Romans 1:12-16

1:12 that is, that we may be mutually comforted by one another’s faith, ¹  both yours and mine. 1:13 I do not want you to be unaware, ²  brothers and sisters, ³  that I often intended to come to you (and was prevented until now), so that I may have some fruit even among you, just as I already have among the rest of the Gentiles. ⁴  1:14 I am a debtor ⁵  both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 1:15 Thus I am eager ⁶  also to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome. ⁷ 

The Power of the Gospel

1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ⁸ 

¹ tn Grk “that is, to be comforted together with you through the faith in one another.”

² sn The expression “I do not want you to be unaware [Grk ignorant]” also occurs in 1 Cor 10:1; 12:1; 1 Thess 4:13. Paul uses the phrase to signal that he is about to say something very important.

³ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).

⁴ tn Grk “in order that I might have some fruit also among you just as also among the rest of the Gentiles.”

³ tn Or “obligated.”

⁴ tn Or “willing, ready”; Grk “so my eagerness [is] to preach…” The word πρόθυμος (proqumo", “eager, willing”) is used only elsewhere in the NT in Matt 26:41 = Mark 14:38: “the spirit indeed is willing (πρόθυμος), but the flesh is weak.”

⁵ map For location see JP4-A1.

⁵ sn Here the Greek refers to anyone who is not Jewish.