--- title: "Romans: Summary & All 16 Chapters · Bless" url: https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/ description: "The Letter to the Romans, a doctrinal letter in 16 chapters. Bp. Challoner’s summary of all 16 chapters, and the full text free." --- New Testament # The Letter to the Romans The Letter to the Romans is the sixth of the 27 books of the New Testament: 16 chapters and 433 verses. [Start reading: Romans 1](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/1/) Chapters 1–16: [1](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/1/) … [16](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/16/) ## About Romans About Romans · Doctrinal letter Romans is Paul's longest and most systematic letter, written to a church he had not yet visited, to prepare his way and to set out his gospel whole: all have sinned, Jew and Gentile alike, and all are justified freely by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. He wrote from Corinth near the end of his missionary journeys, wrestling especially with how Israel's calling stands within God's mercy to the nations. No document has shaped Christian teaching on sin, grace, and hope more, and its later chapters ground the whole moral life in worship. *Romans in Bless* | | | |---|---| | Testament | New Testament — book 6 of 27, 52 of 73 in the Bible | | Canon | Protocanonical (in every Christian canon) | | Chapters | 16 | | Verses | 433, as Bless numbers them | | Latin | Clementine Vulgate, every chapter | | Bp. Challoner | Summaries of all 16 chapters · 52 notes | | Catechism | 166 paragraphs cite it | Chapter by chapter ## All 16 chapters, *in brief.* Bishop Richard Challoner’s summary of each chapter, from his revision of the Douay-Rheims (1749–52). Open a chapter for the full text. 1. ### [Romans 1](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/1/) 32 verses He commends the faith of the Romans, whom he longs to see. The philosophy of the heathens, being void of faith and humility, betrayed them into shameful sins. 2. ### [Romans 2](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/2/) 29 verses The Jews are censured, who make their boast of the law and keep it not. He declares who are the true Jews. 3. ### [Romans 3](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/3/) 31 verses The advantages of the Jews. All men are sinners and none can be justified by the works of the law, but only by the grace of Christ. 4. ### [Romans 4](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/4/) 25 verses Abraham was not justified by works done, as of himself, but by grace and by faith. And that before he was circumcised. Gentiles, by faith, are his children. 5. ### [Romans 5](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/5/) 21 verses The grounds we have for hope in Christ. Sin and death came by Adam, grace and life by Christ. 6. ### [Romans 6](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/6/) 23 verses The Christian must die to sin and live to God. 7. ### [Romans 7](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/7/) 25 verses We are released by Christ from the law and from the guilt of sin, though the inclination to it still tempts us. 8. ### [Romans 8](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/8/) 39 verses There is no condemnation to them that, being justified by Christ, walk not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. Their strong hope and love of God. 9. ### [Romans 9](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/9/) 33 verses The apostle's concern for the Jews. God's election is free and not confined to their nation. 10. ### [Romans 10](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/10/) 21 verses The end of the law is faith in Christ. which the Jews refusing to submit to, cannot be justified. 11. ### [Romans 11](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/11/) 36 verses God hath not cast off all Israel. The Gentiles must not be proud but stand in faith and fear. 12. ### [Romans 12](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/12/) 21 verses Lessons of Christian virtues. 13. ### [Romans 13](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/13/) 14 verses Lessons of obedience to superiors and mutual charity. 14. ### [Romans 14](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/14/) 23 verses The strong must bear with the weak. Cautions against judging and giving scandal. 15. ### [Romans 15](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/15/) 33 verses He exhorts them to be all of one mind and promises to come and see them. 16. ### [Romans 16](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/16/) 27 verses He concludes with salutations, bidding them beware of all that should oppose the doctrine they had learned. Bp. Richard Challoner · chapter summaries In the comments ## What the saints *said.* 15 quotations from 12 saints linked to passages of Romans in Bless. Each names the work it comes from. [St. Augustine of Hippo](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-augustine-of-hippo/) · on [Romans 13:13](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/13/#v13) On this verse > Take up and read; take up and read. Confessions, VIII.12, c. 400 [St. Catherine of Siena](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-catherine-of-siena/) · on [Romans 5:3](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/5/#v3) On this theme > Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring. Letter to Raymond of Capua, 1375 [St. Thomas More](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-thomas-more/) · on [Romans 5:3](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/5/#v3) On this theme > Tribulation is a gracious gift of God, which He sends to those He loves. A Dialogue of Comfort, III, 1534 [St. Francis de Sales](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-francis-de-sales/) · on [Romans 8:1](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/8/#v1) On this theme > Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. Introduction to the Devout Life, III.9, 1609 [St. Gemma Galgani](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-gemma-galgani/) · on [Romans 8:17](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/8/#v17) On this theme > If you really want to love Jesus, first learn to suffer, because suffering teaches you to love. Letters to Fr. Germano, c. 1901 [St. Augustine of Hippo](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-augustine-of-hippo/) · on [Romans 8:24](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/8/#v24) On this theme > Hope has for its object only what is good, only what is future, and only what affects the one who hopes. Enchiridion, 8, c. 421 ### 9 more, on the chapter pages - [Romans 8:28](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/8/#v28) St. Thérèse of Lisieux - [Romans 10:14](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/10/#v14) St. Francis Xavier - [Romans 11:33](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/11/#v33) St. Augustine of Hippo - [Romans 11:33](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/11/#v33) St. Jerome · attributed - [Romans 12:1](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/12/#v1) St. Ignatius of Loyola - [Romans 12:17](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/12/#v17) St. Ambrose - [Romans 12:21](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/12/#v21) St. John of the Cross - [Romans 13:10](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/13/#v10) St. Augustine of Hippo - [Romans 15:4](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/15/#v4) St. Isidore of Seville Coming up ## Read at *Mass.* From October 29, 2026 to October 28, 2027, Romans is read at the principal Mass on 23 days in the US calendar. The next 8 readings: | Date | Celebration | Reading | Citation | |---|---|---|---| | [Mon, Nov 2, 2026](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2026/11/02/) | The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed | Second Reading | [Romans 5:5-11](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/5/) | | [Mon, Nov 30, 2026](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2026/11/30/) | St. Andrew, Apostle | First Reading | [Romans 10:9-18](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/10/) | | [Sun, Dec 20, 2026](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2026/12/20/) | Fourth Sunday of Advent | Second Reading | [Romans 16:25-27](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/16/) | | [Sun, Feb 21, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/02/21/) | Second Sunday of Lent | Second Reading | [Romans 8:31b-34](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/8/) | | [Fri, Mar 19, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/03/19/) | St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Second Reading | [Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/4/) | | [Sat, Mar 27, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/03/27/) | Holy Saturday — the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter | Epistle | [Romans 6:3-11](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/6/) | | [Sun, May 23, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/05/23/) | The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity | Second Reading | [Romans 8:14-17](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/8/) | | [Thu, Jun 17, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/06/17/) computed | Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time | Alleluia | [Romans 8:15bc](https://blessbible.app/bible/romans/8/) | Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish. [Previous book The Acts of the Apostles](https://blessbible.app/bible/acts/) [Next book The First Letter to the Corinthians](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-corinthians/)