PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, set apart for the Gospel of God, 2(which he had promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; made from the seed of David after the flesh, 4definitively marked out as the Son of God by miracle, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the dead: 5through whom we have received grace and apostolic mission among all nations for his name, to bring them to the obedience of faith: 6among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ.
7To all that are at Rome, beloved of God, called saints, grace unto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8First then I give thanks to my God, through Jesus Christ, for you all, because your faith is proclaimed through the whole world. 9For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son, how incessantly I make mention of you, 10always in my prayers entreating that haply now at last I may have a prosperous journey by the will of God, to come to you. 11For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, in order that you may be established; 12and that so I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and of me.
13But I would not that ye should be unacquainted, brethren, that oftentimes I have been purposing to come to you (and have been prevented until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the other Gentile nations. 14Both to the Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the ignorant am I a debtor. 15So, as far as is in my power, I am desirous to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17For the righteousness of God by faith is therein revealed for belief; as it is written, “Now the just by faith shall live[49].” 18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and unrighteousness of men, holding back the truth in unrighteousness. 19Because that which is capable of being known relative to God, is evident among them; for God hath manifested it to them. 20For from the creation of the world his invisible perfections, discoverable in the works that are made, are clearly seen, even his eternal power and deity; so that they are inexcusable: 21because though they knew there was a God, they glorified him not as God, nor gave him thanks, but became triflers in their disputations, and their stupid heart was darkened. 22Affecting to be sophists, they turned idiots, 23and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and of quadrupeds, and of reptiles. 24Wherefore God abandoned them, through the lusts of their own hearts, unto impurity, to dishonour their own bodies by themselves: 25who perverted the truth of God by falsehood, and worshipped and paid divine honours to the thing created instead of the Creator, who is blessed for evermore. Amen.
26For this cause God gave them up to dishonourable passions. For even their women did change the natural use into that which was contrary to nature; 27and likewise the men also, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lewdness one towards another; men with men committing indecency, and receiving in themselves the recompence of their delusion, which was meet. 28And since they thought not fit to hold the Deity in acknowledgment, God abandoned them to a reprobate mind, to practise deeds unbecoming; 29replete with all injustice, whoredom, wickedness, covetousness, villany; full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, evil habits; whisperers, 30backbiters, God-haters, contumelious, insolent, boasters, inventors of wicked practices, disobedient to parents, 31unintelligent, unfaithful to engagements, unnatural, implacable, unmerciful: 32who, though they know the righteous judgment of God, that they who live in such practices are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also find pleasure in the company of those who live in these practices.
[CHAP. II.]
THEREFORE thou art inexcusable, O man, even every one that judgeth: for in the very thing wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest art living in the practices of the same things. 2But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth, against those who practise such things. 3For thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest those who do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4Or despisest thou the riches of his kindness and patience and long-suffering, ignorant that this goodness of God is leading thee to repentance? 5But after thy obdurate and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath at the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6who will recompense to every man according to his works; 7to those who, in the patient practice of good works, seek glory and honour and immortality—eternal life. 8But to those who are of a contentious spirit, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation, and wrath; 9tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth wickedness, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek. 10But glory and honour and peace be to every man who doeth that which is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek: 11for there is no acceptance of persons with God. 12For as many as have sinned without the law, shall perish also without the law: and as many as have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law; 13for the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law shall be counted righteous; 14(for when the Gentiles, who have not the law naturally, do the things of the law, these, though not having the law, are a law unto themselves: 15which exhibit the practice of the law written on their hearts, their conscience also bearing its testimony, and their mutual reasonings at intervals bringing accusations or forming excuses;) 16in the day when God shall judge the hidden things of men, according to my gospel by Jesus Christ.
17Lo! thou art named a Jew, and restest on the law, and boastest in God, 18and knowest the will of God, and bringest to the test the things that are different, being instructed out of the law; 19and hast confidence that thou thyself art a leader of the blind, a light of those who are in darkness, 20an instructor of the uninformed, a teacher of babes, holding the form of knowledge and of truth in the law. 21Thou therefore who teachest another, dost thou not teach thyself? thou that proclaimest aloud that a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22thou that sayest, Do not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that holdest idols in abomination, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23thou who gloriest in the law, dishonourest thou God by the transgression of the law? 24for the name of God is blasphemed through you among the heathen, as it is written[50]. 25For circumcision indeed is advantageous, if thou practise the law: but if thou art a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision becomes uncircumcision, 26If then the uncircumcision observe the righteous judgments of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be accounted for circumcision? 27And the uncircumcision by nature which fulfilleth the law shall condemn thee, who through the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law. 28For not he who is outwardly such, is the Jew; neither is that which is outward in the flesh, circumcision. 29But he is a Jew who is such inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, in spirit, not in letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.
[CHAP. III.]
WHAT then is the superiority of the Jew? or what is the advantage of circumcision? 2Much in every view: the principal one indeed is, that the oracles of God were entrusted to them. 3For what if some were unbelievers? shall their unbelief render the faithfulness of God ineffectual? 4God forbid: but let God be true, though every man were a liar; as it is written, “That thou mayest be acknowledged just in thy sayings, and overcome when thou art judged[51].”