1 This letter comes from Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. I was called to be an apostle by God. God appointed me to announce the good news 2 that he had previously promised through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. 3 The good news is about his Son, whose human forefather was David, 4 but who was revealed as God's Son by his resurrection from the dead through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 It was through him that I received the privilege of becoming an apostle to call all nations to obedient trust in him. 6 You are also included among those who were called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 I'm writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God, and called to be his special people. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! 8 Let me begin by saying that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because the way in which you trust in God is spoken about all over the world. 9 I'm always praying for you, as God can confirm—the God I serve with the whole of my being as I share the good news about his Son. 10 In my prayers I'm always asking that I might eventually come and see you, if that's what God wants. 11 I really want to visit you and share with you a spiritual blessing to strengthen you. 12 In this way we can be encouraged together by each others' trust in God, both your trust and mine. 13 I want you to know, my brothers and sisters, I often planned to visit you, but I was kept from coming up till now. I want to see some good spiritual results among you just as I've seen among other people. 14 For I have an obligation to work for both the civilized and the uncivilized, both the educated and the uneducated. 15 That's why I'm really keen to come to Rome and share the good news with you. 16 I'm certainly not ashamed about the good news, for it's God's power to save everyone who trusts in him—to the Jewish people first, and then to everyone else as well. 17 For in the good news God is revealed as good and right, trustworthy from start to finish. As Scripture says, “Those who are right with God live by trusting him.” 18 God's hostility is revealed from heaven against those who are godless and who are not morally right, those who suppress the truth through the evil that they do. 19 What can be known about God is obvious, because he has made it very clear to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world, the invisible aspects of God—his eternal power and divinity—are clearly visible in what he has made. Such people have no excuse, 21 because even though they knew God, they did not praise him or thank him, but instead their thinking about God turned into complete foolishness, and darkness filled their empty minds. 22 Even though they claimed to be wise, they became foolish. 23 They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for idols, images of mortal human beings, birds, animals, and reptiles. 24 So God abandoned them to the evil desires of their depraved minds, and they did shameful, degrading things to each other. 25 They exchanged God's truth for a lie, worshiping and serving creatures instead of the Creator, who deserves praise forever. Amen. 26 That's why God abandoned them to their evil desires. Their women exchanged natural sex for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way the men gave up sex with women and burned with lust for each other. Men did indecent things to each other, and as a result they suffered the inevitable consequences of their perversions. 28 Since they didn't consider it worthwhile to get to know God, he abandoned them to their worthless, distrustful way of thinking, doing things that should never be done. 29 They filled themselves with all that's wrong: evil, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malice, and gossip. 30 They're back-stabbers and God-haters. They're arrogant, proud, and boastful. They devise new ways of sinning. They rebel against their parents. 31 They don't want to understand, they don't keep their promises, they don't show any kindness or compassion. 32 Even though they realize exactly what God requires, they do things that deserve death. Not only do they do such things themselves, they also support others in doing them.
Romans 1 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Jesus
The Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35): the promised Son of David and Son of Abraham, 'the Word became flesh.' Joseph,…
Cited in the guide: Matt. 1:1, 16-17; Luke 3:23-38; John 1:14; Rom. 1:3
Places
Rome
The empire's heart. Paul wrote his great letter to the church here before arriving in chains, then ministered under guard while awaiting trial before Caesar.
Cited in the guide: Acts 28:16; Romans 1:7; Acts 19:21
Cross references (32)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Acts 9:15; Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 1:1; Jeremiah 1:5; Colossians 1:1
- 2 Titus 1:2; Luke 1:70; Romans 3:21; Romans 16:26; Romans 3:2
- 3 Galatians 4:4; Matthew 1:1; Jeremiah 23:5–6; John 1:14; Luke 1:31–33
- 4 Hebrews 5:5–6; Hebrews 9:14; Ephesians 1:19–23; 2 Corinthians 13:4; Acts 13:33–35
- 5 Acts 9:15; Romans 16:26; Acts 6:7; Malachi 1:11; 1 Corinthians 15:10
- 6 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 17:14; 2 Peter 1:10; Hebrews 3:1; 1 Corinthians 1:9
- 7 Colossians 1:2; Jude 1–2; Ephesians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Thessalonians 1:1
- 8 Romans 16:19; 1 Corinthians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:8–9; Romans 6:17; Philippians 1:3
- 9 Ephesians 6:18; Ephesians 1:16–19; Romans 9:1; 2 Timothy 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:23
- 10 Romans 15:30–32; Acts 18:21; James 4:15; Philemon 22; 1 Thessalonians 3:10–11
- 11 2 Peter 1:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Romans 16:25; Romans 15:29; 2 Peter 3:17–18
- 12 1 Thessalonians 3:7–10; 3 John 3–4; Romans 15:32; 2 Corinthians 7:4–7; Titus 1:4
- 13 Acts 19:21; Philippians 4:17; 2 Timothy 4:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:13
- 14 1 Corinthians 9:16–23; Acts 9:15; Colossians 3:11; Acts 26:17–18; James 3:17–18
- 15 Romans 15:20; Isaiah 6:8; 1 Corinthians 9:17; 2 Corinthians 10:15–16; Matthew 9:38
- 16 Mark 8:38; 2 Timothy 1:8; 1 Peter 4:16; 2 Timothy 1:12; Psalm 40:9–10
- 17 Habakkuk 2:4; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38; Philippians 3:9; Hebrews 11:6–7
- 18 Ephesians 5:6; 1 Timothy 4:1–2; Romans 1:32; Colossians 3:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:10
- 19 Acts 14:16–17; Psalm 19:1–6; Romans 1:20; Acts 17:23–30; Isaiah 40:26
- 20 Romans 1:19; Isaiah 40:26; Psalm 19:1–6; Psalm 8:3; Psalm 33:6–9
- 21 Ephesians 4:17–18; 2 Kings 17:15; Jeremiah 2:5; 2 Timothy 3:2; Psalm 50:23
- 22 1 Corinthians 1:19–21; Proverbs 26:12; Romans 11:25; Proverbs 25:14; Jeremiah 8:8–9
- 23 Psalm 106:20; Jeremiah 2:11; Acts 17:29; 1 Peter 4:3; Psalm 115:5–8
- 24 Psalm 81:11–12; Acts 7:42; Acts 14:16; Matthew 15:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12
- 25 Habakkuk 2:18; Jeremiah 13:25; 1 John 2:15–16; Isaiah 44:20; Amos 2:4
- 26 Jude 7; 1 Timothy 1:10; Leviticus 18:22–28; Romans 1:24; 1 Corinthians 6:9
- 27 Leviticus 20:13; Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:23–24
- 28 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12; Romans 1:21; Titus 1:16; Jeremiah 9:6; Romans 1:24
- 29 2 Corinthians 12:20; Proverbs 16:28; Psalm 41:7; Proverbs 26:20
- 30 2 Timothy 3:2; Jude 16; 2 Peter 2:18; Titus 3:3; Romans 8:7–8
- 31 2 Timothy 3:3; Proverbs 18:2; Romans 3:11; Isaiah 33:8; Jeremiah 4:22
- 32 Romans 1:21; Romans 2:1–5; Romans 6:21; Psalm 50:18; Romans 1:18
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Moses having written five books, has nowhere put his own name to them, neither have they who after him put together the history of events after him, no nor yet has Matthew, nor John, nor Mark, nor Luke; but the blessed Paul everywhere in his Epistles sets his own name. Now why was this?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
… the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was made to Him of the seed of David according to the flesh, who was predestinated the Son of God with power through the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead of our Lord Jesus Christ." And again, writing to the Romans about Israel, he says: "Whose are the fathers, and …
… wickedly against their own souls; and iniquity gives itself the lie, either by corrupting or perverting their nature, which Thou hast made and ordained, or by an immoderate use of things permitted, or in "burning" in things forbidden to that use which is against nature; or when convicted, raging with heart and voice against Thee, kicking against the pricks; or …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
And, "That the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men," and, "indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile." And yet countless were the evils which the Gentiles have suffered in this world, and this is declared alike …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Paul also saith, Remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my Gospel: and in the beginning of the Epistle to the Romans he saith, Which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)