Paul Greets the Saints in Rome

1PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, set apart for the Gospel of God, 2(which he had promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; made from the seed of David after the flesh, 4definitively marked out as the Son of God by miracle, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the dead: 5through whom we have received grace and apostolic mission among all nations for his name, to bring them to the obedience of faith: 6among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ.

7To all that are at Rome, beloved of God, called saints, grace unto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unashamed of the Gospel

8First then I give thanks to my God, through Jesus Christ, for you all, because your faith is proclaimed through the whole world. 9For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son, how incessantly I make mention of you, 10always in my prayers entreating that haply now at last I may have a prosperous journey by the will of God, to come to you. 11For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, in order that you may be established; 12and that so I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and of me. 13But I would not that ye should be unacquainted, brethren, that oftentimes I have been purposing to come to you (and have been prevented until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the other Gentile nations. 14Both to the Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the ignorant am I a debtor. 15So, as far as is in my power, I am desirous to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also.

16For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17For the righteousness of God by faith is therein revealed for belief; as it is written, ?Now the just by faith shall live.?

God’s Wrath against Sin

18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and unrighteousness of men, holding back the truth in unrighteousness. 19Because that which is capable of being known relative to God, is evident among them; for God hath manifested it to them. 20For from the creation of the world his invisible perfections, discoverable in the works that are made, are clearly seen, even his eternal power and deity; so that they are inexcusable: 21because though they knew there was a God, they glorified him not as God, nor gave him thanks, but became triflers in their disputations, and their stupid heart was darkened. 22Affecting to be sophists, they turned idiots, 23and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and of quadrupeds, and of reptiles.

24Wherefore God abandoned them, through the lusts of their own hearts, unto impurity, to dishonour their own bodies by themselves: 25who perverted the truth of God by falsehood, and worshipped and paid divine honours to the thing created instead of the Creator, who is blessed for evermore. Amen.

26For this cause God gave them up to dishonourable passions. For even their women did change the natural use into that which was contrary to nature; 27and likewise the men also, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lewdness one towards another; men with men committing indecency, and receiving in themselves the recompence of their delusion, which was meet.

28And since they thought not fit to hold the Deity in acknowledgment, God abandoned them to a reprobate mind, to practise deeds unbecoming; 29replete with all injustice, whoredom, wickedness, covetousness, villany; full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, evil habits; whisperers, 30backbiters, God-haters, contumelious, insolent, boasters, inventors of wicked practices, disobedient to parents, 31unintelligent, unfaithful to engagements, unnatural, implacable, unmerciful: 32who, though they know the righteous judgment of God, that they who live in such practices are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also find pleasure in the company of those who live in these practices.