Romans 1:14 (DBY)

Passage

I am a debtor both to Greeks and barbarians, both to wise and unintelligent:

Nearby Context

Romans 1:12 that is, to have mutual comfort among you, each by the faith [which is] in the other, both yours and mine.

Romans 1:13 But I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that I often proposed to come to you, (and have been hindered until the present time,) that I might have some fruit among you too, even as among the other nations also.

Romans 1:14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and barbarians, both to wise and unintelligent:

Romans 1:15 so, as far as depends on me, am I ready to announce the glad tidings to you also who [are] in Rome.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the glad tidings; for it is God's power to salvation, to every one that believes, both to Jew first and to Greek:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "debtor", "both", "greeks", "barbarians", "wise", and "unintelligent". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "debtor" and "both", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "But I do not wish you to..." into verse 15's "so as far as depends on me...", so "debtor" and "both" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "debtor" and "both" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.