Romans1
New International Version
1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—
2the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures
3regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David,
4and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
5Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.
6And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
7To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.
9God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you
10in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—
12that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.
13I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
14I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.
15That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
17For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
25They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.
27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.
29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;
31they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.
32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Romans 1.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The apostle's commission. (1–7). Prays for the saints at Rome, and expresses his desire to see them. (8–15). The gospel way of justification by faith, for Jews and Gentiles. (16, 17). The sins of the Gentiles set forth. (18–32).
vv1-7
The doctrine of which the apostle Paul wrote, set forth the fulfilment of the promises by the prophets. It spoke of the Son of God, even Jesus the Saviour, the promised Messiah, who came from David as to his human nature, but was also declared to be the Son of God, by the Divine power which raised him from the dead. The Christian profession does not consist in a notional knowledge or a bare assent, much less in perverse disputings, but in obedience. And all those, and those only, are brought to obedience of the faith, who are effectually called of Jesus Christ. Here is, 1. The privilege of Christians; they are beloved of God, and are members of that body which is beloved. 2. The duty of Christians; to be holy, hereunto are they called, called to be saints. These the apostle saluted, by wishing them grace to sanctify their souls, and peace to comfort their hearts, as springing from the free mercy of God, the reconciled Father of all believers, and coming to them through the Lord Jesus Christ.
vv8-15
We must show love for our friends, not only by praying for them, but by praising God for them. As in our purposes, so in our desires, we must remember to say, If the Lord will, Jas 4:15. Our journeys are made prosperous or otherwise, according to the will of God. We should readily impart to others what God has trusted to us, rejoicing to make others joyful, especially taking pleasure in communing with those who believe the same things with us. If redeemed by the blood, and converted by the grace of the Lord Jesus, we are altogether his; and for his sake we are debtors to all men, to do all the good we can. Such services are our duty.
vv16-17
In these verses the apostle opens the design of the whole epistle, in which he brings forward a charge of sinfulness against all flesh; declares the only method of deliverance from condemnation, by faith in the mercy of God, through Jesus Christ; and then builds upon it purity of heart, grateful obedience, and earnest desires to improve in all those Christian graces and tempers, which nothing but a lively faith in Christ can bring forth. God is a just and holy God, and we are guilty sinners. It is necessary that we have a righteousness to appear in before him: there is such a righteousness brought in by the Messiah, and made known in the gospel; a gracious method of acceptance, notwithstanding the guilt of our sins. It is the righteousness of Christ, who is God, coming from a satisfaction of infinite value. Faith is all in all, both in the beginning and progress of Christian life. It is not from faith to works, as if faith put us into a justified state, and then works kept us in it; but it is all along from faith to faith; it is faith pressing forward, and gaining the victory over unbelief.
Key Words
Παῦλος (Paûlos): (little; but remotely from a derivative of G3973 (παύω), meaning the same); Paulus, the name of a Roman and of an apostle
δοῦλος (doûlos): a slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency)
Χριστός (Christós): anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs): Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites
κλητός (klētós): invited, i.e. appointed, or (specially), a saint
ἀπόστολος (apóstolos): a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ ("apostle") (with miraculous powers)
εὐαγγέλιον (euangélion): a good message, i.e. the gospel
θεός (theós): figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very
ὅς (hós): the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
προεπαγγέλλομαι (proepangéllomai): to promise of old
Cross References
Romans 1Directly quoted by Paul: 'The just shall live by faith' is the gospel's foundation.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Direct verbal echo of changing the glory of God into the likeness of beasts.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Creation declaring God's glory parallel to His invisible attributes being understood by things made.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Parallels changing the glory of the true God for idols that do not profit.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Contrasts the uncorruptible Godhead with humanly fashioned gold, silver, or stone images.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Classic Old Testament pattern of God giving people up to their own hearts' lusts.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The Levitical prohibition of same-sex acts, directly defining 'that which is against nature'.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Paul's description of being 'separated' from his mother's womb for his apostolic calling.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The Holy Spirit's historical command to 'separate' Barnabas and Saul for the work.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels Christ's dual nature: 'according to the flesh' physically, yet God over all.
Supported by JFB
Verbal echo of 'made' (became) flesh, contrasting with His eternal, uncreated divine nature.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Paul's Areopagus address regarding the general revelation of God and pagan accountability.
Supported by Matthew Henry
God did not leave Himself without witness, showing His goodness through nature.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels loving darkness rather than light because of evil deeds, darkening the heart.
Supported by Matthew Henry
In the wisdom of God, the world by its own wisdom did not know God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Warning against making corruptible images resembling man, beasts, birds, or creeping things.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Paul’s Lystra sermon on God permitting nations to walk in their own ways.
Supported by Matthew Henry
God sends strong delusion/reprobate mind to those who refuse to love the truth.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Paul's initial miraculous call as a chosen vessel to bear Christ's name to Gentiles.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Relates the Holy Spirit to the powerful manifestation of Christ's divine Sonship.
Supported by JFB
Paul's mission to bring the Gentiles to 'the obedience of faith' by word and deed.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Paul's specific prayer request to the Romans for a prosperous journey by God's will.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Elaborates on the 'righteousness of God' revealed apart from the law, witnessed by prophets.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Gentiles have their understanding darkened, alienated from God's life through ignorance.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Shows how fools hate knowledge and simple ones love simplicity, claiming wisdom.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Turning from idols (the lie) to serve the living and true God.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The wicked explicitly command God to depart, refusing the knowledge of His ways.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Consenting to and taking pleasure in wickedness committed by others.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Peter affirms that 'all the prophets witness' to Christ, matching Romans 1:2.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Apostolic summary of the gospel: Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, raised from dead.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Paul's division of humanity into Greek, Barbarian, wise, unwise, all needing Christ.
Supported by JFB
'Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone'—illustrates God giving them up.
Supported by Matthew Henry