The Gospel and the Creator

Paul introduces himself as a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle and set apart for the Good News of God. God promised this Good News before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. It concerns his Son, born of the offspring of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead. Through him Paul received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations.

He writes to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints, with grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. He thanks God that their faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. God is his witness that he mentions them always in his prayers. He longs to see them to impart some spiritual gift, and so that both he and they would be encouraged by each other's faith.

Paul says he is a debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, to the wise and the foolish, so he is eager to preach the Good News in Rome also. "For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek." In it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, "But the righteous shall live by faith."

Paul explains that God's anger is revealed against ungodliness, because what can be known of God is plain to people. Since the creation of the world his invisible things, his everlasting power and divinity, are clearly seen through the things that are made, so they are without excuse. Knowing God, they did not glorify him as God or give thanks. Professing to be wise, they became foolish. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Turning from God, they fell into many kinds of wrong against God and one another.