Paul Ashore on Malta

28 Once safely on shore, wej found out that the islandk was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand,l they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.”m 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.n 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.o

7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. 8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer,p placed his hands on himq and healed him.r 9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honored uss in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

Paul’s Arrival at Rome

11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian shipt with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers and sistersu who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers and sistersv there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.w

Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard

17 Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders.x When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers,y although I have done nothing against our peoplez or against the customs of our ancestors,a I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined meb and wanted to release me,c because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.d 19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar.e I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israelf that I am bound with this chain.”g

21 They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our peopleh who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”i

23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God,j and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophetsk he tried to persuade them about Jesus.l 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.m 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he saidn through Isaiah the prophet:

26 “ ‘Go to this people and say,

“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

27 For this people’s heart has become calloused;o

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’a p

28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvationq has been sent to the Gentiles,r and they will listen!” [29]b

30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of Gods and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldnesst and without hindrance!

Romans

The apostle Paul wrote this letter to a sophisticated audience, the church in Rome. This letter presents theology in a logical, organized way and focuses on salvation as a gift from God, through grace, by the blood of Christ Jesus. It is filled with practical messages for Christians everywhere.

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostlea and set apartb for the gospel of Godc—2 the gospel he promised beforehandd through his prophetse in the Holy Scripturesf 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly lifea g was a descendant of David,h 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in powerb i by his resurrection from the dead:j Jesus Christ our Lord.k 5 Through him we received gracel and apostleship to call all the Gentilesm to the obedience that comes fromc faithn for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.o

7 To all in Rome who are loved by Godp and called to be his holy people:q

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.r

Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you,s because your faith is being reported all over the world.t 9 God, whom I serveu in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witnessv how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times;w and I pray that now at last by God’s willx the way may be opened for me to come to you.y

11 I long to see youz so that I may impart to you some spiritual gifta to make you strong—12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware,b brothers and sisters,d c that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now)d in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

14 I am obligatede both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.f

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel,g because it is the power of Godh that brings salvation to everyone who believes:i first to the Jew,j then to the Gentile.k 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealedl—a righteousness that is by faithm from first to last,e just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”f n

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

18 The wrath of Godo is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.p 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,q so that people are without excuse.r

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.s 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became foolst 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for imagesu made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 Therefore God gave them overv in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.w 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie,x and worshiped and served created thingsy rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.z Amen.a

26 Because of this, God gave them overb to shameful lusts.c Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.d 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.e

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them overf to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,g 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;h 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love,i no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,j they not only continue to do these very things but also approvek of those who practice them.

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 You, therefore, have no excuse,l you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.m 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the richesn of his kindness,o forbearancep and patience,q not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?r

5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wraths, when his righteous judgmentt will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”a u 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honorv and immortality,w he will give eternal life.x 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil,y there will be wrath and anger.z 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil:a first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;b 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.c 11 For God does not show favoritism.d

12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the lawe will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obeyf the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law,g they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secretsh through Jesus Christ,i as my gospelj declares.

The Jews and the Law

17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;k 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?l 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?m 23 You who boast in the law,n do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”b o

25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law,p but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.q 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements,r will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?s 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn yout who, even though you have thec written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly,u nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.v 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,w by the Spirit,x not by the written code.y Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.z