Romans 1:18-3:20

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Guilt of the Gentile World

¹⁸ For God’s wrath^(A) is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,^{(B) 19} since what can be known^[a] about God is evident among them,^(C) because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world,^(D) being understood through what He has made.^(E) As a result, people are without excuse. ²¹ For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened.^{(F) 22} Claiming to be wise, they became fools^{(G) 23} and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.^(H)

²⁴ Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts^(I) to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth of God for a lie,^(J) and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever.^(K) Amen.

From Idolatry to Depravity

²⁶ This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions.^(L) For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations^[b] for unnatural ones. ²⁷ The males in the same way also left natural relations^[c] with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males^(M) and received in their own persons^[d] the appropriate penalty of their error.

²⁸ And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. ²⁹ They are filled with all unrighteousness,^[e] evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,^{(N) 30} slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful,^(O) inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,^{(P) 31} undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving,^[f](Q) and unmerciful. ³² Although they know full well God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die^[g](R)—they not only do them, but even applaud^[h](S) others who practice them.

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore, any one of you^[i](T) who judges is without excuse.^(U) For when you judge another,^(V) you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. ² We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. ³ Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴ Or do you despise the riches of His kindness,^(W) restraint,^(X) and patience,^(Y) not recognizing^[j] that God’s kindness^(Z) is intended to lead you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath^(AA) for yourself in the day of wrath,^(AB) when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. ⁶ He will repay each one according to his works:^{(AC)[k] 7} eternal life^(AD) to those who by persistence in doing good^(AE) seek glory, honor,^(AF) and immortality;^{(AG) 8} but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking^(AH) and disobey the truth^(AI) but are obeying unrighteousness; ⁹ affliction and distress^(AJ) for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek;^{(AK) 10} but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. ¹¹ There is no favoritism with God.^(AL)

¹² All those who sinned without the law^(AM) will also perish without the law, and all those who sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For the hearers of the law^(AN) are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.^{[l] 14} So, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, instinctively^(AO) do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the work of the law^[m] is written on their hearts.^(AP) Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts will either accuse or excuse them^{[n] 16} on the day when God judges^(AQ) what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.^(AR)

Jewish Violation of the Law

¹⁷ Now if^[o] you call yourself a Jew, and rest in the law,^(AS) boast in God, ¹⁸ know His will, and approve the things that are superior,^(AT) being instructed from the law, ¹⁹ and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the full expression^[p] of knowledge and truth^(AU) in the law— ²¹ you then, who teach another,^(AV) don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? ²² You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples?^{(AW) 23} You who boast in the law,^(AX) do you dishonor God by breaking the law? ²⁴ For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.^(AY)[q]

Circumcision of the Heart

²⁵ For circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.^{(AZ) 26} Therefore if an uncircumcised^(BA) man keeps the law’s requirements,^(BB) will his uncircumcision not be counted as circumcision? ²⁷ A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who fulfills the law, will judge you^(BC) who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. ²⁸ For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly,^(BD) and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. ²⁹ On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly,^(BE) and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter.^[r](BF) That man’s praise^[s] is not from men but from God.^(BG)

Paul Answers an Objection

3 So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? ² Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted^(BH) with the spoken words of God.^{(BI) 3} What then? If some did not believe,^(BJ) will their unbelief cancel God’s faithfulness? ⁴ Absolutely not!^(BK) God must be true, even if everyone is a liar,^(BL) as it is written:

⁵ But if our unrighteousness highlights^[u] God’s righteousness,^(BN) what are we to say?^(BO) I use a human argument:^[v](BP) Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? ⁶ Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?^{(BQ) 7} But if by my lie God’s truth is amplified to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?^{(BR) 8} And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”?^(BS) Their condemnation is deserved!

The Whole World Guilty before God

⁹ What then? Are we any better?^[w] Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews^(BT) and Gentiles^[x](BU) are all under sin,^{[y](BV) 10} as it is written:^[z]

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says^(CC) speaks to those who are subject to the law,^[ag](CD) so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.^{[ah](CE) 20} For no one will be justified^[ai] in His sight by the works of the law,^(CF) because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.^(CG)