1 ¹Greetings from Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus. God called me to be an apostle.* I was chosen to tell God's Good News* to all people. ²God promised long ago to give this Good News to his people. God used his prophets* to promise this. That promise is written in the Holy Scriptures.* ^3-4The Good News is about God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. As a person, he was born from the family of David.* But through the Spirit of holiness* Jesus was shown to be God's Son. He was shown to be God's Son with great power by rising from death. ⁵Through Christ, God gave me the special work of an apostle.* God gave me this work to lead people of all nations to believe and obey God. And I do this work for Christ. ⁶And you people in Rome were also called to belong to Jesus Christ. ⁷This letter is to all of you in Rome that God has called to be his holy people.* You are people that God loves. Grace (kindness) and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

A Prayer of Thanks

⁸First I want to say that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you. I thank God because people everywhere in the world are talking about your great faith. ^9-10Every time I pray I always remember you. God knows this is true. God is the One I worship (serve) in my spirit by telling people the Good News* about his Son. I pray that I will be allowed to come to you. It will happen if God wants it. ¹¹I want very much to see you. I want to give you some spiritual gift to make you strong. ¹²I mean that I want us to help each other with the faith that we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you. ¹³Brothers [and sisters], I want you to know that I planned many times to come to you. But I have not been allowed to come to you. I wanted to come so that I could help you grow spiritually. I want to help you like I have helped the other non-Jewish people. ¹⁴I must serve all people--Greeks and non-Greeks, wise people and foolish people. ¹⁵That is why I want so much to tell the Good News* to you there in Rome. ¹⁶I am proud of the Good News. The Good News is the power God uses to save every person that believes--to save the Jews first, and also to save the non-Jews. ¹⁷The Good News shows how God makes people right with himself. God's way of making people right begins and ends with faith. Like the Scripture* says, "The person that is right with God by faith will live forever."*

apostle A person Jesus chose to represent him in a special way. Good News The news that God has made a way for people to have their sins forgiven and live with him forever. prophets People who spoke for God. Scripture(s) Holy Writings--the Old Testament. David King of Israel about 1000 years before Christ. Spirit of holiness Probably the Holy Spirit. apostle A person Jesus chose to represent him in a special way. holy people God's people are called holy because they are made pure through Christ and belong only to God. "The person ... forever" Quote from Hab. 2:4.