Romans 1 (sometime in January)

Rom 1:1-32 ESV
(1) Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
(2) which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
(3) concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
(4) and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

(v3-4: Jesus who was both man and God. But while on this earth, identified with man firstly by his lineage, descending from King David and whoever after David or before David. Not only so, living in the flesh throughout His days on this earth, He suffered as a man, yet without sin (Heb2:14-15, 4:15)
However, in the ressurection, Christ not only ressurrected of the flesh but also spiritually in that His ressurrection testifies His divinity.)

(5) through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,

(The Great Commission)

(6) including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
(7) To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(8) First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.
(9) For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you
(10) always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
(11) For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you--
(12) that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.
(13) I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.

('...that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.' indicates that Paul was writing to:
1)the Jews or
2)the church in Rome, regardless Jew or Gentile.

otherwise Paul was definitely writing to the church in Rome, of which historical fact shows that it was more Gentile than Jew. And also, composition of Rome population would definitely be majority Gentile.)

(14) I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

(expression that Paul is obliged to reach out to all
Greek - civilised and learned. vs barbarians - not so civilised and learned
wise vs foolish.

if Paul would reach out to both extremes of comparison, it wouldn't be a problem to reach out the in betweens.)

(15) So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
(16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

(As Paul is convicted that this is the way to his ministry and is reflected throughout Acts, ie, he will preach in the synagogues first before going on to preach to the Gentiles.)

(17) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

(For in it...
'it' refers to the Gospel

from 'faith for faith' can be better translated as 'faith to faith' and 'to' giving the notation of time rather than transfer from one object/point to another. (to check Greek origin)

therefore, this faith has never changed from the beginning, and it is through this faith and in the Gospel we have today, God's righteousness is revealed in Christ and in His sacrifice on the cross, imputing His righteousness unto us, a righteousness that cannot be gained but is graciously given to us.)

(18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
(19) For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
(20) For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

(v19-20: implies that all men can know God's invisible attributes: eternal power and divine nature, through His creation.

to know God's invisible attributes implies that:
1)we recognize there is a God
2)and this God is Almighty and is Sovereign over all things
3)therefore, some would intentionally seek God and honour and worship Him while others who turn away in ignorance are condemned by God and by their conscience for they are without excuse.

Is this recognition of a God innate in all human beings?)

(21) For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
(22) Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
(23) and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
(24) Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

('therefore' indicates that Paul links idolatry (failing to recognize the attributes of the only One and Eternal God) would lead a person to do contrary to what God desires - sin.

this is further anchored when Paul writes 'because they exchanged the truth about God...'

for since God was and always been there, to exchange the truth about God would mean the invention and creation of an idea of who god is by men, therefore not only just statue idols but abstract idols that does not reflect the truth about God.

and since we are created in the image of God, we are able, and is innate, that we reflect the truth about God. but because we have contaminated ourselves with the false idea of who God is, we are slowly devoured and reflect this false image.

This therefore corrupts our relationship with God and with one another, for we fail to recognize the truth about God and subsequently man who is created in His image.)

(25) because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
(26) For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
(27) and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
(28) And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
(29) They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
(30) slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
(31) foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
(32) Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.