Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is the Epistle of
St. Paul to the Romans, chapters 1 to 5. Chapter
1. Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called
to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of
God, which he promised before through his prophets
in the Holy Scriptures, concerning his son, Jesus
Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of
David according to the flesh. and declare to
be the Son of God with power according to the
Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the
dead. Through him we have received grace and
apostleship for obedience to the faith among
all nations for his name, among whom you also
are the called of Jesus Christ. To all who are
in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints,
grace to you and peace from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God
through Jesus Christ for you all. that your faith
is spoken of throughout the whole world for god
is my witness whom i serve with my spirit in
the gospel of his son that without ceasing i
make mention of you always in my prayers making
requests if by some means now at last i may find
a way in the will of god to come to you for i
long to see you that i may impart you some spiritual
gift so that you may be established That is,
that I may be encouraged together with you by
the mutual faith, both of you and me. Now I do
not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I
often planned to come to you, but was hindered
until now, that I might have some fruit among
you also, just as among the other Gentiles. I
am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians,
both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is
in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you
who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of
God to salvation for everyone who believes, for
the Jew first and also for the Greek, for in
it the righteousness of God is revealed from
faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall
live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
because what may be known of God is manifest
in them, for God has shown it to them. For since
the creation of the world, His invisible attributes
are clearly seen, being understood by the things
that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead,
so that they are without excuse. Because although
they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God,
nor were thankful, but became futile in their
thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and
changed the glory of the incorruptible God into
an image made like corruptible man. and birds
and four -footed animals and creeping things
therefore god also gave them up to uncleanness
in the lusts of their hearts to dishonour their
bodies among themselves who exchanged the truth
of god for the lie and worshipped and served
the creature rather than the creator who is blessed
for ever amen for this reason god gave them up
to vile passions for even their women exchanged
the natural use for what is against nature likewise
also the men leaving the natural use of the woman
burned in their lust for one another men with
men committing what is shameful and receiving
in themselves the penalty of their error which
was due And even as they did not like to retain
God in their knowledge, God gave them over to
a debased mind, to do those things which are
not fitting, being filled with all unrighteousness,
sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness,
maliciousness. They are whisperers, backbiters,
haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors
of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning,
untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful
who knowing the righteous judgment of god that
those who practice such things are deserving
of death not only do the same but also approve
of those who practice them chapter two therefore
you are inexcusable o man whoever you are who
judge for in whatever you judge another you condemn
yourself for you who judge practice the same
things but we know that the judgment of god is
according to truth against those who practice
such things and do you think this o men you who
judge those practicing such things and doing
the same that you will escape the judgment of
god or do you despise the riches of his goodness
forbearance and long -suffering not knowing that
the goodness of god leads you to repentance But
in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent
heart, you are treasuring up for yourself wrath
in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous
judgment of God, who will render to each one
according to his deeds eternal life to those
who by patience continuous in doing good seek
for glory, honor, and immortality. But to those
who are self -seeking and do not obey the truth,
but obey unrighteousness, indignation, and wrath,
tribulation, and anguish on every soul of man
who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the
Greek. But glory, honor, and peace to everyone
who works what is good, to the Jew first and
also to the Greek. For there is no partiality
with God. For as many as have sinned without
law will also perish without law. And as many
as have sinned in the law will be judged by the
law. For not the hearers of the law are just
in the sight of God, but the doers of the law
will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not
have the law, by nature do the things in the
law, these, although not having the law, are
a law to themselves, who show the work of the
law written in their hearts, their conscience
also bearing witness, and between themselves
their thoughts accusing or else excusing them.
In the day when God will judge the secrets of
men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel, indeed,
you are called a Jew, and rest on the law. and
make your boast in God, and know his will, and
approve the things that are excellent, being
instructed out of the law, and are confident
that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a
light to those who are in darkness, an instructor
of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the
form of knowledge and truth in the law. You,
therefore, who teach another, do you not teach
yourself? You who preach that a man should not
steal, do you steal? You who say, do not commit
adultery. Do you commit adultery? You who abhor
idols, do you rob temples? You who make your
boast in the law, do you dishonor God through
breaking the law? For the name of God is blasphemed
among the Gentiles because of you, as it is written.
For circumcision is indeed profitable if you
keep the law. But if you are a breaker of the
law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the
righteous requirements of the law, will not his
uncircumcision be counted as circumcision and
will not the physically uncircumcised if he fulfils
the law judge you who even with your written
code and circumcision are a transgressor of the
law for he is not a jew who is one outwardly
nor is circumcision that which is outward in
the flesh but he is a jew who is one inwardly
and circumcision is that of the heart in the
spirit not in the letter whose praise is not
from men but from god chapter three what advantage
then has the jew or what is the profit of circumcision
much in every way chiefly because to them were
committed the oracles of god for what if some
did not believe will their unbelief make the
faithfulness of god without effect certainly
not indeed let god be true but every man a liar
As it is written, that you may be justified in
your words, and may overcome when you are judged.
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness
of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who
inflicts wrath? I speak as a man, certainly not.
For then how will God judge the world? For if
the truth of God has increased through my lie
to his glory, why am I also still judged as a
sinner? And why not say, let us do evil that
good may come? as we are slanderously reported
and as some affirm that we say their condemnation
is just what then are we better than they not
at all for we have previously charged both jews
and greeks that they are all under sin as it
is written there is none righteous no not one
there is none who understands there is none who
seeks after god they have all turned aside they
have together become unprofitable there is none
who does good no not one their throat is an open
tomb with their tongues they have practised deceit
the poison of asps is under their lips whose
mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their
feet are swift to shed blood destruction and
misery are in their ways and the way of peace
they have not known there is no fear of god before
their eyes now we know that whatever the law
says it says to those who are under the law that
every mouth may be stopped and all the world
may become guilty before god therefore by the
deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in
his sight for by the law is the knowledge of
sin but now the righteousness of god apart from
the law is revealed being witnessed by the law
and the prophets even the righteousness of god
through faith in jesus christ to all and on all
who believe For there is no difference, for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God
set forth as a propitiation by his blood, through
faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because
in his forbearance God had passed over the sins
that were previously committed, to demonstrate
at the present time his righteousness, that he
might be just and the justifier of the one. who
has faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It
is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by
the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that
a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds
of the law. Or is he the God of the Jews only?
Is he not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes,
of the Gentiles also, since there is one God
who will justify the circumcised by faith and
the uncircumcised through faith. do we then make
void the law through faith certainly not on the
contrary we establish the law chapter four what
then shall we say that abraham our father has
found according to the flesh for if abraham was
justified by works he has something to boast
about but not before god for what does the scripture
say abraham believed god and it was accounted
to him for righteousness Now to him who works,
the wages are not counted as grace, but as debt.
But to him who does not work, but believes on
him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted
for righteousness. Just as David also describes
the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes
righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those
whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins
are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord
shall not impute sin. Does this blessedness then
come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised
also? For we say that faith was accounted to
Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted?
While he was circumcised or uncircumcised? Not
while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. And
he received the sign of circumcision. a seal
of the righteousness of the faith which he had
while still uncircumcised, that he might be the
father of all those who believe, though they
are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be
imputed to them also, and the father of circumcision
to those who not only are of the circumcision,
but who also walk in the steps of the faith,
which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
For the promise that he would be the heir of
the world was not to Abraham, or to his seed
through the law, but through the righteousness
of faith. For if those who are of the law are
heirs, faith is made void and a promise made
of no effect, because the law brings about wrath.
For where there is no law, there is no transgression.
Therefore it is of faith that it might be according
to grace, so that the promise might be sure to
all the seed, not only to those who are of the
law. but also to those who are of the faith of
Abraham, who is the father of us all. As it is
written, I have made you a father of many nations,
in the presence of him whom he believed, God,
who gives life to the dead and calls those things
which do not exist as though they did, who contrary
to hope, in hope believed, so that he became
the father of many nations, according to what
was spoken. So shall your descendants be. And
not being weak in faith, he did not consider
his own body already dead, since he was about
a hundred years old, and in the deadness of Sarah's
womb. He did not waver at the promise of God
through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith,
giving glory to God, and being fully convinced
that what he had promised he was also able to
perform. And therefore it was accounted to him
for righteousness. Now it was not written for
his sake alone that it was imputed to him. But
also for us, it shall be imputed to us who believe
in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the
dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses,
and was raised because of our justification.
Chapter 5 Therefore, having been justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access
by faith into this grace. in which we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And
not only that, but we also glory in tribulations,
knowing that tribulation produces perseverance,
and perseverance, character, and character, hope.
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love
of God has been poured out in our hearts by the
Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we
were still without strength, in due time Christ
died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die. yet perhaps for a good man
someone would even dare to die but god demonstrates
his own love toward us in that while we were
still sinners christ died for us much more then
having now been justified by his blood we shall
be saved from wrath through him for if when we
were enemies we were reconciled to god through
the death of his son much more having been reconciled
we shall be saved by his life and not only that
but we also rejoice in god through our lord jesus
christ through whom we have now received the
reconciliation therefore just as through one
man sin entered the world and death through sin
and thus death spread to all men because all
sinned for until the law sin was in the world
but sin is not imputed where there is no law
nevertheless death reigned from adam to moses
even over those who had not sinned according
to the likeness of the transgression of Adam,
who is a type of him who was to come. But the
free gift is not like the offense. For if by
the one man's offense many died, much more the
grace of God and the gift by the grace of the
one man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And
the gift is not like that which came through
the one who sinned. For the judgment which came
from one offense resulted in condemnation. but
the free gift which came from many offenses resulted
in justification. For if by the one man's offense
death reigned through the one, much more those
who receive abundance of grace and of the gift
of righteousness will reign in life through the
one Jesus Christ. Therefore, as through one man's
offense, judgment came to all men, resulting
in condemnation. even so through one man's righteous
act the free gift came to all men resulting in
justification of life for as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners so also by one man's obedience
many will be made righteous moreover the law
entered that the offence might abound but where
sin abounded grace abounded much more so that
as sin reigned in death Even so, grace might
reign through righteousness to eternal life,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. I hope you enjoyed
today's reading as much as I did, and I look
forward to seeing you again tomorrow to continue
on our journey. God bless you and have a great
day.