Study Desk

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, ^(F1)(C1)called as an apostle, ^(C2)set apart for ^(C3)the gospel of God,

which He ^(C1)promised beforehand through His ^(C2)prophets in the holy Scriptures,

concerning His Son, who was born ^(C1)of a ^(F1)descendant of David ^(C2)according to the flesh,

who was declared ^(C1)the Son of God with power according to the ^(F1)Spirit of holiness ^(F2)by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

through whom we have received grace and ^(C1)apostleship ^(F1)to bring about the ^(C2)obedience of faith among ^(C3)all the Gentiles in behalf of His name,

among whom you also are the ^(C1)called of Jesus Christ;

to all who are ^(C1)beloved of God in Rome, called as ^(F1)(C2)saints: ^(C3)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, ^(C1)I thank my God through Jesus Christ ^(F1)for you all, because ^(C2)your faith is being proclaimed throughout the world.

For ^(C1)God, whom I ^(C2)serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly ^(C3)I make mention of you,

always in my prayers requesting if perhaps now, at last by ^(C1)the will of God, I will succeed in coming to you.

For ^(C1)I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be ^(F1)established;

that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.

^(C1)I do not want you to be unaware, ^(C2)brothers and sisters, that often I ^(C3)have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some ^(C4)fruit among you also just as among the rest of the Gentiles.

^(C1)I am ^(F1)under obligation both to Greeks and to the ^(F2)(C2)uncultured, both to the wise and to the foolish.

So, for my part, I am eager to ^(C1)preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

For I am not ^(C1)ashamed of the gospel, for ^(C2)it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the ^(C3)Jew first and also to ^(C4)the Greek.

For in it ^(C1)the righteousness of God is revealed ^(F1)from faith to faith; as it is written: "^(F2)(C2)BUT THE RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH."

For ^(C1)the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who ^(C2)suppress the truth ^(F1)in unrighteousness,

because ^(C1)that which is known about God is evident ^(F1)within them; for God made it evident to them.

For ^(C1)since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ^(C2)being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

For even though they knew God, they did not ^(F1)honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became ^(C1)futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

^(C1)Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

and they ^(C1)exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and ^(F1)crawling creatures.

Therefore ^(C1)God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be ^(C2)dishonored among them.

For they exchanged the truth of God for ^(F1)(C1)falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, ^(C2)who is blessed ^(F2)forever. Amen.

For this reason ^(C1)God gave them over to ^(C2)degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature,

and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations ^(F1)with women and burned in their desire toward one another, ^(C1)males with males committing ^(F2)shameful acts and receiving in ^(F3)their own persons the due penalty of their error.

And just as they did not see fit ^(F1)to acknowledge God, ^(C1)God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper,

people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are ^(C1)gossips,

slanderers, ^(F1)(C1)haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, ^(C2)disobedient to parents,

without understanding, untrustworthy, ^(C1)unfeeling, and unmerciful;

and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of ^(C1)death, they not only do the same, but also ^(C2)approve of those who practice them.

Therefore you have ^(C1)no excuse, ^(F1)you foolish person, ^(C2)everyone of you who passes judgment; for ^(F2)in that matter in which ^(C3)you judge someone else, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

And we know that the judgment of God ^(F1)rightly falls upon those who practice such things.

But do you suppose this, ^(F1)(C1)you foolish person who passes judgment on those who practice such things, and yet does them as well, that you will escape the judgment of God?

Or do you think lightly of ^(C1)the riches of His ^(C2)kindness and ^(F1)(C3)restraint and ^(C4)patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

But ^(F1)because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart ^(C1)you are storing up wrath for yourself ^(C2)on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

^(C1)who WILL REPAY EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:

to those who by ^(C1)perseverance in doing good seek ^(C2)glory, honor, and ^(C3)immortality, He will give ^(C4)eternal life;

but to those who are ^(C1)self-serving and ^(C2)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, He will give wrath and indignation.

There will be ^(C1)tribulation and distress ^(F1)for every soul of mankind who does evil, ^(F2)for the Jew ^(C2)first and also ^(F2)for the Greek,

but ^(C1)glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does what is good, to the Jew ^(C2)first and also to the Greek.

For ^(C1)there is no partiality with God.

For all who have sinned ^(F1)(C1)without the Law will also perish ^(F1)without the Law, and all who have sinned ^(F2)under the Law will be judged ^(F3)by the Law;

for it is ^(C1)not the hearers ^(F1)of the Law who are ^(F2)righteous before God, but the doers ^(F1)of the Law who will be justified.

For when Gentiles who do not have ^(F1)the Law ^(F2)(C1)instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having ^(F1)the Law, are a law to themselves,

in that they show ^(C1)the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,

on the day when, ^(C1)according to my gospel, ^(C2)God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.

But if you call yourself a ^(F1)Jew and ^(C1)rely ^(F2)upon the Law and boast in God,

and know His will and ^(F1)(C1)distinguish the things that matter, being instructed from the Law,

and are confident that you yourself are a guide to people who are blind, a light to those in darkness,

a ^(F1)corrector of the foolish, a teacher of ^(F2)the immature, possessing in the Law ^(C1)the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth—

you, therefore, ^(C1)who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who ^(F1)preach that one is not to steal, do you steal?

You who say that one is not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who loathe idols, do you ^(C1)rob temples?

You who ^(C1)boast ^(F1)in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?

For "^(C1)THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES ^(C2)BECAUSE OF YOU," just as it is written.

For indeed circumcision is of value if you ^(C1)practice ^(F1)the Law; but if you are a violator ^(F2)of the Law, ^(C2)your circumcision has turned into uncircumcision.

^(C1)So if ^(C2)the ^(F1)uncircumcised man ^(C3)keeps the requirements of the Law, will his uncircumcision not be regarded as circumcision?

And ^(C1)he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not ^(C2)judge you who ^(F1)though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a violator ^(F2)of the Law?

For ^(C1)he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.

But ^(C1)he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and ^(C2)circumcision is of the heart, by the ^(C3)Spirit, not by the letter; ^(C4)and his praise is not from people, but from God.