1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, having been separated to the good news of God, 2 which He announced before through His prophets in holy writings, 3 concerning His Son—who has come of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 who is marked out [as the] Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of sanctification, by the resurrection from the dead—Jesus Christ our Lord; 5 through whom we received grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, in behalf of His Name; 6 among whom are also you, the called of Jesus Christ; 7 to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called holy ones: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! 8 First, indeed, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is proclaimed in the whole world; 9 for God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the good news of His Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you, 10 always in my prayers imploring, if by any means now at length I will have a prosperous journey, by the will of God, to come to you, 11 for I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, that you may be established; 12 and that is, that I may be comforted together among you, through faith in one another, both yours and mine. 13 And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brothers, that many times I purposed to come to you—and was hindered until the present time—that some fruit I might have also among you, even as also among the other nations. 14 Both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to wise and to thoughtless, I am a debtor, 15 so, as much as in me is, I am ready also to you who [are] in Rome to proclaim good news, 16 for I am not ashamed of the good news of the Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who is believing, both to Jew first, and to Greek. 17 For the righteousness of God in it is revealed from faith to faith, according as it has been written: “And the righteous one will live by faith,” 18 for the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven on all impiety and unrighteousness of men, holding down the truth in unrighteousness. 19 Because that which is known of God is revealed among them, for God revealed [it] to them, 20 for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world, by the things made being understood, are plainly seen, both His eternal power and Godhead—to their being inexcusable; 21 because, having known God they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor gave thanks, but were made vain in their reasonings, and their unintelligent heart was darkened, 22 professing to be wise, they were made fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and of quadrupeds, and of reptiles. 24 For this reason also God gave them up, in the desires of their hearts, to uncleanness, to dishonor their bodies among themselves; 25 who changed the truth of God into the lie, and honored and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for all ages. Amen. 26 Because of this God gave them up to dishonorable affections, for even their females changed the natural use into that against nature; 27 and in like manner also the males having left the natural use of the female, burned in their longing toward one another; males with males working shame, and the repayment of their error that was fit, in themselves receiving. 28 And according as they did not approve of having God in knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mind, to do the things not seemly; 29 having been filled with all unrighteousness, whoredom, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil dispositions; whisperers, 30 evil-speakers, God-haters, insulting, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 unintelligent, faithless, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful; 32 who the righteous judgment of God having known—that those practicing such things are worthy of death—not only do them, but also have delight with those practicing them.
Romans · Literal Standard Version
Romans 1 Literal Standard 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)