Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called (to be) an apostle, set-apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 concerning his Son who was from the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 determined Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness from resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,[fn]Paul’s “gospel” is the public declaration that the God of Israel has raised his Son from the dead and made him Lord; he is therefore the one who has been appointed to rule, at some point in the future, over the nations of the Greek-Roman world.[/fn] 5 through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations for the sake of his name,[fn]Paul’s task as an apostle is to bring into existence communities of people, both of Jews and Gentiles, who will exhibit an “obedience” of life consistent with their belief in the future rule of Jesus (cf. Rom. 15:14-21). Such obedience will enhance the reputation of the risen Lord Jesus among the nations.[/fn] 6 among whom you also are called of Jesus Christ, 7 to all those being in Rome, [beloved of God,] called saints/holy, grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, indeed, I thank my God through Jesus Christ concerning you all because your faith is proclaimed in the whole world. 9 For my witness is God, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you 10 always in my prayers, if somehow now at some time I will be successful in the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I might impart some spiritual gift of grace to you to establish you; 12 that is, to be comforted together among you through the faith among one another, both yours and mine. 13 I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that I planned often to come to you, and was prevented until now, that I might have some fruit also among you, as also among the rest of the nations. 14 Both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish, I am a debtor; 15 so my desire is to proclaim the good news also to you who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every believing person, to Jew first and to Greek.[fn]Paul speaks quite deliberately about the “Greek.” He does not mean non-Jews or Gentiles generally; he does not mean the whole of humanity.[/fn] 17 For the righteousness of God in it is revealed[fn]The “righteousness of God” that is revealed is not a quality that is imparted to the believer in the classic Reformed sense. The gospel is an embarrassment in some ways, but it reveals how at this moment the God of Israel is acting rightly, he is in the right.[/fn] from faith for faith, as it is written, “The one righteous through faith shall live.”[fn]The quotation of Habakkuk 2:4 is important. Paul shares the conviction with Habakkuk that before God judges the pagan aggressor, he will judge his own people by the hand of the pagan aggressor. The righteous person who will survive the wrath of God is the person who has faith.[/fn]
18 For the wrath of God from heaven is revealed[fn]The anger of God against idolatry is revealed in the fact that he has given a whole civilisation over to the corrupting consequences of their false worship, but this foreshadows the coming wrath of God against Greek culture (cf. Rom. 2:9).[/fn] against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. 19 For what is known of God is evident among them—for God made it evident to them. 20 For the unseen things of him from the creation of the world, being understood by the things made, are perceived clearly, both his everlasting power and deity, so that they are without excuse.[fn]The “fall” described here is not that of Adam and Eve or of primal humanity. It is the seminal rejection of the one creator God by the Greeks. We may compare: “It is a thousand years and five hundred more since the overbearing kings of the Greeks reigned, who began the first evils for mortals, setting up many idols of dead gods. On account of them you have been taught vain thinking. But when the wrath of the great God comes upon you, then indeed you will recognize the face of the great God” (Sib. Or. 3.551-557).[/fn] 21 For, having known God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks, but were made vain in their thoughts and their uncomprehending heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they were shown to be foolish, 23 and they changed the glory of the imperishable God into the likeness of an image of a perishable person and of birds and four-footed animals and reptiles.
24 For this reason God gave them up, in the desires of their hearts, to uncleanness in order to dishonour their bodies among themselves, 25 such as who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshipped and served the created thing rather than the creator, who is blessed for ever, amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to passions of dishonour; for on the one hand their females exchanged natural use for that against nature, 27 and likewise, on the other, the males, having abandoned the natural use of the female, burned with their desire for one another, males with males committing indecency and receiving in themselves the corresponding-reward which was necessary for their error.
28 And as they did not think-fit to have God in knowledge, God gave them up to an unfit mind, to do what is not proper, 29 having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, maliciousness; gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, proud, braggers, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 mindless, faithless, heartless, merciless—32 they are such as, knowing the decree of God that those doing such things are worthy of death, not only do them but also give approval to those doing them.
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