Greetings
Romans 1Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which ʜᴇ promised before through ʜɪꜱ prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was from the seed of David according to the flesh, who was appointed to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the ethnic groups for his name’s sake; among whom y’all are also called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace and peace to y’all from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s Desire to Visit Rome
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all y’all, because y’all’s faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of y’all always in my prayers, requesting, if by any means now at last I may succeed by the will of God in coming to y’all. For I long to see y’all, that I may impart to you* some spiritual gift so that y’all may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with y’all, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours* and mine.
Now I don’t want y’all to be unaware, siblings, that I often planned to come to y’all (but was hindered so far), that I might have some fruit among you*, just as I had among the rest of the ethnic groups. I am obligated both to Greeks and foreigners, both to the wise and the foolish. So as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the gospel to y’all also who are in Rome.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, 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 will live by faith.”+Hab 2:4
Humans Reject the Good They Know
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of humans who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what is known about God is evident in them, because God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world ʜɪꜱ invisible attributes—ʜɪꜱ everlasting power and divinity—have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they didn’t glorify him as God and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless hearts were darkened.
Claiming to be wise, they became fools and traded the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling a mortal human, and birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things. Therefore God gave them over to the desires of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They 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 over to disgraceful passions. Even their women changed the natural sexual relations for those that are against nature. Likewise, the men also left natural sexual relations with women and were inflamed with desire for one another, men with men performing indecent acts, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error. Just as they refused to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not fitting, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits. They are gossips, slanderers, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, innovators of evil, disobedient to parents, unintelligent, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. And although they fully know the decrees of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, they not only do those things, but also approve of those who practice them.