1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life1:3 Or who according to the flesh was a descendant of David, 4and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power1:4 Or was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from1:5 Or that is faith for his name’s sake. 6And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
7To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome
8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,1:13 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 7:1, 4; 8:12, 29; 10:1; 11:25; 12:1; 15:14, 30; 16:14, 17. that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
14I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,1:17 Or is from faith to faith just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”1:17 Hab. 2:4
God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
問候
1我是基督耶穌的奴僕保羅，蒙召作使徒，奉命傳上帝的福音。 2這福音是上帝從前藉著眾先知在聖經中應許的， 3講的是上帝的兒子——我們的主耶穌基督的事。從肉身來說，祂是大衛的後裔； 4從聖潔的靈來看，祂從死裡復活，用大能顯明自己是上帝的兒子。 5我們從祂領受了恩典並成為使徒，要帶領萬民信從祂，使祂的名得榮耀。 6你們也是其中蒙召信從耶穌基督的人。 7我問候所有住在羅馬、上帝所愛、蒙召做聖徒的人。願我們的父上帝和主耶穌基督賜給你們恩典和平安！
保羅渴望去羅馬
8首先，我藉著耶穌基督為各位感謝我的上帝，因為你們的信心正在傳遍天下。 9-10我在祂兒子的福音事工上全心事奉的上帝可以為我做見證：我如何在禱告中常常想到你們，並求上帝讓我照祂的旨意最終能去你們那裡。 11因為我實在想見你們，好將一些屬靈的恩賜分給你們，使你們堅固， 12也可以說是藉著我們彼此的信心互相激勵。
13弟兄姊妹，我希望你們知道，我曾多次計劃去你們那裡，要在你們中間收穫一些福音的果子，像在其他外族人中一樣，只是至今仍有攔阻。 14不論是希臘人、非希臘人1·14 「非希臘人」希臘文是「未開化的人」，指在希臘、羅馬文化影響之外的人。、智者、愚人，我對他們都有義務。 15所以，我也切望能將福音傳給你們在羅馬的人。
16我不以福音為恥，因為這福音是上帝的大能，要拯救一切相信的人，先是猶太人，然後是希臘人。 17這福音顯明了上帝的義，這義始於信，終於信，正如聖經上說：「義人必靠信心而活。」
人類的罪惡
18上帝的烈怒從天上降下，要懲罰一切心中無神、行為不義、壓制真理的人。 19有關上帝的事情，可以讓人類知道的都已經顯而易見，因為上帝已經向人類顯明了。 20自從創造天地以來，上帝永恆的大能和神性是明明可知的，雖然肉眼看不見，但透過受造之物就可以領悟，因而人類毫無藉口推說不知。 21他們雖然明知有上帝，卻不把祂當作上帝，既不將榮耀歸給祂，也不感謝祂。他們的思想因此變得荒謬無用，無知的心也變得昏暗不明。 22他們自以為聰明，其實愚不可及， 23以必朽的人、飛禽、走獸和爬蟲的形像來取代永恆上帝的榮耀。
24因此，上帝任憑他們隨從內心的情慾行污穢的事，玷污彼此的身體。 25他們把上帝的真理當作謊言，祭拜、供奉受造之物，卻不敬拜、事奉造物主。主是永遠值得稱頌的。阿們！
26因此，上帝任憑他們放縱可恥的情慾。女人放棄正常的兩性關係，做出變態反常的事。 27男人也背棄了和女人正常的兩性關係，慾火焚燒，同性之間彼此貪戀。男人和男人做出羞恥不堪的事，他們必在自己的身體上遭受應得的報應。
28既然他們故意不認識上帝，上帝就任憑他們心思敗壞，做不當做的事。 29他們心裡塞滿了各種不義、邪惡、貪婪、陰險、嫉妒、兇殺、紛爭、詭詐、惡毒；說長道短、 30背後批評、怨恨上帝、欺侮別人、心驕氣傲、自高自大、自我吹捧、無惡不作、違背父母、 31愚鈍無知、不守信用、無情無義、毫無憐憫。 32他們明知，按上帝公義的法則，做這些事的人該死，不但執迷不悟，還喜歡別人跟他們同流合污。
