Dual Panel1FROM PAUL, a bond servant of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) called to be an apostle, (a special messenger) set apart to [preach] the Gospel (good news) of {and} from God,
2Which He promised in advance [long ago] through His prophets in the sacred Scriptures--
3[The Gospel] regarding His Son, Who as to the flesh (His human nature) was descended from David,
4And [as to His divine nature] according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated the Son of God in power [in a striking, triumphant and miraculous manner] by His resurrection from the dead, even Jesus Christ our Lord (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
5It is through Him that we have received grace (God's unmerited favor) and [our] apostleship to promote obedience to the faith {and} make disciples for His name's sake among all the nations,
6And this includes you, called of Jesus Christ {and} invited [as you are] to belong to Him.
7To [you then] all God's beloved ones in Rome, called to be saints {and} designated for a consecrated life: Grace {and} spiritual blessing and peace be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because [the report of] your faith is made known to all the world {and} is commended everywhere.
9For God is my witness, Whom I serve with my [whole] spirit [rendering priestly and spiritual service] in [preaching] the Gospel {and} [telling] the good news of His Son, how incessantly I always mention you when at my prayers.
10I keep pleading that somehow by God's will I may now at last prosper {and} come to you.
11For I am yearning to see you, that I may impart {and} share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen {and} establish you;
12That is, that we may be mutually strengthened {and} encouraged {and} comforted by each other's faith, both yours and mine.
13I want you to know, brethren, that many times I have planned {and} intended to come to you, though thus far I have been hindered {and} prevented, in order that I might have some fruit (some result of my labors) among you, as I have among the rest of the Gentiles.
14Both to Greeks and to barbarians (to the cultured and to the uncultured), both to the wise and the foolish, I have an obligation to discharge {and} a duty to perform {and} a debt to pay.
15So, for my part, I am willing {and} eagerly ready to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome.
16For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) {of Christ,} for it is God's power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes {with} a personal trust {and} a confident surrender {and} firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,
17For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, The man who through faith is just {and} upright shall live {and} shall live by faith.
18For God's [holy] wrath {and} indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress {and} hinder the truth {and} make it inoperative.
19For that which is known about God is evident to them {and} made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them.
20For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature {and} attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible {and} clearly discernible in {and} through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification],
21Because when they knew {and} recognized Him as God, they did not honor {and} glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile {and} godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened.
22Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves].
23And by them the glory and majesty {and} excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for {and} represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],
25Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen (so be it).
26For this reason God gave them over {and} abandoned them to vile affections {and} degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural {and} abnormal one,
27And the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another--men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own bodies {and} personalities the inevitable consequences {and} penalty of their wrong-doing {and} going astray, which was [their] fitting retribution.
28And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God {or} approve of Him {or} consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base {and} condemned mind to do things not proper {or} decent {but} loathsome,
29Until they were filled (permeated and saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity, grasping {and} covetous greed, and malice. [They were] full of envy {and} jealousy, murder, strife, deceit {and} treachery, ill will {and} cruel ways. [They were] secret backbiters {and} gossipers,
30Slanderers, hateful to {and} hating God, full of insolence, arrogance, [and] boasting; inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient {and} undutiful to parents.
31[They were] without understanding, conscienceless {and} faithless, heartless {and} loveless [and] merciless.
32Though they are fully aware of God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve {and} applaud others who practice them.