The Gospel Exalted
1 Paul, abond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative), set apart for [preaching] thegospel of God [the good news of salvation],
2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the sacred Scriptures–
3 [the good news] regarding His Son, who, as to the flesh [His human nature], was born a descendant of David [to fulfill the covenant promises],
4 and [as to His divine nature] according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated to be the Son of God with power [in a triumphant and miraculous way] byHisresurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
5 It is through Him that we have received grace and [our] apostleship to promote obedience to the faithandmake disciples for His name’s sake among all the Gentiles,
6 and you also are among those who are called of Jesus Christ to belong to Him;
7 [I am writing] to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called to be saints (God’s people)andset apart for a sanctified life, [that is, set apart for God and His purpose]: Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith [your trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness] is being proclaimed in all the world.
9 For God, whom I serve with my spirit bypreachingthe gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how continuously I mention you
10 in my prayers; always pleading that somehow, by God’s will, I may now at last come to you.
11 For I long to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift, to strengthenandestablish you;
12 that is, that we may be mutually encouragedandcomforted by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
13 I do not want you to be unaware,brothers and sisters, that many times I have planned to come to you, (and have been prevented so far) so that I may have some fruit [of my labors] among you, even asI haveamong the rest of the Gentiles.
14 I have a duty to performanda debt to pay both to Greeks and to barbarians [the cultured and the uncultured], both to the wise and to the foolish.
15 So, for my part, I am readyandeager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed,both springingfrom faithand leadingto faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is writtenandforever remains written, “The justandupright shall live by faith.”
Unbelief and Its Consequences
18 For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppressandstifle the truth,
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them.
20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuseandwithout defense.
21 For even thoughthey knew God [as the Creator], they did nothonor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the gloryandmajestyandexcellence of the immortal God foran image [worthless idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their own hearts to [sexual] impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],
25 because [by choice] they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them over to degradingandvile passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural [a function contrary to nature],
27 and in the same way also the men turned away from the natural function of the woman and were consumed with their desire toward one another, men with men committing shameful acts and in return receiving in their own bodies the inevitableandappropriate penalty for their wrongdoing.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge Godorconsider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improperandrepulsive,
29 until they were filled (permeated, saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliceandmean-spiritedness. They are gossips [spreading rumors],
30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors [of new forms] of evil, disobedientanddisrespectful to parents,
31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful [without pity].
32 Although they know God’s righteous decreeandHis judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even [enthusiastically] approveandtolerate others who practice them.