1Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God, 2which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh, 4who was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations for his name’s sake; 6among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ; 7to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you. 11For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established; 12that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.
13Now I don’t desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (and was hindered so far), that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15So as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome.
16For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. 17For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”
18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. 20For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity, that they may be without excuse. 21Because knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.
22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things. 24Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves; 25who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature. 27Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error. 28Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers, 30backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.
Background
The book of Romans was penned by Paul the Apostle and is by far the most extensive of his theological epistles and a veritable literary masterpiece of antiquity. His authorship is largely not questioned at all. It dates as early as the fall of A.D. 57—some three years prior to Paul’s arrival in Rome—where he was imprisoned, and where, in the middle of the 60s, he may have even shared a cell with Peter prior to being beheaded under the Roman persecution instituted by Nero.
Paul, most likely, authored this epistle from Corinth during his third missionary journey. It is generally thought that Phoebe, a Christian woman, was the person who delivered the letter to the church at Rome.
General Data
The Jewish Christian audience at Rome was an energetic and growing body. While we are not certain how and exactly when the church was birthed, we do know that the first early Jewish Christians in this region were expelled due to considerable persecution from emperor in A.D. 49. However, in time, after the death of Claudius the expulsion became void, and so allowed Jews to return to Rome. a mixture of Christian Jews and Gentiles were reestablished—and it was to this second established body of believers that Paul was addressing in his epistle.
Purpose
Due to the history of the church at Rome, there is no doubt that Paul understood that all churches needed a solid foundation to be established. This church was a mixture of believers from various ethnic groups, which was common to the Christian church at this time. As the gospel went out, people responded everywhere—the unity of the Faith brought humanity together.
In Romans we see Paul seeking to highlight the need to share what this believing body had in common—they are one in Christ. Paul’s main theme is that all humanity is sinful and as such all humanity is in need of redemption. This salvation is only provided by the one and only true God, who is Lord over both Jew and Gentile. Thus, He is the Savior of all.
Theology
This work of Paul is undoubtedly one of the greatest and earliest development of Christian theology ever written. A considerable number of early church fathers, apologists, and centuries later including the great Augustine and Martin Luther, all considered this epistle to be a jewel.
First, Paul establishes the universal sinfulness of humanity and then proceeds in making critical distinctions between faith and works—stressing justification by faith in Jesus. Paul also lays out the true meaning of the cross and the need for a Messianic death—bringing salvation to the Jew and the Gentile.
Next, we find Paul discussing profound theological concepts from the meaning of sanctification to the issues involved in divine election. Paul, also a Jew, seeks to explain God’s role of salvation of ethnic Israel. In tow, discourses on the use of spiritual gifts and the role of the believer and his relationship to the civil government are clearly laid out and explained.
There is no doubt that this is Paul’s most theologically profound epistle. And yet, the gospel message is clear and the Christian doctrine supporting it lucid.