Romans 1:1-32
Fall on Jesus and the Creation Revelation
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
7 To 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
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in 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.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, 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.
14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
16 For 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. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For 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.
21 For 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. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In 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.
28 Furthermore, 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. 29 They 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, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although 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.
The Apostle Paul, a foundational theologian and primary architect of Christian doctrine...Paul's writings, particularly Romans, address major Christian beliefs: the implied goodness of Creation, the corruption and Fall of humanity through Adam's disobedience, the offer of Salvation through Jesus Christ's first coming, and the promise of Restoration and Eternal Life through Jesus' Resurrection...Paul speaks of the broken state of humanity resulting from Adam's sin, and emphasizes our need for salvation and the hope of Eternal Life with God...
From Paul's writings and teachings he would be the Apostle who would teach the Gentiles and all people many, if not all of these major points of Christianity...Paul teaches us about God's Revelation through Creation...Paul emphasizes in Romans 1:20 that God's invisible attributes—His Eternal Power and Divine Nature—are clearly seen in the things that have been made through Jesus...This means creation itself is a form of revelation, and we can learn about God by observing the natural world...And we know as St. John tells us about Creation and Jesus' role in our Created World...The Word was and is with God, and the Word was and is God...Jesus was with God in the beginning...Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made...In Him was and is life, and that life is the Light of all mankind...The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...This means Creation and with Jesus being involved is a form of revelation, and we can learn about God's Power and design by observing the natural world...
Paul's Epistle to the Romans, especially chapter 5, provides the most detailed explanation of humanity's fallen state...He contrasts Adam's disobedience, which introduced sin and death, with Christ's obedience, which brings righteousness and life...This passage is foundational to the concept of original sin and the necessity of salvation...Through Adam, sin entered the world, separating humanity from God...Jesus, the "last Adam," offers redemption, reversing the consequences of the first Adam's transgression...This highlights the universal need for Christ's Saving Grace to restore our broken relationship with God...
Paul's writings highlight the universal problem of sin and its consequences and our separation from God...Historically, Christianity has held a coherent worldview rooted in this literal interpretation of biblical events...These events include the creation of the world as described in Genesis, humanity's fall from grace, the global flood during Noah's time, and the unfolding of God's Plan for salvation through Jesus Christ...These events formed a comprehensive framework for understanding humanity's place in the universe...So the Genesis subject about our fallenness reflects the traditional Christian understanding of 'corruption' stemming from the original sin, and its continuing impact on humanity...
Paul's central message is that salvation is found through faith in Jesus Christ, not through works of the law...This is the "salvation" and "restoration" part of the Christian narrative...Paul was passionate about spreading the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ...He saw it as the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...This directly relates to the importance of the church and the spread of Christianity...
Christianity is not just about believing certain doctrines; it's about being transformed by the Holy Spirit...Paul emphasizes the importance of living a life that reflects Christ's character, which ties into the "perfection" that was before the fall...Jesus give us the Great Hope of Resurrection and and Eternal Life...Now this is Eternal Life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent...
Paul's writings, particularly 1 Corinthians 15, emphasize the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the foundation of Christian hope...This provides the "blessed hope" that was mentioned...Paul details the resurrection's vital role in Christianity...Without Christ's resurrection, our faith is futile, and believers remain in sin...Paul's passages on the resurrection affirms the physical resurrection, ensuring our future hope and victory over death through Christ's triumph over death...
Paul often warns about false teachers and the importance of holding fast to sound doctrine...This relates to the struggles that Jesus' followers face in the modern world, as false teachers, evil ones, and their non-biblical doctrines affect our daily lives and choices, challenging our faith and leading some astray...
Paul emphasizes the importance of love...As talked about in 1 Corinthians 13, of all the virtues, Love is the greatest of these...This is an important part of the Christian's journey through life...These points, taken together, form the core of Paul's understanding of Christianity and remain essential for understanding the Christian faith today...They also help to give a solid base to stand on, when the modern world tries to change the foundational truths of the Bible...