Romans 1:14-24

14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and barbarians, both to wise and unintelligent:
15 so, as far as depends on me, am I ready to announce the glad tidings to you also who [are] in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the glad tidings; for it is God's power to salvation, to every one that believes, both to Jew first and to Greek:
17 for righteousness of God [a] is revealed therein, on the principle of faith, to faith: according as it is written, But the just shall live by [b] faith.
18 For there is revealed wrath of God from heaven [c] upon all impiety, and unrighteousness of men holding the truth in unrighteousness.
19 Because what is [d] known of God is manifest among them, for God has manifested [it] to them,
20 -- for from [the] world's creation the invisible things of him are perceived, being apprehended by the mind through the things that are made, both his eternal power and divinity, [e] -- so as to render [f] them inexcusable.
21 Because, knowing God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but fell into folly in their thoughts, [g] and their heart without understanding was darkened:
22 professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into [the] likeness of an image of corruptible man and of birds and quadrupeds and reptiles.
24 Wherefore God gave them up [also] in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, to dishonour their bodies between themselves:

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Footnotes 7

  • [a]. 'Righteousness of God.' The absence of the article may arrest the mind here, and in some other places, in this part of the epistle. It is likely to do so, because the righteousness of God is now a known doctrine; not so when the apostle taught. The righteousness of God was a wholly new thought, as was indeed wrath from heaven: wrath on earth was not. The gospel, or 'glad tidings,' was the power of God to salvation, because righteousness of God (that kind of righteousness) was revealed -- not a righteousness required of man. See ch. 3.21.
  • [b]. 'By faith.' The word 'by' is the same in Greek (ek) as that translated 'on the principle of.' I have left 'by' as being a quotation from Hab. 2.4.
  • [c]. 'Wrath of God from heaven is revealed:' see Note d; 'there' is merely the impersonal form, not an adverb, but necessary, as it is difficult to put the words in another order without injuring the sense.
  • [d]. Or 'may be.' The Greek word here is used for 'may be known.' What is spoken of here is 'knowledge acquirable by nature in contrast with revelation,' it means what is within the capacity of man's apprehension. But 'is known' sufficiently represents that and is more exact.
  • [e]. What is characteristic of God; not 'Godhead,' as in Col. 2.9.
  • [f]. The Greek expression does not affirm that they are so, but states the consequence of the display of creative glory in what was seen. 'So that they should,' or 'might be,' is ambiguous in English, and implies purpose. Hence I have said 'so as to render,' which gives the sense.
  • [g]. The 'inward reasonings of the mind,' as Luke 9.46. The word 'thoughts' in English conveys this best.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.