God’s Word Translation
Romans 1:14
14I have an obligation to those who are civilized and those who aren’t, to those who are wise and those who aren’t.
Romans 1:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
- New International Version (NIV)I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
- New King James Version (NKJV)I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.
Context of Romans 1:14
12What I mean is that we may be encouraged by each other’s faith. 13I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I often planned to visit you. However, until now I have been kept from doing so. What I want is to enjoy some of the results of working among you as I have also enjoyed the results of working among the rest of the nations. I have an obligation to those who are civilized and those who aren’t, to those who are wise and those who aren’t. 15That’s why I’m eager to tell you who live in Rome the Good News also. 16I’m not ashamed of the Good News. It is God’s power to save everyone who believes, Jews first and Greeks as well.
Read all of Romans 1Romans 1:14 word by word
Ἕλλησίν τε καὶ βαρβάροις, σοφοῖς τε καὶ ἀνοήτοις ὀφειλέτης εἰμί·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Romans 1:14
- Romans 8:12So, brothers and sisters, we have no obligation to live the way our corrupt nature wants us to live.
- Romans 13:8Pay your debts as they come due. However, one debt you can never finish paying is the debt of love that you owe each other. The one who loves another person has fulfilled Moses’ Teachings.
- Acts 9:15The Lord told Ananias, “Go! I’ve chosen this man to bring my name to nations, to kings, and to the people of Israel.
- Acts 13:2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me. I want them to do the work for which I called them.”
- Acts 22:21“But the Lord told me, ‘Go! I’ll send you on a mission. You’ll go far away to people who aren’t Jewish.’ ”
- Acts 26:17I will rescue you from the Jewish people and from the non-Jewish people to whom I am sending you.
- 1 Corinthians 9:16If I spread the Good News, I have nothing to brag about because I have an obligation to do this. How horrible it will be for me if I don’t spread the Good News!
- 2 Timothy 2:10For that reason, I endure everything for the sake of those who have been chosen so that they, too, may receive salvation from Christ Jesus with glory that lasts forever.
- Acts 28:4When the people who lived on the island saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer! He may have escaped from the sea, but justice won’t let him live.”
- 1 Corinthians 14:11If I don’t know what a language means, I will be a foreigner to the person who speaks it and that person will be a foreigner to me.
- Colossians 3:11Where this happens, there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, uncivilized person, slave, or free person. Instead, Christ is everything and in everything.
- Romans 1:22While claiming to be wise, they became fools.
- Romans 11:25Brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery so that you won’t become arrogant. The minds of some Israelites have become closed until all of God’s non-Jewish people are included.
- Romans 12:16Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be arrogant, but be friendly to humble people. Don’t think that you are smarter than you really are.
- Romans 16:19Everyone has heard about your obedience and this makes me happy for you. I want you to do what is good and to avoid what is evil.
- Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from wise and intelligent people and revealing them to little children.
Commentaries on Romans 1:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14I am a debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians - It has been remarked before that all the nations of the earth, themselves excepted, were termed barbarians by the Greeks. See the origin of the word barbarous in the note on Acts 28:2; (note). The apostle considers himself, by his apostolical office and call, under obligation to preach the Gospel to all people, as far as the providence of God might open his way; for this is implied in the Divine…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14I am debtor - This does not mean that they had conferred any favor on him, which bound him to make this return, but that he was under obligation to preach the gospel to all to whom it was possible. This obligation arose from the favor that God had shown him in appointing him to this work. He was specially chosen as a vessel to bear the gospel to the Gentiles Acts 9:15; Romans 11:13, and he did not feel that he had discharged the obligation until he had…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-15Verses 8-15 We must show love for our friends, not only by praying for them, but by praising God for them. As in our purposes, so in our desires, we must remember to say, If the Lord will, Jas 4:15. Our journeys are made prosperous or otherwise, according to the will of God. We should readily impart to others what God has trusted to us, rejoicing to make others joyful, especially taking pleasure in communing with those who believe the same things with us…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14to Greeks and non-Greeks: The Greeks were proud of being educated and cultured. They often thought people from other cultures were inferior. They mocked the way foreigners spoke Greek, saying it sounded like “bar bar,” a meaningless sound. From this mockery comes the word barbarian (a person seen as uncivilized). Paul refers to this cultural divide to show that he wanted to preach the good news about Jesus to every kind of person.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1514-15. I am debtor both to the Greeks--cultivated and to the Barbarians--rude.Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 1:14
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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