1 Salutation Paul, a slave All human beings are slaves—we are born that way, live that way, die that way. As the Lord Jesus said, “whoever commits sin is a slave of sin . . . if the Son makes you free you will be free indeed” (John 8:34, 36). The Lord Jesus offers us a choice of owner: the only way to escape slavery to sin is to become a slave of Jesus Christ. of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, Apostles are not ordained by man; they are designated by God, who has a reason for doing so. having been set apart to the Gospel of God,
2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures: The promise begins in Genesis 3:15, and reappears in passages like Genesis 12:3, 28:14, 2 Samuel 7:16, Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7.
3 concerning His Son, who became a physical descendant of David, Literally, ‘of the seed of David according to the flesh’. Jesus’ body contained genes from David that came through His mother Mary, a descendant of David’s son, Nathan (Luke 3:31) (and presumably still does, at the Father’s right hand). Isaiah 9:7 makes clear that the Messiah will occupy the throne of David; see also 2 Samuel 7:16, Isaiah 11:10 and Micah 5:2.
4 who was established to be God’s powerful Son (according to His spirit of holiness) Because of this He never sinned. by resurrection from the dead A ‘mere’ human cannot decide to rise from the dead; Jesus had this authority, as He affirms in John 10:17-18—“My Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” The cross did not kill Jesus; He dismissed His spirit. —Jesus Christ our Lord—
5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to promote obedience of faith among all ethnic nations concerning His name One’s name represents his person—the obedience of faith is to be directed toward the person of Jesus Christ.
6 (among these you also are called by Jesus Christ);
7 to all the called saints They were called to be saints. who are in Rome, beloved of God: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. “The Lord Jesus Christ” is now the proper name/title of Jehovah the Son. This text clearly presents the Father and the Son as distinct persons.
8 To Gentiles Paul has been hindered from visiting Rome First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. Not bad.
9 Further, the God whom I serve with my spirit See 7:14-25. in the Gospel of His Son is my witness, how without ceasing I always remember you in my prayers,
10 begging that perhaps now, at last, I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you. What we think we want is not always what God wants.
11 For I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established
12 —that is, that I may be encouraged among you by our mutual faith, To see someone established in the mutual faith is a genuine encouragement. both yours and mine.
13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), in order that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the rest of the Gentiles. ‘Gentiles’ and ‘ethnic nations’ are renderings of the same Greek noun; the choice is governed by the context, but that choice is often difficult. The reader should keep the two options in mind.
14 I am a debtor Why was Paul a debtor to people he had never seen? He had the cure for their ills, and a command from God. both to Greeks and to non-Greeks, both to wise and to foolish.
15 So, for my part, I am eager to preach the Gospel to you who are in Rome as well.
16 Faith I am not ashamed Where did Paul get the idea of ‘shame’? A world controlled by Satan does all it can to cow any who dare to proclaim the Truth. of the Gospel of Christ, Perhaps 3% of the Greek manuscripts omit “of Christ”, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, etc.—an inferior proceeding. because it is the power of God for the salvation of each one who believes The Gospel is the power for the salvation. As the Lord Jesus said in John 14:6—“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There are not many ways, only one. (for the Jew first, then the Greek);
17 because in it God’s righteousness is revealed, from faith to faith; just as it is written: “The righteous one will live by faith.” See Habakkuk 2:4. To ‘live by faith’ you must move from one exercise of faith to another.
18 Unrighteousness Now the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of the people who suppress the truth by unrighteousness, To ‘suppress the truth’ is a deliberate act, an evil choice that invites God’s wrath. To hear a sermon about ‘the love of God’ is easy enough, but how many have you heard (or preached) about ‘the wrath of God’? “God hates sin but loves the sinner” is standard fare, but consider Psalm 5:4-6—“For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” This is not an isolated text; there are a fair number of others in the same vein. Someone who deliberately chooses to be and promote evil thereby makes God his enemy. In John 6:44 the Lord Jesus said: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” Do you suppose that the Father will ‘draw’ someone He hates?
19 precisely because what may be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them.
20 Because His invisible attributes, namely His eternal power and divine nature, are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood from what has been made, so that they are inexcusable; All scientific experiment and true human knowledge is based on the principle of cause and effect—we observe an effect and try to isolate its cause. As a logical corollary, the cause must be as great or greater than the effect, otherwise it could not produce it. Any human being who is both honest and intelligent, confronted with the observable universe, with its incredible order and complexity, must conclude that there has to be a CAUSE who is both incredibly intelligent and powerful—to refuse to do so is perverse. Since we have personality, He must as well. So Paul’s argument is precisely correct.The science of physics tells us that the entire known universe, taking only what is inorganic (not part of any living system), can be described using perhaps 250 bits of information. To describe the smallest protein molecule (unable to live alone, but part of a living system) requires some 1,500 bits of information (the ecoli bacterium some 7 million; one human cell some 20 billion). Now just where could chance plus nothing find 1,250 bits of new information (to produce the simplest protein), if in the whole universe there was only 250? The evolutionary hypothesis as an explanation for the origin of life is ridiculously, stupidly impossible!The science of genetics, with its genome projects, has discovered that a change of just 3 nucleotides is usually fatal to the organism. The genetic difference between a human being and a chimpanzee (closest relative) is at least 1.6%—this represents a gap of some 48 million nucleotide differences. Since a random change of only 3 nucleotides is fatal to an animal, and a dead animal can’t reproduce, there is no possible way that a chimp could evolve into a human. Each individual species had to be assembled separately, just like Genesis says. The ‘geologic column’ is a fiction, since there are multistrate tree fossils. Symbiotic plants and insects could not possibly evolve. And so on.
21 precisely because, knowing God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks; To turn against the Creator, to deny His existence, is a deliberate, culpable choice, since it goes against the observable scientific evidence. so their reasonings became worthless and their senseless hearts were darkened. When you deliberately turn out the light, you condemn yourself to grope about in darkness, and you can’t see what is attacking you. ‘Were darkened’ is in the passive voice, so the necessary question is, by what or by whom? Ephesians 2:2 refers to Satan as “the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience”. When someone rejects the Creator he also rejects His protection; by choosing to become a ‘son of disobedience’, a person invites Satan into his mind, and Satan brings darkness.I am reminded of our Lord’s words in Matthew 6:22-23. “The lamp of the body is the eye. So if your eye is sound your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Of course we have two eyes, but the Text has “eye” in the singular. I take it that the reference is to the way we interpret what we see (which is our real “eye”)—two people, one pure and one vile, observing the same scene will give very different interpretations to it. “Evil” here has the idea of malignant—aggressively evil. Someone with a malignant mind will give an evil interpretation to everything he sees, and in consequence his being will be filled with unrelenting darkness. Cf. Titus 1:15.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ‘Modern man’ struts about, thinking that he is smarter than former generations. Anyone who embraces materialistic, relativistic humanism is a true fool.
23 and exchanged for themselves the glory of the incorruptible God for an image resembling a perishable man Any god you create will be smaller than you are—totally worthless! —even birds and quadrupeds and reptiles!
24 Therefore God also gave them up, through the cravings of their hearts for vileness, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves
25 —they had exchanged the truth of God for the lie, Note that they turned their backs on God first; His giving them up was a consequence of their choice. All the evil in the world is a consequence of men’s evil choices—God should not be blamed. That said, however, any time a person chooses evil he invites Satan into his mind, and Satan will push the person toward ever lower levels of depravity. I believe that Hebrews 2:7 is relevant here: “You made him [man, verse 6] lower than the angels, for a little while” (quoting Psalm 8:5). The human being is superior to the angelic being in essence; we bear the Creator’s image and they don’t, and once glorified that superiority will be obvious, but only for the redeemed. Those who serve Satan subordinate themselves to him, and thus can never rise above him. If Lucifer’s rebellion was provoked, as I suppose, by the creation of a being superior to himself, he is doing very well at getting his ‘revenge’, by depriving the vast majority of humanity of that superiority [and so verse 8 would not apply to them]. Now Satan is controlled by spite; he was demoted. Since he is unable to create, he gets his satisfaction by degrading and destroying. His greatest ‘pleasure’ must be to drag the image of the Creator through the mire, and for that purpose anal sex is just the ticket. Since it is a man’s seed that transmits the ‘image’ (see Hebrews 7:10, etc.), anal sex mixes the image of God with feces—a monstrous insult! The practice of anal sex is the equivalent of spitting in the face of the Creator; it is an extremely serious offense (worse than a buck private spitting in the face of a four star general). So then, as soon as God removes His hand, Satan pushes men toward anal sex. and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 Depravity For this reason God gave them up If God gives you up, you are in a bad way! to degrading passions; in fact even their females exchanged the natural sexual function for that against nature;
27 likewise also the males, abandoning the natural use of the female, were inflamed The verb is in the passive voice, so the necessary question is, by whom? The answer has already been given in the note above. I doubt that anyone performs anal sex without a demon present. in their lust toward one another, males committing the disgraceful act The noun here is singular and with the definite article, ‘the act’. The seriousness of this has been explained above. with males, and receiving in themselves the due penalty Whatever this ‘penalty’ is, why would any sane person want it? for their error.
28 So precisely because they determined not to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a debased mind, to do wrong things:
29 having been filled The passive voice again. with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, greed, depravity; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; gossips,
30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, braggarts, contrivers of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 senseless, faithless, hardhearted, intransigent, unmerciful;
32 who, knowing full well God’s just sentence, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do them but also approve of other practitioners. Is this not a perfect picture of ‘modern man’? Note “are deserving of death”; the verb is in the present tense, and Paul wrote this years after Pentecost, and consequently within the age of Grace. Through Moses the Creator articulated the death penalty for certain practices. Paul’s use of ‘are’ indicates that the penalty has not been revoked or annulled.
1 Judgment Now then, you there, whoever you are who judges someone else for things you practice yourself—you condemn yourself and are inexcusable.
2 Further, we know that God’s judgment against those who practice such things The ‘such things’ refers back to the content of 1:29-31. is according to truth.
3 So then, you who judge those who practice such things while doing the same, do you really imagine that you will escape God’s judgment? What sort of blindness could this be, for such a person to imagine that he will escape judgment?
4 Or do you scorn the riches of His kindness, tolerance and longsuffering, not recognizing that the goodness of God is leading you toward repentance? Just because God is good, kind, tolerant and longsuffering people imagine that He is weak, or even non-existent [!]—how wrong they are!
5 Rather, due to your hardness and unrepentant heart, you are treasuring up wrath for yourself in the day of God’s wrath and revelation and righteous judgment, The full revelation of God’s wrath and righteous judgment is going to take a lot of people by surprise.
6 who will repay each one according to his works: See Psalm 62:12, Proverbs 24:12. Each one of us must give an accounting, based on what we did (not on what we said we believed).
7 to those who seek for glory, honor and incorruption, by persevering in doing good—eternal life; One is reminded of Cornelius as a case in point (Acts 10).
8 but to those who, due to self-seeking, The essence of sin is self. are disobeying the truth (while obeying the unrighteousness)—fury and wrath,
9 tribulation and anguish, upon every human soul who works at the evil, whether Jew (first) or Greek;
10 but glory, honor and peace to everyone who works the good, whether Jew (first) or Greek. Working good looks to be a better deal than working evil!
11 Now there is no favoritism with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law; while as many as have sinned with law will be judged by law. God is just, and His judgment takes into account the amount of light that a person had, but all will be judged. Our Lord’s words in Luke 12:47-48 spell this out.
13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified
14 (indeed, whenever the ethnic nations that don’t have law do by nature the things of the law, these, although not having law, are a law to themselves;
15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their reasonings among themselves accusing or even excusing)
16 in the day when God, according to my Gospel, will judge people’s secrets by Jesus Christ. In John 5:22 the Lord Jesus stated plainly that the Father has committed all judgment to the Son, developing the theme in verses 23-29; see also Acts 17:31 and Revelation 19:15. That there are no ‘secrets’ unknown to God is made clear in passages like Psalm 139:1-16 and Hebrews 4:12-13.
17 To Jews Law Look, you declare yourself a Jew , and rest on the Law, and boast in God,
18 and know the Will, and approve the superior things, being instructed out of the Law.
19 Further, you are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those in darkness,
20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth. “The embodiment of knowledge and truth” is an excellent description of the Scriptures.
21 You, then, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach not to steal, do you steal?
22 You who say not to commit adultery, do you adulterate? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
23 You who boast in the Law, do you dishonor God through the transgression of the Law?
24 For, just as it is written: “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” See Isaiah 52:5, Ezekiel 36:22. The problem of not practicing what one preaches has been around for quite a while.
25 Circumcision Now circumcision does have value if you keep the Law, but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
26 So if the uncircumcised keeps the righteous requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?
27 And will not the physically uncircumcised who fulfills the law judge you, complete with written code and circumcision, who are a transgressor of the Law?
28 Because a person is not a [true] Jew who is only one outwardly, nor is [true] circumcision something outward in the flesh;
29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—in spirit, not letter—whose praise is not from men but from God. God looks on the heart. Those who worship Him must do so ‘in spirit and in truth’ (John 4:23-24). We do not choose who will procreate us, nor does a baby boy choose to be circumcised, so such factors cannot guarantee God’s acceptance.
1 Advantage So what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the profit of circumcision?
2 Much in every way! For a fuller list of the advantages, see 9:1-5. First of all, because they were entrusted with the oracles of God. Job was written by a pre-Jew, but all the rest of the Old Testament, which is what Paul is referring to, was written by Jews. For that matter, all the books of the New Testament were also written by Jews (with the possible exception of Luke).
3 So, what if some did not believe? Their unbelief will not nullify God’s faithfulness, will it?
4 Of course not! Rather, let God be found true, but every man a liar; just as it is written: “That you may be justified in your words, and may overcome when you are judged.” See Psalm 51:4. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful—He is incapable of denying Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).
5 A conundrum Now if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what shall we say? God is not unrighteous for inflicting His wrath, is He? (I speak as a man.)
6 Of course not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?
7 Still, if the truth of God abounded to His glory by my falsehood, just why am I still judged as a sinner? If I choose falsehood, it is an evil choice, and I deserve to be punished, quite apart from any highlighting of God’s righteousness.
8 However, we must not say, “Let us do evil so that good may come” (as some people slanderously claim that we do)—their condemnation is well deserved!
9 All are under sin What then? Are we any better? Not at all! For we have already charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
10 Just as it is written: “No one is righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned aside, together they have been made useless; there is no one who shows kindness, no, not so much as one.” See Psalm 14:1-3, 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20.
13 “Their throat is an opened grave; they habitually deceive with their tongues.” See Psalm 5:9. “Viper’s venom is under their lips”; See Psalm 140:3.
14 “whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” See Psalm 10:7.
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.” See Isaiah 59:7-8.
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” See Psalm 36:1. The picture painted in verses 10-18 is not pretty! The description includes both Jews and Gentiles. Since the Creator is the only one who is competent to dictate moral values, someone who denies His authority (or worse, His existence) will not be bound by such values. We have already commented on what Satan does with a ‘son of disobedience’.
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world become accountable to God.
20 It follows that no flesh will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because through the law comes the knowledge of sin. The final accounting is based on our works, what we did—no one will be justified on that basis.
21 Righteousness by faith But now , apart from law, a righteousness from God has been revealed, being attested by the Law and the Prophets,
22 namely, a righteousness from God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and upon all Perhaps 7% of the Greek MSS omit “and upon all”, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding. those who believe. There is no difference:
23 all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, What do you think ‘the glory of God’ refers to? In this context it can scarcely be brilliance or effulgence. I suggest that God’s true glory is what He Himself is, His essence—truth, holiness, justice, love, among others. Although pristine Adam presumably reflected that essence quite well, the Fall resulted in a barrier that man cannot cross, apart from divine assistance. I suspect that modern man is but a poor reflection of what pristine Adam once was. Alas, we fall far short!
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;
25 whom God has openly made available as a propitiation through the faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness because of the passing over, in God’s forbearance, of the previously committed sins; “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13, 22-23). “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). 1 Peter 1:18-20 states that the Lamb, with His blood shed, was so foreknown before the foundation of the world. All the animal blood shed in the Old Testament only covered sin; it did not pay for it. All those sacrifices looked forward to Christ’s perfect sacrifice. But all of that was only validated by the death of God’s Lamb. So as verse 25 here states, the true propitiation is now available “through the faith in His blood”. This propitiation also benefits the Old Testament saints.
26 to demonstrate His righteousness at this present time, so as to be just, Himself, and the justifier of him who is of the Faith of Jesus. I take the reference to be to the Faith that revolves around the person and work of Jesus.
27 Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law, that of works? No, but by a law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from works of law.
29 Or is God for Jews only? Is He not also for Gentiles? Yes, also for Gentiles,
30 since indeed there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through the Faith. How could a ritual performed on a baby justify that baby? A circumcised person had to demonstrate faith in God by shedding animal blood to cover his sin; this before the perfect Sacrifice. Now justification comes through the Faith.
31 Do we then nullify law through the Faith? Of course not! Rather, we uphold law. The proper function of the law is recognized within the Faith.
1 Abraham What then shall we say that our father Abraham discovered, as a man?
2 If Abraham was really justified by works, he has a boast—but not before God.
3 So what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” See Genesis 15:6.
4 Now to him who works, the pay is not counted as a gift but as an obligation.
5 But to him who does not work We work because we have been justified, not in order to be justified. but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6 Just as David speaks of the blessing of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are they whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered up.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD will not impute sin!” See Psalm 32:1-2. The negative is emphasized.
9 Before circumcision Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? Since we say that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness,
10 how then was it credited? After he was circumcised or while still uncircumcised? Not circumcised, but uncircumcised!
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness from his faith while still uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all those who believe while uncircumcised, in order that this righteousness may be credited to them also, We non-Jews may wonder why Paul is spending so much time on the subject of circumcision, but to the Jews of that day it was BIG.
12 and the father of the circumcised—not only those who are circumcised, but especially those who follow in the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham while still uncircumcised. The point is that physical circumcision is not enough; one must believe.
13 The promise Now the promise that he would be the heir of the world Now what might ‘heir of the world’ mean? “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Galatians 3:16 makes clear that the Seed, singular, refers to the Christ. In Matthew 5:13-14 the Christ called His disciples “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”. Paul states, “all things are yours . . . and you are Christ’s . . . and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3:21-23). But during the millennial Messianic Kingdom the whole world will obey the Christ, who will rule the nations with ‘a rod of iron’ (Revelation 19:15). was not to Abraham, or his seed, through law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if those who are of law are heirs, the faith is made empty and the promise has been invalidated;
15 because the law produces wrath, since where there is no law neither is there transgression. How can you cross a line that isn’t there?
16 For this reason it is of faith so that it may be according to grace, in order that the promise be guaranteed to all the seed—not only to those of law, but also to those of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all;
17 just as it is written: “I have made you a father of many ethnic nations” See Genesis 17:5. —in the presence of Him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead and calls the non-existent things as though they did exist. God can create just by speaking: if He says, “Let there be . . .”, there is.
18 Contrary to hope, Abraham in hope believed, so as to become a father of many ethnic nations, according to what had been spoken: “So shall your seed be.” See Genesis 15:5.
19 And not being weak in faith, he did not Perhaps 3% of the Greek manuscripts omit “not”, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding. consider his own body, already dead (being about a hundred years old), or the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
20 He did not waver at God’s promise in unbelief; rather, he was strengthened by the faith, giving glory to God,
21 being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform
22 —that is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
23 Now it was not only for his sake that it was written that it was credited to him,
24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, we who believe on Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
25 who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. The grammatical construction is the same in both clauses: ‘because’, ‘because’. The resurrection was the proof that the Father had accepted the price paid for our justification.
1 To believers Peace with God Therefore, having been justified by faith, let us be at The Greek manuscripts are about evenly divided between the Indicative and the Subjunctive form of the verb (the difference is between two similar sounding vowels). Most versions follow the Indicative, but the best line of transmission has the Subjunctive, and I follow it. Remember the ‘from faith to faith’ in 1:17. peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have had the access, by the Faith, into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only so, but we should also rejoice The form of the verb is ambiguous between Indicative and Subjunctive; I take it that the Subjunctive is intended. The same ambiguity attaches to the same verb in verse two, where I chose the Indicative, since the thought is reinforced in 5:11. in the sufferings, knowing that the suffering produces perseverance;
4 and the perseverance, proven character; and the proven character, hope;
5 and the hope does not humiliate, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6 Reconciliation Now then, when we were incapacitated, even so Christ died for the ungodly, at the right moment.
7 Now scarcely even for a righteous person will someone offer to die (although on behalf of a good man someone might dare even to die),
8 but God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!
9 So now that we have been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from the wrath through Him!
10 Because since we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, while we were enemies, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! As it says in 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,” so once we are reconciled we have every reason to succeed! But it is a process, and the result is not automatic.
11 No wonder we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation! Yes! Amen! Praise God!
12 Death X Life Now then, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, just so death spread to all men, because all sinned The structure here is a ‘chiasmus’: abba.
13 —sin was in the world before the law, to be sure, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression Well dear me, how does that work? If sin is not ‘imputed’, why is there death? The verb ‘imputed’ refers to an account made up of a list of specific items. If I run up a bill at a local store, when I meet the owner on the street we both know I’m in debt, even without an itemized bill in hand. The debt affects our relationship, and may affect my standing in the community, and that of my family, etc.—the consequences derive from the fact, not the itemized list. So “death reigned from Adam to Moses” based on the fact of sin, not on an itemized list.”“The wages of sin is death”, so since we are sinners by inclination (birth) and choice, death reigns. Although there is no explicit instruction about animal sacrifice in the first chapters of Genesis, it is implied. For God to accept Abel’s sacrifice and reject Cain’s, there must have been instruction about such things (Genesis 4:3-5). Indeed, God had given the example by killing an animal to cover the nakedness of the fallen pair (Genesis 3:21). In Genesis 8:20-21 the implication is clear that Noah knew what he was supposed to do. And Job, who lived before Abraham (presumably), knew about sacrifice for sin (Job 1:5). (he is a type of the coming one). As a transgressor, Adam is not a type of Christ, so I take the reference to be to ‘the man of sin’.
15 Now the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one, how much more did God’s grace and the bounty by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many!
16 Again, the gift is not like what came from one man’s having sinned: because the judgment into condemnation followed one offense, while the gracious gift into justification followed many offenses.
17 Further, if by the offense of the one man death reigned through that man, much more will those who receive the abundance of the grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
18 So then, as through one offense there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life-giving justification for everyone. The comparison is interesting, but there is a fundamental difference—we are born condemned, but not justified! There is a way to escape the condemnation, but you have to take it, or remain condemned. The life-giving justification is available, but you have to believe into Jesus to get it.
19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were constituted sinners, Because of Adam’s rebellious choice, sin became part of the genetic pool that defines a human being. so also through the obedience of the One the many The phrase ‘the many’ occurs twice in this verse, but the roster of included people is presumably not the same—the second roster is smaller. will be constituted righteous.
20 However, law came on the scene so that the offense might abound; but where the sin abounded, the grace superabounded,
21 so that just as sin reigned in the death, ‘The death’ refers to the world controlled by Satan, where sin reigns; to be separated from God is spiritual death. so also the grace might reign through righteousness into eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Newness of life So what shall we say? Shall we continue in the sin so that the grace may abound?
2 Of course not! How can we who died to sin keep on living in it?
3 Or are you unaware that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? In Paul’s day (at least) there were those who thought that the physical rite of circumcision was a passport to heaven. We have already seen in 2:25-29 that Paul rejects that notion—God looks on the heart. In our day there are those who think that the physical rite of water baptism is a similar passport, but we probably all know individuals who had their ‘bath’ and are now living for Satan—God looks on the heart. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 explains that it is the Holy Spirit who baptizes us into Christ: “. . . so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” If we become part of Christ’s body, then whatever happens to that body happens to us. If that body died, we did. If it was buried, so were we. If it was raised from the dead, we will be too. Correction—we already have new life in Christ, and are to live on that basis.
4 Therefore, we were buried with Him by means of that baptism into that death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by means of the Father’s glory, we also should walk in newness of life.
5 Now if we have become united with Him in His death, we will certainly be in His resurrection as well;
6 knowing this, that our old self Literally ‘man’. The reference is to the old, or fallen, nature, with which we are all born. Only those who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit acquire a new one. was crucified with Him in order that the body of the sin That is, the body that resulted from ‘the sin’ (Adam’s); that is, a fallen body, whose natural inclination is not toward holiness. might be set aside, so that we no longer be enslaved to that sin—
7 because he who has died has been released from that sin. Presumably a dead person doesn’t do much sinning.
8 Now since we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him,
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, cannot die again; No one kills Jesus twice. Consider Hebrews 6:4-6: “Because, it is impossible to bring back into repentance those who were once for all enlightened, who have partaken of the heavenly gift and were made sharers in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have experienced God’s good event and capabilities of the coming age, 6 and yet have fallen away—they would be crucifying the Son of God all over again, just for themselves, holding Him up to contempt.” No amount of theological shifting and squirming can nullify the plain meaning of verse 6. The only way to crucify Jesus again is if you have already done so once before. No one is going to kill Jesus twice; if the first time wasn’t good enough for you, you’ve had it! As He Himself said in John 10:17-18: “Therefore my Father loves me, becauseI lay down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” He laid it down once, freely, but that’s all. death can no longer master Him
10 —the death He died He died to sin once for all, while the life He lives He lives to God.
11 Thus you also, consider yourselves to be dead indeed to the sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Some 3.5% of the Greek manuscripts omit “our Lord”, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding.
12 Down with sin! Therefore do not let the sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey it with the body’s evil desires
13 —do not present any part Literally, ‘the members’. of your body to sin as an implement for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your body parts to God as implements for righteousness.
14 Really, sin must not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace.
15 Grace, not license What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Of course not!
16 Do you not know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey them as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether of sin into death, or of obedience into righteousness?
17 But thanks be to God that although you used to be the slaves of the sin you wholeheartedly obeyed that pattern of doctrine into which you were delivered.
18 So having been emancipated from the sin, you became enslaved to the righteousness. Recall the note about slaves at 1:1.
19 I continue to speak on a human level because of the weakness of your flesh. Now just as you used to present your body parts as slaves to uncleanness and to ever increasing lawlessness, Sin, and mere gratification of physical desire, obey the law of diminishing returns. To maintain the same ‘kick’ from any drug, you have to keep increasing the dose—this is a slavery that keeps on dragging you down to ever lower levels. so now present your body parts as slaves to righteousness with a view to sanctification.
20 For when you were slaves to the sin, you were ‘free’ from the righteousness.
21 So what ‘fruit’ did you have at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? The end of those things is death! Yea, verily!
22 But now , having been emancipated from the sin, and having become enslaved to God, you have your ‘fruit’ into sanctification—and the end is eternal life!
23 Because the wages of sin is death, Sin results in two deaths, physical and spiritual. The spiritual one is by far the more important since it lasts for eternity. Belonging to Jesus does not exempt us from physical death, but it does from the spiritual one—He gives us eternal life instead of eternal death. but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 More about law Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know law), that the law has authority over someone only as long as he lives?
2 For example, a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if the man should die, she is released from the law about the husband.
3 So then, if she should ‘marry’ another man while her husband is living, she will be labeled an adulteress; but if the husband should die, she is free from that law, not being an adulteress if she marries another man.
4 Therefore, my brothers, you also were put to death to the law through the body This refers to His physical body, and probably to the death of that body. of the Christ so as to belong to another—to Him who was raised from the dead—so that we should produce fruit to God.
5 Because when we were in the flesh, ‘In the flesh’ contrasts with ‘in Christ’ and probably refers to the natural/old man. the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our body parts to produce fruit to death.
6 But now we have been released from the law, having died to what was gripping us, so as to slave in newness of spirit and not in oldness of letter. We are slaves in any case. What is in view is a change of owner.
7 Law and sin So what shall we say then? Is the law sin? Of course not! Indeed, I would not have come to know the sin If not a synonym for the fallen nature, or ‘the flesh’, ‘the sin’ appears to be closely related to it. ‘The flesh’ is Satan’s ally inside us while ‘the world’ is his ally outside us. So without the Holy Spirit a person is in a bad way. except through the law: I would not have recognized covetousness if the law had not said, “You must not covet”.
8 But the sin, grasping an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. Now without the law sin is dead.
9 Once upon a time, without law, I was actually ‘alive’; but when the commandment came, the sin came to life and I died.
10 Yes, the commandment that was to bring me life turned out to bring death.
11 Because the sin, grasping an opportunity through the commandment, completely deceived me, and used it to ‘kill’ me.
12 So then, the law itself is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
13 Indwelling sin So has what is good become death to me? Of course not! Rather the sin, that it might be exposed as sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment the sin might become extremely sinful.
14 We know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, having been ‘sold’ under sin
15 —you see, I don’t understand what I’m doing: I don’t practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate! In this interesting passage Paul contrast his two natures. As an aid to the reader, I will attempt to identify the two natures throughout the passage.14 We know that the law is spiritual, but I [old] am fleshly, having been ‘sold’ under sin 15—you see, I [new] don’t understand what I’m [old] doing: I [old] don’t practice what I [new] want to do, but I [old] do what I [new] hate! 16 But if I [old] do what I [new] don’t want to do, I [new] agree with the law that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I [new] who am doing it, but the sin dwelling in me [both]. 18 Further, I [new] know that nothing good dwells in me [old], that is, in my flesh; because to will is present with me [new], but I [old] don’t find how to perform the good. 19 Because I [old] don’t do the good that I [new] want to do; rather I [old] practice the evil that I [new] don’t want to do. 20 Now if I [old] do what I [new] don’t want to do, it is no longer I [new] who do it, but the sin dwelling in me [both]. 21 So I [new] find this ‘law’, when I [new] want to do good, evil is right there with me [both]. 22 I [new] joyfully agree with God’s law according to the inner man [new], 23 but I [new] see a different ‘law’ in my body parts [old], warring against the law of my mind [new] and taking me [both] captive to the law of the sin that is in my body parts [old]. 24 What a wretched man I am [both]! Who will deliver me [new] from this body of death [old]? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself [new] serve God’s law, but with the flesh [old], sin’s law.
16 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
17 So now it is no longer I who am doing it, but the sin dwelling in me.
18 Further, I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; because to will is present with me, but I don’t find how to perform the good.
19 Because I don’t do the good that I want to do; rather I practice the evil that I don’t want to do.
20 Now if I do what I don’t want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but the sin dwelling in me.
21 So I find this ‘law’, when I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
22 I joyfully agree with God’s law according to the inner man,
23 but I see a different ‘law’ in my body parts, warring against the law of my mind and taking me captive to the law of the sin that is in my body parts.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? A body that insists on sinning is a body that is condemned to death.
25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve God’s law, but with the flesh, sin’s law.
1 Deliverance Now then, there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit, “Who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” is omitted by 2.3% of the Greek manuscripts, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc. Those who follow the 2.3% like to claim that the clause was imported from verse four. But Paul is a Jew, and they like to repeat things. In 7:14-23 Paul described the conflict of the two natures within himself—he was not ‘home free’. That he is not through with the topic is clear from 8:5-17, where he describes in detail the conflict between flesh and Spirit. The reader may rest assured that the 97.7% are correct.
2 because the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me Perhaps 1% of the Greek manuscripts read ‘you’ singular, to be followed by NASB and LB. But ‘you’ in English is ambiguous as to number, and neither NASB nor LB tells the reader that ‘you’ is singular (because in the context it is obviously wrong). Both versions favor the reader with a footnote informing that “some” manuscripts read “me” [their way of referring to 600 against 6]. free from the law of the sin and the death.
3 Further, what the law could not do, in that it was weak due to the flesh, God has done by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned the sin in the flesh, The sin in our flesh having been condemned, it is now possible to walk according to the Spirit.
4 so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Spirit X flesh Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 Further, the mind-set of the flesh yields death, but the mind-set of the Spirit yields life and peace;
7 because the mind-set of the flesh represents enmity against God, since it does not submit to God’s law, nor indeed can it.
8 So, those who are ‘in flesh’ cannot please God. This is a ‘genetic’ incapability, so we need a new birth.
9 You, however, are not ‘in flesh’ but ‘in Spirit’, if indeed God’s Spirit dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
10 But if Christ is in you, the body is dead through sin, but the Spirit is life through righteousness.
11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then He who raised the Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies Where, down here? If it is “because of His Spirit who dwells [present tense] in you”, presumably so. Consider 1 Thessalonians 5:23—“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I take it that the grammatical structure of this phrase, “the spirit and the soul and the body” (in Greek), demands a tripartite/trichotomous view of the human being. I confess that I have trouble imagining complete sanctification for the body, in this life, but there it is. because of His Spirit who dwells in you. In these verses we have ‘Spirit of God’, ‘Spirit of Christ’, ‘Christ’, ‘Spirit’ and ‘Spirit of Him who raised Jesus’; so how many spirits or persons are there? I would say that Paul is just using different ways of referring to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Triune God. Comparing all the relevant passages, the Godhead is made up of just the three persons.
12 Sonship So then, brothers, we have no obligation to the flesh, to live according to it;
13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are about to die; but if you put to death the practices of the body, by the Spirit, you will live.
14 Because as many as are led by God’s Spirit, these are God’s sons
15 —you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fear all over again, but you did receive the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “ Abba , Father!” ‘Father’ is a translation of the Aramaic ‘Abba’.
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children
17 —if children, also heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him). The clear implication is: no suffering, no glory. In the next verse the sufferings are treated as a fact.
18 Redemption of the body I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is going to be revealed in us.
19 You see, the creation waits with eager anticipation for the revelation of God’s sons;
20 because without choice the creation was subjected to futility, due to the One who did the subjecting, based on the hope
21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the freedom of the glory of God’s children. In the beginning, when the Creator turned the administration of this planet over to Adam, everything was ‘good’. But then came the Fall, and the administrator was no longer good. How could a fallen ruler administer a perfect creation? Since the creation was merely a setting for the man, the Creator reduced it to the same level, based on ‘the hope’ of a future restoration for both man and nature (see 1 Peter 1:19-20).
22 Yes, we know that the whole creation has been groaning and in labor pains until now.
23 Not only that, we ourselves also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we groan within ourselves, eagerly awaiting adoption, the redemption of our body.
24 Yes, we were saved in the hope, Since the restoration of the planet depends on the restoration of Adam’s descendants, at least some of them, and since this is a time consuming process, we start out in ‘the hope’. but a hope that is seen is not hope—why would anyone hope for what he sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly await it with endurance.
26 Likewise also the Spirit comes to the aid of the hope in our weaknesses, since we do not know what we need to pray for. Indeed the Spirit Himself intercedes on our behalf with inexpressible groanings,
27 while He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, since He prays for the saints in accordance with God. The intercession of the Spirit represents two members of the Trinity!
28 Glory Further, we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to purpose.
29 Because whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, If you aren’t being conformed to the Son’s image, there’s something wrong, because this is probably the ‘purpose’. so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 Further, whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. All the verbs in verse 30 are in the past tense, reflecting God’s sovereignty.
31 Summary to this point What then shall we say to these things? Since God is for us, who is against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up on behalf of us all, how shall He not with Him also graciously give us all things? 2 Peter 1:3 again.
33 Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? God is He who justifies.
34 Who is he who condemns? Christ is He who died, but even more, was indeed raised, who indeed is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes on our behalf. Comparing this with verse 27, all three members of the Trinity are cheering us on!
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will it be affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?
36 (As it is written: “For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we are accounted as sheep for slaughter.” See Psalm 44:22. )
37 No, in all these things we prevail completely through Him who loved us.
38 Because I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities nor powers, neither things present nor things to come,
39 neither height nor depth nor any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God’s love is like a sphere, with us on the inside—nothing can reach us without first passing through that love.
1 Israel I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience is testifying with me in the Holy Spirit—
2 I have great sorrow and unceasing distress in my heart.
3 For I keep wishing that I myself could be accursed away from the Messiah for the sake of my brothers, my physical relatives,
4 the Israelites. To them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises.
5 The patriarchs are theirs, and from them came the Christ (the physical part), Both “the Christ” and “who is over all” are in the masculine gender, separated by to kata sarka, often rendered as ‘according to the flesh’. But the article, to, is in the neuter gender, and so must have a different referent. Paul is being precisely correct: it was only the physical part of the Messiah that came through Israel. who is over all, God forever blessed. Amen.
6 Children of the promise However, it is not as though the Word of God has failed! The covenants and the promises involve human participation, so they only come to fruition for those who obey God (almost always a minority of the population). For not all who have descended from Israel are ‘Israel’.
7 Neither are they all ‘children’ because they are Abraham’s descendants; but, “in Isaac will your seed be called”. See Genesis 21:12.
8 That is, it is not the physical children who are God’s ‘children’, but the children of the promise are regarded as ‘seed’.
9 For this is the word of promise: “At this season I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” See Genesis 18:10, 14.
10 Not only that, but also when Rebecca had conceived twins by our forefather Isaac
11 (though they had not yet been born, not having done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),
12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger”. See Genesis 25:23.
13 As it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” See Malachi 1:2, 3. Of course Malachi was written long after the two had demonstrated their characters by their lives.
14 It is pointless to fight God’s Sovereignty! So what shall we say, there is no injustice with God, is there? Of course not!
15 For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion.” See Exodus 33:19.
16 So then, it is not of him who wills nor of him who strives, but of God who shows mercy.
17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” See Exodus 9:16. If you check the record, Pharaoh hardened his own heart the first five times; after that God did the hardening.
18 So then, He has mercy on whom He wishes, and He hardens whom He wishes.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has ever resisted His will?”
20 Really now, just who are you, O man, to talk back to God? What is formed will not say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?
21 Or has the potter no right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
22 What if God, wishing to display His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
23 just in order to make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy, Presumably by way of contrast. which He prepared beforehand for glory,
24 even us whom He called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
25 As He also says in Hosea: “I will call the ‘not my people’, ‘my people’, and the ‘not loved’ (f), ‘loved’.” See Hosea 2:23.
26 “And it will be in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people’, there they will be called sons of the living God.” See Hosea 1:10.
27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved;
28 because He is finishing and cutting short an accounting in righteousness; yes, the Lord will impose a condensed accounting “In righteousness; yes, the Lord will impose a condensed accounting” is omitted by less than 3% of the Greek manuscripts, to befollowed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding. upon the earth.” See Isaiah 10:22-23. It has always been the case that those who really want to walk with God represent a small minority of the population sample.
29 And as Isaiah had said previously: “Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.” See Isaiah 1:9.
30 Their present condition So what shall we say? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained to righteousness, namely the righteousness that comes from faith;
31 while Israel, pursuing a standard of righteousness, did not attain to that standard.
32 Why not? Because it was not from faith, but as from works of the law. They stumbled over the ‘stumbling stone’;
33 as it is written: “Look! I am placing in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, and no one who believes on Him will be put to shame.” See Isaiah 8:14, 28:16. They had to ‘believe on’ the ‘stumbling block’, the Christ.
1 Israel needs salvation Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation.
2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to full knowledge.
3 For they, failing to understand God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to God’s righteousness.
4 How to be saved Now for everyone who believes into righteousness, Christ is the end of the law That is, as a means of salvation.
5 —Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” See Leviticus 18:15.
6 But the righteousness that is from faith speaks like this: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” See Deuteronomy 30:12. (that is, to bring Christ down)
7 “or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” See Deuteronomy 30:13. The ‘abyss’ here is presumably not the eschatological one. (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
8 So what does it say? “The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” See Deuteronomy 30:14. (that is, the message of faith that we proclaim):
9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 Because with the heart one believes into righteousness, and with the mouth one promises This refers to a solemn commitment made publicly. into salvation.
11 Because the Scripture says: “Everyone who believes on Him will never be put to shame” See Isaiah 28:16. ;
12 because there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call upon Him;
13 because: “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” See Joel 2:32.
14 The message is necessary How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe on Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without someone proclaiming it?
15 And how will they proclaim unless they are sent? As it is written: “How timely is the arrival Literally, ‘beautiful the feet’. of those who bring good news of peace, “Of those who bring good news of peace” is omitted by 10.5% of the Greek manuscripts, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding. of those who announce the good things.” See Isaiah 52:7, Nahum 1:15.
16 (However, they did not all obey the gospel; because Isaiah says: “LORD , who has believed our message?” See Isaiah 53:1. )
17 So, the faith is from a message, and that message is by the Word of God. Perhaps 2% of the Greek manuscripts read ‘Christ’ rather than “God”, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding. It is the Word of God that gives authority to our message.
18 A rebellious people But I say, did they really not hear? Indeed yes: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world.” See Psalm 19:4.
19 Again I say, did Israel really not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by a non-nation, I will move you to anger by a senseless nation.” See Deuteronomy 32:21.
20 But Isaiah is so bold as to say: “I was found by those who were not seeking me; I was revealed to those who were not asking for me.” See Isaiah 65:1.
21 But concerning Israel he says: “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” See Isaiah 65:2. To be ‘disobedient’ and ‘contrary’, there must be a revealed will.
1 The remnant So now I say, God did not reject His people, did He? Of course not! Why I myself am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin! Observe that Paul knew what tribe he belonged to; this at the beginning of the Christian era. If God would save Paul, then He is still saving Jews.
2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel saying:
3 “LORD , they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life!” See 1 Kings 19:10, 14.
4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men The term here refers specifically to males. who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” See 1 Kings 19:18. Evidently Elijah knew nothing about them, and perhaps each of them also thought he was the only one. I see a practical application here: I must never assume that what God is doing to and through me is the whole show, or even a major part of it. Now, much more than in Elijah’s day, God is doing all sorts of interesting things all over the world!
5 Even so then at this present time, there is a remnant according to an election by grace.
6 Now if by grace, it is no longer from works; otherwise the grace is no longer grace. But if from works, it is no longer grace; otherwise the work is no longer work. “But if from works, it is no longer grace; otherwise the work is no longer work” is omitted by 3.5% of the Greek manuscripts, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding.
7 What then? What Israel is seeking, this it did not obtain; but the election ‘Election’ acts as a mass noun, including all the elected individuals. did obtain it, while the rest were dulled.
8 Just as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that were not to see and ears that were not to hear, to this very day.” See Deuteronomy 29:4, Isaiah 29:10.
9 And David says: “Let their table be made into a snare and into a trap, into a stumbling block and into a retribution to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened so as not to see, and their back always be bowed down.” See Psalm 69:22-23.
11 The restoration So now I say, surely they have not stumbled so as to fall [and stay fallen]? Of course not! Rather, through their transgression the salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.
12 Now if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss riches for the nations, how much more their fulfillment!
13 So I am speaking to you Gentiles (inasmuch as I am ‘apostle to the Gentiles’, I magnify my ministry),
14 if somehow I can provoke my own people Literally, ‘flesh’. to jealousy and save some of them.
15 For if their being rejected means reconciliation for the world, what will their restoration be but life from the dead?
16 Now if the ‘firstfruit’ is holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 Grafted olive branches Now if some of the branches were broken off, while you, being a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them, and with them have become a partaker of the root and the rich sap of the cultivated olive,
18 do not boast against those branches (since if you do boast—it’s not you who support the root but the root you).
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
20 Granted. Because of unbelief they were broken off, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear!
21 Because if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps He won’t spare you either!
22 So consider the kindness and severity of God: upon those who fell, severity; but toward you, kindness, if you continue in that kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off. Here is a plain statement. ‘Continuing’ wins.
23 And even they, if they do not persist in the unbelief, will be grafted back in, because God has the power to graft them in again.
24 For if you were cut out of a wild by nature olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 Hardening Brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant of this ‘mystery’ This term is used of information that God has not yet made generally available, not about something mysterious. (so that you not be conceited): hardening has come upon Israel in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
26 And so all Israel will be saved, just as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn ungodliness away from Jacob; ‘Jacob’ is Jacob, not the Church!
27 this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” See Isaiah 59:20-21, 27:9. When will this happen? Presumably at the beginning of the millennial Messianic Kingdom. The conversion of the last Gentile will be followed by the Rapture. All the Israelites that enter the Kingdom will be saved.
28 On the one hand, regarding the Gospel, they are enemies because of you; on the other, regarding the election, they are beloved on account of the forefathers.
29 Because God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable.
30 For just as you also were once disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy through their disobedience,
31 so also these have now been disobedient that through the mercy shown to you they also may be shown mercy.
32 Yes, God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that He might show mercy to all. A bitter pill, but apart from God’s mercy we don’t obey Him.
33 Doxology Oh, the depth of the riches of God’s wisdom and knowledge! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways! This is the ‘answer’ for all of us who would like to understand just how election works, and so on. God is too big, and we are too small!
34 Because “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?” See Isaiah 40:13, Jeremiah 23:18.
35 Or “Who has ever given to Him and has to be repaid?” See Job 41:11.
36 Because from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
1 The will of God Now then, brothers, I exhort you, in view of God’s compassions, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, Any animal in the Old Testament had to die in order to become a sacrifice, so what does Paul mean by a ‘living’ one? In 1 Corinthians 15:31 he said that he died every day. Paul could not have been referring to actual physical death, obviously, since Hebrews 9:27 affirms that it is appointed to men to die only once (no re-incarnation). He may well have faced possible death often enough, but I suppose he is referring to dying to himself. I suppose this is also the meaning of our Lord’s words in Luke 9:23-24—“If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever desires tosave his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” In that day a cross was an instrument of death. We must die to our own will in order to embrace God’s. To present the body is presumably a metonym for presenting one’s whole self. holy, satisfying to God—your intelligent duty.
2 Yes, stop conforming to the pattern of this world; rather, be transformed by the renewing of your mind so as to be able to experience the good and satisfying and perfect will of God. ‘The pattern of this world’ belongs to Satan, so it must be rejected in order to do God’s will.
3 Be sensible Based on the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to set your sights higher than you should, but set them sensibly, as God has apportioned a measure of faith to each.
4 Because just as in one body we have many parts, but all the parts do not have the same function,
5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.
6 Since we have different spiritual gifts according to the grace that was given us, let us use them : if prophecy, according to the analogy of the Faith; Any prophesying needs to be in accordance with Scripture.
7 if serving, in the serving; if teaching, in the teaching;
8 if exhorting, in the exhortation; One might feel that Paul is being repetitious, but we all know people who try to operate in someone else’s area of gifting, and the results are not good. If an ear tries to be an eye, both hearing and sight suffer. the sharer, with simplicity; the leader, with diligence; the mercy-shower, with cheerfulness. Nothing like cheerfulness when helping someone who is hurting.
9 Behave! Love is to be genuine: abhorring the malignant; clinging to the good;
10 showing family affection to one another in brotherly love; in honor preferring one another;
11 not lagging in diligence; serving the Lord with an enthusiastic spirit;
12 rejoicing in the hope; enduring the affliction; continuing steadfastly in prayer;
13 distributing to the needs of the saints; practicing hospitality. I take it that the whole paragraph is explaining just how love is to be genuine—very practical!
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. If a boss is mistreating you and you curse him, will he get better or worse? That said, however, I believe we must distinguish between things done against us personally and things done against the Kingdom.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.
16 Regard each other as being on the same level—do not distinguish the upper classes, but associate with the lower classes; do not exalt yourself. I take it that this text is dealing with social position, not personal abilities.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Have regard for things that everyone considers to be good.
18 If possible, what depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19 Dear ones, do not avenge yourselves; rather give place to the wrath; Wrath is normally expressed through physical violence, and perhaps in our day through legal action. These are the sort of reaction that an ‘enemy’ will expect, not acts of kindness, which may even make him feel ashamed of himself. In any case, we are not to descend to his level, but let God do any avenging. for it is written: “Vengeance is up to me; I will repay”, See Deuteronomy 32:35. says the Lord.
20 Therefore, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will heap coals of fire on his head.” See Proverbs 25:21-22. Presumably the ‘coals of fire’ are not literal.
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome the evil with the good.
1 Submit Let every soul submit to the governing authorities, because there is no authority except under God, and the existing authorities have been placed by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authority is opposed to God’s ordinance, and those who oppose will bring judgment on themselves. God does not like anarchy.
3 Now rulers are not a terror to good deeds but to bad ones. So if you wish not to fear the authority, do the good and you will have praise from the same;
4 because it is God’s minister to you with a view to the good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not bear the sword for nothing; because it is God’s minister, an avenger with a view to wrath on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore it is necessary to submit, not only because of the wrath, but also because of the conscience. Presumably regimes that are overtly evil are not in view. Where a regime overtly combats the good, divine guidance is especially necessary for representatives of the good, because even an evil regime exists by God’s permission.
6 This is precisely why you pay taxes, for they are God’s servants, continually attending on this very thing. Have you ever seen a government that didn’t want more money?
7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes, customs to whom customs, respect to whom respect, honor to whom honor.
8 Love Owe no one anything except to love one another, since he who loves the other has fulfilled the law.
9 Because—“You shall not commit adultery”, “You shall not murder”, “You shall not steal”, “You shall not bear false witness”, “You shall not covet”, See Exodus 20:13-17, Deuteronomy 5:17-21. and whatever further commandment—everything is summed up in this word, namely: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” See Leviticus 19:18.
10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11 Put on Christ Besides this, knowing the time, it is high time for us to be awakened from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12 The night is nearly over, and the day is near; When a servant of Christ dies physically, he leaves the ‘night’ of this world behind and his ‘day’ of glory begins. Each day we live brings us closer to that moment, so we need to make the best possible use of the time we have left. so let us get rid of the works of the darkness, and let us put on the weapons of the light. That’s right, ‘weapons’. Light repels darkness.
13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual orgies and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, with a view to lusts. Of course we have to eat and drink to maintain life and health; it is the abuse of these appetites that is in view.
1 The law of liberty Receive someone who is weak in the faith, but not for disputes over arguables.
2 One man has faith to eat everything, while the weak one eats only vegetables.
3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him.
4 Who are you to judge someone else’s household servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And stand he will, for God has the power to make him stand. Christ is the Master of the Church.
5 One man esteems one day above another; another esteems everyday alike. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. “And he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it” is omitted by 4.6% of the Greek manuscripts, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding. And he who eats, eats to the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, also giving thanks to God.
7 You see, none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
8 Because if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
9 For this very reason Christ both died and rose, and lived, Although seemingly out of sequence, I assume that the reference of “and lived” is to His earthly life—without the incarnation He could not have died and conquered death. However, the perceived difficulty was enough to lead perhaps 2% of the Greek manuscripts to omit “and rose”, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc., except that they then make “and lived” refer to the resurrection. so as to rule both dead and living. Most presentations of the Gospel I have heard revolve around the selfish interests of the hearers, what they are going to get out of it. But the clearest statements in Scripture giving the ‘why’ of the cross tell a different story. Here in 14:9 we have a very explicit one: He died to be Lord! 2 Corinthians 5:15 is also explicit: “He died for all so that those who now live should no longer live for themselves but for the One who died for all and was raised again.” Philippians 2:8-11 refers to the final victory. Hebrews 2:14 refersto destroying Satan. How about preaching a Gospel that revolves around Christ’s interests!
10 The Judgment Seat of Christ But you, why do you judge your brother? And you too, why do you look down on your brother? Because we will all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. 2.4% of the Greek manuscripts read “God” instead of “Christ”, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding.
11 For it is written: “‘As I live,’ says the LORD , ‘every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall acknowledge God.’” See Isaiah 45:23.
12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another, but rather resolve this: not to put a stumbling block or pitfall in a brother’s way.
14 I know and have been convinced by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean of itself For a Jew to say this, he had to be convinced by a higher power. (still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean),
15 but if your brother is offended because of food, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not, with your food, ruin someone for whom Christ died.
16 So do not let your good be slandered;
17 because the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 For whoever serves the Christ in these things is satisfying to God and approved by men.
19 So then, let us pursue the things that promote peace and the things by which one may edify another.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are ‘clean’; however it is wrong for the man who gives offence by eating.
21 It is good not to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is weakened. “Or is offended, or is weakened” is omitted by 1.8% of the Greek manuscripts, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding.
22 Do you have faith? Have it privately before God. Happy is he who does not judge himself in what he approves.
23 But he who eats with doubt stands condemned, because it is not from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. Well now, faith would appear to be a rather important commodity! But just why is everything else ‘sin’? If the basic idea in ‘sin’ is to miss the mark, or to fall short (Romans 3:23), then faith is of the essence. Habakkuk 2:4, “the just shall live by faith”, is repeated three times in the New Testament—Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38. “That no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith’” (Galatians 3:11). So to depend on the law (or any equation based on works) is to fall short. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). If God demands faith, then anything else will fall short, will miss the mark. Doxology [14:24] Now to Him who has power to establish you according to my Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret through long ages, [14:25] but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures, Since it is being revealed ‘only now’, these ‘prophetic Scriptures’ must be New Testament writings, given by God! according to the command of the eternal God, with a view to obedience of faith among all ethnic nations [14:26] —to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to Him be the glory forever! Amen. 5.2% of the Greek manuscripts place verses 24-26 at the end of the book, rather than here. Paul habitually places doxologies throughout his letters—they do not occur only at the end.
1 Summary Now we who are strong ought to bear with the limitations of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please the neighbor with a view to what is good for edifying.
3 Because even the Christ did not please Himself; rather, as it is written: “The revilings of those reviling you fell on me.” See Psalm 69:9.
4 Whatever things were written before were so written for our instruction, so that through the fortitude and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 Now may the God of that fortitude and that encouragement grant you to be of the same mind It is only as a group of people are habitually exposed to the same Scriptures that ‘the same mind’ has much chance. among yourselves according to Christ Jesus,
6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one heart and voice.
7 Glorify Therefore accept one another, just as the Christ also accepted us, Perhaps 40% of the Greek manuscripts read ‘you’, but the 60% includes the best line of transmission. The verb I have rendered as ‘accept’ can also mean ‘receive’. to the glory of God.
8 Now I say that Christ Jesus “Jesus” is omitted by perhaps 4% of the Greek manuscripts, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding. has become a minister to the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, in order to confirm the promises to the fathers;
9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, We generally don’t even trust someone who does not keep his promises, much less ‘glorify’ him. So it was necessary to fulfill the promises made to the patriarchs. as it is written: “For this reason I will give praise to you among the Gentiles, O LORD , Less than a third of the Greek manuscripts have “O LORD”, but that third includes the best line of transmission, that follows the Hebrew Text of both 2 Samuel 22:50 and Psalm 18:49. and will sing psalms to your name.” See 2 Samuel 22:50, Psalm 18:49.
10 And again He says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!” See Deuteronomy 32:43.
11 And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and laud Him, all you peoples!” See Psalm 117:1.
12 And again, Isaiah says: “The Root of Jesse will appear, even He who rises up to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will place their hope on Him.” See Isaiah 11:10.
13 Now may the God of the hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in that hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14 Paul’s mission Now I myself am really confident about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others.
15 Nevertheless I have written to you quite boldly on some points, brothers, as a reminder to you, because of the grace given to me by God,
16 that I should be a minister of Jesus Christ to the nations, serving the Gospel of God as a priest so that the Gentiles might become an acceptable offering, The concept is interesting: Paul is a priest, and the nations are his offering. I habitually present my own work to God as an offering. sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17 So in Christ Jesus I do have a boast in things pertaining to God;
18 because I do not presume to speak of anything except those things that Christ has accomplished through me to make the Gentiles obedient —by word and deed,
19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of God’s Spirit, so that I have fully proclaimed Note the ‘word and deed’, the ‘signs and wonders’. Can someone who has only ‘word’ claim to have ‘fully proclaimed’ the Gospel? the Gospel of the Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. Illyricum lies to the north of Macedonia.
20 It has always been my aim to evangelize where Christ has not been named, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation;
21 rather, as it is written: “Those to whom He was not announced will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” See Isaiah 52:15.
22 A visit to Rome That is why I have been hindered these many times from coming to you.
23 But now, no longer having a place in these parts, and having a longing these many years to come to you,
24 whenever I travel to Spain I will come to you. “I will come to you” is omitted by 4.1% of the Greek manuscripts, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding. Because I hope to see you while passing through, and to be sent on my way there by you, if I may first enjoy your company for a while.
25 Now, however, I am traveling to Jerusalem, serving the saints.
26 Because Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
27 Yes, they were pleased, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are also obligated to minister to them in physical things.
28 So when I have finished this and have sealed to them this ‘fruit’, I will go by way of you to Spain. I am not aware of any record that Paul ever got to Spain.
29 And I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel “Of the Gospel” is omitted by 3.7% of the Greek manuscripts, to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding. of the Christ.
30 Now I implore you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf, If Paul needed prayer, how about us?
31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service to Jerusalem may be well received by the saints;
32 so that I may come to you with joy by the will of God and be refreshed together with you.
33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
1 Closing remarks Phoebe I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the congregation in Cenchrea,
2 so that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever matter she may need from you; for indeed she herself has been a helper of many, including my own self.
3 Greetings Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,
4 who risked their own necks for my life; So far as I know, we don’t have a record of just how, when or where this happened. to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the congregations of the Gentiles.
5 And greet the congregation that is in their house. In the beginning, congregations met in people’s homes. This avoids the expense of erecting buildings. I believe the days are upon us when all serious followers of Jesus Christ will be increasingly persecuted, including in North America and Europe. An underground Church will have little use for ‘buildings’. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the first convert to Christ from Achaia. 4% of the Greek manuscripts read “Asia” instead of “Achaia” (these are very different places), to be followed by NIV, NASB, TEV, LB, etc.—an inferior proceeding.
6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. Although scarcely a fourth of the Greek manuscripts read “you” (instead of “us”), that fourth includes the best line of transmission.
7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, and who were in Christ before me.
8 Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord.
9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.
10 Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus.
11 Greet Herodian, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.
12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord. The three in this verse are women.
13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, also his mother, and mine. If Rufus were his physical brother, presumably Paul would have expressed himself differently, so the ‘mother’ here is not literally Paul’s.
14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brothers who are with them.
15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, also Olympus and all the saints who are with them.
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. The congregations of Christ greet you.
17 Warning Now I exhort you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine you have learned, and avoid them.
18 Because such people do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. Guileless people are often not prepared to recognize guile in others. So those who are responsible for the spiritual welfare of the flock need to warn the people about who should be avoided.
19 I rejoice over you because your obedience has become known to all, but I want you to be wise as to what is good, yet innocent as to what is evil. When the first pair ate of the forbidden tree, this was not the result.
20 The God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet! The sooner, the better! Sign off The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 1% of the Greek manuscripts omit “Christ”, to be followed by NIV and NASB—an inferior proceeding. be with you.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my countrymen.
22 I, Tertius, who penned this letter in the Lord, greet you.
23 Gaius, host to me and the whole congregation, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, greets you, as does brother Quartus. One gains the clear impression that the people mentioned in verse 23 knew that Tertius was penning this letter. Not only that, they asked to be included! I wonder who Quartus may have been.
24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us I have followed perhaps 20% of the Greek manuscripts, including the best line of transmission, in putting ‘us’ rather than the familiar ‘you’. If verses 22-24 were not dictated by Paul, then the first person is especially appropriate, coming from Tertius. all! Amen. 3.2% of the Greek manuscripts omit verse 24, while 7.2% supply 14:24-26 at this point.
25 - - -
26 - - -
27 - - -