have eagerly desired is that I might proclaim this good message to you who are living in Rome also.