1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called [to be] an apostle, separated to the gospel of God, 2 (Which he had promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures) 3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh. 4 And declared [to be] the Son of God, with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name: 6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: 7 To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called [to be] saints: Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 Making request (if by any means now at length I may 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, to the end ye may be established; 12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that I have often purposed to come to you (but have been hitherto hindered) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians, both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For in this is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. 19 Because that which may be known of God, is manifest in them; for God hath shown [it] to them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools: 23 And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping animals. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up to vile affections. For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one towards another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventers of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they who commit such things are worthy of death; not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Romans · Noah Webster's Bible (1833)
Romans 1 Noah Webster's Bible (1833)
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)