Romans 1

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Romans 1 opens the most influential letter in Christian history. Paul introduces himself as a servant set apart for the gospel about God's Son, greets a church he did not found, and explains that he has long wanted to visit Rome. Then he states his theme: he is not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, revealing a righteousness that comes by faith. The rest of the chapter explains why that gospel is needed. God's wrath is revealed against people who suppress the truth visible in creation, exchange the Creator for idols, and are handed over to their own desires, ending in a catalogue of vices that runs from envy to disobedience to parents.

Apri commento del capitolo

Romans 1 is the doorway into a letter that has changed the course of history more than once, through Augustine, Luther, Wesley, and Barth, and the doorway is wide. Paul spends seven verses simply saying hello, because he is writing to a church he did not plant and wants them to know who he is: a servant, an apostle, set apart for a gospel that was promised long ago and concerns God's Son, David's descendant, declared Son of God with power by rising from the dead. He tells them he has prayed for them constantly and has been trying to come for years. Then he states, in two sentences, what the whole letter will unfold. He is not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, Jew first and then Greek, and in it a righteousness from God is revealed, by faith from first to last, as Habakkuk said: the righteous will live by faith. The second half of the chapter is darker and is meant to be. Paul describes a humanity that knows God from the world he made and refuses to thank him, that swaps the glory of the immortal God for statues of men and birds and reptiles, and that is handed over, three times, to the consequences of its own choices. The list of vices at the end is long enough to include everyone, which is the point; chapter 2 will begin with "therefore you have no excuse, you who judge." The bad news is the setup for the good news of chapter 3.

Passi chiave

Romans 1:1-7 Romans 1:16-17 Romans 1:18-25 Romans 1:26-32 Habakkuk 2:4 Romans 2:1-4

Historical and literary context

Paul wrote from Corinth around AD 57, dictating to Tertius, before carrying the Jerusalem collection east and hoping to go on to Spain by way of Rome. The Roman church had grown without an apostle, mostly in house churches. In AD 49 the emperor Claudius had expelled Jews from Rome, including Christian Jews such as Priscilla and Aquila; when they returned after his death in 54, they found congregations that had become largely Gentile. The letter's long argument about Jew and Gentile addresses that strain. Verses 18 to 32 draw on a Jewish critique of pagan idolatry familiar from the Wisdom of Solomon, which Paul will turn on his own people in chapter 2.

How the chapter unfolds

Verses 1 to 7 are the greeting, expanded into a summary of the gospel: promised in Scripture, concerning the Son of David declared Son of God by the resurrection. Verses 8 to 15 give thanks for the Romans' faith and explain Paul's long-delayed visit and his obligation to preach to Greeks and non-Greeks alike. Verses 16 and 17 state the thesis, with the quotation from Habakkuk 2:4. Verses 18 to 23 describe the suppression of the truth known from creation and its exchange for images. Verses 24 to 32 record three times that God "gave them over," to impurity, to dishonorable passions, and to a depraved mind, and close with a list of vices.

Why this chapter matters

Verses 16 and 17 have been called the keystone of the letter and of Protestant theology; Luther described the phrase "the righteousness of God" as the gate through which he entered paradise once he understood it as a gift rather than a demand. Verse 20 is the classic text for natural revelation, the claim that creation itself leaves people without excuse. The threefold "God gave them over" describes judgment as abandonment to one's own choices rather than as external punishment, a picture that has shaped Christian thinking about sin ever since.

Interpretive tension to watch

Verses 26 and 27 are the New Testament's most discussed statement about same-sex relations, and readers disagree sharply about what Paul had in view and how it applies today. The passage's rhetorical shape matters for any reading: it builds a case against "them," the idolatrous pagan world, so that chapter 2 can spring the trap on anyone who judges, since "you who pass judgment do the same things." Whether "the righteousness of God" in verse 17 means God's own justice, the status he gives believers, or his saving action is a further debate that runs through the whole letter.

Domande per questo capitolo

Paul says he is "not ashamed" of the gospel. What about the message might have been embarrassing in Rome, and what would it be today?
Verse 20 claims that creation makes God's power and nature plain. What can be known about God from the world, and what cannot?
Three times the chapter says God "gave them over." How is being left to your own desires a judgment?

Study with context

Use this as a chapter guide, then press deeper into the text itself. The goal is to slow down observation, notice structure, and ask better questions before jumping to conclusions.

Aggiungi alle note

1 Paul the seruaut of Iesus Christ called to be an Apostle put a parte to preache the Gospell of God 2 which he promysed afore by his Prophetes in the holy scriptures 3 that make mension of his sonne the which was begotte of the seed of David as pertayninge to the flesshe: 4 and declared to be the sonne of God with power of the holy goost that sanctifieth sence the tyme that Iesus Christ oure Lorde rose agayne from deeth 5 by whom we have receaved grace and apostleshyppe to bringe all maner hethe people vnto obedience of the fayth that is in his name: 6 of the which hethen are ye a part also which are Iesus christes by vocacion. 7 To all you of Rome beloved of God and saynctes by callinge. Grace be with you and peace from God oure father and from the Lorde Iesus Christ. 8 Fyrst verely I thanke my God thorow Iesus Christ for you all because youre fayth is publisshed through out all the worlde. 9 For God is my witnes whom I serve with my sprete in the Gospell of his sonne that with out ceasinge I make mencion of you alwayes in my prayers 10 besechinge that at one tyme or another a prosperous iorney (by the will of god) myght fortune me to come vnto you. 11 For I longe to see you that I myght bestowe amonge you some spirituall gyfte to strength you with all: 12 that is that I myght have consolacion together with you through the commen fayth which bothe ye and I have. 13 I wolde that ye shuld knowe brethren how that I have often tymes purposed to come vnto you (but have bene let hitherto) to have some frute amonge you as I have amonge other of the Gentyls. 14 For I am detter both to the Grekes and to them which are no Grekes vnto the learned and also vnto the vnlearned. 15 Lykewyse as moche as in me is I am redy to preache the Gospell to you of Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ because it is the power of God vnto salvacion to all that beleve namely to the Iewe and also to the getyle. 17 For by it the rightewesnes which cometh of god is opened from fayth to fayth. As it is written: The iust shall live by fayth. 18 For the wrath of God apereth from heven agaynst all vngodlynes and vnrightewesnes of me which withholde the trueth in vnrightewesnes: 19 seynge what maye be knowen of God that same is manifest amonge them. For God dyd shewe it vnto them. 20 So that his invisible thinges: that is to saye his eternall power and godhed are vnderstonde and sene by the workes from the creacion of the worlde. So that they are without excuse 21 in as moche as when they knewe god they glorified him not as God nether were thakfull but wexed full of vanities in their imaginacions and their folisshe hertes were blynded. 22 When they counted them selves wyse they became foles 23 and turned the glory of the immortall god vnto the similitude of the ymage of mortall man and of byrdes and foure foted beastes and of serpentes. 24 Wherfore god lykewyse gave the vp vnto their hertes lustes vnto vnclennes to defyle their awne boddyes bitwene them selves: 25 which tourned his truthe vnto a lye and worshipped and served the creatures more then the maker which is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause god gave them vp vnto shamfull lustes. For even their wemen did chaunge the naturall vse vnto the vnnaturall. 27 And lyke wyse also the men lefte the naturall vse of the woman and bret in their lustes one on another. And man with man wrought filthynes and receaved in them selves the rewarde of their erroure as it was accordinge. 28 And as it semed not good vnto them to be aknowen of God even so God delivered them vp vnto a leawde mynd that they shuld do tho thinges which were not comly 29 beinge full of all vnrighteous doinge of fornicacio wickednes coveteousnes maliciousnes full of envie morther debate disseyte evill condicioned whisperers 30 backbyters haters of God doers of wronge proude bosters bringers vp of evyll thinges disobedient to father and mother 31 with out vnderstondinge covenaunte breakers vnlovinge trucebreakers and merciles. 32 Which men though they knew the rightewesnes of God how that they which soche thinges commyt are worthy of deeth yet not only do the same but also have pleasure in them that do them.

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