¶ Paul the servant of Iesus Christ, called unto the office of an apostle, put apart to preach the Gospell of God, which he promised afore by his prophets, in the holy scriptures that make mention of his son, the which was begotten of the seed of David, as pertaining to the flesh: and declared to be the son of God with power of the holy ghost, that sanctifieth, since the time that Iesus Christ our Lord rose again from death, by whom we have received grace and apostleship, that all gentiles should obey to the faith which is in his name, of the which number are ye also, which are Iesus Christe's by vocation.
¶ To all you of Rome beloved of God, and saints by calling. Grace be with you and peace from God our father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ.
¶ First verily I thank my God thorow Iesus Christ for you all, because your faith is published throughout all the worlde. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit, in the gospell of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, beseeching that at one time or another, a prosperous journey (by the will of God) might fortune me to come unto you. For I long to see you, that I might bestow among you some spiritual gift, to strengthen you withall (that is) that I might have consolation together with you, through the common faith, which both ye and I have.
¶ I would that ye should know, brethren, how that I have oftentimes purposed to come unto you (but have been let hitherto) to have some fruit among you, as I have among other of the gentiles. For I am debtor both to the greeks, and to them which are no greeks, unto the learned and also unto the unlearned. Likewise, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospell to you of Rome also.
¶ For I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ, because it is the power of God unto salvation to all that believe, namely to the iewe, and also to the gentile. For by it the righteousness which cometh of God is opened, from faith to faith. As it is written: The just shall live by faith.
¶ For the wrath of God of heaven appeareth against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men which withhold the truth in unrighteousness, seeing that that, which may be known of God, is manifest among them. For God did shew it unto them. For his invisible things (that is to say, his eternal power and godhead) are understood and seen, by the works from the creation of the world. So that they are without excuse, in as much as when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but waxed full of vanities in their imaginations. And their foolish hearts were blinded. When they counted themselves wise, they became fools and turned the glory of the immortal God, unto the similitude of the image of mortal man, and of birds, and four footed beasts and serpents.
¶ For this cause God gave them up unto their hearts' lusts, unto uncleanness to defile their own bodies between themselves: which turned his truth unto a lie, and worshipped and served the creatures more then the maker, which is blessed forever Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto shameful lusts. For even their women did change the natural use unto the unnatural. And likewise also the men left the natural use of the woman, and brent in lust one on another among themselves. And man with man wrought filthiness, and received in themselves the reward of their error as it was according.
¶ And as it seemed not good unto them to be aknown of God, even so God delivered them up unto a leawde mind, that they should do those things which were not comely, being full of all unrighteous doing, of fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, evil conditioned whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, doers of wrong, proude, boasters, bringers up of evil things, disobedient to fathers and mothers, without understanding, covenant breakers, unloving, stubborn and merciless. Which men, though they knew the righteousness of God, how that they which such things commit are worthy of death, yet not only do the same, but also had pleasure in them that did them.
© Faith of God
William Tyndale 1526