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R OM ANS 2
page 1013
them. 20 For ever since the world was created,
people have seen the earth and sky. Through
everything God made, they can clearly see
his invisible qualities—his eternal power and
divine nature. So they have no excuse for not
knowing God.
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And
they began to think up foolish ideas of what
God was like. As a result, their minds became
dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they
instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of
worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they
worshiped idols made to look like mere people
and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 So God abandoned them to do whatever
shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with
each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth
about God for a lie. So they worshiped and
served the things God created instead of the
Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise!
Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to
their shameful desires. Even the women turned
against the natural way to have sex and instead
indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men,
instead of having normal sexual relations with
women, burned with lust for each other. Men
did shameful things with other men, and as a
result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish
thinking and let them do things that should
never be done. 29 Their lives became full of
every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate,
envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious
behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers,
haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful.
They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand,
break their promises, are heartless, and have no
mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that
those who do these things deserve to die, yet
they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
God’s Judgment of Sin
You may think you can condemn such
people, but you are just as bad, and you
have no excuse! When you say they are wicked
and should be punished, you are condemning
yourself, for you who judge others do these
very same things. 2 And we know that God, in
his justice, will punish anyone who does such
things. 3 Since you judge others for doing these
things, why do you think you can avoid God’s
judgment when you do the same things? 4 Don’t
you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to
2
2:9 Greek also for the Greek; also in 2:10.
you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended
to turn you from your sin?
5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to
turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible
punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is
coming, when God’s righteous judgment will
be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according
to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal
life to those who keep on doing good, seeking
after the glory and honor and immortality that
God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and
wrath on those who live for themselves, who
refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of
wickedness. 9 There will be trouble and calamity
for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—
for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.* 10 But
there will be glory and honor and peace from
God for all who do good—for the Jew first and
also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show
favoritism.
12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s
written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s
law, will be judged by that law when they fail to
obey it. 13 For merely listening to the law doesn’t
make us right with God. It is obeying the law
that makes us right in his sight. 14 Even Gentiles,
who do not have God’s written law, show that
they know his law when they instinctively obey
it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts,
for their own conscience and thoughts either
accuse them or tell them they are doing right.
16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the
day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus,
will judge everyone’s secret life.
The Jews and the Law
17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on
God’s law, and you boast about your special
relationship with him. 18 You know what he
wants; you know what is right because you
• Witnessing
R OM A N S 1:16-17
No one likes to feel foolish. After Paul
became a Christian, some thought he
had gone mad (Acts 26:24). Even today
many look upon the claims of Christ—
and the people who believe them—as
foolish and irrelevant. Paul is encouraging
believers to remember that only the Good
News contains the power to transform
a life for all eternity. Are you more concerned about appearances or about
seeing people’s lives being transformed
for the better?