ESTUDIO DEL CAPÍTULO
Romans 1 — Gospel Power and God's Wrath
Romans 1 opens with Paul's self-identification as a called apostle, defines the gospel concerning Jesus Christ the Son, and contrasts the saving power of that gospel with the wrath revealed against those who suppress the truth.
Escritura
- 1.Pablo, siervo de Jesucristo, llamado a ser apóstol, apartado para el evangelio de Dios,Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
- 2.que él había prometido antes por sus profetas en las santas Escrituras,which he promised afore through his prophets in the holy scriptures,
- 3.acerca de su Hijo, nuestro Señor Jesucristo, que era del linaje de David según la carne,concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,
- 4.que fue declarado Hijo de Dios con poder, según el Espíritu de santidad, por la resurrección de entre los muertos,who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord,
- 5.y por quien recibimos la gracia y el apostolado, para la obediencia a la fe en todas las naciones por amor de su nombre;through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name's sake;
- 6.entre las cuales estáis también vosotros, llamados a ser de Jesucristo;among whom are ye also called to be Jesus Christ's:
- 7.a todos los que estáis en Roma, amados de Dios, llamados a ser santos: Gracia y paz a vosotros, de Dios nuestro Padre y del Señor Jesucristo.To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- 8.Primeramente doy gracias a mi Dios mediante Jesucristo con respecto a todos vosotros, de que vuestra fe se divulga por todo el mundo.First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.
- 9.Porque testigo me es Dios, a quien sirvo en mi espíritu en el evangelio de su Hijo, de que sin cesar hago mención de vosotros siempre en mis oraciones,For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers
- 10.rogando que de alguna manera tenga al fin, por la voluntad de Dios, un próspero viaje para ir a vosotros.making request, if by any means now at length I may be prospered by the will of God to come unto you.
- 11.Porque deseo veros, para comunicaros algún don espiritual, a fin de que seáis confirmados;For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
- 12.esto es, para ser mutuamente confortados por la fe que nos es común a vosotros y a mí.that is, that I with you may be comforted in you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.
- 13.Pero no quiero, hermanos, que ignoréis que muchas veces me he propuesto ir a vosotros (pero hasta ahora he sido estorbado), para tener también entre vosotros algún fruto, como entre los demás gentiles.And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you (and was hindered hitherto), that I might have some fruit in you also, even as in the rest of the Gentiles.
- 14.A griegos y a no griegos, a sabios y a no sabios soy deudor.I am debtor both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
- 15.Así que, en cuanto a mí, pronto estoy a anunciaros el evangelio también a vosotros que estáis en Roma.So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also that are in Rome.
- 16.Porque no me avergüenzo del evangelio, porque es poder de Dios para salvación a todo aquel que cree; al judío primeramente, y también al griego.For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
- 17.Porque en el evangelio la justicia de Dios se revela por fe y para fe, como está escrito: Mas el justo por la fe vivirá.For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith.
- 18.Porque la ira de Dios se revela desde el cielo contra toda impiedad e injusticia de los hombres que detienen con injusticia la verdad;For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness;
- 19.porque lo que de Dios se conoce les es manifiesto, pues Dios se lo manifestó.because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them.
- 20.Porque las cosas invisibles de él, su eterno poder y deidad, se hacen claramente visibles desde la creación del mundo, siendo entendidas por medio de las cosas hechas, de modo que no tienen excusa.For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse:
- 21.Pues habiendo conocido a Dios, no le glorificaron como a Dios, ni le dieron gracias, sino que se envanecieron en sus razonamientos, y su necio corazón fue entenebrecido.because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened.
- 22.Profesando ser sabios, se hicieron necios,Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
- 23.y cambiaron la gloria del Dios incorruptible en semejanza de imagen de hombre corruptible, de aves, de cuadrúpedos y de reptiles.and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.
- 24.Por lo cual también Dios los entregó a la inmundicia, en las concupiscencias de sus corazones, de modo que deshonraron entre sí sus propios cuerpos,Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:
- 25.ya que cambiaron la verdad de Dios por la mentira, honrando y dando culto a las criaturas antes que al Creador, el cual es bendito por los siglos. Amén.for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
- 26.Por esto Dios los entregó a pasiones vergonzosas; pues aun sus mujeres cambiaron el uso natural por el que es contra naturaleza,For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature:
- 27.y de igual modo también los hombres, dejando el uso natural de la mujer, se encendieron en su lascivia unos con otros, cometiendo hechos vergonzosos hombres con hombres, y recibiendo en sí mismos la retribución debida a su extravío.and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due.
- 28.Y como ellos no aprobaron tener en cuenta a Dios, Dios los entregó a una mente reprobada, para hacer cosas que no convienen;And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
- 29.estando atestados de toda injusticia, fornicación, perversidad, avaricia, maldad; llenos de envidia, homicidios, contiendas, engaños y malignidades;being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
- 30.murmuradores, detractores, aborrecedores de Dios, injuriosos, soberbios, altivos, inventores de males, desobedientes a los padres,backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
- 31.necios, desleales, sin afecto natural, implacables, sin misericordia;without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful:
- 32.quienes habiendo entendido el juicio de Dios, que los que practican tales cosas son dignos de muerte, no sólo las hacen, sino que también se complacen con los que las practican.who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them.
Qué significa este pasaje
Verses 1–7 form a deliberate introductory unit. Paul uses three self-designations — doulos (servant), kletos (called), and aphorismenos (separated) — to locate his authority not in personal achievement but in divine appointment. The gospel he proclaims is not a new invention; it was promised through the prophets in the holy scriptures (verse 2), establishing continuity between Israel's writings and the message about the Son. The content of that message is given in verses 3–4: the Son is descended from David 'according to the flesh' and declared Son of God 'in power' through resurrection 'according to the spirit of holiness.' The two-fold kata clauses deliberately distinguish physical descent from transcendent identity, anchoring Christology in historical lineage while affirming divine status.
Verses 8–15 explain why Paul writes. He thanks God for the Roman believers' faith, reports his constant prayers for them, and states his long-frustrated desire to visit. Verse 13 uses the word 'fruit' to frame his apostolic mission in productive terms, and verse 14 frames his obligation as a debt owed to all humanity, Greek and barbarian alike. This self-description sets up verse 16, where the gospel itself becomes the answer to that debt: it is the dunamis (power) of God for salvation to everyone who believes, with priority 'to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.'
Verses 16–32 pivot from gospel to judgment. Verse 17 quotes Habakkuk 2:4 — 'the righteous shall live by faith' — to define the revealed righteousness of God as a faith-to-faith process rather than a human achievement. The chapter then moves to its darkest register: the wrath of God (orge theou) is revealed from heaven against those who 'hold the truth in unrighteousness' (verse 18). The argument for human accountability runs through general revelation (verses 19–20: God's invisible attributes are perceived through creation), suppression (verses 21–23: idolatry exchanging glory for images), and divine abandonment (verses 24–28: three 'God gave them up' statements). The catalogue of vices in verses 29–31 functions as the moral outworking of that abandonment, and verse 32 closes by noting that the offenders not only practice evil but also endorse those who do.
Contexto
Romans is the longest of Paul's letters and the most systematically argued. The opening chapter does double duty: it identifies the writer's credentials and sets out the theological polarity that will structure the entire epistle — gospel-power versus revealed wrath, with the righteousness of God as the bridge between them. Whether Paul is addressing a church he did not found or coordinating a future visit, the chapter assumes a community already familiar with basic Christian teaching (note the language of 'called' and 'saints' in verse 7) yet in need of fuller doctrinal grounding. Scholars continue to discuss the precise composition date and whether chapter 16 reflects a separate situation, but chapter 1 itself reads as a careful letter opening in the Greco-Roman epistolary style, expanded with theological preface rather than the typical thanksgiving for travel safety.
Verse 17 is widely treated as the thematic thesis of the letter. By embedding the Habakkuk quotation, Paul signals that his argument will engage with the Jewish scriptures as authoritative, while redefining 'righteousness' (dikaiosyne) as God's gift received through faith rather than a human-merit category. This sets the agenda for the chapters that follow, where the apparent failure of the gospel among Jews is addressed, the universality of sin is established, and justification by faith is unfolded. Verses 18–32 are not an aside about pagan vice but the negative mirror to verse 17: if God's righteousness is revealed in the gospel, the counterpart is that God's wrath is revealed against those who refuse it.
Palabras clave del original
- G2098 euangellion — 'good message' or 'gospel.' In verse 1 it is described not as Paul's possession but as God's own message, pre-promised through the prophets. The word governs the entire letter's argument.
- G1401 doulos — 'servant' or 'slave.' Paul adopts this term as his primary self-designation before any mention of apostolic authority, signaling that his apostleship flows from Christ's ownership of him.
- G0873 aphorismenos — 'separated' or 'set apart.' The verb form (from aphorizo) carries the sense of boundary-marking, implying both selection from a larger group and consecration to a defined purpose: the gospel.
Versículos relacionados
- Habakkuk 2:4 Romans 1:17 quotes this verse to anchor the phrase 'the righteous shall live by faith.' Paul treats Habakkuk's prophet as Scripture already defining life as faith-dependent, which becomes a cornerstone for his later argument in Galatians 3 and Romans 3.
- Mark 8:38 The 'not ashamed of the gospel' statement in Romans 1:16 resonates with Jesus' warning that those ashamed of him in this generation will find the Son of Man ashamed of them. The shared language of shame and public identification forms an implicit link between Pauline mission and Christological accountability.
- Romans 1:19 This reference highlights the internal repetition of the chapter's argument. Verse 19 reiterates that knowledge of God is 'manifest in them,' reinforcing the claim of verses 20–21 that God's invisible attributes have been plainly perceived through creation, leaving humanity without excuse.
Preguntas frecuentes
What is the main theme of Romans chapter 1?
The chapter sets up the letter's central polarity: the gospel is God's saving power for all who believe (verses 16–17), and against those who reject it, God's wrath is revealed from heaven (verses 18–32). Paul introduces himself, the content of the gospel concerning Jesus Christ the Son, and the human condition apart from the gospel.
Why does Paul quote Habakkuk 2:4 in Romans 1:17?
The quotation functions as the chapter's thesis statement. By citing 'the righteous shall live by faith,' Paul grounds the phrase 'righteousness of God from faith to faith' in an already authoritative scripture, redefining righteousness not as human moral achievement but as a divine gift received through faith. This citation becomes foundational for the argument developed across the rest of the epistle.
What does 'God gave them up' mean in verses 24, 26, and 28?
The repeated phrase describes divine judicial abandonment. Because humanity refused to acknowledge God or retain him in knowledge, God withdrew restraining grace and allowed people to follow the downward trajectory of their own disordered desires. The threefold repetition emphasizes progression — from impure passions (verse 24), to dishonorable passions (verse 26), to a debased mind (verse 28) — illustrating that rejecting the Creator leads to escalating moral corruption.