Romans 1-3

Holman Christian Standard Bible

God’s Good News for Rome

1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle^[a](A) and singled out^(B) for God’s good news^(C)— ² which He promised long ago^(D) through His prophets^(E) in the Holy Scriptures— ³ concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David^[b](F) according to the flesh^{(G) 4} and who has been declared to be the powerful^(H) Son of God^(I) by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of holiness.^{[c] 5} We have received grace and apostleship^(J) through Him to bring about^[d] the obedience^(K) of faith^[e] among all the nations,^[f](L) on behalf of His name, ⁶ including yourselves who also belong to Jesus Christ by calling:^(M)

⁷ To all who are in Rome, loved by God,^(N) called^(O) as saints.^(P)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Desire to Visit Rome

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith^[g] is being reported in all the world.^{(Q) 9} For God, whom I serve with my spirit^(R) in telling the good news about His Son, is my witness^(S) that I constantly mention you,^{(T) 10} always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.^{(U) 11} For I want very much to see you,^(V) so I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, ¹² that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

¹³ Now I want you to know,^[h](W) brothers, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now^(X)) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry^[i] among you,^(Y) just as among the rest of the Gentiles. ¹⁴ I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians,^[j](Z) both to the wise and the foolish. ¹⁵ So I am eager to preach the good news^(AA) to you also who are in Rome.

The Righteous Will Live by Faith

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel,^[k](AB) because it is God’s power for salvation^(AC) to everyone who believes, first to the Jew,^(AD) and also to the Greek.^{(AE) 17} For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith,^[l](AF) just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.^[m](AG)[n]

The Guilt of the Gentile World

¹⁸ For God’s wrath^(AH) is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,^{(AI) 19} since what can be known^[o] about God is evident among them,^(AJ) because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world,^(AK) being understood through what He has made.^(AL) As a result, people are without excuse. ²¹ For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened.^{(AM) 22} Claiming to be wise, they became fools^{(AN) 23} and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.^(AO)

²⁴ Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts^(AP) to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth of God for a lie,^(AQ) and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever.^(AR) Amen.

From Idolatry to Depravity

²⁶ This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions.^(AS) For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations^[p] for unnatural ones. ²⁷ The males in the same way also left natural relations^[q] with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males^(AT) and received in their own persons^[r] the appropriate penalty of their error.

²⁸ And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. ²⁹ They are filled with all unrighteousness,^[s] evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,^{(AU) 30} slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful,^(AV) inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,^{(AW) 31} undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving,^[t](AX) and unmerciful. ³² Although they know full well God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die^[u](AY)—they not only do them, but even applaud^[v](AZ) others who practice them.

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore, any one of you^[w](BA) who judges is without excuse.^(BB) For when you judge another,^(BC) you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. ² We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. ³ Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴ Or do you despise the riches of His kindness,^(BD) restraint,^(BE) and patience,^(BF) not recognizing^[x] that God’s kindness^(BG) is intended to lead you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath^(BH) for yourself in the day of wrath,^(BI) when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. ⁶ He will repay each one according to his works:^{(BJ)[y] 7} eternal life^(BK) to those who by persistence in doing good^(BL) seek glory, honor,^(BM) and immortality;^{(BN) 8} but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking^(BO) and disobey the truth^(BP) but are obeying unrighteousness; ⁹ affliction and distress^(BQ) for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek;^{(BR) 10} but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. ¹¹ There is no favoritism with God.^(BS)

¹² All those who sinned without the law^(BT) will also perish without the law, and all those who sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For the hearers of the law^(BU) are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.^{[z] 14} So, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, instinctively^(BV) do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the work of the law^[aa] is written on their hearts.^(BW) Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts will either accuse or excuse them^{[ab] 16} on the day when God judges^(BX) what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.^(BY)

Jewish Violation of the Law

¹⁷ Now if^[ac] you call yourself a Jew, and rest in the law,^(BZ) boast in God, ¹⁸ know His will, and approve the things that are superior,^(CA) being instructed from the law, ¹⁹ and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the full expression^[ad] of knowledge and truth^(CB) in the law— ²¹ you then, who teach another,^(CC) don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? ²² You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples?^{(CD) 23} You who boast in the law,^(CE) do you dishonor God by breaking the law? ²⁴ For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.^(CF)[ae]

Circumcision of the Heart

²⁵ For circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.^{(CG) 26} Therefore if an uncircumcised^(CH) man keeps the law’s requirements,^(CI) will his uncircumcision not be counted as circumcision? ²⁷ A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who fulfills the law, will judge you^(CJ) who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. ²⁸ For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly,^(CK) and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. ²⁹ On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly,^(CL) and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter.^[af](CM) That man’s praise^[ag] is not from men but from God.^(CN)

Paul Answers an Objection

3 So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? ² Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted^(CO) with the spoken words of God.^{(CP) 3} What then? If some did not believe,^(CQ) will their unbelief cancel God’s faithfulness? ⁴ Absolutely not!^(CR) God must be true, even if everyone is a liar,^(CS) as it is written:

⁵ But if our unrighteousness highlights^[ai] God’s righteousness,^(CU) what are we to say?^(CV) I use a human argument:^[aj](CW) Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? ⁶ Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?^{(CX) 7} But if by my lie God’s truth is amplified to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?^{(CY) 8} And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”?^(CZ) Their condemnation is deserved!

The Whole World Guilty before God

⁹ What then? Are we any better?^[ak] Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews^(DA) and Gentiles^[al](DB) are all under sin,^{[am](DC) 10} as it is written:^[an]

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says^(DJ) speaks to those who are subject to the law,^[au](DK) so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.^{[av](DL) 20} For no one will be justified^[aw] in His sight by the works of the law,^(DM) because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.^(DN)

God’s Righteousness through Faith

²¹ But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed^(DO)—attested by the Law and the Prophets^{[ax](DP) 22} —that is, God’s righteousness through faith^(DQ) in Jesus Christ,^[ay](DR) to all who believe,^(DS) since there is no distinction.^{(DT) 23} For all have sinned^(DU) and fall short of the^[az] glory of God. ²⁴ They are justified freely by His grace^(DV) through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.^{(DW) 25} God presented Him as a propitiation^[ba](DX) through faith in His blood,^(DY) to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God^(DZ) passed over the sins previously committed.^{(EA) 26} God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous^[bb] the one who has faith in Jesus.

Boasting Excluded

²⁷ Where then is boasting?^(EB) It is excluded. By what kind of law?^[bc](EC) By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law^[bd] of faith. ²⁸ For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.^{(ED) 29} Or is God for Jews only?^(EE) Is He not also for Gentiles? Yes, for Gentiles too, ³⁰ since there is one God^(EF) who will justify the circumcised by faith^(EG) and the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹ Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not!^(EH) On the contrary, we uphold the law.^(EI)