New Living Translation
Romans 1:14
14For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike.
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
12When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. 13I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. 15So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News. 16For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.
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 8:12Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.
- Romans 13:8Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.
- Acts 9:15But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.
- Acts 13:2One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.”
- Acts 22:21“But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’”
- Acts 26:17And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles
- 1 Corinthians 9:16Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!
- 2 Timothy 2:10So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.
- Acts 28:4The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.”
- 1 Corinthians 14:11But if I don’t understand a language, I will be a foreigner to someone who speaks it, and the one who speaks it will be a foreigner to me.
- Colossians 3:11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
- Romans 1:22Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.
- Romans 11:25I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.
- Romans 12:16Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
- Romans 16:19But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong.
- Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries