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.
问候
1我是基督耶稣的奴仆保罗，蒙召做使徒，特为传上帝的福音。 2这福音是上帝从前借着众先知在圣经中应许的， 3讲的是上帝的儿子——我们主耶稣基督的事。从肉身来看，祂是大卫的后裔； 4从圣洁的灵来看，祂从死里复活，用大能显明自己是上帝的儿子。 5我们从祂领受了恩典并成为使徒，要带领万族的人信从祂，使祂的名得荣耀。 6你们也是其中蒙召信从耶稣基督的人。 7我问候所有住在罗马、上帝所爱、蒙召做圣徒的人。愿我们的父上帝和主耶稣基督赐给你们恩典和平安！
保罗渴望去罗马
8首先，我借着耶稣基督为各位感谢我的上帝，因为你们的信心正在传遍天下。 9-10我在祂儿子的福音事工上全心事奉的上帝可以为我做见证：我如何在祷告中常常想到你们，并求上帝让我照祂的旨意最终能去你们那里。 11因为我实在想见你们，好将一些属灵的恩赐分给你们，使你们坚固， 12也可以说是借着我们彼此的信心互相激励。
13弟兄姊妹，我希望你们知道，我曾多次计划去你们那里，要在你们中间收获一些福音的果子，像在其他外族人中一样，只是至今仍有拦阻。 14不论是希腊人和非希腊人1:14 “非希腊人”希腊文是“未开化的人”，指在希腊、罗马文化影响圈之外的人。、智者和愚人，我对他们都有义务。 15所以，我也切望能将福音传给你们在罗马的人。
16我不以福音为耻，因为这福音是上帝的大能，要拯救一切相信的人，先是犹太人，然后是希腊人。 17这福音显明了上帝的义，这义始于信，终于信，正如圣经上说：“义人必靠信心而活。”1:17 哈巴谷书2:4。
人类的罪恶
18上帝的烈怒从天上降下，要惩罚一切心中无神、行为不义的人，就是以不义压制真理的人。 19有关上帝的事情，可以让人类知道的都已经显而易见，因为上帝已经向人类显明了。 20自从创造天地以来，上帝永恒的大能和神性是明明可知的，虽然肉眼看不见，但透过受造之物就可以领悟，使人无法推诿。 21他们虽然明知有上帝，却不把祂当作上帝来荣耀祂，也不感谢祂。他们的思想因此变得荒谬无用，无知的心也变得昏暗不明。 22他们自以为聪明，其实愚不可及， 23以必朽的人、飞禽、走兽和爬虫的形象来取代永恒上帝的荣耀。
24因此，上帝任凭他们随从内心的情欲行污秽的事，玷污彼此的身体。 25他们把上帝的真理当作谎言，祭拜、供奉受造之物，却不敬拜、事奉造物主。主是永远值得称颂的。阿们！
26因此，上帝任凭他们放纵可耻的情欲。女人放弃正常的两性关系，做出变态反常的事。 27同样，男人也背弃了和女人正常的两性关系，男与男彼此欲火焚烧，做出羞耻不堪的事。他们必因变态而遭受应得的报应。
28既然他们故意不认识上帝，上帝就任凭他们心思败坏，做不当做的事。 29他们心里塞满了各种不义、邪恶、贪婪、阴险、嫉妒、凶杀、纷争、诡诈和恶毒，他们说长道短、 30造谣中伤、怨恨上帝、欺侮别人、心骄气傲、自高自大、无恶不作、违背父母、 31愚钝无知、言而无信、无情无义、毫无怜悯。 32他们明明知道，按上帝公义的法则，做这些事的人该死，不但执迷不悟，还喜欢别人跟他们同流合污。
