World English Bible · Under Rome
Romans 1
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, a , called to be , for the of , which he promised before through his in the , concerning his Son, who was born of the of according to , who was declared to be the Son of with according to of , by the from , our , through whom we received and apostleship for of among all the nations for his name's sake; among whom you are also called to belong to ; to all who are in , beloved of , called to be : to you and peace from and . First, I thank my through for all of you, that your is proclaimed throughout the whole world. For is my , whom I in in the of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers, requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established; that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other's , both yours and mine. Now I don't to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (and was hindered so far), that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the . I am debtor both to and to , both to and to the foolish. So as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the to you also who are in . For I am not of the of Christ, because it is the of for for everyone who believes, for the first, and also for the . For in it is from to . As , "But shall live by ." For is from against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known of is in them, for it to them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his and divinity, that they may be without excuse. Because knowing , they didn't him as , and didn't , but became in their reasoning, and their senseless was darkened. Professing themselves to be , they became fools, and traded the of the incorruptible for the of an of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things. Therefore also gave them up in the lusts of their to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves; who exchanged the truth of for a lie, and and the creature rather than the Creator, who is . . For this reason, gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error. Even as they refused to have in their knowledge, gave them up to a reprobate , to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, , strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers, backbiters, hateful to , insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, to parents, without , breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the of , that those who practice such things are worthy of , not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
Christians read this chapter differently
- What about those who never hear? · Romans 1:18-20
Every view at its strongest, with who holds it and what it has to answer for.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.